‘Ireland should tap EU funds for Brexit’

Dublin should immediately ask Brussels for multibillion-euro funds if the UK were to vote in June to leave the EU, the country’s leading expert on a so-called Brexit has said.

Associate research professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute, Edgar Morgenroth, told the Irish Examiner that Ireland should tap goodwill among other EU states in the event of the UK leaving the bloc to access special funds to build an electricity interconnector to France, transport networks on the island, and access transit permits for trucks travelling via England to continental ports.

He said the Government would also need to secure a special deal over milk and other agricultural goods across Ireland.

European states would likely be receptive to arguments that Ireland, north and south — should be considered a special case, Mr Morgenroth said.

The country faces risks to the all-Ireland electricity market and potential passport controls if the UK were to set immigration limits, he said.

Fish quotas could be another area of conflict with Britain, he said.

On energy, he said a Brexit could change “the calculus on a link to France”.