A DISTINGUISHED panel debated the future for Ireland should Britain exit the EU at a discussion hosted by the LSE Irish Society.
Human Rights Law Professor Conor Gearty claimed Ireland must “behave like a mature country” in acknowledging a post-BREXIT future, while Declan Morrin of the Irish Embassy admitted that the Government “can’t sit idly by while this train picks up speed”.
“We need to make clear what the effect of Britain leaving the EU is, in advance,” Prof Gearty said, at the event hosted at the LSE's Saw Swee Hock Student Centre in Holborn this week.
“We Irish people should reject the idea that we can do some finesse, some free trade area, play some little yocal card which means that we carry on with the best of both worlds [if Britain exits the EU].
“We need now, especially as we come out of this problematic relationship with Europe, to actually behave like a mature country and say that we cannot simultaneously belong to the EU and the United Kingdom,” he added.
Mr Morrin, Economic Counsellor at the Irish Embassy in London, claimed the British exit would be “disastrous”, adding that it was the “darkest cloud” on the State’s horizon.
“Regarding the potential for Britain to exit the EU, from Ireland’s perspective we can’t sit idly by while this train picks up speed, there's no two ways about it, it would be disastrous,” he said.
“The EU can’t continue as is without Britain, it has to be a part of it,” he claimed, before adding “that is the big shadow on the horizon from my perspective - the potential diminution or exit in terms of UK engagement with the European Union.”
But Mr Morrin revealed that Ireland would not be publicly wading into the debate.
“Ireland is very wary about meddling in the internal legal affairs of a sovereign country so I don’t think you will see any very outspoken comments by the Taoiseach or any minister in relation to that,” he said.
“But there is a message constantly being presented, however, that the UK has had a very positive influence on Europe, it’s been good for Ireland and for the EU generally.”
For Prof Gearty the potential BREXIT offers a positive opportunity for his home country.
“It would be a very good thing for our civil society to make clear the cost [of the BREXIT]," he said, "but I also believe the madness that is infecting England [regarding the EU] is an amazing opportunity for Ireland - because we could grab all the industry that will leave this country in the days directly after the election and before the referendum."
He added: "We could present Ireland as the pleasant version of England.”
