say no to second Brexit vote ( Archived) (43)

Simon Coveney, Republic of Ireland minister for foreign affairs and trade, speaks with Jason Naselli about his government's approach to the border, the Conservative/DUP deal and the 'Brexit bill'.

Our preferred solution is that we find a way of maintaining as close to the status quo as possible. We don’t believe we can do that by simply using technology on the border. There needs to be quite a unique political solution agreed between Ireland, the UK and the EU that can allow the free movement of goods and services and people, and the normal environment that has been created in the border area on the island of Ireland, to continue.

Don’t forget that this is very much part of the development of the peace process as well as a functioning economy, and that is something that we need to protect. And sometimes politics needs to find new ways of doing things in order to protect what’s valuable. I believe that the normality that we’ve managed to create between north and south in Ireland, where we effectively have an invisible border – we have to protect that and maintain it.

Whether you’re a unionist politician in Northern Ireland or a nationalist politician, or whether you’re from the Republic of Ireland, I think that is a very important status quo in Ireland that we want to protect through the Brexit negotiating process. Which isn’t easy, by the way, and that’s why we’ll need some flexible new thinking here.

What kind of commitments are you looking for from the British government with regards to this?

First of all, that there is a political solution required here rather than a technical one. Everybody recognizes that Northern Ireland is staying in the United Kingdom, until a majority of people in Northern Ireland want to change that. But that means a portion of the island of Ireland is leaving the European Union.

You have a 500 kilometre border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland… about 1.8 million cars cross the border every month; there are 400 road crossings on the border. So the idea that we’re going to put up checks, whether it’s through cameras or through physical stops on the road – we can’t accept that. I think the British government understands that and we are now looking at ways in which, through politics, we can come to an arrangement that can allow the island of Ireland to continue to function as it does.

How do you feel the confidence and supply deal between the Conservatives and the DUP at Westminster will affect negotiations?

A lot of people would expect me to be negative about that, but I’m actually not that negative on it. The DUP have agreed in that confidence and supply agreement to support Brexit legislation and so there is now an onus on them politically to ensure that legislation is popular in Northern Ireland. That means that they will have to argue to ensure that the border issues are resolved in a satisfactory manner for Northern Ireland. And I think on those border issues, the DUP want to try to maintain the status quo as closely as they can. From that point of view, there are upsides to the confidence and supply agreement in the context of Northern Ireland and Brexit.

You need Brexit more than you realise...
It's vital for you to go through suffering to save your remaining tiny piece of social consciousness ...
You should see yourselves through the eyes of a bystander...

Who was that directed at pK??

At the large British audience...


Nah, to whoever bothers to read , really...

Could you explain in more detail please

In few words, you have lost the plot Tom, you need a total makeover...

Just like the EU as a whole...