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Leo Varadkar has urged the UK Government to honor all the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement.<\/p>\nLeo Varadkar has urged the UK Government to honor all the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement.<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar was speaking after reports suggested that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered his Brexit team to find ways to \u201cget around\u201d the Northern Ireland protocol.<\/p>\n
The Sunday Times reported that officials in Taskforce Europe are seeking to evade Irish Sea checks on goods passing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
Speaking in Dublin on Monday, Mr Varadkar said the Withdrawal Agreement is an international treaty and he expects the UK to \u201chonor that in full\u201d.<\/p>\n
There can be no backsliding on the Withdrawal Agreement, let’s not even go there and let’s focus instead on what should be the next phase<\/p>\n
The Taoiseach said there can be \u201cno backsliding\u201d and urged Mr Johnson\u2019s Government to focus on the next phase of negotiating a free trade agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe totally understand why they may want to minimize any checks at the ports and airports in Northern Ireland, we want to do that too, but the agreement clearly says if there have to be checks anywhere, they would happen at the ports and airports in Northern Ireland rather than on the land border between north and south,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I am saying to the British Government, there can be no backsliding on the Withdrawal Agreement, let\u2019s not even go there and let\u2019s focus instead on what should be the next phase, which is negotiating a free trade agreement between the European Union and Ireland and the UK so we can protect jobs and our economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Johnson\u2019s Cabinet will meet on Tuesday to sign off on the proposals, it was reported, which are expected to be presented in the British Parliament and published online on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and EU leaves Northern Ireland within the UK customs area but all EU procedures will apply to goods arriving there.<\/p>\n
A UK Government spokesman responded to the reports, saying the UK will \u201ccomply with its obligations.”<\/p>\n