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LAST UPDATE | 21 Jan 2019
THE EUROPEAN UNION’S lead Brexit negotiator has dismissed reports of a bilateral arrangement between the UK and Ireland.
In an interview with RTÉ News, Michel Barnier said the EU negotiated as one team.
Meanwhile, a question mark has been raised over the controversial backstop today, after Poland suggested the backstop could have a five-year limit.
However, it is understood that Tánaiste Simon Coveney has said that does not represent the thinking of other EU leaders.
Barnier told RTÉ’s Tony Connolly that the backstop was agreed as an “all weather” insurance policy to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland, he said.
He added that the focus was now on the future relationship and the political declaration which sketches that relationship.
Earlier today Downing Street rejected a report in today’s Daily Telegraph newspaper that Prime Minister Theresa May is considering rewriting a portion of the Good Friday Agreement so she can help get her Brexit deal through.
The prime minister is due to address the House of Commons today to outline the so-called “plan B” on Brexit, after her original deal was roundly defeated last week.
One of the proposals that could form this plan B would be rewriting the historic 1998 Good Friday Agreement to assure Ireland the UK is committed to ensuring no hard border, the Telegraph reported.
Members of her cabinet believe such a plan would avoid having to commit to the Northern Irish backstop – the red line issue for Ireland and the EU which was a key reason May lost the vote on her Brexit deal by such a wide margin last week.
However, after this report emerged Downing Street said that such assertions were incorrect, and the Good Friday Agreement couldn’t be changed.
Changing the deal – which set out a blueprint for peace after decades of violence in the North – is seen as a non-runner for the EU, Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Speaking on Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio One today, Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee said the agreement was “not negotiable”.
“Everything that we’re hearing in the last day or two is speculation, and until the Prime Minister actually brings something forward today and we actually hear what it is she has to say, all of this is speculation,” she said.
“But suggestions that we would amend, change, delete, or remove parts of the Good Friday Agreement are not something that we would be considering even looking at.”
Backstop
May must find some way of winning over the Eurosceptics within her own party and the DUP if her Brexit deal is to go through – and some way that avoids the backstop she agreed with the EU is vital for the prime minister.
The Irish backstop, which is referred to in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement as “the Protocol” is a promise that if all efforts to close a deal fail, that there will be “regulatory alignment” on the island of Ireland to avoid a hard border.
This would mean that rules and regulations in Northern Ireland would have to be similar to the EU’s/Ireland’s rules, to avoid customs checks or posts that would make up a hard border.
Graham Brady, who chairs the Conservative MP backbenchers’ group, said he thought May could get her Brexit deal past Conservative rebels if the Irish backstop “can be sorted out”.
“So much of the vote against was from people who simply cannot support a potentially permanent backstop, if that can be sorted out then I think we might get that withdrawal agreement through,” he told BBC radio over the weekend.
He said it was in Ireland’s interests to help Britain leave the EU with a deal, saying they would be far more hurt by a no-deal Brexit that Britain as most of their trade comes through the UK.
What happens today
May will address the Commons today to outline her new plans for Brexit, but has little time to win a consensus with roughly 10 weeks to go before the UK is due to leave the EU.
EU chiefs have so far ruled out renegotiating the agreement, but have signalled they could postpone the withdrawal if May changes her “red lines” on leaving the EU’s customs union and blocking free movement of citizens.
After May sets out her plans for the way ahead, MPs are set to table a series of amendments, to be voted upon on January 29.
With reporting from Gráinne Ní Aodha, Stephen McDermott, Christina Finn and AFP
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Let’s be honest it doesn’t take all that much,to make the Catholic Church look ridiculous.
Next time you hear of one of those terrible tragedies that have become all too common in the new Ireland, remember that it is usually the local priest who is doing the heavy lifting and comforting relatives not the social services (overtime rates apply at weekends) and certainly not the happy clickers of online forums who are usually too busy parading their own righteousness to be bothered actually doing anything for their neighbours (motto: do what I say not what I do).
Great bravery. Hard to believe condoms were only legalised here in 1985.
Was it not 92/93??
June Health (Family Planning) (Amendment) Act 1993 is enacted. Condoms are no longer defined as a contraceptive and can therefore be deregulated. This means that there are virtually no restrictions on where condoms can be sold or supplied, including vending machines. The Act also removes any age limit on buying condoms.
