French president Francois Hollande has agreed the Peace Process and Common Travel Area between Ireland and Britain should have a special status in Brexit negotiations between the EU and the UK.
In talks with Taoiseach Enda Kenny at Government Buildings on Thursday Mr Hollande expressed impatience with the British delay in leaving the EU, but struck a note regarded as helpful by senior Irish officials, recognising the special position of Ireland in the post-Brexit processes.
“I do recognise that there is a special situation in Ireland,” Mr Hollande said. “It’s a special situation that has to be found a place in the negotiations.”
"The relations that exist between Ireland, Northern Ireland the UK, that has to be negotiated under the discussions that will be undertaken once the notification for withdrawal has been made."
The official communiqué issued by the two leaders noted that the British should trigger the article 50 process to leave the EU “as soon as possible”, a noticeable change of emphasis from the Taoiseach who warned as recently as Monday about attempts to isolate the British and push them into a “harsh exit deal”.
However, Mr Kenny strongly emphasised that Irish Government would not accept the imposition of a "hard" EU border on the island.
“We do not favour a hard border, obviously. We do not wish to see a European border from Dundalk to Derry. That would not be acceptable,” Mr Kenny said.
The common travel area, he said, existing long before the EU was formed.
“We believe we can and we will be able to preserve the Common Travel Area,” the Taoiseach said.
Both leaders expressed the view that the UK should activate the article 50 process for leaving the EU “as soon as possible”, with Mr Hollande stressing in his remarks to journalists at a press conference that “this thing shouldn’t drag on.”
"If you want to know France's position - the sooner these negotiations are open the better, and the shorter they are, even better," he said, through an interpreter. He intended to convey this message to new British prime ninister Theresa May when he meets her in Paris later today, he added.
The French president exhibited a noticeable impatience with the recent British declaration the article 50 process will not be triggered until the end of the year.
“We talked about September, October - now it’s December. There has to be reasons for this,” he said.
Mr Hollande is in Dublin for a series of engagements today, including a meeting with the President Michael D Higgins at Aras an Uachtarain. However, his planned visit has been truncated by the events in Nice and by a recently arranged meeting in Paris with Mrs May.
The Taoiseach also conveyed the “deep sympathy and outrage felt by the people of Ireland” to president Hollande after the attacks in Nice last week.
"Ireland stands by France, " the Taoiseach said. "France is a great nation - the birthplace of republicanism and of universal human rights. These values are more previous than ever in a turbulent and dangerous world. They must be protected."
The two leaders also discussed ways of enhancing security, defence and anti-terrorism co-operation in the EU.
The Taoiseach has been engaged in a series of meetings with European leaders following the result of the Brexit referendum as part of a major political and diplomatic initiative to influence the forthcoming negotiations between the EU and the UK over the shape of the post-Brexit relationship between London and Brussels.
Last week, he travelled to Berlin to meet the German chancellor Angela Merkel, where he stressed the special position of Ireland because of its land border and close economic, political and social relationship with the UK.
Above all, officials say, the Irish Government will emphasise the threats to the Northern Irish peace process should there be any “hardening” of the border. The priority for Ireland will be the maintenance of the Common Travel Area between Ireland and the UK, though it is not yet clear how this could be facilitated given the border will effectively become the EU frontier.
