Taoiseach Leo Varadar says a bare bones Canada-type FTA between EU and UK would "take longer to negotiate."
"The quickest deal that we can negotiate is one that’s very similar to our current relationship, the more the future relationship diverges from the status quo the longer it’s going to take.
"If PM Johnson wants it done quickly I think it’s in his interests to negotiate a very close relationship."
"Let’s not forget what’s there in the Joint Political Declaration which we agreed. We’re talking about a mutual desire to have tariff free, quota free trade btwn the EU and UK + also to have a level playing field, and that’s what the outgoing British government has signed up to
" I think that would be the best outcome for Ireland."
Speaking at the #EPP congress in Zagreb, the Taoiseach said securing a trade deal by the end of 2020 would be "very ambitious."
"If the WA is ratified in December or January I think we’ll hit the ground running right away and negotiate a free trade agreement. I think it’s possible but very ambitious to get that done by December 2020, because it has to be ratified by over 20 parliaments...
"That’s going to be difficult, but the option is there to extend the transition period for another year or two if we don’t have it done by then."