The Health (Family Planning) (Amendment) Act, 1985 meant you could at least get them without a prescription. Anyway, my point is more, brave women
Without a prescription but only if you were above the age of 18 and only in certain places where they could still refuse to sell you the product (chemist is a fine example of this).
it wasn’t until 1993 that you could buy them easily like now.
The situation broke down as:
July, 1979 – Health (Family Planning) Act 1979 is enacted under Charles Haughey, Minister for Health. The Act legalises contraception but specifies that contraception, including condoms, are only available on prescription from a doctor and the doctor must be satisfied that the person is seeking the contraceptives for bona fide family planning purposes. This is largely interpreted to mean that only married couples are legally entitled to access contraception.
September, 1983 – Dr Andrew Rynne is fined £500 for selling 10 condoms to a patient. This was the first case to be taken under the (Health) Family Planning Act 1979.
March, 1985 – The Health (Family Planning)(Amendment) Act 1985 is enacted under Barry Desmond, Minister for Health. The Act allows for the sale of condoms and spermicides without a prescription to people aged 18 and over. However, condoms can only be sold in chemists, doctors’ surgeries, health boards, family planning clinics and hospitals providing maternity services or treatment for sexually transmitted infections.
May, 1990 – IFPA is convicted by the District Court selling condoms without a license in the Virgin Record Store. A fine of £400 imposed.
February, 1991 – On Valentine’s Day, the IFPA appeals against the conviction for the illegal sale of a condoms in a Virgin Megastore in Dublin. A week later Judge Hanrahan rejects the appeal and increases the fine to the maximum under the law of £500 for a first offence. Richard Branson, Millionaire CEO of Virgin Megastores, testifies on behalf of the IFPA. Irish rock band U2 steps in to pay the fine on behalf of the IFPA.
July, 1992 – Jul Health (Family Planning) (Amendment) Act 1992 is enacted. The Act lowers the age at which a person can buy condoms from 18 to 17 without a prescription. Condoms can be sold outside of pharmacies but not in vending machines or areas where young people under 17 are unsupervised.
June, 1993 – Jun Health (Family Planning) (Amendment) Act 1993 is enacted. Condoms are no longer defined as a contraceptive and can therefore be deregulated. This means that there are virtually no restrictions on where condoms can be sold or supplied, including vending machines. The Act also removes any age limit on buying condoms.
Hard to believe that men still control women through an outdated constitution….
let’s recognise that thanks in part to these brave women Ireland became better place. aknowledge that they were ahead of their time, instead of arguing about exactly how much so.
Those women did trojan work.
The French finally got letters in Ireland that day!
When we look around at all the women (and young girls) “forced” to cover in black tents wandering our streets in 2015 (with thousands more on the way) it really does make on wonder if we are going backwards in terms of women’s rights!
@catholic church “Don’t F**K with Irish mammies”
Or Irish women that don’t WANT to be Mammies :)
is it bash the Catholic religion this week at the journal ?
when is it not!!
@AlanH – I’m not particularly religious but I agree with your sentiment. To highlight and ridicule what was an accepted norm – and almost 50 years ago – is a bit much. Attitudes move on, and they have. No big deal (unless you’ve something to plug).
Since when is reporting historic fact bashing the church? And really, can there be anything more ridiculous than banning condoms?
If any of the above commentators, have something to say in defence of the Catholic Church and specifically this article, then I’m all ears or eyes in this case.
My comment has nothing to do with the Catholic Church, it’s more about the absurdity of targeting what were then social norms. These women were in the minority 50 years ago. Like I say, we’ve moved on a long time since.
Alan do you think it had nothing to do with the Catholic Church?
These articles shine a light on the extraordinarily severe attitudes and extremist views of the official institution of the Roman Catholic Church and how it can interfere in politics and law making, fo the bad. This puts into contact the 8th Amendment and the strong recent opposition of the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church to same sex civil marriage.
It also helps to show that the institution of the Roman Catholic Church, although often a supporters of measures which repressed women, was more than tolerant of male clerical child sexual abuse.
It is no harm at all to emphasise the fiscal role of the Roman Catholic Church because it remains relevant, perhaps less so, but still relevant today. Witness the Pope’s private audience with the Court Clerk who refused to issue same sex civil marriage certificates.
Let’s target the Germans about all the Nazi crimes next week. And maybe the British the week after. Never forget the past on journal.ie.
