No special deal...
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has ruled out the possibility of a bilateral trade deal between Ireland and the UK following Brexit.
Noonan was speaking following a House of Lords Committee report which advocated a bilateral deal which would be separate from the UK's Brexit negotiations. The report also called Brexit a huge challenge for Ireland.
It implores the EU to recognise the special relationship evident between the UK and Ireland.
The committee proposes an agreement be drafted between the two states and then put it forward for approval by the EU but Noonan has said that Ireland's membership of the EU bloc makes such a deal impossible.
Mr Noonan said: “The legal negotiation has to be conducted by the European Union with the United Kingdom and we will be part of the negotiating team with Mr Barnier.
“We have representation on it already. That’s the official legal position. It’s not possible to sort out then what ever difficulties may emerge on the basis of a bilateral.”
The news will come as a blow for the negotiators hoping to maintain freedom of movement and open borders between Ireland and the UK.
“I think the British Government from the Prime Minister down have a very good knowledge now of what we see as the main concerns on the island of Ireland, on the trade across the Irish Sea in both directions and what subsequent relationships there might be with the European Union,” Mr Noonan added.
