Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am glad the Deputy has raised this matter. It was unfortunate that last week the Polish Foreign Minister decided to publicly to make the statement he did. I think he was trying to be helpful, but I do not think what he said was helpful. He came to Dublin in December. He had just come from London. At the time, as a way of trying to break the deadlock, he raised this idea that we should consider applying a time limit to the backstop. I informed him I did not think it would work and that Ireland could not accept it because once a backstop has a time limit, it is no longer a backstop unless there is a clear plan after the agreed period that prevents border infrastructure. He accepted my view in December, but last week he made the proposal again.

No other Foreign Minister to whom I have spoken or met has suggested anything similar. In fact, quite the opposite happened after he spoke. There was a line-up of EU Foreign Ministers essentially who backed Ireland's position. The Polish Government also did so and distanced itself from its Foreign Minister's suggestions.

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