Micheál Martin
Ceist:123. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has spoken to the UK Prime Minister, Mrs. May, recently in regard to the forthcoming June European Council meeting. [24565/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 12 June 2018
Ceisteanna (123, 124)
Micheál Martin
Ceist:124. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has spoken to the UK Prime Minister, Mrs. May, regarding Northern Ireland in May 2018. [24567/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 124 together.
I met with Prime Minister May on the margins of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 17 May.
We discussed current developments in relation to Brexit and the ongoing efforts to assist the parties in Northern Ireland to re-establish the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.
Prime Minister May told me that she expected to table a new proposal on the future customs relationship between the European Union and the UK shortly. This was published as a technical note on Thursday 7 June.
At my meeting with Prime Minister May I indicated that any move on customs that keeps the UK close to the EU is to be welcomed.
I indicated that we're willing to examine the UK proposal, but we need to see it presented as a formal written proposal in the Brexit negotiations process.
I also emphasised to the Prime Minister that upholding the commitment to avoid a hard border requires progress on more than just customs.
The agreed report from December makes clear that continued alignment on both single market and customs rules is necessary. In many ways, the regulatory issues are even more important than customs here.
More generally, I made clear to the Prime Minister that Ireland would continue to insist on a legally operable backstop being in the Withdrawal Agreement. This would be in line with the commitments made by the UK in December and repeated by the Prime Minister in her letter to Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, in March.
We now need to see concrete progress on the delivery of these commitments by the time of the June European Council.
I have been consistent in my message to both Prime Minister May and my fellow EU Heads of State and Government at the European Council that reintroduction of a border on the island of Ireland is not acceptable under any circumstances.
The Commission will make a first assessment of the technical and legal feasibility of the UK proposals, and whether they provide a basis for negotiation. We look forward to its assessment and to discussing whether the proposals could be helpful in meeting the UK’s repeated commitment to avoiding a hard border, and thereby making progress on the backstop on Ireland/Northern Ireland.
Based on the negotiations between the UK and the Commission Taskforce in the coming days and weeks, Mr Barnier will make an assessment of progress, for consideration by the European Council on 28 and 29 June.