Dáil debates

Thursday, 14 February 2019

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation

 

12:50 pm

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

The Government has made it clear, as the EU has, that the withdrawal agreement that was agreed by the British Government, along with all other EU governments, will not be reopened but, of course, we want to try to be helpful in clarifying the issues around the potential use of a backstop, which, after all, is an insurance mechanism that none of us wants to use. If it is to be used, we all want it to be temporary so that it can be replaced by something that is more permanent, which people may be more comfortable with. There was an effort to provide reassurance to the British Parliament with two quite comprehensive letters from President Tusk and President Juncker to reinforce those points a number of months ago and it did not seem to have much effect. Ultimately, the problem is in London and we have yet to have any detailed proposal on how the concerns of the parliament in Westminster can be responded to. Those proposals have to come from London.

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