British prime minister Theresa May will visit Ireland in January to hold a summit with Taoiseach Enda Kenny about the UK’s exit from the European Union.
The Taoiseach confirmed on Wednesday that Ms May will come to Dublin towards the end of January to discuss the issues surrounding Brexit, particularly its implications for relationships between the UK and Ireland.
It will be Ms May’s first visit to Ireland since she succeeded David Cameron as prime minister earlier this year.
The meeting will come ahead of the British government triggering the formal Article 50 exit mechanism at the end of March.
In a round-table interview with journalists Mr Kenny said it would form part of ongoing discussions between the governments over the future status of both states, and their relationship with each other, following the UK’s exit. He said much would depend on the position the UK would adopt on its level of participation in the single market and in the EU’s customs union.
“Before the end of March the strategy will become very clear so we know what we are negotiating on, and the future relationship the UK wants with the EU,” he said.
He said that parallel with the negotiations – both bilateral with the UK, and with the EU – the all-island civil dialogue would continue. He said that a full plenary session would be held in Dublin Castle in the middle of February, which would take into account all the issues that have emerged at sectoral meetings, which have looked at issues such as agriculture, trade, tourism and freedom of movement.
He said the Government also continued its engagement with former French minister Michel Barnier, who heads the EU’s negotiating team on Brexit.
Future status
Earlier this week, Ms May seemed to tie in the rights of Irish citizens residing in the UK with the outcome of discussions on the future status of UK citizens living in EU countries post-Brexit.
She said that she wanted to ensure that UK citizens living elsewhere were being treated on a reciprocal basis to EU citizens living in Britain.
However, sources in Government said that Ms May’s response may have conflated two different questions, the status of other EU citizens in Britain and the status of Irish citizens living in the UK. It is understood the British government has no intention of making the status of Irish citizens living in the UK conditional on the outcome of talks in relation to citizens from other EU countries.
Responding to Ms May’s comments, Mr Kenny said: “Ireland has acquired along with Britain particular rights between our countries for a long period. The common travel area is not just for social reasons but it is also for work opportunities.
“As the prime minister has made a point of people from the UK living [elsewhere] in Europe that was a decision she made early on [in her premiership].
“That will all depend on the nature of the proposition that the British governmental actually makes,” he said.
“Do they want access to the single market or to stay with the Customs Union or to withdraw from both?
“From an EU point of view, people have said to Britain you will not be able to cherry-pick in relation to the EU single market. You will have to give freedom of movement
“Until such time as the prime minister moves Article 50 we will not be clear about the nature of the proposition
“In the meantime our officials will talk to their counterparts in Brussels and London and Belfast.
“I have spoken to most of the EU leaders at this stage and will continue to do so,” he said.
