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The T\u00e1naiste has accused the British government of \u201cwiping the slate clean\u201d regarding promises made over Brexit.<\/p>\nThe T\u00e1naiste has accused the British government of \u201cwiping the slate clean\u201d regarding promises made over Brexit.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a gathering of business leaders in Paris today, Simon Coveney, who is also the Minister for Foreign Affairs, said that the current stance of the British government was asking the EU to disregard the proposed backstop arrangement on \u201cthe back of a promise\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a British government who seems to be wiping the slate clean on the Irish issue,\u201d Mr Coveney said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must ensure that the commitments that took two years to negotiate to deal with the complexity of those issues on the island of Ireland are actually followed through on.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately what we are hearing today from the British Minister for Brexit is that Britain no longer seems to be committed to that approach, which we know solves the problem at hand, and instead wants everyone to move forward and agree on the basis of a promise that we would try and deal with these issues at some point in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t give up on something that we know works on the back of a promise without any idea as to how it\u2019s going to work.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can never sign an agreement with that approach, we\u2019ve always said if there is to be a no-deal Brexit, it will be the choice of a British prime minister and British government that will make that happen.<\/p>\n
“We’re not going to compromise on a peace process that is fragile right now on the island of Ireland<\/p>\n
\u201cA peace agreement that has saved lives and that has created normality between communities that in the past were in conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked whether he was surprised the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had not met with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Mr Coveney downplayed the lack of official visit.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have spoken over the phone and Prime Minister Johnson is due to come to Dublin in early September, so that meeting is going to happen soon,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be wrong to say the British and Irish governments haven\u2019t spoken, I have spoken to Steve Barclay a number of times, I\u2019ve spoken to Dominic Raab and Julian Smith, so there is of course an ongoing conversation between Britain and Ireland \u2013 but that isn\u2019t delivering an agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a decision between Britain and the EU collectively, we spent many months putting together a Withdrawal Agreement which was a compromise on both sides in order to get a fair deal for the UK and acceptable to the EU.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the same event, the British Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay said the UK Government is \u201caiming for a deal\u201d but ready for a hard Brexit.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe British Government are aiming for a deal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA deal that honors the Belfast Good Friday Agreement but without the backstop, as the UK Parliament has made clear.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is what our Government seeks and, with goodwill on all sides, it is what we can deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n