Concern has been expressed that the German government is leading on the Brexit negotiations, rather than a unified EU27.
Green party leader Eamon Ryan said he was concerned that the EU was not united as he highlighted leaks to a German newspaper about the dinner meeting last week between British prime minister Theresa May and European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker, which he believed were designed to humiliate Ms May.
As the Government on Tuesday published a position paper for the State’s approach to the Brexit negotiations, Mr Ryan asked in the Dáil what the rationale was to prevent a two-track approach, with debate on the terms of the UK’s departure running in parallel with trade negotiations.
The Dublin Bay South TD noted that Mr Juncker phoned German Chancellor Angela Merkel straight after the dinner and he asked Taoiseach Enda Kenny did he also get a call from Mr Juncker.
‘Selective leaks’
He said negotiations would not work if they were conducted “with selective leaks through certain leaders” and expressed concern that “it seems that the German government is leading on this rather than a unified 27”.
Labour leader Brendan Howlin said Mr Juncker’s call was very instructive as he believed “there is a complete unreality” about the British approach and that the UK was taken aback by the unity shown by the EU27.
Mr Kenny told him that the 27 remaining EU countries had a very clear position of not wishing to punish the UK in any way for its democratic decision.
The Taoiseach said an increased mandate for Ms May in the general election would allow her to make new appointments to her cabinet and “give her a clearer hand in the negotiations”.
But he stressed that under Article 50 they were required to deal with the exit process including the UK’s liabilities for EU membership, the rights of EU citizens in the UK and British citizens in other EU states, and the issue of borders which affected Ireland directly.
“We do not want a situation where ,for instance, others might claim that Ireland has become sort of a bargaining chip because of an agreement over the special circumstances that apply here because of the Border.”
Proposals
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said Ireland had to set out and agree proposals on what exactly a “soft Border” meant. He warned that sources in the European Commission had said the Government needed to “come up with answers and not just point out problems”.
Mr Martin also expressed concern about the retention of the Common Travel Area between Ireland and Britain but the Taoiseach insisted “we expect to be able to preserve the Common Travel Area. I have made that point very clearly as has the British prime minister”. Mr Kenny also said they wanted to preserve the current tariff-free arrangement.
The Taoiseach said the Government’s position paper outlined Ireland’s priorities and would underpin the State’s engagement in the Brexit process.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan warned that unless the Border was carefully managed and remained open “it will give rise to very serious challenges. Our priorities are the maintenance of the open Border”.
