Sir, – I wonder if Bertie, Enda, Micheál, Gerry and John Bruton will be scooting over to Britain to advise them to vote the Tories out, thereby getting the Brexit result “reversed”? There’s going to be a great few months of desperation from the anti-Brexiteers, not least our own. – Yours, etc,
ROBERT SULLIVAN,
Bantry,
Co Cork.
Sir, – Fintan O'Toole tells us that "Irish Anglophobia is dead" (Opinion & Analysis, April 18th). Whether that is true or not is open to question. What is not open to question, however, is that given the economic, political and security damage done to this country by Brexit, English Hibernophobia is alive and well. – Yours, etc,
A LEAVY,
Sutton, Dublin 13.
Sir, – Referring to communications between Irish and British officials over Brexit, John Callinan, Ireland's top Brexit official, is quoted by Ruadhán Mac Cormaic as saying "we're unrepentant about the level of close engagement and discussion" ("British government realises Brexit is a mistake, official says", April 14th).
Given the scale of the challenge to Irish interests represented by Brexit, it is legitimate to question the purpose of this close engagement. Is it as the article suggests “to push key Dublin concerns to the top of the Brexit agenda” or does it reflect a conviction that Ireland should be the UK’s strongest ally in the EU?
In reality both aims are inextricable elements of the Anglo-Irish relationship of recent years. By continuing the close alignment with the UK that obtained pre-Brexit, the Government is allowing Ireland to be cast in the role of the UK’s proxy in Brussels.
Is that a stance that is likely to win us support within the EU? Is it compatible with the solidarity now expected between EU member states?
As the Brexit negotiations are about to commence we suggest that close engagement on matters pertaining to the negotiations between Irish officials and their UK counterparts are wholly inappropriate. – Yours, etc,
DAVE ALVEY,
Irish Political Review Group,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.