Micheál Martin
Question:69. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if Ireland is in favour of Article 50 being invoked as soon as possible. [28163/16]
View answerTuesday, 4 October 2016
Questions (69)
Written answers
Since the UK referendum result in June, Ireland has been consistently clear that, while it was reasonable to allow some time for reflection and preparation for negotiations, it was fundamentally in the best interests of all for the UK to trigger Article 50 as soon as possible. In this regard, Prime Minister May’s comments over the weekend are welcome. We now have some clarity about the timeline for the process.
Article 50 will provide the framework for withdrawal negotiations. At a meeting of 27 EU Heads of State or Government in Brussels on 29 June, we agreed a number of principles, including that no negotiations should take place until the UK Government has formally triggered Article 50: this remains the case.
We expect that, further to Prime Minister May’s announcement, work will now step up at EU level to prepare for the triggering of Article 50 by next March at the latest. Ireland will remain centrally involved in these efforts in order to best defend and promote our interests.
Separate negotiations on the UK’s future relationship with the EU will also need to take place: here, we still await clarification from the UK government as to what type of relationship it will seek. As I have stated on previous occasions, from Ireland’s perspective, we would like the UK to have as close a relationship with the EU as possible, once it is no longer a Member State.
Ireland’s priorities in the period ahead remain unchanged. In all negotiations, the Government will seek to ensure that the best possible outcomes can be achieved for our citizens, for our economy, for Northern Ireland and for the Common Travel Area.
Work will continue to intensify across Government in the weeks and months ahead to achieve those objectives. It is important to remember that our preparations have been ongoing for over twelve months and that we have already progressed much important work, particularly in relation to contingency planning.
Finally, I would like to note that, until it formally withdraws from the European Union, the UK remains a full Member State, with all the existing rights and obligations that membership confers.