Yahoo Finance Irish foreign minister: 'Chances of a disorderly Brexit have never been higher'
The chances of a no-deal Brexit have never been higher, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said on Monday.
Writing in the Irish Times, Coveney said that the Irish government now considers the risk of a “disorderly Brexit” on 31 October to be “significant”.
“We are 115 days away from a potential no-deal Brexit,” Coveney said, warning that it would be a “serious error” to assume that such a scenario will be averted just because it had been in March and April.
“That leaves us with just in excess of 16 weeks to finish preparing, as best we can, for the serious disruption of the UK deciding to become a third country overnight after 46 years of EU membership.”
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The Irish foreign minister, who also serves as deputy prime minister and oversees Ireland’s Brexit preparations, said that he will bring a “detailed update” on the country’s contingency planning to cabinet on Tuesday.
Writing that the UK will remain Ireland’s “closest neighbour and friend regardless of Brexit,” Coveney said that his government hoped that “evidence-based politics prevails over slogans in the UK.”
“In recent weeks we have observed and listened to some inaccurate utterances about ourselves, the EU and the backstop,” he said.
“The facts are that Brexit is a British decision, triggering article 50 on March 29th, 2017, was a British decision, and the red lines laid down for the negotiation are British red lines.”
Coveney noted that the Northern Ireland backstop was “an insurance policy and we hope it doesn’t need to be used.”
“But the backstop gives us certainty now, certainty that is essential to protect stability on this island.”
