Simon Coveney: EU trying to solve Brexit problems but dismissive UK 'asking for more'

European Court of Justice is a red herring, Simon Coveney says. 

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney addressed the recent comments of UK brexit negotiater David Frost about the European Court of Justice. Picture: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie

The UK's government is "shifting the playing field" in discussions on the Northern Protocol, the Foreign Affairs Minister has said.

In a tweet over the weekend, Simon Coveney said Westminister created a new "red line" barrier to progress that it knows the European Union cannot move on.

"EU working seriously to resolve practical issues with implementation of Protocol - so UKG creates a new 'red line' barrier to progress, that they know EU can’t move on…. are we surprised?

"Real Q: Does UKG actually want an agreed way forward or a further breakdown in relations?"

Mr Coveney said that while the tweet may not have been diplomatic, neither was the UK Government's briefing of a speech its Brexit negotiator David Frost will give on Wednesday.

Speaking to RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland todayy, Mr Coveney said that a proposal has been worked on "for weeks" from the EU side which will be presented to the UK on Wednesday.

"These proposals were made having listened to businesses and people in Northern Ireland and the response to that is (UK negotiator) David Frost is briefing UK media that it's the European Court of Justice."

Mr Coveney said that the EU was "trying to solve problems" but the UK was "dismissing them and asking for more".

Each time that the European Union comes forward with new proposals over the Northern Ireland Protocol, “they are dismissed by the UK” before they were published, he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.

“This has been the position all year, each time that the European Union comes forward with new ideas, new proposals to try to solve problems, they're dismissed before they're released and that's happening again this week, but this week it's even more serious.”

Mr Coveney said that Maros Sefcovic and his negotiating team on behalf of the EU had been working for weeks, if not months, preparing the package due to be launched on Wednesday dealing with difficulties caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The package was to ensure that medicines get into Northern Ireland, “ensuring that chilled meats can get into Northern Ireland, ensuring that we streamline the customs systems, ensuring that we can reduce checks where possible if goods are staying in Northern Ireland, that we can introduce new structures to increase representation for Northern Ireland in terms of understanding the workings of the protocol and so.

“These are the practical measures that the European Union is going to introduce on Wednesday. Sefcovic has worked hard to bring proposals having listened to business and reps in Northern Ireland, when David Frost accuses me of raising issues on social media it's a bit rich quite frankly because he is briefing British media, effectively to say well the EU can make changes they need to make but actually it's not enough, we want more and now it's the ECJ that is the main issue.”

He said that Ireland would suffer most if the UK Government does not want to solve the impasse, adding that he hopes that the UK does not tear up the Northern Protocol in its entirety.

Minister Coveney said that the UK does ultimately want a deal on the protocol, but said that the ECJ is a red herring which is not reflected on the ground in Northern Ireland.

I think people are asking themselves the question do the UK Government want to solve these problems in the interests of Northern Ireland and businesses there? 

"Or is this going to be a continuing source of tension between the UK and the EU?

"Unfortunately, if it is, Ireland is the country that suffers most, because of the polarizing impact on politics in Northern Ireland, of the protocol, and the deep concerns that many in the Unionist community has in relation to this, but I've spoken to many unionists and I've spoken spoken to many business people in Northern Ireland, and none of them are raising the issue of the ECJ jurisdiction in terms of the interpretation of the EU single market and the implementation of the protocol.

"They are raising practical issues around freedom to trade without checks between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the European Commission is trying to solve those issues as much as they can within the confines of the protocol."

President Higgins and the Partition Centenary

On the decision to send him to the church service in Armagh marking the partition of Ireland, Mr Coveney said that he believes the Government is making the right call. He said that he has spoken to President Michael D Higgins about the decision.

"I believe that partition on this island was a mistake. But there are a lot of people with a different perspective and if we want a shared island, we need to listen to that perspective."