I’m looking forward to any article, that defends Catholicism in general, present or past.
for over 80 years since the foundation of the state, the Catholic church has bashed the citizens of this country, sometimes literally, every single day. I say we should have Catholic church bashing every day for the next 80 years to redress the balance. the state also needs to move against the church to seize their assets as the church refuses to honour it’s comittments regarding compensation to its victims.
hardcore Kerry gaa, it is important to remember the past cos unless you do your doomed to repeat it. the world is a dangerous place, we have now got Russia bombing Syria and the news has it that some of their bombs crashed in Iran, what’s it going to take for this to escalate and more countries drawn in.
Its a bit too early in the morning for popcorn.
Hardcore – yeah, there is never any Britain bashing in Ireland or in the Journal, perish the thought. It is right to ridicule the ridiculous and much of the church’s influence on Ireland has been ridiculous. Would you prefer to go back to a time when it was also routine for Irish mothers to have a dozen or more children?
Home Rule or Rome Rule how right the Unionists were 100 years ago
Do you call it Bashing ISIS week on Sky news? Every week they say something bad about them after all.
Stephen defends them for what exactly? Indoctrinating children before they can think? holding a monopoly on our schools? Blocking peoples human rights? Homophobia? Protecting paedophiles? Travelling around Africa giving starving children Bibles and Rosary beads instead of food??
True, but let’s not take lectures from unionists on inclusivity from 1920-98..
Dermot, more of your anti catholic bigoted rubbish.
You mean the Treaty of Rome I would believe as it is Euro rule now?
“is it bash the Catholic religion this week at the journal ?”
The poor Catholics, always crying victim. You should pray to your god to be less whiny, thanks in advance.
A practicing catholic calling someone else a bigot? You couldn’t make it up!
Dermot – ah they could make it up, sure the whole thing is made up, they love made up things.
it shows the absurdity of the state and it’s obsession with control of your daily life, and of course the public servants the customs officers and the police just blindly following orders at the behest of the church. independent thinking is discouraged, now yesterday we have the riot squad with batons drawn called in to move a group of children having a sit down protest against James Reilly who hasn’t the courage to meet the very people who’s policys his dictats effect. instead he slithered away in a garda car.
So, this ‘article’ is actually a long advert for a play then?
Yes is that okay with you? You and I, along with many others, seemed to have read all the way to the end so we can’t have minded that much. In fact I suspect I’m already over it.
Made the Irish state look ridiculous? Nah… that’s impossible. …….. isn’t it? ???
and the church still has great control over our children , another ” social norm ” , https://www.change.org/p/the-irish-parliament-and-government-support-the-schools-equality-pact-end-state-funded-religious-discrimination-in-schools?recruiter=59739547&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
Down the line when a few jihadis get in control..We will own the women again…ahhhhh it’ll be great.
you would rather them chained to the kitchen sink eh Larry? ?
No, that is a silly idea, however the notion of woman the hero that is perpetuated by many feminists has led to unrealistic demands on women to (for example) hold down two careers – a work career and a home career (rearing chilldren). This puts a lot of pressure on working mothers
Buying a packet of condoms and taking a two hour train journey, drinking tea and gossiping the afternoon away.
Heroic.
Truly heroic.
If you’re a Western corporate feminist i.e.
In fairness Tommy this was feminism doing something useful for everyone…
Well, someone had to do something!
Besides all this, it’s a great piece of musical theatre. I had the pleasure of seeing it last week. I highly recommend it.
Only unrealistic if you assume the child rearing is only the responsibility of mothers. If childcare is shared, then both parents can have a career and take their family responsibility seriously .
Perhaps that was the beginning of the ‘woman the hero’ mindset. When the Irish mammy, became the Irish mummy and a new industry in ‘childcare’ began.
feeling threatened much Larry?
No not much Dermot, you ?
The start of the fall of all morals.
“The start of the fall of all morals.”
Oh for christs sakes :-)
I have a bit of a headache from seeing all this propaganda, you see.
I’ll try to be more articulate in the future, my friend.
We never had to get on a train to make the Catholic Church and the Irish state look ridiculous’
Ah I can picture the scene, armed guards surrounding a ‘rocking’ car.Sargent produces the bullhorn… “Step out of the vehicle, we have reason to believe yer in possession of an illegal item, namely a condom”….
Tasty bit of self advertising for the playwright
And yet the Feminists are now in league with the religious orders in Ruhama in trying to criminalise prostitution customers. Feminists used to be about liberating women but it’s leaders now want to control women’s bodies. I think the religious orders are infiltrating feminist movements
The Willy Wonka version lol…
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