The Irish Government has made clear that the border issue remains unresolved ahead of a crunch round of Brexit talks involving Prime Minister Theresa May and key EU figures.
Deputy Premier and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney insisted his administration would hold firm on its need for a written assurance from the UK that there would be no hardening of the border post-Brexit.
He said some progress on the form of text had been made since last Thursday and expressed hope that an agreement could be reached on Monday, but he stressed there was still a distance to travel.
Mrs May will meet European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, later on Monday for negotiations that could have a crucial bearing on whether she is able to secure an overall Brexit deal.
While the two sides appear to be moving closer on the UK’s divorce bill and future citizens’ rights, it is unclear whether they can bridge the gap on the Irish border – the third area where Brussels is demanding progress.
Tanaiste Mr Coveney acknowledged that no-one wanted a hard border.
But he added: “Our fear of course is that it would be an unintended consequence because people can’t find a way of resolving that issue in the future and we can’t allow that and we won’t.”
He said talks involving London, Brussels and Dublin were at a “sensitive place”.
“We have a discussion on text that we don’t yet have agreement on,” he told RTE Radio One.
“But we have had a lot of discussions on it over the weekend and there are political conversations happening in both governments in relation to that text.”
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He added: “We are not quite yet where we need to be, but it is possible to do that today but the Irish Government has to remain firm on the key issues for the island of Ireland.”
Mr Coveney and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will brief fellow Irish Government ministers on the state of negotiations at a special Cabinet meeting in Dublin on Monday morning.
The meetings in the Belgian capital mark the deadline set by Mr Tusk for Mrs May to come forward with an improved offer on the terms of Britain’s withdrawal.
Without it, Mr Tusk has said he will be unable to recommend EU leaders give the green light for the second phase of negotiations – to include talks on a free trade agreement – to begin at their summit on December 14 and 15.
Downing Street sought to play down the significance of the talks, describing them as a “staging post” with further discussions needed before the full gathering with the other 27 leaders in the middle of the month.
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“With plenty of discussions still to go, Monday will be an important staging post on the road to the crucial December council,” a UK Government spokesman said.
However, her room for manoeuvre appears to be limited, with hard-line Brexiteers urging her to walk away from the negotiating table altogether if EU leaders refuse to sanction the move to the second phase.
Mr Tusk has made clear that they cannot move on to phase two unless the UK can satisfy Dublin that there will be no return to a “hard border” between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
Influential German MEP David McAllister, who is close to Chancellor Angela Merkel, has said it is “still a 50-50” as to whether there would be a breakthrough.
The British and EU flags flap in the wind outside the EU headquarters in Brussels (Virginia Mayo/AP)
Meanwhile, a series of prominent Conservatives including Jacob Rees-Mogg, John Redwood and former chancellor Lord Lawson signed a letter calling on Mrs May to refuse to settle the UK’s “divorce bill” unless Brussels agrees to a series of new demands.
They include settling the terms of a free trade agreement “in principle” by the end of March 2018 and an end to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and the freedom of movement to the UK for EU nationals when the UK leaves a year later on March 30 2019.
Other signatories to the letter, organised by the Leave Means Leave group, include Conservative former ministers Owen Paterson and David Jones and Labour MP Graham Stringer.
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith also expressed concern that the Government was preparing to accede to at least some of the EU’s demands that the European Court of Justice should have a continuing role in enforcing the rights of EU citizens living in the UK after Brexit.
The calls underline the difficulties Mrs May is likely to face when it comes to selling any deal with the EU to Parliament and to her own supporters.
Senior German MEP Manfred Weber – a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel – said problems remained on citizens’ rights and the Irish border.
Meanwhile, Mr Tusk’s spokesman confirmed the European Council president would meet Mrs May on Monday at 3pm UK time, after her lunch with Mr Juncker.
A European Parliament source said Mr Verhofstadt and his team were emphasising that MEPs are still seeking clarity on the role of the European Court of Justice in upholding EU citizens’ rights in the UK, and the position of the Irish Government.
Brexit Secretary David Davis said: “We have put seven months of work, both sides, into getting to this point and we are hoping that Mr Juncker today will give us sufficient progress so we can move on to trade talks.”
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