Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes, but if somebody at the European Council will not accept the outcome of the deal, we will have a real problem.

Deputy Howling made a point about knowing the thinking of other European colleagues, and it takes time to build those relationships, but, as he is aware, it comes down to the European Council's decision, it is the Heads of Government who will make the ultimate decision. I take the Deputy's comments in the spirit that he made them.

The presentation of our priorities, as we see them, without having all of the information in so far as what the British Government's thinking is on this, have been reflected in the Commission, Parliament and Council. However, as the Deputy pointed out, in terms of having as close as possible a working relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom, which is what we have now as a member of the European Union, that will be changed by virtue of the fact that the Single Market will be gone and the trading status will be changed. Therefore, when we go around that loop and come back to where we started we will be in a different position. Even if no tariffs will apply in terms of trade, we will still have two different jurisdictions and the complications that would involve are obvious. An Open Skies arrangement will have to be drawn up between the European Union and the United Kingdom, otherwise, aircraft will not be able cannot take off from here and land in London and go on to collect other passengers. That is an issue that needs to be dealt with and it is being worked upon now. We cannot wait for divorce to be concluded to do that.

The three issues identified by Michael Barnier here and agreed by Europe are the border, modalities and liabilities in terms of what the bill might be and the question of citizen's rights and reciprocal rights. All these matters, as was rightly said, were never put to the people in a way that they would have had a real discussion about understanding them. That is why our common travel area, which has been in place for 90 years covering travel, residence and the right to work and to draw social benefits, is a bilateral arrangement between Ireland and the UK and it is different with respect to rights of the Polish people or Lithuanians or Latvians who live in Great Britain. The European position is that if we want to have a parallel discussion begun, where we get into the meat of trade, we will have to make substantial progress in respect of the first three issues. I hear comments from some people across the water to the effect that progress will not be made on this, which clearly will lead to other complications.

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