Sir, – "Where a no-deal Brexit would hurt Europe the most" (Cliff Taylor, Analysis, February 8th) sharply states that "Ireland is the most exposed" to the potential damaging ramifications of a no-deal Brexit.
Ireland cannot veto Brexit. Ireland cannot obtain a ruling from the European Court of Justice that Britain must compensate the nation for any economic damage done directly due to Brexit. Ireland relies solely on the solidarity of the other 26 European Union member states to safeguard the provisions to the negotiated Withdrawal Agreement.
Britain, having entered the catastrophic mindset of believing Brexit will cure its economic and social problems, now seeks to undo this agreement it spent most of the last two years working out with the EU.
Britain now speaks of “alternative arrangements” for the agreement’s detailed provisions, and the deployment of non-existent technology to replace the provisions to avoid a hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland. Britain’s negotiating stance throughout has been a fog of vague and sometimes contradictory utterances.
The “special place in Hell” comment about Brexiteers by Donald Tusk, the European Council president, was considered “spot-on” by many in Ireland. How can anyone negotiate, or rely on seemingly agreed points, with a nation that entered into such an uncharted scenario with little apparent defined planning? – Yours, etc,
DAN DONOVAN,
Dungarvan,
Co Waterford.