Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

According to a report in this morning's The Irish Times, a close ally of the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has dismissed as "illusory" Prime Minister Theresa May's claim that there will be no hard Border. His comments could equally apply to the stance of the Irish Government. Dr. Pfeiffer has raised doubts about the guarantee given by EU leaders last month that following Brexit, the North could rejoin the EU as part of a united Ireland. Has the Taoiseach read this report? Dr. Pfeiffer's comments draw attention again to the Taoiseach's insistence that the North must leave the EU as part of the Brexit negotiations. This is a deeply flawed strategy. The British are locked in a course of action that threatens the Good Friday Agreement. All of this could be prevented if the North were to be designated as having special status within the EU. This suggestion has been rejected by the Taoiseach even though he constantly tells us how special the North is and how he hopes Mrs. May will agree some mitigating measures in the Brexit negotiations. This is gambling with the future of citizens in the North and along the Border corridor in the North and the South.

While I wish the Taoiseach well personally for the future, I believe his approach to Brexit has been gravely mistaken. It is lacking in vision. The British Government has recruited hundreds of additional staff to cope with the Brexit negotiations. The EU has also allocated significant staffing and other resources to the negotiations. Is the Taoiseach concerned that the Government has failed to recruit the relatively small number of additional staff that it said would be required by IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland? Will he confirm the staff numbers required by the two agencies? When will those posts will be sanctioned?

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