The Irish prime minister warned that it would be a “very serious situation” if the UK government passed legislation to remove most of the protocol for Northern Ireland.
Michael Martin said the legislation would be “economic vandalism” in Northern Ireland.
Mr Martin also said that the European Union wanted to avoid a trade war and that the issues surrounding the protocol could be resolved through negotiations.
Last week, the bloc launched a new lawsuit against the United Kingdom in retaliation for the bill on the Prime Minister’s Protocol for Northern Ireland, which will effectively tear apart key parts of the 2019 deal between Mr Johnson and the EU.
A sign protesting against the Northern Ireland Protocol near the port of Larne
(PA)
“If this bill is passed, I think we are in a very serious situation. But, of course, no one in Northern Ireland and no one on the island of Ireland wants Northern Ireland to lose access to the EU market, “said Martin in the BBC Sunday Morning program.
“I think this is a consistent thread. I think that if we have a complete unilateral rejection of an international agreement that the United Kingdom Government itself has signed, then, of course, we are in a very serious situation.
“But we want to avoid that; no one wants a trade war in any form.
“It simply came to our notice then. We believe that this can be resolved in good faith. I have met with all the political parties in Northern Ireland. I met with industry in Northern Ireland. We believe we know where there is a landing area to solve the problems surrounding the work of the protocol in order to give Northern Ireland the best chance of accessing the European Union market and the United Kingdom market. That would position Northern Ireland well in terms of inflows. “
In the deal, the two sides agreed to introduce inspections of plant and animal products passing from Britain to Northern Ireland to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.
In fact, it is a form of economic vandalism in Northern Ireland
Michael Martin
The United Kingdom has insisted that its unilateral approach is the only option left to resolve the problems under the protocol if the EU refuses to fundamentally rewrite the terms of the deal.
However, Mr Martin said legislation that undermined almost all aspects of the protocol was not acceptable.
“This is one-sided unilateralism in respecting and abiding by international agreements that governments adhere to, sign and ratify in their parliaments,” Martin added.
“We fully accept that there are legitimate questions about the operation of the protocol and we believe that with serious, lengthy negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom Government, these issues can be resolved.
He said the legislation was “deeply worrying” for industry and business in Northern Ireland.
“In practice, this is a form of economic vandalism in Northern Ireland, because if we look at some objective data, it now shows that the economy of Northern Ireland is doing very well. The production is going very well, “added Mr. Martin.
Prime Minister Michael Martin said businesses in Northern Ireland were taking advantage of the protocol
(PA)
“The dairy industry, the meat industry, the food industry in general and agriculture are doing very well.
“There are certain areas where we can improve the protocol and we must continue to do so.
He also said the EU was waiting for the UK to “engage in substantial negotiations”.
The dispute could eventually lead to a trade war, which in turn could mean imposing tariffs or even suspending the entire Brexit agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union. However, Mr Martin said all countries wanted to avoid this.
He said the Irish government and business in Northern Ireland were concerned about the damage the legislation could do to the region. He added that the business as a whole is doing well under the protocol.
“I feel that this story about the sectors that are doing well at the moment is not being formulated enough in the United Kingdom,” he added. “I would urge the people in the British government to talk in more detail with business in Northern Ireland, with the Brexit Business Working Group, with people in manufacturing and various sectors of the economy.
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