Households and businesses may not have the capacity to withstand a second economic shock as a result of a hard Brexit at the end of the year, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has been warned, as the Government intensifies its planning for the UKs departure from the EU.
Given the economic damage already wrought by Covid-19, Mr Coveney has been warned that Ireland is facing into Brexit from a fundamentally different economic starting point than for a no-deal Brexit in 2019.
In official briefing documents given to the Minister as he resumed office following the formation of Government, officials also told him that protecting the 85 billion trade link with Britain will be vital to our overall economic recovery and that Ireland needs to build a new relationship with the UK and with British cabinet ministers.
Officials warned that the capacity of households and businesses to manage a second economic shock will be more limited in light of the pandemic.
The Government is also hoping that a landing zone for major outstanding issues in Brexit talks can be found in September or October but, at present, the gap between the UK and the European Union remains wide.
All Government departments are intensifying Brexit contingency plans and a new Brexit Omnibus Bill will be brought to the Oireachtas after the summer recess.
The gap between the EU and UK positions remains wide, including on key issues such as the level playing field, fisheries, police and judicial co-operation and governance.
For progress to be achieved, it will be necessary for the UK position to move considerably in the direction of what they had agreed to under the political declaration.
The political declaration sets out the parameters for an ambitious, broad, deep and flexible partnership. However, in negotiations, the UK has adopted a significantly less ambitious approach, the briefing says.
The October European Council and discussions held in advance will be crucial in identifying the landing zone for a possible agreement and on implementation of the protocol.
Officials have said that despite the continuing uncertainty on the future relationship between the UK and EU, the Irish Government should now work to develop a new relationship with the UK.
Driving a renewal of the relationship is a priority task, given its importance in terms of our joint stewardship of the Good Friday Agreement, our people-to-people relations, and the Ireland-Great Britain economic and trading relationship worth 85 billion per annum, the protection of which will be vital to our overall economic recovery.
It says, as part of that, identifying how best to build relationships across the new British cabinet and wider political system will be important.
In terms of immediate contacts, there has been good East-West communication on Covid responses, which could usefully continue.
Engagement to protect Irish interests will also continue to be necessary, as the final picture of the UKs future relationship with the EU emerges.
Officials have recommended the establishment of a new consulate in the north of England.
In terms of Irelands relationship with the US, officials said that developing our bilateral relationship with the US will take place against the backdrop of difficult policy issues relating to immigration, trade and transatlantic relations. It said EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan was committed to progressing an EU-US trade deal and Ireland is well placed to play a role in this.
The Minister was also asked to focus on close engagement with the Trump and Biden election campaigns in the lead-up to the November US presidential election.
On the relationship between Ireland and Canada, Mr Coveney was told that ramping up the relationship with Canada will be a key component of our economic response to the disruption caused by the pandemic.
See the article here:
Second shock of Brexit may be too much for Ireland to cope with, Coveney told - The Irish Times
- Government should stop grandstanding over Brexit | London Business News - London Loves Business - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Brexit: EU Trade Talks Could Collapse in June over Fishing, Regulations - Breitbart - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- How Kronborg Castle helped to inspire Shakespeare | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Extending the Brexit transition period - Third Force News - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Theres something common in reactions to Ranbir Kapoors jeans, Brexit and Khan Market gang - ThePrint - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Boris Johnson's perversity on the Brexit cliff edge reminds me of the Free State's rejection of all things British - Slugger O'Toole - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Who is on the BBC's Question Time tonight? | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Priti Patel allies to 'demand apology' over bullying allegations | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Post-Brexit carte system 'will be easy', France says - The Connexion - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Brexit does not belong to one party, and Labour must play its part - LabourList - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- EU free trade deal with Mexico (started at same time as Brexit) is AGREED - Express.co.uk - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Boris Johnson must extend Brexit talks for another YEAR, major Tory Party donor demands - Express - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- DAVID EDGERTON: Where Brexit and Covid-19 collide | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- SNP warn of 'chilling prospect' of no-deal Brexit as UK Gov won't extend talks - The Scotsman - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Campaigners file case that argues EU citizenship is permanent regardless of Brexit | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Boris gives green light for Brexit Britain to start formal US trade talks NEXT WEEK - Express - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- UK seeks access to EU health cooperation in light of coronavirus - The Guardian - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- UK will need to extend Brexit transition, Merkel ally warns Britain - The Guardian - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Tory MP David Davis urges government capitalise on coronavirus outbreak to seal a Brexit deal | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Brexit trade deal WILL be struck this year say UK negotiators - but only after EU tantrum - Express - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- British lawyer sues EU over her removal from its court due to Brexit - The Guardian - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Coronavirus: We are all paying the price for the Tory government's preoccupation with Brexit | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- Row over EU office in Belfast threatens to derail Brexit talks - The Guardian - May 2nd, 2020 [May 2nd, 2020]
