THE IRISH Government has responded in firm fashion to the publication of a number of Brexit papers relating to Ireland by the British Government.
The documents make it clear that Britain will not seek to impose a so-called ‘hard border’ between Ireland and the North, and will maintain both free movement and 'seamless' customs checks between the UK and Ireland.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney told reporters in Dublin that Ireland’s ‘strength’ is in its alliance with the 26 other member states of the European Union.
Mr Coveney said: “Make no mistake, we are part of the EU negotiating team. Michel Barnier is representing Irish interests as well as European interests as part of his negotiations with the UK.
“That is where we have our strength. As 27 negotiating together.”
Mr Coveney added that the papers have “clarified some issues which needed clarity”, but that it leaves many other questions unanswered.
He said: “There are still significant questions that are unanswered in terms of how we are going to manage and maintain the status quo in the island of Ireland – in terms of freedom of movement, goods and services and so on.”
“We must maintain an invisible border as you move north and south seamlessly like we do today.
“That border is in many ways the manifestation of the success of the peace process over the last 20 or 30 years. We must see a clear commitment.”
Labour MP Conor McGinn said the new Brexit papers raise yet more questions about Irish matters post-Brexit.Labour MP Conor McGinn, who is Chair of Westminster's APPG on the Irish in Britain, said he is also concerned that the papers leave a number of questions unanswered.
“Arguably these documents pose more questions than answers,” he said. “I think the question that people in Northern Ireland and particularly those in border communities have been asking over the last year is – what impact will this have on me, my family and my job?
“Today’s proposal have actually brought about questions on a second front. If you don’t have any checks between Northern Ireland and Ireland, Northern Ireland and Britain, and naturally the EU and the UK – then where do you check immigration?
“Where do you check goods, services and the movement of people in particular?”
Mr McGinn continued: “That remains unanswered. It seems to me the government has handed back control of its border to the EU as they will ultimately have to respond to this.
“With such a porous border – 310 miles, 200 crossings, 30,000 journeys for work every day and 1.8m car journeys every month – it still begs the question of how exactly this is going to be implemented.
“It also begs the question of what freedom of movement means not just for citizens who live in the island of Ireland but citizens who come from the EU into the UK through Ireland itself.”
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