Taoiseach doubts Corbyn can ‘rise to the occasion’ in Brexit talks

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has welcomed as "timely" efforts in Westminster to reach a Brexit compromise, but he expressed doubt that British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn could play a role in ending the impasse.

British prime minister Theresa May met Mr Corbyn today in an attempt to find a compromise and achieve an orderly Brexit, a move welcomed by Irish Opposition TDs.

In the Dáil on Wednesday, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he thought Mrs May's move to contact Mr Corbyn for talks was a welcome development.

“Notwithstanding the Taoiseach’s obsession with having pot-shots at socialists and the left, and whatever he may think about Corbyn, he is an internationalist and not a Little Englander and is far more likely to want a softer kind [of Brexit].”

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Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said there was an opportunity for the May-Corbyn discussions to lead to "something sensible" that could result in a softer Brexit.

Mr Corbyn “could yet be very important in terms of the outcome for this country [the Republic]”, he said.

In response, Mr Varadkar said: “I don’t know if Mr Corbyn will rise to the occasion and show leadership. I hope he does.”

He also denied that France and Germany were putting pressure on the State to prepare plans for Border checks in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

He said the EU leaders had “reasonable questions” about the protection of the single market in such a scenario.

Mr Varadkar told the Dáil that “if there is no deal, they are very much seen as shared problems. It’s not a question of a big stick or us being put under undue pressure.”

Speaking of his meeting in Paris with French president Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, the Taoiseach said he was "heartened by the enormous support France continues to demonstrate towards Ireland".

He warned, however, of a “growing frustration” among most EU leaders that Brexit was distracting them from other important issues.

He said he had a general sense that leaders were “open” to the idea of an extension to the UK’s departure date to beyond April 12th, but they did not want it to be a licence for further indecision.