Brexit may not mean Brexit for Northern Ireland…
Enda Kenny would like a special provision in any Brexit deal between the UK and the EU to allow Northern Ireland re-enter the European Union in the future.
The Taoiseach called for the provision in the event of the north of Ireland reunifying with the south of Ireland at some stage in the coming years.
During a press conference in Brussels on Thursday, Kenny said that there was precedent for such a deal in the form of East Germany, which was allowed to join the EU following the fall of the Berlin wall.
“In other words that in such future time, whenever that might be, were [reunification] to occur, that the north of Ireland would have ease of access to join as a member of the European Union again. We want that language inserted into the negotiated treaty, the negotiated outcome, whenever that might occur,” he said.
Kenny was keen to stress that Ireland’s position in Brexit negotiations would not be undermined by the high possibility of his departure following his St Patrick’s Day visit to The White House.
“Our focus is on the discussions up ahead and that is our only focus,” Kenny said at the press conference. “I am focused entirely on the political issues here.”
According to RTE, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that the EU does not want a return to a hard border between the north and south of Ireland.
“During the Brexit negotiations, the EU and Ireland must work together to minimise the impact,” Mr Juncker said fillowing talks with Enda Kenny.
“We don’t want hard borders between Northern Ireland and Ireland,” Mr Juncker said.
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