Michael Noonan: ‘Ready’ for EU talks to begin

Ireland is “ready and anxious” to start Brexit talks, Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said, adding the focus must be on securing a transitional deal for the UK.

Following the UK government’s announcement that it would trigger Brexit on March 29, Mr Noonan said the talks would likely take longer than the legal limit of two years. He said a transitional deal would be needed to stop the UK crashing out of the EU without a trade accord. “The Irish Government has been preparing for 12 months,” Mr Noonan told reporters in Brussels yesterday. “We’re ready to go and anxious to go,” he added.

“My view is that it will take longer than that [two years],” Mr Noonan said ahead of a meeting of eurozone finance ministers.