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Ireland has played down the prospect of a Brexit breakthrough, pointing to a \u201cwide gap\u201d between Boris Johnson\u2019s position and that of the European Union.<\/p>\nIreland has played down the prospect of a Brexit breakthrough, pointing to a \u201cwide gap\u201d between Boris Johnson\u2019s position and that of the European Union.<\/p>\n
Simon Coveney said there were still \u201cserious problems\u201d over the UK\u2019s efforts to remove the backstop \u2013 the contingency plan aimed at ensuring a soft border with Northern Ireland after Brexit.<\/p>\n
His comments came as Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay prepared for talks with the EU\u2019s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, following signs of increased optimism about the prospects of a deal before the UK\u2019s scheduled October 31 exit date.<\/p>\n
Mr Coveney said: \u201cThere are serious problems that arise because of the change in approach by the British Prime Minister \u2013 asking to remove a very significant section within the Withdrawal Agreement without any serious proposals as to how you solve those problems is not going to be the basis for an agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I think there is an onus on the British Government to come forward with alternative arrangements \u2013 if they have them \u2013 which can resolve the Irish border question.\u201d<\/p>\n
He told BBC Radio 4\u2019s Today that Ireland is being asked to replace a \u201cguarantee around that border question\u201d with a promise that \u201csomehow we\u2019ll do our best\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWe want to find a solution, we want to get a deal, and we want to allow the UK to leave the EU in an orderly and sensible manner, but we cannot allow Ireland to be the collateral damage of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think for Britain to ask us to do that is a very unreasonable request, and it won\u2019t be the basis of a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Johnson wants to scrap the backstop because of concerns it could leave the UK indefinitely tied closely to Brussels\u2019 rules in order to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.<\/p>\n
Mr Barclay travels to Brussels the day after European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker insisted \u201cwe can have a deal\u201d before the Halloween deadline.<\/p>\n
Mr Juncker said his meeting with Boris Johnson in Luxembourg on Monday was \u201crather positive\u201d as he assured he was \u201cdoing everything to have a deal\u201d to prevent a \u201ccatastrophic\u201d no-deal Brexit.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Juncker said \u201cwe can have a deal\u201d but was unable to put the chances at more than 50\/50 when pressed.<\/p>\n
Mr Juncker said that he has no \u201cemotional relationship\u201d with the Irish backstop, which aims to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland but has been a major sticking point to getting a deal through Parliament.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the objectives are met \u2013 all of them \u2013 then we don\u2019t need the backstop,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The pound reached a two-month high following Mr Juncker\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n
Mr Barclay\u2019s department said he will meet Mr Barnier to \u201ctake stock\u201d following discussions between the PM\u2019s Europe adviser David Frost and Taskforce 50 \u2013 the EU unit dealing with the UK\u2019s departure.<\/p>\n
A day earlier, Mr Barnier spoke to Labour MPs Caroline Flint and Stephen Kinnock, who are key in cross-party efforts to get a deal through Parliament.<\/p>\n
Mr Kinnock told BBC\u2019s Newsnight that they left feeling \u201crelatively, cautiously optimistic\u201d after the Brussels meeting because of mounting pressure on the PM.<\/p>\n
He said that the negotiator made it clear that a Northern Ireland-only backstop remained on the table.<\/p>\n
The EU\u2019s original proposal, which was objected to by the DUP, would see Northern Ireland remaining in the EU\u2019s single market and customs union, but give Great Britain the freedom to strike trade deals.<\/p>\n
Downing Street had said the UK has shared a series of \u201cconfidential technical non-papers\u201d which reflect the ideas being put forward.<\/p>\n
Previously documents had been shown to Brussels officials but then taken back at the end of meetings out of fears they would be leaked.<\/p>\n
But a \u201cnon-paper\u201d is not a formal Government position and falls far short of what has been demanded by Brussels.<\/p>\n
The PM was under pressure from Finnish prime minister Antti Rinne to formally outline his plans to the EU by the end of September.<\/p>\n
But the Government insisted Mr Johnson will not be bound by an \u201cartificial deadline\u201d to produce formal written proposals.<\/p>\n