The Government has been consistent and clear in its priorities for the Brexit negotiations. These are: protecting the peace process, no hard border, maintaining the Common Travel Area, securing an effective transitional arrangement leading to the closest possible trading relationship with the UK, and working for the future of the European Union itself.
The border is a complex issue, and therefore flexible and imaginative solutions will be required to avoid a hard border which not only address the economic challenges but also take account of the societal challenges and how important the current invisible border is for sustaining the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement. This is about ensuing that people’s lives and livelihoods are protected and that communities and businesses in the border region are given every opportunity to develop and prosper. Any solution must respect the integrity of the Single Market and the Customs Union and Ireland’s place in them and must not anticipate the outcome of the wider discussions on the EU’s future relationship with the UK.
It is therefore the Government’s view that the UK staying in the Customs Union and Single Market, or the closest possible arrangement to that, would be the best solution to avoid a hard border on the island. Failing that, Northern Ireland should continue to enjoy the benefits of the Customs Union and the Single Market, of course with all the rights and obligations that would come with that. If the UK continues to rule out this option, the solutions that it offers must be concrete and workable and must achieve the shared objective of protecting the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and the gains of the peace process, including avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland. Now is the time for the UK to provide strong political assurances and tangible commitments, which must also take account of and comprehensively address the risks presented by any regulatory divergence from the rules of the EU Internal Market and Customs Union.
My officials and I will continue to work very closely with Michel Barnier and his team to ensure that Ireland’s positions continue to be fully reflected in the negotiations. This is a long process and the outcome is far from determined but I remain hopeful that, with hard work and political will, progress can be made in the coming weeks before the next meeting of the European Council on 14-15 December.
