Coveney: Ask new PM about no-deal

Tánaiste Simon Coveney has thrown down the gauntlet to the likely next British prime minister Boris Johnson by saying he is the “only person” who knows if there is going to be a no-deal Brexit.

Mr Coveney directed questions on the risk of a worst-case scenario to Mr Johnson, as he insisted the EU remains “consistent” in its support for Ireland.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels after meeting the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, Mr Coveney mirrored Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s comments on Thursday by saying Ireland will “work with” the new British prime minister.

However, when asked about the possibility of a disorderly, no-deal Brexit, the Tánaiste said the only person who will know the answer is the next British leader.

“I think the only person who can answer the question on the likelihood of a no-deal is the next British prime minister, and we’re going to have to wait and see who that is.

“We stand ready to work with a new British prime minister as soon as they’re in place to try to ensure we have an orderly and managed Brexit, and to ensure that we avoid a no-deal Brexit.

“But I think it’s very clear, and has been re-stated by Angela Merkel again today, that the withdrawal agreement is the withdrawal agreement.

“There are other things that can change and be adapted, particularly the future relationship declaration, but the withdrawal agreement is not up for re-negotiation,” he said.

Asked if Ireland may be flexible on the backstop if an alternative workable plan that has the same outcome is put forward, Mr Coveney said while Mr Varadkar will meet the next British prime minister, Ireland is not going to re-negotiate the withdrawal agreement.

Mr Coveney said: “I think the Taoiseach will be very clear in that meeting that the withdrawal agreement isn’t going to be re-negotiated.

“It took two and a half years to put together, took compromise on both sides, it was designed around British red lines and it is the agreement that all member states have been endorsed.”

He added that while there are legitimate concerns about how to protect the EU single market by placing customs checks on goods, Ireland will not be “dragged out” of the EU due to Britain’s difficulties.

“We’ve recognised Ireland is not going to allow a situation whereby the Republic of Ireland effectively gets dragged out of the EU single market.

“This is a single market that we’re part of, we helped to create, and we’re going to stay part of in future.

And in order to do that, we need to protect the integrity of the EU single market in Ireland, otherwise we would potentially face checks going from the Republic of Ireland to other areas in the single market.

Mr Coveney met Mr Barnier in Brussels at the same time as House of Lords member and UK Labour representative Andrew Adonis told a conference in Dublin that he believes there will either be a Brexit deal, a second referendum or a British election.

Mr Adonis was speaking at a meeting of the Institute of International and European Affairs in Dublin.