Written answers

Monday, 11 September 2017

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Brexit Negotiations

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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467. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and at European level regarding the need to ensure that there will be no return to the borders of the past following Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36784/17]

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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468. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had discussions recently with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and at European Union level in terms of ensuring that cross-Border travel is fully maintained following Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36785/17]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 467 and 468 together.

Since taking up office, engagement on Brexit with EU partners has been a central element of my work. This approach has yielded clear results in ensuring that Ireland’s unique issues and concerns have been fully understood by our EU27 partners and have been reflected in the EU’s negotiating position. As the negotiations enter an important phase over the coming weeks and months, continuing such engagement with EU partners, both at political and official level, will remain a key priority.

On Monday 4 September, I met with Michel Barnier, the EU’s Chief Negotiator on Brexit, and his team, our second meeting since my appointment. During our discussion, I also thanked Mr. Barnier for pursuing Ireland’s unique interests in the Brexit negotiations and for the high level of engagement that Ireland enjoys with his team. We agreed that, while good progress was made in the last round of negotiations on the Common Travel Area, more detailed work is required on protecting the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and the peace process, including in regard to North South cooperation and to avoiding a hard border, as well as other issues such as protecting the EU rights of Irish citizens in Northern Ireland. Overall, I welcomed the indications that EU and UK objectives on the Irish issues are converging but noted that the UK needs to back this up with tangible commitments that can pave the way for practical solutions. During the meeting, Mr Barnier confirmed that the Taskforce would publish a paper on “Guiding Principles for the Dialogue on Ireland/Northern Ireland”, building on the European Council Guidelines agreed earlier this year.

Since my appointment, I have also held bilateral meetings with a number of my EU colleagues, including my Estonian, Luxembourg, French, Slovak, Belgian, and Spanish counterparts. I also welcomed the Finnish Foreign Minister to Ireland in July. Over the weekend I met with my counterparts from Cyprus, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Slovenia at the Gymnich/Informal Meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. In my meetings with EU partners to date, I have laid particular emphasis on Ireland’s objective of protecting the gains of the peace process and avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland. I have strongly emphasised the need for an imaginative and flexible political solution. In so doing, I have been equally clear that we will only pursue solutions that are compatible with our aim of protecting the integrity of the Single Market and Ireland’s place in it. I will continue to deliver this message in my engagements in the coming weeks.

Separately, I met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland during his visit to Dublin on 22 August. While the focus of our discussions was on the best way forward for the Irish and British Governments to support the formation of a new Executive for Northern Ireland in the period ahead, I also discussed with the Secretary of State the Government’s continuing concerns regarding the impact on Northern Ireland of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.

I confirmed that the Government is analysing the published UK position papers on its exit from the Union, including the paper on Northern Ireland and Ireland, and together with the Commission Task Force and the other 26 EU Member States we are committed to working towards an orderly UK withdrawal. I underlined that protecting the peace process and maintaining the gains of the Good Friday Agreement is crucial and that this shared responsibility must be fully upheld in the negotiations between the European Union and the UK. I also noted that the immediate focus for the upcoming rounds of the EU-UK negotiations remains on advancing the issues identified for phase one, including the matters specific to the island of Ireland. In addition I emphasised that while the Government maintains regular contact with the British Government, the serious issues involved can only be substantively considered and addressed through the ongoing EU-UK negotiations.

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