Ambassador says Irish links with UK are unique

Ireland and Britain should continue to operate a common travel area, even if the UK votes to leave the European Union, the Irish Ambassador to Britain, Dan Mulhall, has told the House of Lords EU committee. Mr Mulhall said Ireland had a unique relationship with the UK, which should be respected by other EU member states.

"Whatever happens, we would want that unique relationship to continue and we would want the common travel area, which predates our EU membership by decades, whatever happens, we would want those provisions to be respected," he said. "And in my experience, our partners in Europe, all of whom have their own particular relationships and special relationships, tend to respect the specificity of our situation.

“So I would expect that, whatever happens, we would seek to continue to have the same relationship with Britain, economically and politically, and for Ireland’s people living in Britain and working here or coming here to work.”

The ambassador said both the British and Irish benefited from the movement back and forth between the two countries, and Ireland would not want to have anything done that would reverse that.

“I don’t think the European Union is in the business of turning the clock back. I think we’ll be looking to preserve those benefits for Irish people which they’ve enjoyed for generations also into the future,” he said.

Mr Mulhall, who was appearing before the committee alongside his Danish and Polish counterparts, said Ireland took a close interest in Britain’s debate in advance of the referendum on EU membership.

He also said EU membership was a core national priority to which Ireland was fully committed. “It is clearly very important for Ireland that our nearest neighbour should continue to be one of our partners within the EU.

“Among the EU member states, we have probably the most intensive, multistranded relationship with you. We are the only country with a land border with the UK and have extensive, mutually beneficial economic links, with large flows of trade, investment and tourism between our two countries.

"Naturally, we would be concerned about a UK exit from the EU and its potential implications for British-Irish relations, which have never been better than they are today, and for Northern Ireland, " Mr Mulhall added.