Extension of Brexit talks is 'preferable' to No deal – Leo Varadkar

Extending Brexit beyond the March timeline would be "preferable" if the UK continues to careen towards the cliff edge, the Taoiseach has said.

“It would be preferable to have an extension than to have a no deal scenario.

“And there is provision in the treaties to allow article 50 to be extended”, Mr Varadkar said today.

The UK has delivered no progress on the Irish backstop issue since its proposal last May which argued for a time-limited guarantee on the border.

The document also remained silent on the crucial matter of single market rules and was therefore deemed incomplete and inadequate by the EU and Dublin.

The Irish protocol – the legally binding document which guarantees no border on the island of Ireland even in circumstances where talks on a future relationship fail – is central to the Withdrawal Agreement which is due to be complete in October.

If there is no Withdrawal Agreement, then the UK will crash out of the EU with no deal, including no transition deal.

It will cause chaos in the UK and Ireland and will make the matter of the Irish border even more complicated.

Speaking from the Romanian capital Bucharest as part of his whistle-stop tour of Europe, Mr Varadkar warned that any slippage on the deadline could only be ‘entertained’ if the UK requests it, and the government there manages to speak with one, unified position on Brexit.

“That can only happen if it’s requested from the United Kingdom, and I don’t think we can really entertain or talk about that as Europeans unless the United Kingdom decides that’s what they want and as things stand they don’t”, he said.

Mr Varadkar met with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Ms Viorica Dăncilă.

In a joint press conference, President Iohannis reiterated his country’s acknowledgement of the difficulties that arise for Ireland over the border.

“We have supported Ireland’s position from the very beginning and were one of the first to do so. 

"We have not changed our point of view, and today we reiterated to the Taoiseach our support.

"We understand very well that a return to a hard border, a physical border in Northern Ireland between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is simply impossible right now. And this is an additional argument to insist that the negotiation return a good result, and not a non-result."

 

Online Editors