Won't the Republic of Ireland be utterly fucked by a No Deal Brexit and the EU needs to protect its member state?

[thedaisychain]

It's just occurred to me... the Republic of Ireland will be so fucked from a No Deal brexit because the overwhelming vast majority of its trade is with Northern Ireland.

That's not to say Northern Ireland won't be fucked too, but much less so because it can still trade domestically with the rest of the UK. But the Republic?? Geography dictates that it will be pretty fucked. It will have no land or sea border with the EU. Why would Germany all of a sudden import beef from the Republic than France (as an example!! No idea if Germany has a need to import meat.)

So... given the Republic is a member state of the EU, and isn't it the duty of the EU to fight tooth and nail for member states, why aren't they just agreeing to a free trade deal (thus requiring no border on the island of Ireland).

Am I missing something? What am I missing here?

People ^^answered you right off the bat

I'm living in Ireland after living in the UK for a couple of decades. We moved before the Brexit vote, so not because of it. I'm concerned, naturally, but not as worried as if I was still living in the UK. There will definitely be some awkwardness, possibly some price increases, supply lines will probably have to redirect somewhat, but it's not going to be as bad as it will in the UK. You can only hold someone (or a country) hostage if you have control and power over them, and in this case the UK just doesn't.

overwhelming vast majority of its trade is with Northern Ireland

No, it’s not.

The biggest problem is that the people on the island of Ireland have got used to living without a border. They cross freely. Live in one country, work in another, nurses and medical services serve across the border. We even had an NI MLA that lived in the ROI.
This will now all be screwed.
Sigh

The one and only reason we are in this mess right now is because the DUP insist on wrecking the NI (and ROI) economy by pursuing a policy of rejecting the backstop.

If there was an agreement for a border in the Irish Sea, and NI continued in the Cu and the SM all would be fine. Scotland might not be too happy though I admit.

So there we have it. A neanderthal cabal of ten MPs are blocking NI (who voted to stay) from the benefit of seamless cross border trade. It is unreal.

Ten MPs are doing this. Just that.

And the costs will be immense both economically and peace wise. I am so saddened.

I just wish that Johnson had the cojones to introduce a border in the Irish Sea tomorrow, immediate election because the DUP would not support the Government, and see what happens. Can't be any worse than what is going on now. Come on BoJo, do it!

Your initial post was was very
Inflammatory and ignorant.
You should check your facts before posting gross inaccuracies.

If you (like me) lived in Ireland, who would you rather tie yourself to? The UK, who pretended there would be no issue and now would like you to roll over like a good little colony because things are coming to a point? Or the EU, who took the time to listen to what you wanted and then pitched in, 26 other countries, to make sure your concerns were addressed?

Quite frankly, even if the majority of our trade was with the UK (which it is not as explained above), the last three years have been a case study in why it is smart to diversify and not rely on your much bigger neighbour.

I just wish that Johnson had the cojones to introduce a border in the Irish Sea tomorrow, immediate election because the DUP would not support the Government, and see what happens. Can't be any worse than what is going on now. Come on BoJo, do it!
I think this is exactly what is going to happen. Not tomorrow but at the end of Mrs Merkel's 30 days.

@Outsomnia yes agree, border in the Irish Sea sounds most sensible.

If you don't mind me saying so your language is appalling. Why do you need to use the f word?

If you don't mind me saying so, your tone trolling is appalling. Why don't you stick to the point.

Astonished that the op has only just twigged this. Or am I being naive about their motivations?

ROI exports only 1% to NI. Where did you get the idea that it accounted for the majority of it’s trade? Genuinely curious.
NI which is in the U.K. exports 35% to ROI so maybe you were mixing it up with that.

I think OP is asking a genuine question especially if she hasn't grown up in UK, knowing the awfulness of Irish troubles, antagonism , and what was resolved after horrid years by the Anglo-Irish treaty in the 1980s.
I was totally Brexit as EU presents as overburdening for small businesses, protective of large imternatiinal.comglomerates at kthers expense, inefficient, ,bullying and worries about economic instability and movement to far right in numerous EU countries politics and fat EU politicians. I also dislike.the (preominately white) EU free movement idea without being inclusive to other (non white) countries. We need younger immigration in UK, but they don't have to be only from mostly white countries fgs! Let's have some fair worldwide trade and immigration!

But I never ever thought that UK would let our deal with Ireland go awry. Bloody give us a back stop!!

But I never ever thought that UK would let our deal with Ireland go awry

Really??? Were you really that naive?? Unfortunately when the new generation IRA bombers return to the streets of mainland Uk towns and cities your naïveté will come back to haunt you.

