Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has warned the UK that Ireland will not play a role in creating a border between the North and South of the country. The leader said that if the UK wants to have a seamless border, it’s up to them to create it. Speaking at a media briefing in Government Buildings he reportedly stated:

“As far as this Government is concerned there shouldn’t be an economic border...We don’t want one. It’s the United Kingdom, it’s Britain that has decided to leave and if they want to put forward smart solutions, technological solutions for borders of the future and all of that that’s up to them....We’re not going to be doing that work for them because we don’t think there should be an economic border at all. That is our position.”

The Taoiseach also suggested that if the UK were to put forward a proposal on how the border should operate, Ireland may not agree with it.

The comments came in for harsh criticism from the DUPs with deputy leader Nigel Dodds saying that the Taoiseach’s position was “total nonsense” stating that there was already an economic border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Brexit Minister, Simon Coveney added to the war of words by reportedly saying that the UK government is not in the right “mental space” to address the political sensitivities of the border. EU Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan is also reported as saying that he is “very disappointed” by the UK’s reaction to Brexit and the pace of the negotiations.

Both the EU and UK have already stated that they want to have as frictionless border as possible between the Northern Ireland and the Republic and it is an entire agenda item on the negotiation table; how this will play out remains to be seen.