A chara, – I have no doubt that in the future a case against Ireland will be brought to the Court of Justice of the European Union by EU citizens in Ireland who will feel that they are less privileged citizens compared to UK citizens who live in Ireland. How will Ireland be able to legally defend offering rights to non-EU citizens that it will not offer to EU citizens?
While the Taoiseach and Tánaiste may claim that it is important to protect and continue the common travel area, it is probable that the Irish Government will have to make a tough decision about it. Ireland and the rest of the EU are moving in a different direction to the UK. Ireland cannot try to ride two horses.
If Germany were to give privileged rights of residence, voting, studying, working, and travel to non-EU people, such as Swiss citizens, but did not offer the same to EU citizens, there would be political, diplomatic and legal uproar.
Now that the European and local elections are over, it is time to think of Ireland’s future relations with the European Union and the UK. New arrangements with the UK are going to be part of the Brexit transition, deal or no deal. Why waste time with trying to fend off the inevitable and not put UK citizens in Ireland and Irish citizens in the UK on a proper legal footing rather than being left to the whims of a memorandum of understanding? – Is mise,
:fill(white):background_color(white)/static.themebuilder.aws.arc.pub/irishtimes/1647534191476.png)
SEANÁN Ó COISTÍN,
Trier, Germany.