Dublin's inflexibility could precipitate no-deal: Swann

The North Antrim MLA was speaking yesterday after Downing Street announced that Theresa May will travel to Dublin today to meet Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Mr Swann said the Irish government had shown “pragmatism” when it decided to remain outside of the Schengen system, along with the UK

“I hope that once again, as the prime minister meets the taoiseach in Dublin, that we will see and hear flexibility and pragmatism from Leo Varadkar’s government,” he added.

“Unionists have genuine concerns about the backstop, which cannot and should not be dismissed.

“However if we continue on the current trajectory, with the Irish government showing no flexibility in their approach and the EU insisting on the preservation of the single market at the cost of the United Kingdom having to severe its internal market, then I fear that approach could precipitate a no-deal Brexit, which will have repercussions right across these islands.”

Yesterday, the taoiseach said the UK can remove the threat of no-deal by halting or delaying Brexit.

Mr Varadkar stressed that he wanted to help give assurances which the UK may need to ratify the draft withdrawal treaty negotiated by Mrs May, but without changing its substance.

The Irish government is accelerating recruitment of customs officers and veterinary officers, and putting infrastructure in ports and airports, but not the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Mr Varadkar told the Dail: “It remains in the hands of the UK to decide that we don’t end up in a no-deal scenario.

“The option is there to revoke Article 50, the option is there to extend Article 50 and while there may not be a majority for anything, or at least any deal, at the moment in the House of Commons, I do believe that there is a majority that the UK should not be plunged into a no-deal scenario.

“It is in their hands at any point in time to take the threat of no-deal off the table, either by revoking Article 50 or, if that is a step too far, by extending it.”

Article 50 is part of the Lisbon Treaty giving any EU member state the right to quit unilaterally and the mechanism by which the UK triggered the process of leaving the EU.