By David Young

IRELAND’S premier has warned that future trade and customs restrictions would be detrimental to both the European Union and the UK as he set out his vision for a “soft” Brexit.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar proposed a bilateral EU/UK customs union and raised the possibility of the UK joining the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) after it exited the EU.

He said he would ideally like the UK to remain within the current customs union and single market structures but, if that did not happen, he suggested his alternative was “workable”.

In response, the UK Government said it was committed to a “deep and special” future partnership with the EU that included “bold and ambitious” free trade and customs agreements.

Mr Varadkar outlined his ideas during a visit to Queen’s University in Belfast, his first trip to Northern Ireland since replacing Enda Kenny in June.

Turning to the specific problem of the Irish border, he said a “unique solution” was needed. Mr Varadkar again moved to dispel the suggestion the Irish government favoured making the Irish Sea the EU/UK border.

In a message clearly directed at the pro-Brexit Democratic Unionists, he further claimed a “soft” Brexit could actually strengthen Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom.

In response to his remarks, DUP leader Arlene Foster said, while Brexit meant leaving both the customs union and single market, she wanted to find “practical solutions” to the border issues.

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams welcomed the Taoiseach for offering a “very, very clear message” on Brexit.

Describing Brexit as the “challenge of this generation”, Mr Varadkar repeated his hope it would not ultimately happen, suggesting a second referendum might deliver a different outcome, but he said, if it did proceed, it would be in no one’s interests to create trading barriers.

He urged continued UK membership of the customs union but said, in the absence of that, he would like to see a bilateral EU/UK customs union. “After all, we have one with Turkey. Surely we can have one with the United Kingdom?,” he said.

In regard to the single market, he suggested the UK could re-join the EFTA, like other non-EU countries such as Norway and Iceland.

“If the UK does not want to stay in the single market, perhaps it could enter into a deep Free Trade Agreement with the EU and re-join EFTA, of which it was a member prior to accession,” he said. “And if this cannot be agreed now, then perhaps we can have a transition period during which the UK stays in the single market and customs union while these things are worked out.”

He again challenged Brexiters to explain why a “hard” Brexit, with trade tariffs and customs restrictions, would benefit either the UK or Europe. “If they can’t come up with those solutions, well then maybe they might talk about mine, because the ones I have put forward are workable,” he said.

Sinn Fein and the SDLP have demanded that Northern Ireland secures special designated EU status post-Brexit to reflect the difficulties that trading restrictions would pose at the Irish border. Unionists claim this would differentiate Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.

The UK Government spokeswoman said: “We have been clear we want a deep and special future partnership with the EU, including a bold and ambitious free trade agreement and a customs agreement.“No-one wants a return to a hard border. We are clear the border must be as seamless and frictionless as possible for trade, and that we must preserve the Common Travel Area between the UK and Ireland. That is why we are prioritising this issue in negotiations.”