Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said that Ireland would not be carrying out bilateral negotiations with the UK in relation to no-deal Brexit planning.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Miriam, he said that there has been much discussion over the past two years on contingency planning in the event of Britain leaving the European Union without a deal.
However, he said discussions in relation to preparations for a hard Brexit must be between the EU and the UK, and not the Irish and British governments.
The Tánaiste also said that it was not the case that the Irish Government was refusing to talk to the UK and he said he would not be facilitating the UK in walking away from commitments in the Withdrawal Agreement.
"We are not in the business of facilitating the UK moving away from commitments that they've made to Ireland and the EU to protect the Good Friday Agreement, to protect an all-island economy, which is a commitment that they have made, and to replace that with some sort of makeshift deal in the weeks before a no-deal," he said.
"Instead, what we have been doing for over a year now, is we have been planning for contingency in the context of a no-deal Brexit should that happen."
.@simoncoveney says: We are not in the business of facilitating the UK moving away from commitments that they've made to Ireland and the EU pic.twitter.com/XixatnN2oZ
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) August 21, 2019
'We are not going to abandon a solution that we know works for some kind of promise on the basis of trust…' says @simoncoveney #Brexit pic.twitter.com/QKzXbADzhE
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) August 21, 2019
Last night, he said that it was realistic to expect a return of power-sharing at Stormont before Britain is due to leave the EU on 31 October. However he admitted that it will not be easy.
It followed a meeting with the Northern Ireland Secretary of State Julian Smith about the lack of government in Northern Ireland for the last two-and-a-half years, and about Brexit.
Speaking to RTÉ News, he said it was important that he developed a good personal relationship that is based on trust with Mr Smith.
Mr Coveney said commentary about the events in Northern Ireland over the past two weeks has become "coarse, divisive and difficult".
Mr Coveney said he was not surprised by recent comments by the Taoiseach, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson or EU Council President Donald Tusk.
He said Mr Johnson has outlined the position his new government is taking on Brexit, which according to Mr Coveney is less compromising, and the EU and Ireland have responded.
Yesterday, Mr Tusk said Mr Johnson had no "realistic alternatives" to the backstop element of the Withdrawal Agreement.
In a letter to Mr Tusk on Monday, the British Prime Minister outlined his opposition to the backstop and called for it to be scrapped.
However, the European Council President rejected the prime minister's call and said that it was an insurance to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.
"Those against the backstop and not proposing realistic alternatives in fact support re-establishing a border. Even if they do not admit it," Mr Tusk said.
Over the next few weeks, Mr Coveney said he will be visiting a number of EU states, including Finland, Czechia, Poland and Denmark, to reinforce the Irish message and appreciation of the solidarity shown to Ireland during the Brexit process.
He said they will continue to seek a way to find a deal to avoid a no-deal Brexit but ultimately, he said, it will be a choice for the British government.