So, I dislike the idea of rejecting back stop and not working out something that helps us stayed closely linked as trading partners to ROI (and Northern Ireland by natural extension) . I hate the idea of a northern sea border or even worse a border between ROI and NI. I don't have any answers, thought politicians would arrange something. But it seems they can't.

@Wildorchidz I don't think it's niavete, I think it's progression and that little is resolved by terrorism where words are better. We're in a more progressive works than we are in 1980s,. Politics has moved on and UK, ROI have moved on and learnt. There would little appetite for repeating last atrocities and disregard for human rights and life than three was almost 30-40 years ago.

*world , not works, and sorry about other autoincorrects

Don't get the argument being made by Brexiteers about wanting more non-EU migration. That has literally always been at the discretion of the UK and never influenced by the EU.

I'm in Ireland and basically from here it looks like your politicians are a bunch of lying untrustworthy low ability numpties who use the sides of buses to have complex debates about the future of your country. You don't know who you are, what you want or where you want to go as a country so it's impossible to broker any kind of deal with you. I'm saddened by the deep schisms that this toxic enterprise has started. I adore your country and can't believe that is how far you have fallen.

Maybe I misunderstood the question, but what she asked for might have been: if the consequence of hard brexit is the need for a hard border between NI and the ROI, because there must be a physical border control for trade between the Eu and the U.K., and if the Eu knows this is going to be so detrimental to the peace and economy of a member state (ROI), why is the EU not more accommodating in this round of discussions?
The sad truth is that this is not a round of negotiation, it’s a pointless attempt of the U.K. at posturing and convincing the Eu to give up (funnily enough, the backstop was a British idea!). By NOT giving up the backstop, which might or might not have actually been required at the end of the transition period, the consequence is that the hard border and therefore the breach of the fundamental basis of the good Friday agreement has to be put in place now (instead of 2022 at the earliest). Am I right?
The U.K. wants to blame the EU for this, so they’re being passive-aggressive and they say “well we’re not going to impose border checks, so dear ROI, if you put up a physical border it’s because you choose to”
(Which I think is Boll+cks)

Will the EU help the ROI economically to prop the economy if it needs to? Definitely yes, they’ve propped bigger economies when in trouble and have already promised to do so.

Will the EU be able to find alone a solution to this breach of the GFA? I can’t see how. It would only be possible if NI would decide to embrace a status of special economic zone and basically leave the U.K. as we know it now. But that’s not something that can come from the EU. Most unlikely to come from Westminster either, with current government. (Or maybe not. I find the entire situation of NI assembly not sitting and the recent proposal of taking their powers over very baffling. Is that a prelude at throwing NI under a bus, or just a tightening of the leash?? I don’t know enough of either history or personalities of people in power. If anyone could enlighten me, please in polite words, I’d be grateful. I’m also not a British born so ignorant, despite trying to follow the news)

There would little appetite for repeating last atrocities and disregard for human rights and life than three was almost 30-40 years ago.

I’m sure the members of the PSNI who narrowly escaped being blown to smithereens in a booby trap bomb in Fermanagh last Monday are reassured. Not.

Unfortunately when the new generation IRA bombers return to the streets of mainland Uk towns and cities your naïveté will come back to haunt you.

I completely agree with this. Brexit is a godsend for our paramilitaries. Increased smuggling will boost their coffers, a hard border will increase their resolve, a generation damaged by Brexit will swell their ranks. They will become powerful again.

We Will Be Fucked.
Again.

And you are living in Cloud Cuckoo Land if you think atrocities will not happen.

Well, I can't reply for the ummm slightly aggressive remoaner MNers who will always ignore any other side no matter how reasonable.

I can only reply from my position and say that no matter how we disagree when many remoaners (maybe not those posting?) are racist about white EU immigration only , or overly hopeful about stability of EU ecominics,favour big conglomerates over smaller companies, or many of the EU countries move to far right, - I suspect many of us either side have similar views about Irish borders and inclusion of ROI

We don't want to lose our carefully gained peace treaties. But we can't buy into far right policies of EU either.

But returning to OPs questions, why can't we sort it out with ROI and NI? There is certainly willing ...

@Wildorchidz - Unfortunately when the new generation IRA bombers return to the streets of mainland Uk towns and cities your naïveté will come back to haunt you.

Of course, if you go for the NI only backstop, there is a reasonable chance the UVF, UFF, UDA et al will bring their campaign to the UK mainland. Funny isn't it, they rarely get mentioned on these threads, nor do the atrocities committed by the british army. Is that because their victims are mainly Irish people?