Brexit: Lord Empey tells Leo Varadkar to talk directly to London and NI parties

Mr Juncker said that Brussels will insist on border checks if there is a no-deal Brexit in order to preserve the interests of the European Union.

The European Commission president insisted that Brussels was “in no way responsible” for the consequences of a no-deal Brexit, saying the blame would lay squarely with the UK.

UUP peer Lord Empey said that the Irish government should be working with London, as well as parties in Northern Ireland, to ensure that a hard border is avoided.

“The statement over the weekend by EU Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, that a hard border will return to Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit, has exposed the weakness in the negotiating position of the Varadkar government in Dublin.

“By leaving the negotiation exclusively to the EU, Mr Juncker is saying that Dublin will have to erect a hard border in order to protect the health and safety of EU citizens.

“Is this really what the people in any part of the island of Ireland want? Is Mr Varadkar prepared to do this, and how?”

Lord Empey added: “It would be the most bizarre scenario to see an Irish government erecting a border, at the behest of the EU, while the UK does nothing north of the border! It’s history turned on its head! This scenario is still avoidable and Dublin will have to recognise that there are two sides to this argument.

“I appeal to the taoiseach to sit down with London, as well as parties in Northern Ireland, and work together to ensure that no such border is necessary. Hiding behind the stance that Dublin can’t negotiate as it’s a Brussels matter, is a cop out. We need an Irish solution to an Irish problem.”

Mr Juncker said “we can have a deal”, and prime Minister Boris Johnson’s proposals for dealing with the border with Ireland were the basis for progress.

Mr Juncker told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “We have to make sure that there will be no hard and physical border between the two parts of the Irish island and things have to be done on a level playing field.”

But in the event of a no-deal Brexit, Mr Juncker said there would have to be checks.

He added: “We have to make sure that the interests of the European Union and of the internal market will be preserved.

“An animal entering Northern Ireland without border control can enter without any kind of control the European Union via the southern part of the Irish island. This will not happen.”