- WATCH: Gina Miller meets online troll who sent hateful, racist and threatening messages over Brexit - The New European - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- It's 10 years since the Lib Dem-Tory austerity coalition birthed Brexit and our brutal tribalism - Nation.Cymru - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- It's crazy for UK to go ahead with Brexit given pandemic crisis - Yorkshire Post - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- Paul Routledge: Tories want us to forget Brexit and crash out - Mirror Online - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- Theresa May humiliation: Ex-PM's grovelling plea to union bosses amid Brexit vote exposed - Express - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- Brexit: don't extend the transition period - TheArticle - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- Brexit Blog: Crucial Times Ahead - Will the Gap Narrow Between the Sides as Negotiations Continue - Government, Public Sector - Ireland - Mondaq News... - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- Northern Ireland facing 'challenge of a generation' as it confronts Brexit and Covid-19, says accountants society's new boss - Belfast Telegraph - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Nissan chief says firm is monitoring Brexit negotiations and warns on tariffs - Chronicle Live - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Ireland as a seat for International Arbitration Bost-Brexit - Lexology - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Boris Johnson told to 'stop playing political games' with millions of citizens - The Parliament Magazine - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Brexit Party took almost 2 million in donations in first quarter of 2020 - The New European - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- The Brexit Crisis Led to Totally Incompetent Leadership at a Time of Unprecedented Calamity. Now We are Paying for It - CounterPunch - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- North-east skipper Jimmy Buchan warns no-deal Brexit 'will hurt' Scottish fishing industry - Press and Journal - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Boris Johnson wants to 'fix' Brexit deal he once claimed was 'oven-ready' - The New European - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Claim that extending the Brexit transition period could cost 380 billion is not credible - Full Fact - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Brexit: NI Assembly votes to extend transition period - BBC News - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Brexit shock: How tensions between USA and China may affect UK's trade options - Express - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- The car industry now: will Brexit's impact now be even greater? - Autocar - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- EU crisis: Brexit risks bloc's 'economic threat' crumbling - 'We should leave too!' - Express.co.uk - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Brexiteer called out for claiming Brexit Party was 'most diverse' in European Parliament - The New European - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Nissan comes out of lockdown and braces for Brexit - The Guardian - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- The pandemic is being used as cover for a no-deal Brexit - The Guardian - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Brexit Britain has a much better alternative than the EU: Canzuk - Telegraph.co.uk - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Brexit deal now unlikely without extension, and time is running out - Verdict - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Britain wants to reinvent UK-China relations in the Brexit age - Quartz - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Brexit has reopened a divide within the Tories that cannot be bridged - Telegraph.co.uk - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- TCW's Brexit Watch: Will Johnson cave in a second time? - The Conservative Woman - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Britain, EU need Brexit agreement in the autumn - Merkel - Reuters UK - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Westminster's actions mean devolved governments have had 'no meaningful input' in Brexit trade talks - Press and Journal - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Brexit Britain is forced to confront its inglorious past - The Star Online - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- EU 'terrified' of successful UK 'on its doorstep' says Widdecombe in brutal Brexit warning - Express.co.uk - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Letter: Brexit extension would be a leap in the dark - East London and West Essex Guardian Series - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Macron to discuss Brexit with Johnson on London visit - RTE.ie - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- EU FURY: Macron unleashes new Brexit threat in bid to force through 750billion bailout - Express.co.uk - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Brexit news: What would ending the transition period with no deal really mean? - Express.co.uk - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Covid-19 and Brexit: Contrasting sectoral impacts on the UK | VOX, CEPR Policy Portal - voxeu.org - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Brexit and coronavirus are stoking the fires of Welsh nationalism - The New European - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- After Brexit: Will the U.S.-UK Deal Get Tariffs Down to Zero? - Yahoo News - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Brexit victory: Macron WILL cave to UK fishing stance by autumn - but there is a catch - Express - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Its official: U.K. wont require an extension of Brexit talks, even as negotiations with EU hit gridlock - MarketWatch - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- With Brexit Trade Talks at an Impasse, Boris Johnson Finally Engages - The New York Times - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Johnson & Brexit Patronising Etonian Alienates the World Byline Times - Byline Times - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Unions Warn Trump and Brexit May Smash the Scottish Whisky Industry - Gizmodo UK - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Brexit risk to waste and resources increasing, says Greener UK - Resource Magazine - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Covid and Brexit the challenges that face new FCA boss Nikhil Rathi - Belfast Telegraph - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Northern Irish firms to be reimbursed for tariffs if Brexit talks fail - Tina Massey - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Unpopular fund sector trumps UK funds four years on from Brexit vote - Money Observer - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Post-Brexit and what it means for your intellectual property rights - Intellectual Property - UK - Mondaq News Alerts - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Brexit revives unionist and nationalist divide in Northern Ireland - The Guardian - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Boris to take on EU's Galileo with BETTER system US could join 'we have an opportunity' - Express - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- France does not rule out a post Brexit no deal with UK, but those who need it most are the British - MercoPress - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Boris Johnson news live: PM given fresh no-deal Brexit warnings, as No 10 puts full confidence in under-pressure minister - The Independent - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Brexit victory: Richard Tice reveals the 'huge opportunity' ahead for fishing and farming - Express - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Brexit: Why hopes are rising that EU and UK could find compromise - Financial Times - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- A new CEO, Brexit and supply-side exposure may leave Wipros Q1 earnings more dented than others - Business Insider India - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- UK Government 'planning to withhold power from Scotland after Brexit transition' - HeraldScotland - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]