Coveney responds to David Davis' 'statement of intent' comment
The Tánaiste has responded to claims from Britain's Brexit secretary that the deal struck this week may not be legally binding.
The agreed text between the UK and the EU contained a commitment that there would be no hard border on the island of Ireland.
David Davis has told the BBC that they are committed to a "frictionless and invisible" border but said the deal is a "statement of intent":
"We want to protect the peace process and we want to protect Ireland from the impact of Brexit," Mr Davis said.
"This was a statement of intent more than anything else, much more a statement of intent than it was legally enforceable."
In response, the Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has tweeted the part of the agreement which says the commitments on the border "must be upheld in all circumstances"
Art.46 of Fridays agreed text re Ireland/NI: "The commitments and the principles...are made and must be upheld in all circumstances, irrespective of the nature of any future agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom." - clear and positive commitment from UK Govt
— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) December 10, 2017
European leaders will gather in Brussels on Thursday for a crucial summit, where a decision on progressing talks to phase two will be made.
