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Simon Coveney and Michel Barnier met in Dublin in June. Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

Coveney warns that 'time is running out' after Brexit meeting with Barnier

The meeting took place against the backdrop of a chaotic week in UK politics.

LAST UPDATE | 27 Sep 2019

TÁNAISTE SIMON COVENEY has warned that “time is running out” to reach a withdrawal agreement following a meeting with chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels this afternoon. 

With no serious progress made on the issue of the Irish backstop and the border, concerns are growing that a deal cannot be secured before the Brexit deadline of 31 October. 

“There are still significant gaps between both sides,” Coveney said this afternoon after his meeting with Barnier. 

“The clear message that I would have got from Michel Barnier today is that his team and he himself are available 24/7 to negotiate towards trying to get a deal done. 

“But that has to be on the basis of a serious proposal coming forward from the UK side. That hasn’t happened yet. And until there is a serious proposal in writing that can be the basis for negotiation then the gaps that are wide at the moment will remain.”

Said Coveney: “Time is running out. We need to move this process on but, really, the onus is on the British Prime Minister and his team to allow that to happen by putting serious proposals on the table that the EU can negotiate around to try and find a way of getting a deal done here.”

On 20 September, the UK Brexit minister Stephen Barclay met with Barnier and submitted three papers with ideas on replacing the backstop. 

“There is significant work still to do but there are serious discussions that are taking place,” Barclay said after those talks. However, the Irish government and the EU have been less optimistic about progress towards securing a deal. 

In a short meeting between Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in New York earlier this week, Varadkar said that there was still a “very wide gap” between what the UK is proposing and what the EU wants to achieve. 

Meanwhile, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has said it will be Britain’s responsibility if a withdrawal agreement is not reached with the EU. 

In an interview with German newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine, Juncker said he and EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier are “working hard” to reach a deal and said it would be “a disaster” for the UK and EU if one is not reached. 

“For an exit of the British from the EU without agreement would be a disaster for the United Kingdom and for the European continent,” Juncker said.

“Our chief negotiator Michel Barnier and I are doing everything we can to reach an agreement. If this fails in the end, the responsibility lies solely with the British side.”

brexit-debate-in-the-eu-parliament Jean-Claude Juncker and Michel Barnier DPA / PA Images DPA / PA Images / PA Images

Given the political chaos in Britain at present, it remains possible for the UK to leave without a deal on 31 October.

Juncker added that negotiations on a future trade relationship between Britain and the EU would be complicated by a disorderly Brexit.

He said: “We want to and need to sign a free trade agreement.”

Today’s meeting between Coveney and Barnier comes following a torrid week for Johnson. 

On Tuesday, the UK Supreme Court ruled that his decision to suspend parliament was unlawful and void, triggering an early return to Westminster for MPs and setting up a fiery day of debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday. 

Opposition MPs have vowed to ensure that Johnson is forced to comply with the Benn Act, which forces the government to seek an extension from the EU if a deal hasn’t been secured by 19 October. 

Coveney today repeated that the any solution put forward by the UK government must “must avoid a hard border, fully protect the Good Friday Agreement and North-South cooperation, and preserve the all-island economy”.

“To date there is nothing else on the table that achieves the same outcome as the backstop,” he said. 

Coveney said that at the moment “the focus is on trying to get a deal quite frankly” but added that “the focus will shift to whether or not an extension is appropriate”. 

Coveney added that “there would need to be good reason” for an extension, however. 

With reporting from Cónal Thomas.

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    Mute Paul Whelan
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    Sep 27th 2019, 7:20 AM

    If the EU is so full behind us , why all the visits , it reminds me of the Bank bail out days.

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    Mute NotMyPresident
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    Sep 27th 2019, 8:01 AM

    @Paul Whelan: perhaps if you engaged your few brain cells you would see that the EU are in fact constantly, consistently & continually reinforcing that a hard brexshite is in fact the death knell for the occupied 6 counties and guarantees a border poll, which if you paid any attention has now indicated a majority, and I don’t care if it is 50% +1, in support of Irish unification.

    bojo is a clown that ONLY cares about little england and not having to declare overseas tax havens as EU law will dictate HAVE to be disclosed come 1/2020. That is in fact the driving force behind brexshite, the tory elite do not wish to have their offshore tax havens exposed.

