Enda Kenny has said he will attend a European Council meeting as Taoiseach at the end of April.
“I don’t attend at general council meetings, but I do expect to attend on April 29th at the European Council,’’ he said.
The Taoiseach was replying in the Dáil to Fianna Fáil finance spokesman Michael McGrath, who referred to the April meeting.
“I think, Taoiseach, the country now deserves to know whether you are going to be the Taoiseach attending,’’ he added.
He said it also should be known whether Mr Kenny would still be Taoiseach when the general affairs council met in mid-May and still "captain of the ship'' when critically important negotiations on Brexit began in late May or early June.
Challenges
Mr McGrath said that with British prime minister
Theresa May
announcing she would formally pull the trigger on Article 50 on March 29th, the realities and challenges posed by Brexit were becoming all too real.
Mr Kenny said Ireland's priorities were the common travel area, the protection of the peace process, the non-return to a hard border and the maintenance of the trading relationship between Ireland and the UK.
"More important to all our futures is the position of Ireland as a member of the European Union, '' he added. "We will continue to negotiate and participate as a member of those 27 member states.''
Mr Kenny said it was his view that a transition period must be involved in terms of the trading relationships that would apply.
Close relationship
“The British government wants as close a relationship as possible with the European Union and I support that principle,’’ he added.
“It is how one has that relationship, having been removed from the single market and changed position with regard to the customs union, that will be the net point of the negotiations.’’
Mr McGrath said the Taoiseach had made it clear he intended to remain in his position to attend the council meeting on April 29th.
"The man sitting next to him, Minister Michael Noonan, yesterday called on the Taoiseach to be in that position when the negotiations get under way in early June,'' he added.
New leader
“Minister
Simon Coveney
has said he expects the Taoiseach to set out shortly a process for the election of a new leader of the
Fine Gael
party. We need to know who will be in charge when these negotiations get under way.’’
Observing smiles on the Government benches, Mr McGrath said it was not a laughing matter.
He added Mr Kenny had once famously said, “Paddy likes to know.’’
He said Mr Kenny had personally taken on overall responsibility for Brexit for managing the process and leading the negotiations on Ireland’s behalf.
Mr Kenny said he would be making his point strongly on April 29th at the council meeting.
“We have prepared for this,’’ he added. “It is not a laughing matter, but Deputy Michael McGrath will not be first to find out.’’
