Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has clashed with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris over his remarks on the outlook for a united Ireland after talks in Belfast that laid bare sharp divisions over the next steps for the stalled Stormont executive.
The deepening Anglo-Irish schism was evident at an event to promote more than €1 billion in new cross-Border funding, with Mr Varadkar and Mr Heaton-Harris at odds publicly over the political talks and the contentious UK legacy Bill.
The exchanges came four days after Mr Varadkar had told RTÉ that he expected to see a united Ireland in his lifetime, remarks that followed Mr Heaton-Harris’s claim in the House of Commons that talks to revive powersharing had “moved forward substantially”.
The executive has been suspended since the Democratic Unionist Party brought down powersharing in February of last year over its objections to post-Brexit trading arrangements, with no concrete sign of a breakthrough. Mr Varadkar was downbeat about the immediate prospects for a resolution.
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“I did say to the secretary of state once again that there is going to come a point where we can’t keep waiting and we have to start talking about alternative arrangements within the confines of the Good Friday [Belfast] Agreement,” the Taoiseach said.
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He did not specify any alternatives but noted that the agreement did not include provisions for joint authority over Northern Ireland between London and Dublin.
After Mr Varadkar told a press conference that he had every right to express his views on united Ireland, Mr Heaton-Harris took a swipe at the Taoiseach when he met reporters moments later.
“I know the Taoiseach has got a lot of domestic politics on his plate but occasionally unhelpful comments down in Dublin do resonate up here amongst the unionist community and I need the clearest pitch possible to get the executive up and running,” the Northern Secretary said.
Asked which comments he was referring to, Mr Heaton-Harris said the “ones which have been covered recently in the press” but did not elaborate.
Mr Varadkar had said he did not accept the characterisation that he was some kind of “unionist bogey man” but added: “I’m the Taoiseach. Articles two and three of our Constitution aspire to unity. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that a Taoiseach of the country would also aspire to unity.”
The two men had met on the fringes of an event to mark the release of funds from Britain, Ireland, the EU and northern authorities for the €1.14 billion “Peaceplus” programme to promote peace, reconciliation and economic development.
European Commission executive vice-president Maroš Šefčovič was present for the announcement but the unionist parties were absent.
There were further divisions as the Northern Secretary said twice that the Taoiseach had not asked him to “pause” the legacy Bill, which includes a conditional amnesty for Troubles-era killings, directly contradicting Mr Varadkar.
Mr Heaton-Harris said: “No pause was asked for but concern was expressed.”
Mr Varadkar said: “I once again appealed to the UK government to pause this.”
The stance adopted by Mr Heaton-Harris was not expected in Dublin. “There is some surprise on our side given the constructive nature of the earlier meeting, particularly as Mr Varadkar noted the need to protect the British identity of unionists in a united Ireland in his remarks,” a senior Government source said.
Dublin has yet to make a decision on a possible legal challenge against the British legislation, the Taoiseach added.
With progress lacking in political talks, Mr Varadkar said there may soon be a need for a “plan B” if the executive failed to return. However, Mr Heaton-Harris said “talk of plan B is unhelpful because whatever is going on we need to be trying to get the executive up and running”.
Asked about the Northern Secretary’s House of Commons claim that the negotiation on the DUP’s return was indeed progressing, Mr Varadkar said: “If it’s advancing at all, it’s advancing at a snail’s pace and I know from talking to all five major parties here confidence is starting to wane as to whether it is going to be possible.”
Mr Varadkar said he would discuss the situation at an early October meeting in Spain with British prime minister Rishi Sunak.
“We can’t wait forever and at a certain point we need to talk to the UK government about what arrangements we put in place if an executive can’t be formed but that’s a conversation that I want to have with the prime minister.”
