The implications for Ireland and the Irish in Britain of the UK's decision to leave the EU

I spoke recently at the London Irish Centre in Camden at an event organised for the purpose of engaging with the Irish community on the implications of the UK's decision to leave the European Union.  Here is the gist of what I said on that occasion. 

From the time I came here in September 2013, the idea of the UK leaving the EU has been on my radar and that of my colleagues at the Embassy. We have been following with intense interest the debate on the UK’s future in Europe, before and since the June 2016 referendum. We hoped the UK would not vote to leave the EU - and we did what we could to make the case for the value of EU membership - but regrettably it has done so.

I always argued that a UK exit from the EU would be a bad idea and I have not changed my mind, but this has now become an unavoidable reality and we need to manage it, and to minimise its negative consequences for Ireland and for the Irish in Britain.

The fact is that Brexit poses significant challenges for the UK, for Ireland north and south, for Irish-UK relations and for the EU. No one can guarantee how this situation will pan out and we need to be ready to deal with developments as they unfold.

I have a number of comments to make about the present situation.

First, the shape of the UK's exit from the EU is yet to be determined. We know the UK will leave the EU at some point in the coming years, but on what basis remains quite uncertain. 

Second, the future UK-EU relationship needs to be negotiated. Those negotiations will not begin until next month when the British Government will formally communicate its intention to leave the EU. They will be very complex negotiations and will last at least two years and maybe much longer. The implications of Brexit for Ireland will be influenced by the future shape of UK-EU relations. 

Third, while there can be no cast-iron guarantees in a situation like this, it would be unwise to anticipate a worst-case-scenario outcome. The EU has an impressive record of being able to find agreement, even when that might have seemed unlikely. What is required is a willingness to negotiate in good faith, seeking common ground and compromise solutions.

Fourth, Brexit is a matter of the highest priority for our Government which has set out its stall very clearly and strongly. Our aims are to: minimise the adverse economic impact on Ireland of the UK's exit; protect the peace process and the open border in Ireland; maintain the common travel area; and secure the future of the EU, of which Ireland will remain a member. 

Fifth, as things now stand, I can see no threat to the status of the Irish community in Britain, although we will need to be vigilant on this front as the negotiations evolve and gather pace. Both governments are committed to the maintenance of the Common Travel Area. The status of the Irish community is guaranteed in the Ireland Act of 1949, which makes it clear Ireland is not regarded as a foreign country under British law. I know of no move anywhere to alter that situation. The Common Travel Area arrangements benefit both countries and we will want to keep them in place. We have been busy explaining to our EU partners the specificity of Irish-UK ties and the value of the Common Travel Area, including in the context of the Northern Ireland peace process. Our EU partners have expressed understanding of our unique situation as the only EU Member State with a land border with the UK.

Sixth, there are many ways of keeping abreast of Irish Government policies and activities with regard Brexit. You can sign on for a regular update on www.merrionstreet.ie/Brexit

At the Embassy, we will be providing our own updates on issues of concern to our community here. These can be accessed via the Embassy's website www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/great-britain or via our Twitter accounts, @DanMulhall or @IrelandEmbGB.

Seventh, Irish people in Britain have an important stake in this country and a corresponding capacity to exert influence on thinking here. I hope that this influence will be exercised in support of a British negotiating position conducive to the kind of agreement that will minimise adverse impacts for Ireland and our community in Britain.

No-one in Ireland is under any illusion about the seriousness of the issues raised by Brexit, issues to do with our prosperity, the future of Ireland and of our relations with our nearest neighbour. I am convinced that we can rise to these challenges just as we have dealt with other difficult situations in the past. We have put the necessary arrangements in place, in Dublin and at our Embassy.  We will continue to communicate with, and listen to, all who have a stake in this far-reaching topic, including our large and diverse Irish community in Britain.          

Daniel Mulhall is Ireland's Ambassador in London