Ireland Wants a Brexit Deal But Not at Any Price, Varadkar Warns

(Bloomberg) --

Ireland won’t accept a Brexit deal at any price, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said, as he warned that the country faces the U.K. leaving the EU without an agreement “for a period.”

“We don’t wish to see a no-deal Brexit and we will continue our efforts to avoid one, but not at any cost,” Varadkar said in Dublin Thursday. “I see no upsides to no deal.”

Varadkar’s comments come even as Ireland is seen as the most vulnerable EU member to Brexit. The government has indicated as many 80,000 Irish jobs may be at risk in a hard Brexit.

Varadkar reiterated that he wouldn’t accept the removal or time limiting of the Irish border backstop. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants the backstop, designed to keep the Irish border invisible after Brexit, to be stripped from the U.K.’s divorce deal with the European Union.

There may be some checks on goods and live animals “near” the Irish border with Northern Ireland in a no deal scenario, Varadkar said. He has repeatedly said it won’t allow checks on the border itself after Brexit.

“There will be checks on goods and live animals and, as far as possible, they will take place in ports, airports and at businesses,” he said. “But some may need to take place near the border.”

“We are working out the details of this with the European Commission,” Varadkar added.

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