"There can't be any check anywhere on the island of Ireland."
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has urged the Taoiseach not to accept any border checks on the island of Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Earlier this week, the Taoiseach spoke at length about the potential of a no-deal scenario.
"There will be checks on good and on live animals. As far as possible, these will take place in the ports, airports, and at business level. But some may need to take place near the border. We're working out the details of this with the European Commission and we'll inform the public and businesses as soon as we know what the outcome will be," he said at an event in Dublin.
In response to these comments, McDonald said: "We are very concerned to hear the Taoiseach think out loud and to concede the point that there might be checks anywhere on the island of Ireland. We all committed to a bottom line which was about protecting our economy, our society, and peace process by never conceding any damage to the Good Friday Agreement. The Taoiseach should not concede that point at the 11th hour.
"There can't be any check anywhere on the island of Ireland. That's entirely unacceptable. It would be an act of absolute political vandalism and wherever these checks might be located it would represent a serious breach of the Good Friday Agreement," she told RTÉ.
When asked about the possibility that the Conservatives would not be able to not concede the necessity of the backstop and a no-deal Brexit, McDonald said "we are straight into the terrain of preparation to remove the border. We cannot envisage a re-partition of Ireland almost a century on."
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