Steve Aiken OBE MLA, the Ulster Unionist Party’s Chief Whip and Brexit spokesperson, has stated that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar needs to clarify his Davos comments about an army presence on the border.
Mr Aiken said:
“With the continued uncertainty in Brexit negotiations, this is a time for cool heads. In that context, it is shocking that Leo Varadkar should throw comments in about soldiers on the border. Instead of reducing tensions, he is ramping them up.
“Now we have Irish Government spokespeople trying to clear up after him. If Mr Varadkar wasn`t referring to putting Irish troops on the border, whose troops was he talking about? Or has he bought into the idea of an EU army? He needs to clarify what he was talking about and consider how much comments like these actually contribute to reaching a resolution.
“It is also particularly unstatesmanlike for a leader of Mr Varadkar`s standing to consider that Ireland had been ‘victimised’ by the Brexit process. It does not seem so long ago that the Taoiseach and Tanaiste were making clear how they had stood up for Ireland`s position and were standing foursquare with the EU.
“It seems strange that the Taoiseach is now resorting to ‘mopery’ and the threat of having to use an army to defend EU border infrastructure, that the EU seemingly will insist he has to put in place. It is time for the Republic of Ireland to seriously engage with the rest of its EU colleagues and the UK to sort a deal that deals with the iniquitous backstop.”