Taoiseach: Cabal will not decide terms of UK’s exit from EU

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has insisted that it will be the 27 EU leaders and not any inner cabal who will decide how Britain’s exit from the European Union should happen.

In the Dáil yesterday, Mr Kenny gave voice to the considerable anger within Government here at the holding of a meeting by six founding countries of the European community on Saturday.

“I want to make clear that it is the European Council under the leadership of Donald Tusk, and not any other EU institution or subgroup, which has overall political control of the process,” he said.

The Taoiseach described the Brexit decision as a “political earthquake”, the consequences of which will take some time to work out.

Mr Kenny also made it clear that, despite strong EU insistence that no bilateral deals between Ireland and Britain are possible, he will be beginning intensive talks with the Northern administration and London in the coming days.

“Next Monday’s plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council in Dublin, which I will chair, will provide an opportunity for the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to have a strategic discussion around how we are going to work together to protect the interests of all our citizens on the island of Ireland,” he said.

The Taoiseach also defied EU Commission President Jean Claude Juncker’s call for Britain to exit quickly by insisting there could be no early change to the current situation.

“There will be no early change to the free flow of people, goods and services between our islands,” he said.

Mr Kenny today travels to Brussels for a meeting of the European Council.

Speaking in the Dáil, he said the Government will ensure the EU approach to these negotiations takes account of Ireland’s special concerns and interests, including in relation to Northern Ireland.

“I also want to make clear that I or my officials will be at the table for every major decision on the negotiations,” he said.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said there was an urgent need for “some structure and clarity to what will happen”: “We must be clear on Ireland’s fundamental policy towards Europe. We must develop a new framework for relations with the UK. We must prepare for new threats and possible opportunities.

“Most of all, we must take a stand against the ideologies which were central to this result and which are a real and rising threat to shared democracy, human rights and development in Europe.

“Let’s start the debate about where we go from here by remembering why the European Union matters.”

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams used the opportunity of the debate to restate his party’s call for a referendum to decide the issue of Irish unity.

He said: “There is a huge responsibility on the Irish government to think nationally — on an all-island basis.

“The Irish Government must work to promote the interests of the whole island and the North in particular in future talks at an EU level; and to support the rights of ministers in the North to deal directly with the EU institutions.

“In the time ahead, this should include a referendum on Irish unity.”