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    Mute NotMyPresident
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    Sep 27th 2019, 8:38 AM
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    Mute Paul Whelan
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    Sep 27th 2019, 1:22 PM

    @NotMyPresident: I engaged my memory i remember two Govt ministers saying the Bail out team was not in Ireland . Abd they arrived by Taxi behind them . That was gas ha ha ha .

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    Mute Paul Whelan
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    Sep 27th 2019, 1:26 PM

    @NotMyPresident: Well if thst report is true Germany abd most European countries are really making a fool of themselves by deporting refugees.
    Now here on for your brain cells Irish Times no less.
    https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj1i5vE__DkAhVYRBUIHadVC7oQzPwBegQIARAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Fmost-fleeing-to-europe-are-not-refugees-eu-official-says-1.2511133&psig=AOvVaw1clFJluiKo7iEk0jjaCz1a&ust=1569673483013327

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    Mute John
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    Sep 27th 2019, 3:38 PM

    @Paul Whelan: The EU don’t give a hoot about Ireland. They’ll do what’s best for the bloc as a whole despite what they are saying we will be an afterthought in the grand scale of things

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Sep 27th 2019, 4:10 PM

    @John: Really? Good man.

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    Mute Paul Whelan
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    Sep 27th 2019, 6:06 PM

    @John: I think the EU sheep , will get a good demonstration of how the EU loves us . Very soon.

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    Mute Peter Buchanan
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    Sep 27th 2019, 6:36 AM

    Just conclude a final Trade deal and then there is no need for a ‘back-stop’ .

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    Mute Dave Walsh
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    Sep 27th 2019, 6:41 AM

    @Peter Buchanan: go back to bed Boris…

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    Mute Peter Buchanan
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    Sep 27th 2019, 6:44 AM

    @Dave Walsh: some of us have to get up for work…..

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    Mute Dave Walsh
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    Sep 27th 2019, 6:55 AM

    @Peter Buchanan: I know sucks doesn’t it. But we have to earn a crust..

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    Mute Ricky Spanish
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    Sep 27th 2019, 8:09 AM

    @Peter Buchanan: why do you think a trade deal can replace the need for a backstop?

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    Mute Val Doyle
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    Sep 27th 2019, 9:04 AM

    @Peter Buchanan: stop kidding yourself.

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    Mute Paul Culloty
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    Sep 27th 2019, 3:24 PM

    @Peter Buchanan: You do realise FTAs can take up to 7 years to be concluded?

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Sep 28th 2019, 7:19 AM

    @Paul Culloty: Canada was 14 I believe

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    Mute NotMyPresident
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    Sep 27th 2019, 7:49 AM

    The more I read and hear Coveney speak the more I believe Leo will be replaced with him. He is a truth speaker in a time of mealy mouthed obsequious dilettantes.

    As I have previously stated there will be a hard border if the dupers don’t wake up. The occupied 6 counties are a thoroughly failed imposition by brits.

    Border poll within 90 days of brexshite.

    32counties1country

    arlene & her troglodyte dupers can scurry back to little england and see how well they will be received.

    Up the Rebel County.

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Sep 27th 2019, 8:30 AM

    @NotMyPresident: Wishful thinking .The plus 1 is not working out for Boris so I doubt if it will work out as you predict for us either

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    Mute NotMyPresident
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    Sep 27th 2019, 8:35 AM

    @FlopFlipU: watch what happens when the occupied 6 counties economy utterly fails. Then get back to me.

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Sep 27th 2019, 8:52 AM

    @NotMyPresident: It’s already failed it’s feeding off the English taxpayer and they don’t seem to mind that’s the amazing thing .I am a half norde myself with many relatives that are doing well enough as far as I can see

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    Mute Paul Whelan
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    Sep 27th 2019, 1:27 PM

    @NotMyPresident: It was designed to
    fail , or Donegal instead of Armagh would have been in 6 counties.

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    Mute Tom
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    Sep 27th 2019, 2:40 PM

    @NotMyPresident:
    The position of leader is a poisoned chalice.

    I think such a promotion would deprive us of Coveney as an effective minister, and we need all we can get!

