Ireland

Britain's new Brexit proposals not fully meet backstop objectives: Irish PM

DUBLIN, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday that the latest Brexit proposals from the British government do not fully meet the agreed objectives of the backstop.

Varadkar made the comment in a statement issued after a phone talk with his British counterpart Boris Johnson, which took place on Wednesday evening.

In the statement, Varadkar indicated that he would study the proposals in further detail and would consult with the European Union (EU) institutions, including the EU Brexit task force and Ireland's EU partners.

Ireland says no Brexit breakthrough as EU needs credible proposals

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland said on Thursday that the United Kingdom had failed to supply credible Brexit proposals, adding that there had been no breakthrough at talks last night with the Northern Irish party which props up Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government.

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said there was growing frustration in the European Union that London had not yet tabled proposals on an alternative to the Irish border backstop.

Ireland says gap between EU and UK on Brexit 'very wide'

GARRYVOE, Ireland (Reuters) - The gap between Britain and the EU over Brexit is “very wide”, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Friday, and the British government’s Northern Irish allies poured cold water on suggestions the contentious border “backstop” could be reworked.

With Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowing to take Britain out of the EU on Oct. 31 with or without a deal, the EU has focused in recent days on whether the main disagreement - over plans to guarantee the border in Ireland remains open - can be bridged.

EU wants Trump to drop 'reckless' trade policies: incoming trade chief

DUBLIN (Reuters) - The European Union will seek to convince U.S President Donald Trump to see “the error of his ways” and abandon some of his reckless trade policies, the EU executive’s incoming trade commissioner said on Tuesday.

The new head of the executive, Ursula von der Leyen, named a 27-strong team of commissioners on Tuesday who will take office on Nov. 1, assuming they secure approval from the European Parliament.

Belfast councillors vote against sending rep on Israel trade trip

7 June 2019; MEMO: Belfast councillors have voted against sending a representative on a business and investment mission to Israel, reported the Belfast Telegraph.

According to the report, councillors rejected a plan to send the council’s Director of Economic Development on the trip with local businesses during a meeting on Wednesday.

The purported aim of the visit was to “facilitate access to investment and new market opportunities for five Belfast based businesses”.

Trump says Irish border Brexit 'wall' will work out well

6 June 2019; DW: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he believed that Brexit would work out well from an Irish point of view — and raised eyebrows by evoking the idea of a "wall" across the island of Ireland.

Dublin has long insisted there must be no physical barrier at the frontier between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, and the president was immediately picked up on his faux-pas.

Trump, Irish prime minister differ on Brexit, meeting venue

SHANNON, Ireland (AP) — For the backdrop to his first official visit to Ireland, President Donald Trump wanted to promote his golf course on the nation’s rocky west coast. The Irish government countered with the grand staging of an ancient castle.

In the end, neither side got what they wanted. The compromise location for Trump’s meeting Wednesday with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar was the VIP lounge at Shannon Airport, just down the hallway from the food court and duty-free shop.

Ireland votes to ease divorce laws, back united Ireland

26 May 2019; DW: Exit polls have indicated a large majority in favor of easing restrictions on divorce, more than 20 years after it was first permitted. There was also a majority for a united Ireland.

Exit polls published after Friday's constitutional referendum in Ireland indicate 87% in favor and only 12% against two amendments to the constitution on divorce.

National turnout was around 53%, with some constituencies reporting more than 60%.

Another Irish beef plant approved for export to China

DUBLIN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Another Irish beef plant has been approved for export to China, bringing to seven the total number of such Irish exporters to the Chinese market, announced Irish Agriculture Minister Michael Creed on Tuesday.

Creed made the announcement in a press release one year after he announced the opening of the Chinese beef market to Ireland in April 2018.

China imposed a long-time ban on the beef imports from Ireland and some of the other European countries due to the mad cow disease found there years back.

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