Martin shared his concern with Johnson about British attempts to breach the Brexit Deal

Prime Minister Micheal Martin expressed concern over reports that the UK’s plans to withdraw elements of a Brexit withdrawal agreement with the European Union last year.

Earlier this week, there was a flurry of news about the UK government’s efforts to withdraw its agreement with the European Union.

In a phone call yesterday evening, Taoiseach shared his concerns with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson about:

● the latest developments in London on Brexit

● the breach of an international treaty,

● the absence of bilateral engagement

● and the serious implications of Northern Ireland.

Today, the British Government has released a proposed legislation that, if passed into law, would abolish crucial portions of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

Northern Ireland Secretary of State Brandon Lewis said the move would violate international law. In the wake of this, Martin requested Boris Johnson to urgently re-engage the British Government with EU negotiators.

Johnson’s spokesperson defended the bill, claiming that the agreement signed in 2019 was written in “the most challenging” conditions. At the time, the agreement was described as “oven ready” by the British Prime Minister.

In an interview, Martin revealed, the British government’s move had left members of the Irish parliament in distress, adding that he expressed disappointment to Johnson during the phone call.

He added that the move had damaged the trust for negotiators and that he was no longer optimistic about reaching a trade deal.

Martin said:

“Meaningful negotiations can only proceed on the basis on mutual trust”.

Taoiseach said that a broader national effort is needed to prepare for Brexit. He added that he was deeply concerned about the unilateral nature of the UK government’s actions.