Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has said he was disappointed with the UK vote in Westminster by MPs which rejected the UK withdrawal agreement and that Ireland and the EU “must keep our nerve” on Brexit.

Speaking on Prime Time on Tuesday night following the vote, he said that the EU and the Irish Government are of the view that the withdrawal agreement is the only show in town.

Continue preparations for hard Brexit

“What’s imperative is that we hold our nerve and continue the preparations for a hard Brexit,” he said.

Minister Creed said that he can understand farmers being frustrated by Brexit.

He said that what Ireland and the EU managed to do was to get a situation where everybody parked their issues around compensation and focused on negotiating a deal for Ireland.

What money is there for them [farmers and fishermen] and what the traffic management plan is with Ireland’s ports

“If we had our hand up [in the negotiations asking for what Ireland wanted] and in parallel looking for compensation” Ireland was giving off a persona that “we could be bought off”, he said.

Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Brexit Lisa Chambers, who also appeared on the programme, said that Ireland’s farmers and fishermen needed to know that if the worst case happens and there is no deal on 29 March, what money is there for them and what the traffic management plan is with Ireland’s ports.

Read more

Analysis: vote in UK parliament brings no-deal a step closer

Brexit vote reaction: ‘dicing with a cliff-edge Brexit is madness’

Heavy defeat for UK government on Brexit vote