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The T\u00e1naiste has insisted he still believes a deal can be reached between the UK and EU before the approaching Brexit deadline.<\/p>\nThe T\u00e1naiste has insisted he still believes a deal can be reached between the UK and EU before the approaching Brexit deadline.<\/p>\n
Simon Coveney denied it was \u201cmission impossible\u201d as he left a meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith at Hillsborough Castle.<\/p>\n
Reiterating earlier comments from the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Mr Coveney said if an agreement was not possible this month, then Ireland would prefer an extension to a no-deal exit.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe it is possible to get a deal this month,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that the British Prime Minister wants to get a deal this month. We will certainly work to that time frame if the British position evolves and we want to be helpful on that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think we should give up on that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s not possible Ireland has always said we would prefer an extension to no deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that\u2019s the Irish position but I don\u2019t speak for lots of other EU member states.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not mission impossible. Let\u2019s not forget we have a Withdrawal Agreement that we know works, we are trying to change that to accommodate a new approach from a British prime minister.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe it is possible to change that but we have to make sure that while we change the approach the outcome has to be the same and the outcome has to be no border infrastructure between north and south on this island because we know the impact that that has, not just on trade but also on politics too. So that\u2019s what we are trying to prevent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe it is possible to do that with goodwill and energy on all sides and I think you\u2019ll get that next week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Coveney left Hillsborough Castle as DUP leader Arlene Foster arrived for her party\u2019s meeting with Julian Smith.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Mrs Foster accused the Irish Government of trying to \u201cride roughshod\u201d over unionism, as she criticized Dublin\u2019s rejection of the UK\u2019s latest Brexit plan.<\/p>\n
Mr Coveney said he would not be getting into a personalized row, and that Ireland\u2019s position had not changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not getting into personalized commentary like that, the Irish government has been consistent for three years now.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile we respect the decision of the UK to leave the EU, we also expect the British Government would take account of Irish interest, vulnerabilities and exposure and the context of those issue of any Brexit deal that is struck,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said Boris Johnson\u2019s proposals are a \u201cstep in the right direction, but there are problems with the proposal, and we have to be up front and honest about that, there\u2019s no point pretending problems are being solved when they\u2019re not, particularly when it comes to customs\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t see how the proposal to have two different customs territories on the island of Ireland can avoid customs checks between those territories, we don\u2019t see how that works and the EU has the same concern, so that element of the proposal needs to be developed further,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
He also expressed concern over Mr Johnson\u2019s suggestion that the currently defunct Northern Ireland Assembly be given a vote both on whether to opt into the all-island regulatory system in 2021, and whether to remain in it after an initial four-year period.<\/p>\n
The petition of concern essentially allows a bloc of Assembly Members from either the nationalist or the unionist community a veto on certain decisions, even if they represent a minority in the chamber.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have concerns in relation to any concept that suggests one party in Northern Ireland, regardless of who they are, can veto or prevent contingency measures taking effect through a vote in the NI executive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea that a minority of people could enforce a proposal on a majority of people indefinitely into the future in the context of the disruption of Brexit and mitigate against that isn\u2019t something we can support.<\/p>\n
Mr Coveney added that by listening to the people who spoke out yesterday against Mr Johnson\u2019s plans, it would be clear that many unionists in Northern Ireland do not support the proposal around customs.<\/p>\n
\u201cLots of unionists have difficulty with that, whether it\u2019s the head of the Belfast Chamber of Commerce, the head of the Ulster Farmers\u2019 Union, the CBI, virtually every business organisation in Northern Ireland, most of them headed by unionists, let\u2019s be honest, don\u2019t think that this is a comprehensive enough proposal to ensure we maintain borderless trade on this island.\u201d<\/p>\n