Securing special EU status for North crucial, says Adams

Special designated status for Northern Ireland within the European Union would ensure the land frontier between the UK and the EU would not be on the island of Ireland, according to Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams.

Appealing to Taoiseach Enda Kenny to make the pursuit of special designated status for the North the starting point for the Government, he said such a move would uphold the democratic rights and votes of the citizens in the North, the majority of whom voted to stay within the EU in the Brexit referendum.

He said ensuring the land frontier was not at the Border between the North and South “is crucial for both parts of this island. It is also in our national strategic interests that the Government takes an all-island view of the future.”

Mr Kenny told him however that “we do not have a constitutional claim on the six counties of Northern Ireland any more but the rights of the citizens North and South who voted for the Good Friday Agreement on the same day are enshrined in the Agreement”.

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He said the Government would work very hard to see the rights enshrined in the Belfast Agreement continued to be vindicated.

The Taoiseach said “we have particular circumstances that are recognised in Northern Ireland arising from the Good Friday Agreement.

“Northern Ireland is the only location in the EU where they apply. The rights of the citizens both North and South which they voted for are enshrined in that internationally binding agreement,” he said.

Mr Kenny said the Belfast Agreement had been lodged with the United Nations and supported by Europe, the US the British government and the Irish Government.

He said the fact that the British government decided to leave the single market and the EU “will not impact their rights as validated by their vote for the Good Friday Agreement. The circumstances are special”.

Mr Adams said however that while the Taoiseach lauded the Belfast Agreement “the British government is in default and this Government is in default in respect of many grounds and elements of the Good Friday Agreement”.

He believed that Mr Kenny was implicitly accepting that the land border would be on the island of Ireland.

But Mr Kenny told him: “The fact that the British government decides to leave the single market and the EU will not impact on their rights, as validated by the vote for the Good Friday Agreement.”