Simon Coveney: No Brexit deal if Britain threatens to undermine previous agreements

The Minister for Foreign Affairs said: “We got nothing, no calls, no emails, no heads up, nothing.” 

Minister for Foreign Affairs Trade Simon Coveney revealed that the Irish government got no heads up about the British government's plans to overturn parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

The UK’s attempt to override parts of the Withdrawal Agreement is "irresponsible," "dangerous" and “eroding trust” the Minister for Foreign Affairs has said.

Speaking at the Agricultural Science Association (ASA) annual conference in Cork this morning, Minister Simon Coveney said the UK’s plans to break international law by breaching parts of the Withdrawal Agreement was “extraordinary.” 

 “There will not be an agreement if Britain threatens to undermine previous agreements,” he said.

Minister Coveney said the detailed Withdrawal Agreement had settled a number of difficult and divisive issues, and what the British government is proposing is moving away from commitments that they made in an international treaty they themselves put in place “not even a year ago.” 

 “It is not a basis for moving this negotiation forward,” he said.

Minister Simon Coveney also revealed that the Government got no heads up about the British government's plans to overturn parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

“We got nothing, no calls, no emails, no heads up, nothing.” 

 Instead, Minister Coveney said they found out by reading “a headline in The Financial Times.” 

 Mr Coveney said he believes the way the UK government conducted businesses this week was “a deliberate strategy to create tension” in the negotiations, in an attempt to derive some advantage for the UK on some issues they’re seeking concessions on.

“My reading of it from the EU side is that it has backfired fairly spectacularly,” he said.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin also addressed the issue in his opening address at the conference, saying the "uncertainty" around the Brexit situation is "particularly unhelpful" to the agricultural food industry.

“In terms of the most recent developments,” the Taoiseach said, “Europe is very steadfast in terms of its affirmation of that withdrawal treaty, and the absolute obligation on all parties including the UK, to adhere to that.” 

“Ireland will be steadfast along with our European Union partners in terms of that position,” he confirmed.

The Taoiseach said he has been consistently pressing with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the optimal agreement for Ireland is a free trade one, with no quotas or tariffs.

Minister Coveney echoed the Taoiseach’s statement saying the best-case scenario for Dublin is a “very basic and pretty thin trade agreement” that avoids tariffs and quotas.

Mr Coveney said he believes some are of the view, particularly in London, that they should “play tough” and “the EU will come to their senses and come back to Britain and do a deal quickly.” 

"I think that's a really naive misreading of the approach of the EU,” he said.

If there's no deal here, it will be because the UK have moved away from the commitments that they've made in the political declaration, and in the withdrawal agreement.

 “I think that means that trust would have broken down very fundamentally between the EU and the UK on trade. I think it's going to take quite some time to fix that and put it back together and agree deals into the future.”