Foster calls for "calm heads'' as Brexit deadline looms
Last updated 15th Oct 2018
DUP leader Arlene Foster has called for "calm heads'' as this week's European Council summit looms.
The pro-Brexit leader of Northern Ireland's largest unionist party travelled to Dublin to meet Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on Monday.
Mrs Foster said she was seeking a Brexit deal which worked for the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
She added: "There have to be cool heads in what is a very febrile atmosphere.''
Mrs Foster said the EU's backstop suggestion whereby Northern Ireland would continue to follow the bloc's rules if no trade deal is struck would create barriers with Great Britain.
"Great Britain is our largest market by far and we cannot have barriers,'' she said.
The DUP leader said Northern Ireland sent three-and-a-half times more goods to Great Britain than to the Republic.
So it is very important that we don't have barriers between ourselves and the rest of Great Britain,'' she added.
Mrs Foster asserted an internal barrier would not be tolerated by any other country, in reference to customs checks potentially being imposed on goods sent between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The DUP leader was holding her first meeting with Mr Varadkar for some period.
She said it was important to engage, that there was no point in standing back and shouting at each other, that understanding should be developed between unionists and the Irish government.
Mrs Foster added: "I very much hope we do get a deal, a sensible Brexit.
"One that works for Northern Ireland but also one that works for our friends and colleagues in the Republic of Ireland as well.'
Earlier, Prime Minister Theresa May insisted that a Brexit deal is still "achievable'' despite deadlock in negotiations just days ahead of a crunch European Council summit.
Mrs May called for "cool, calm heads to prevail'' after talks last weekend failed to bridge differences between the UK and EU over the future status of the border in Ireland.
And she warned of the danger that failure to reach agreement over the border could result in the UK leaving the EU without a deal in March next year.
The Prime Minister was addressing the House of Commons just two days before she travels to Brussels for a summit at which it had initially been hoped to finalise the UK's withdrawal agreement as well as a political declaration on future trade and security relations.
Following the failure to achieve a breakthrough when Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab met EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier on Sunday, the European Commission confirmed that no further negotiations will be held ahead of Wednesday's summit.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the prospect of agreement "looks a bit more difficult again'', adding: "If it doesn't work out this week, we must continue negotiating, that is clear - but time is pressing.''
Berlin wants the UK's withdrawal next March to be orderly "but not at any price'', Mrs Merkel told a conference of German exporters.
And Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar suggested a deal may be delayed as late as December.
Mr Varadkar said Dublin was making preparations for a "potentially catastrophic'' no-deal withdrawal, but did not believe that this was the most likely outcome.