Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 July 2018
47. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his meeting with President Juncker when he was in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28658/18]
View answerOn Thursday 21 June, I attended a meeting between the Taoiseach and the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. Also present were EU’s Chief Negotiator on the UK’s withdrawal from the UK, Michel Barnier, and Commissioner Hogan.
The meeting provided an important opportunity to take stock of the state of play in the EU-UK negotiations in advance of the June European Council, notably in relation to the draft Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland. In this regard, the Taoiseach and President Juncker were in full agreement that the progress reported in the Joint Statement from EU and UK negotiators of 19 June fell very far short of the EU’s expectations.
I welcome that President Juncker reiterated the EU’s full support for Ireland, and that the Protocol, including the backstop, is an integral and indispensable part of the Withdrawal Agreement. This is fully consistent with the strong message of solidarity Ireland received from its EU27 partners at the European Council (Art.50) last week.
I further welcome that the Conclusions adopted by the European Council (Art. 50) on 29 June sent a clear message to the UK that it must respect the commitments it has made and that, in the absence of agreement on a backstop, it will not be possible to finalise the Withdrawal Agreement as a whole, including the transition arrangements.
The Taoiseach and I and President Juncker shared the view that the talks should intensify with a view to making the necessary progress and I welcome that this has also been reflected in the Conclusions.
The Taoiseach and I also discussed a number of other important EU issues ahead of the June European Council, in particular migration. While noting Ireland was less directly affected than other Member States, we made clear our wish to play our part in developing a comprehensive EU approach, based on ensuring strong external borders; solidarity between Member States; and working in partnership with countries of origin, including in Africa, to underpin political and economic development, so that people can enjoy better lives and opportunities in their home countries.
