Taoiseach denied border checks for months

Admissions from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tánaiste Simon Coveney this week that checks would have to exist along the border in the case of a no-deal Brexit fly in the face of denials issued by them in recent months.

Both Mr Varadkar and Mr Coveney admitted that there will be some checks will have to come into place in the event of a disorderly Brexit.

These comments have been met with strong criticism and concern from the opposition and industry.

But for many months, the Taoiseach and Mr Coveney stridently batted away any suggestion such border checks were being considered or planned for.

For example, before its publication, Government figures strongly contested an Irish Examiner story on October 30 last which reported about secret plans being developed to ensure such checks could occur in the case of a no-deal Brexit.

A similar story again written in this newspaper from 2017 detailing plans to develop checkpoints was also strongly denied by ministers at the time.

The story reported that while Mr Varadkar and Mr Coveney had repeatedly stated that there is absolutely no planning being done for a return to a hard border, preparations for “all eventualities” are underway.

Officials had been reviewing State-owned land and properties, including checkpoint sites which had been used during the Troubles, our story reported.

This week, the Taoiseach warned that checks will need to take place “close to the border” in the case of a no-deal Brexit. Mr Varadkar said even in a best-case scenario, where the UK leaves the EU with a deal, discussions on a new free trade agreement and a new economic and security partnership will be “fraught” and protracted. “I think it may make the negotiations on the withdrawal agreement seem simple,” he said.

However, in a stark admission, Mr Varadkar said: “If there is no-deal, and I believe we may have to live with no-deal for a period, then at a certain point we will have to begin negotiations again.”

Meanwhile, it was reported that the EU will seek to take a “gradual approach” to the application of a border in the case of a no-deal.

There is, according to sources, an understanding that at the start Ireland will not be fully in compliance with the obligations that come when a member state shares a border with a third country.

It is understood that for a period afterward, the EU will assume a “partnership” role, allowing the Irish Government to apply the rules of the single market and customs union as best it can, while providing advice and support, whether technical or financial, over time.

Responding, SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MLA has said that Mr Varadkar’s comments underscore the need for a backstop to prevent the re-emergence of a hard border in Ireland.

“Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has clearly laid out some of the immediate challenges border communities and businesses will face in the aftermath of a no-deal exit. It is uncomfortable listening for people who rely on frictionless travel and trade across this island,” he said.

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald said border checks — or any hardening of the border — are completely unacceptable and the Taoiseach must ensure that all options, including support for the Good Friday Agreement and provision for a unity referendum, are on the table.