Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald is to speak to her counterparts in the UK on Monday afternoon to discuss the impact of Brexit on the justice area.
Speaking on Monday morning, the Minister said a whole new set of arrangements will need to be put in place and there will need to be a lot of details discussions with her counterparts both in the UK and Brussels.
“There are very serious issues in the justice area, particularly around the European arrest warrant, which has served us very well,” she said.
“Now we’ll have to decide how that is going to be managed, is it going to be through extradition or what process?”
Asked about the possible return of a hard border with Northern Ireland, the minister said “this isn’t going to happen overnight” and there would be time to plan.
“Over the next two years, the whole question of the border controls will of course have to be considered, but as to precisely the format that will take, that remains to be worked out in association with my counterparts,” she said.
She also said it was inevitable that there would be a greater interest in Irish passports for those who are eligible.
“It is likely we’ll see an upsurge in Irish passports,” she said.
Ms Fitzgerald described herself as “personally very disappointed” by the decision of the UK to leave the EU.
“I think it has served us very well … but it’s the reality and it’s now about getting on with that new set of relationships.”
Ireland had relied on the UK while involved in negotiations, she said.
“We’ve been good partners together and now that is a very different place.”
She also said she believed the UK should be allowed a breathing space before invoking Article 50, which will begin the leave process, is triggered.
“The approach of the Irish Government will be to say that breathing space is necessary,” she said.
She said there was also a concern about “a contagion effect”, and from a Brussels perspective, there was “a real need to have clarity”, but that was going to take time.
“The European Council will be discussing that this week and it will be one of the key issues,” she said.
