Martin warns Johnson against playing politics on Brexit

Taoiseach Micheál Martin at a recent media briefing about the 2020 Brexit Readiness Action Plan. Picture: Julien Behal Photography

The Taoiseach has accused British prime minister Boris Johnson of creating "assertions that are in no way connected with the reality" on Brexit.

Micheál Martin has warned that playing politics with Brexit negotiations is "simply not an option", and said politicians in Britain, Ireland, and Europe "have only one obligation — to protect the people we serve, to protect their livelihoods and their jobs".

Foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney also hit out at Mr Johnson for putting forward "bogus arguments" around the withdrawal agreement.

A controversial UK bill which would renege on elements of the withdrawal agreement has created serious trust issues as critical talks on a trade agreement continue in Brussels this week.

Mr Coveney said Mr Johnson has put the EU in a "very difficult situation", saying: "How can we trust a British government that is willing to break an international treaty that's not even 12 months old?"

Asked about claims made by Mr Johnson that his legislation is necessary to avoid a scenario where the EU could block food exports from Britain across to Northern Ireland, Mr Coveney bluntly responded: "I think it's a completely bogus argument."

He added: "I think it's creating another straw man to create tension and division. I don't quite understand the negotiating tactic because actually, when you examine the evidence, nobody's looking to block anything."

Mr Coveney said the EU and Ireland had been left no choice but to "firmly call out" the UK on its actions, but would continue to take a measured approach to talks.

But he said negotiations are now in a "very difficult place" with critical Brexit trade talks due to continue in Brussels this week.

"The last week was supposed to be a moment of progress in these negotiations, it was in the eighth round of formal trade negotiations, the second last that's been scheduled," Mr Coveney told RTÉ's This Week programme. 

"There was an expectation that we would start to create some positive momentum in negotiations that really have been going nowhere now for the last six months. 

"Instead of that, the UK, without giving anybody a heads-up, decided to take a much more aggressive approach, threatening to breach international law, threatening to breach the treaty that they themselves designed and signed with the EU.

"And so we now have a very difficult situation where the British prime minister is insistent on moving ahead with something that effectively undermines international law and an international treaty, while at the same time is asking the EU to work with him to sign a new deal on a future relationship."

Meanwhile, justice minister Helen McEntee suggested the EU could take legal action against the UK if it proceeds with the bill.

Ms McEntee said the actions of the UK government last week have "damaged trust between both sides" and called on Mr Johnson to withdraw the elements of his bill which breach international law.

Ms McEntee said: "It's very difficult to see how you can negotiate a free trade agreement when what has already been agreed is being proposed to be breached less than nine months later. So we're in a very difficult space."