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    Mute Willy Mc Bride
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    Sep 27th 2019, 9:18 AM

    Covney : Why the bus.
    Barrnier ; It’s best for all
    Covney : We’ll dress it as , we did it for eu and best for Ireland…

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    Mute Val Doyle
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    Sep 27th 2019, 11:00 AM

    @Willy Mc Bride: No it’s DUP who will be flung under a Wright bus.

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    Mute DaMoons
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    Sep 27th 2019, 9:10 AM

    The only permanent solution is to reunite our country.

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    Mute Darren B
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    Sep 27th 2019, 9:32 AM

    @DaMoons: or something much simpler, revoke article 50 (so that the only difference between Ireland and NI is speed limits and money), or take May’s deal which wouldn’t change much either.

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    Mute DaMoons
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    Sep 27th 2019, 10:11 AM

    @Darren B: too many times, policies generated in England have had serious negative consequences in the North. Yes, revoking article 50 would fix this issue, but what about the next screw up? And the next, and the next. Uniting Ireland will remove the negative threat once and for all.

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    Mute Paul Whelan
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    Sep 27th 2019, 1:28 PM

    @Darren B: 17.5 million said NO . Dies that matter ?

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    Mute Darren B
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    Sep 27th 2019, 2:34 PM

    @Paul Whelan: they were played by a bus

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Sep 27th 2019, 2:51 PM

    @DaMoons: unite the people you mean the county is already the one clump

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    Mute Tony Harris
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    Sep 27th 2019, 4:09 PM

    @Paul Whelan: and over 17 million said yes! And there in lies the problem

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    Mute Mary Cull
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    Sep 27th 2019, 4:38 PM

    @Darren B: May’s deal is a treaty to keep us looked into the eu forever more. This is the only deal barnier and junker are prepared to give. Why dont they honour the 17.4 + million votes and get on with dealing once we are out.

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Sep 28th 2019, 1:18 AM

    @DaMoons: and open a very dangerous can of worms….

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    Mute Mary Mc Carthy
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    Sep 27th 2019, 10:48 AM

    No need for backstop if they gave us back our 6 counties !

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    Mute JimmyMc
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    Sep 27th 2019, 2:33 PM

    @Mary Mc Carthy: FFG will do everything in their power to stop a united Ireland and make SF the strongest party in the 32 counties, so you can forget about that

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    Mute Clifford Brennan
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    Sep 27th 2019, 3:47 PM

    @JimmyMc: I’d say any sane person would be against rushing into a United Ireland without a very very detailed plan in place.

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    Mute Fred Cahill
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    Sep 27th 2019, 4:10 PM

    @Clifford Brennan: Germany will give help in a detailed plan. As they have already done it on a larger scale.

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    Mute Clifford Brennan
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    Sep 27th 2019, 4:29 PM

    @Fred Cahill: They did. It cost them €2 trillion over 20 years.

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    Mute Fred Cahill
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    Sep 27th 2019, 4:45 PM

    @Clifford Brennan: And it has worked out for Them.Ranked the 4th Economy in the World.

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    Mute Clifford Brennan
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    Sep 27th 2019, 4:59 PM

    @Fred Cahill: Of course it did. Their economy is big enough to sustain that level of cost. Ours isn’t, which I why I said a very very detailed plan outlining how unification will happen. The human element is another kettle fish altogether.

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    Mute Fred Cahill
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    Sep 27th 2019, 8:56 PM

    @Clifford Brennan: Not sure about Ours Isn’t, but with Germany’s insight good guidance can be given. Also I believe once a United Ireland the people will work better together. Maybe Scotland and Wales can join us and make a United Celtic Nations.

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Sep 28th 2019, 1:19 AM

    @Mary Mc Carthy: looking forward to the chaos that would cause?

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Sep 28th 2019, 1:20 AM

    @Fred Cahill: are you serious?

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    Mute Cobh Rebel Tour Mccarthy
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    Sep 27th 2019, 5:19 PM

    a no deal Brexit will really tax minds (unionists too) and when the poll results reveal 58% for a U.I you will find that the very detailed plan would have already been revealed through the months or years even of debate that went into the public pre-poll campaign.

    We already had a 100 years to plan this one. No point to keep stalling and excuse making to delay further. Will Brexit make 6% of unionist into former unionists?

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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Sep 28th 2019, 1:20 AM

    Boris doesn’t want a deal, he just wants someone to blame to get his rear off the stove…

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