As Brexit looms larger on the horizon, one of the bigger, still unresolved issues is how the border between the Republic Of Ireland and the United Kingdom is going to work out.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar really hammered home his firm opinion about not wanting any kind of economic border with the UK once they have finally carried out their Brexit plans.
As reported by The Irish Times‘ Mary Minihan at a media briefing in the Government Buildings today, Varadkar stated:
“What we’re not going to do is to design a border for the Brexiteers because they’re the ones who want a border. It’s up to them to say what it is, say how it would work and first of all convince their own people, their own voters that this is actually a good idea.”
“As far as this Government is concerned there shouldn’t be an economic border. We don’t want one.”
When he was asked about a report in the London Times and whether or not he was frustrated by the current approach to the Brexit talks, Varadkar responded: “If anyone should be angry, it’s us, quite frankly.”
“We have an agreement. We signed up to the single European Act. We joined the EC alongside the United Kingdom. We have a Good Friday Agreement and part of the Good Friday Agreement…talks about working together and continuing to do so within the context of the EU.”
With everything from the peace process to the current economic standing of the nation hung in the balance of the final outcome of the Brexit negotiations, there is still a long way to go before Varadkar and the rest of the Irish government will be done with the Ireland’s part to play in the UK’s future with the EU.
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