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Bertie Ahern says Ireland not 'mad enough' to leave EU

The former Irish PM tells Sky News Brexit will have an "enormous" impact on Ireland and says the border issue is a 'nightmare'.

Friday 10 March 2017 13:51, UK

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Ahern: Post-Brexit border 'a big worry'
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Former Irish premier Bertie Ahern has said his country's two main worries over Brexit are the damage to the food sector and the issue of the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

In an interview on Sky News' All Out Politics, the former Taoiseach also said he expected the UK Government to honour its financial obligations and pay a bill to the leave the EU.

His successor, current premier , has backed the idea of charging the UK.

Some have predicted the exit bill could be as high as £50bn.

Mr Ahern said the impact of Brexit on Ireland would be "enormous", and predicted the food sector especially would suffer because about 45% goes to the UK.

"They will take a big hit," he said.

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Traffic passes a border sign at Newry as you enter Northern Ireland from the south. The border that divides the island of Ireland is now invisible, with just a few crumbling former customs buildings serving as reminders of a bygone era of a hard frontier between north and south. All of this could be about to change. In the event of a Brexit on June 23, these 500 kilometres (311 miles) would become the sole land border between the United Kingdom and the European Union
Image: The border between North and South is now invisible

Mr Ahern also said that "the whole border issue" is "a nightmare for us".

He said had hoped that the UK would not pull out of the customs union - an agreement that reduces administrative and financial trade barriers such as customs checks and charges and boosts economic cooperation.

"The border between north and south, between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, becomes the natural border between UK and EU," he said.

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Kenny: 'UK's Brexit bill will have to be faced'

"I don't know where that's going to end up but it is a big worry."

Asked if Ireland could choose to leave the European Union as a result of Brexit, he ruled it out.

"Sometimes we are mad in Ireland but we're not that mad to leave the European Union," he joked. "We're not going to do it now, tomorrow or in the future."

Equally unlikely, he said, is the prospect of unification.

"I am a person who would love to see a united Ireland someday but it's not going to happen as part of these discussions."

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