Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney has said there are no “alternative arrangements” to replace the backstop in any Brexit deal.
Speaking at the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), the deputy Irish premier added that the Withdrawal Agreement will not be reopened.
On Tuesday night, MPs voted by a margin of 317 to 301 to back a plan which requires Prime Minister Theresa May to replace the agreement’s controversial backstop with “alternative arrangements” to keep the Irish border open after Brexit.
“However, there are currently no alternative arrangements which anyone has put forward which achieve what both sides are determined to achieve – to avoid a hard border, including any physical infrastructure or related checks and controls, and to protect the all-island economy, North-South co-operation and the Good Friday Agreement.
“Believe me, this has been explored endlessly in the negotiations over the last two years.
“We need a backstop or insurance mechanism based on legal certainty, and not just wishful thinking.”
Backstop was agreed by UK/EU as the insurance policy to avoid a hard border in all scenarios. We hope it will never be used, or be replaced quickly by a future relationship agreement. But it is necessary and tonight’s developments at Westminster do nothing to change this. #Brexit
— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) January 29, 2019
He said Ireland and the EU would consider extending Article 50 if the UK requested it.
He also urged politicians in Westminster to understand the “overwhelming wish” of people in Northern Ireland to avoid a return of borders and division.
Mr Coveney added: “It makes it all the more critical that the UK listens to other political parties, representing a majority in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and to cross-community groups like the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, the Confederation of British Industry and the Ulster Farmers Union over the coming weeks.
“What they are saying is that the backstop is infinitely preferable to a no-deal Brexit.
“The wider uncertainty does dictate however that the Government must and will continue to intensify our preparations for a disorderly Brexit.
“And we have moved now from planning to implementation.”
Speaking in the Dail, the Taoiseach said there were no plans to hold an emergency EU summit following the decision by the House of Commons to give Theresa May the go-ahead to seek changes to the Withdrawal Agreement.
“The European Union, including Ireland, stands by the Withdrawal Agreement, including the protocol and backstop relating to Ireland,” he said.
“A renegotiation is not on the table. There’s no plans to organise an emergency summit to discuss any changes to the guidelines. Nor is there any pressure to hold one.”
Mr Varadkar said the UK had failed to specify the details of the alternative arrangements.
“I don’t know what those alternative arrangements are,” he said. “We’ve been down that track before and I don’t believe that such alternative arrangements exist.
“That is why we have the agreement that we have now because the only way I believe that we can avoid a hard border … is through full regulatory alignment.”
Mr Varadkar was scheduled to have a phone call with Mrs May on Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, he told the Dail he believed it would not be possible to attempt to re-establish the Northern Ireland institutions until there was some certainty around Brexit.
“Fundamentally the Assembly and the Executive cannot function unless the two major parties are able to agree – the DUP and SF. The governments can facilitate, can help, can cajole, but we can’t force those two parties to come to an agreement.”
