EU official 'avoided answering questions' on Article 16 debacle, TDs say

EU vice-president Maroš Šefčovič accused of 'stonewalling' TDs and Senators seeking answers as to how last month’s Irish border blunder came about

European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič told the European Affairs Committee that mistakes were made in the process leading up the EU's attempt to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Picture: Oireachtas TV/PA Wire

A top European Commission boss has been accused of “stonewalling” TDs and Senators seeking answers as to how last month’s Irish border blunder came about.

The significant diplomatic and political crisis was caused by the EU’s move on Friday, January 29, to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol, only for it to be stopped at the last minute following loud protests from Dublin.

Speaking to the Oireachtas European Affairs Committee, EU vice-president Maroš Šefčovič apologised for the major diplomatic row it caused last month over the Irish border, admitting a mistake was made and was “deeply regretted”.

However, when asked by TDs how the debacle occurred, Mr Šefčovič refused to “play the blame game” and name those who were directly involved.

Lisa Chambers, a Fianna Fáil Senator, said it was “disappointing that questions from every member of the committee were stonewalled”.

"He avoided answering direct questions,” said Mayo TD Dara Calleary. 

I am concerned that he didn't engage with the questions around who was responsible for Article 16 coming on the table. It's not a blame game – we have to learn how this position arose to ensure it doesn't happen again. 

"It is necessary to have a formal procedure in place to avoid this happening again.”

Mr Calleary said he was "concerned" about the failure by Mr Šefčovič to answer specific questions about who made the decision and accused the EU Commission vice-president of "splitting hairs" by trying to insist the article was never triggered.

He said a "clear signal" was sent on that Friday evening that the article would be triggered. Mr Calleary and other committee members called for a "permanent" solution involving Dublin and Belfast to ensure such mistakes don't happen again. "It is not a blame game, we are simply trying to do our job," Mr Calleary said.

Mr Šefčovič in his comments said: “The mistake was a mistake, no question. A mistake was made, but once we really realised it on the political level, and there was immediate contact with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and with the foreign minister Coveney and also with the UK. 

"We corrected before it was activated. That was done within three hours, we made the mistake, acknowledge it, and corrected it.”

He made clear the move to trigger Article 16 of the protocol, which would have stopped the importation of vaccines into the North, was driven by a “lack of transparency” as to where EU-made vaccines were going.

Explaining what went wrong on what he called that “fateful Friday January 29”, he said: 

We invested a lot in the vaccination development and simply, we didn't have enough of transparency as to where these vaccines are going."

He said the EU had always been “very loyal” to Ireland and Northern Ireland, the peace process and said that 80 per cent of the Brexit talks were dominated by seeking to find a solution to the Irish problem.

Labour TD Brendan Howlin said the long-standing solidarity from the EU toward Ireland is fully appreciated but said “harm” was done by the mistake.