SOUNDS GOOD
PANTI BLISS IS BACK
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Tsunami Of Irish Music Heading Our Way
Dublin Fringe Hit Show Set For Sydney, Melbourne
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AUST RALI A’ S I RI S H N E WS PA P E R December, 2017 --- January, 2018 | Volume 30 – Number 12
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James McClean in action for the Republic of Ireland. Picture: Niall Carson
Come on down ye boys in green Socceroos Want Irish To Come To Australia For Pre- World Cup Friendly: Page 3 EU TELLS BRITAIN IRISH BORDER ISSUE ‘KEY’ TO PROGRESS IN BREXIT TALKS
Gavin Cordon and Michael McHugh
EUROPEAN Council president Donald T usk has war ned British Prime Minister Theresa May she must satisfy Irish demands that there will be no “hard border” between the Republic and the North if the Brexit negotiations are to move forward. Following talks with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Dublin, Mr Tusk said it was now up to the UK Government to come for ward with a “credible commitment” to deal with the border issue. He said he had agreed to consult Mr Varadkar on any British proposal before deciding whether to recom-
mend EU leaders approve the second phase of Brexit negotiations, including talks on a free trade deal, to begin at their summit on December 14 and 15. “If the UK offer is unacceptable for Ireland, it will also be unacceptable for the EU,” he told a joint news conference with Mr Varadkar. “I realise that for some British politicians this may be hard to understand, but such is the logic behind the fact that Ireland is an EU member while the UK is leaving. “That is why the key to the UK’s future lies in some ways in Dublin, at least as long as the Brexit negotiations continue.” As we go to press, Mrs May is under
pressure to produce an improved offer on the terms of the UK’s withdrawal, including the “divorce bill” and future citizens’ rights, as well as the Irish border, if there is to be progress at the December summit. While the two sides appear to be moving closer on the issues of citizens’ rights and the divorce settlement, with Britain reportedly ready to pay about £40 billion to settle the UK’s outstanding obligations, the border issue has emerged as a major stumbling block. The Irish government has warned that as long as the UK remains committed to leaving the single market and the customs union, the return of some
form of physical border controls is inevitable. Mr Varadkar said that while there had been “good progress” on the Ireland issue, the UK now needed to present “credible, concrete and workable solutions” which guarantee there will be no hard border. “I believe that with the right engagement and the right political will, we can reach an agreement on the way ahead,” he said. “I am also prepared to stand firm with our partners if the UK offer falls short on any of those three issues, including the Irish ones.” SEE ALSO PAGES 6-7
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Bordering on Brexit crisis