SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MLA is to hold a meeting tomorrow, Friday, August 4, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Belfast.The Foyle added: “I look forward to meeting with An Taoiseach in Belfast and discussing a range of pressing issues with him.
“Top of that list will be the continued Brexit negotiations and the future shape and make-up of this island in its aftermath.
“I will encourage the Taoiseach to stick rigidly by his position that there can be no new economic or physical border imposed on the island of Ireland.
“The Irish Government should not and cannot move from this position.
“We are equal members of the EU 27 but Ireland is more equal than the others on the issue of Brexit – we stand to lose most.
“An Taoiseach should not be put off by the DUP’s feigned outrage over his recent comments.
“People should not confuse statements of diplomatic reality with statements of extremity.
“The Irish Government’s position is rooted in reality – the DUP’s position is rudderless.
“Brexit is an issue so much bigger than the DUP yet in their arrogance they continue to believe that they can enforce a border on this island which would deeply damage the North’s economy.
“Even if there existed a misguided political will to impose a hardening of the land border here, the DUP and their friends in a divided British Government need to wake up to the reality that an economic border is unenforceable.
“That is why they should finally show the pragmatism to engage in the work of engineering a special deal for the North which will protect the interests of this island and all our people.
“I will equally encourage An Taoiseach to engage more directly with the talks to restore our institutions in a similar manner in which he has engaged with significant issues in the North during the last number of weeks.
“Establishing those institutions and a local Executive will give us a voice on Brexit and will also allow us to get on with the work of tackling the mounting problems we collectively face in health, education and in our economy.
“Local institutions could also get on with the job of finally delivering marriage equality in the North – just as it now exists in every other part of these islands.
“Therefore, I warmly welcome An Taoiseach’s attendance at Belfast Pride on Saturday morning as another step forward in finally ending the discrimination faced by our LGBT community.”
