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British drop the bomb on NI protocol

Inside Politics: Brussels warns about future of trade deal while Dublin frets about the future

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney speaks outside Government Buildings in Dublin before a Bill to unilaterally amend the Northern Ireland Protocol was introduce in the UK parliament in London. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire

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Pat Leahy
Tue Jun 14 2022 - 08:58

Good morning.

The Northern Ireland protocol dominates coverage this morning, signalling the return of Brexit to the frontline of the political agenda.

As had been clearly flagged since last week, the British government finally dropped the bomb and published its legislation which will enable it to cancel large chunks of the Northern Ireland protocol, to acclaim from its own Eurosceptic and unionist wing (there’s a big crossover), condemnation from the Irish Government and a sort of weary resignation from Brussels.

To Boris Johnson’s apparently flippant dismissal that the trashing of the protocol wasn’t a “big deal”, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney responded: “It is a big deal, unfortunately. I wish it wasn’t.” In Dublin the reaction was barely suppressed anger, and anxiety about the future.

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London’s pleas that it is acting to protect the Belfast Agreement are met with something like hollow laughter in Dublin: for the first time in a long time, the Irish Government does not feel it has a good faith partner in Downing St when it comes to Northern Ireland.

In the North, a majority of MLA’s asked the UK government not to go ahead. That may not butter many parsnips in Downing St, but the implication yesterday from European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic that the British move puts the entire basis of the trade agreement in jeopardy should alert the Johnson administration of the dangers of going down to the wire in a dispute with the EU. They and we have been there before. Ultimately, if there’s one thing the Brexit experience has shown, it’s that the EU will stick by its members and stick by its rules. That the UK fundamentally misunderstands the EU is perhaps not that surprising; in a way, the British always did. That its political leaders have consistently failed to learn from their own mistakes is perhaps less comprehensible. That they are prepared to dump a recently agreed international agreement, with the clear and predictable implications for the UK’s international standing, is slightly mind-boggling.

The story will continue to run long beyond today.

Our lead story is here.

Analysis from London by Denis Staunton here and from Dublin by yours truly here.

Simon Carswell’s explainer on what’s in the legislation.

Washington is not happy.

Fintan O’Toole here.

Pay talks

Elsewhere, talks got under way yesterday between public sector trade unions and the Department of Public Expenditure on pay rises for public servants to deal with the rising cost of living. Recent union conferences suggested that they will seek inflation-matching pay rises up 8 per cent or more – a figure that Michael McGrath and his officials couldn’t even approach. More likely that a much more modest pay increase will be offered, along with promises to improve public services and cut costs, especially of childcare – the so-called “social wage”. But whether there is a landing zone between the unions’ demands and the State’s responsibilities is doubtful; they may be simply too far apart, in which case public service strikes are inevitable at some stage. That would add considerably to the Government’s headaches. Anyway, we won’t know for a few days yet. The talks continue today. Here’s Jennifer Bray’s page one report.

Ukraine

The Cabinet sub-committee on Ukraine met yesterday afternoon for an update on efforts to accommodate refugees fleeing the war. As the tourist season swings into gear, hotel accommodation will become harder to source, and the process of providing rooms, apartments and houses which have been offered by the public to help seems to crawl along. Another dynamic is also asserting itself – the suddenly rising numbers of asylum seekers from other countries arriving in Ireland, as pictures of people sleeping on the floor of Citywest demonstrated. Harry McGee reports.

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Kitty Holland reports that domestic violence charity Women’s Aid reported more than 33,000 disclosures of domestic violence and abuse last year.

Latest on the war in Ukraine.

Danger here

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Like half the country, poor old Eamon Ryan has Covid.

Playbook

The Cabinet meets at Dublin Castle this morning to discuss a busy agenda, including the accommodation of Ukrainian refugees. Legislation to compensate householders whose homes are affected by Mica is also on the agenda, as Jennifer Bray reports, with overall costs expected to rise by as much as €500 million.

The Dáil returns from its June mini-break, with Leaders’ Questions at 2pm – a session which you can be assured will hear questions about the Government’s response to the rising cost of living.

The second stage of the new Garda legislation, which has been criticised by senior gardaí, comes to the Dáil in the afternoon, while Sinn Féin has a private members’ motion on school places. Business is scheduled to adjourn after 11.30pm.

Members of the Ukrainian parliament will address the Seanad at 4pm, while education supports for Ukrainian children who have come to Ireland to escape the war will be discussed at the education committee. Details of other committee meetings, and the full details of the day’s schedule in the Oireachtas are here.