The result of the recent referendum on the United Kingdom’s continued membership of the European Union was unwelcome and poses major challenges for both. The Irish government, while disappointed, fully respects the decision of the British people.
We, in Ireland, of course, see our future in the EU. The Irish public has consistently been among the most positive in its attitudes towards the EU – and with good reason.
The EU has created the space for Ireland to develop economically and socially following more than a century of underdevelopment. Membership has given us access to the largest single market in the world and, more importantly, has given Ireland a real say in the rules that govern that market.
Membership has allowed us to diversify our trade and build a modern knowledge based economy which provides employment for a better educated and more prosperous workforce.
Membership has allowed Ireland to punch above its weight on the international stage through its ability to influence the foreign policy of the EU. It has also created the space for a more equal society.
There have, of course been difficulties for Ireland over the past 40 years. EU membership is no panacea. As we are not immune from the wider currents of the global economy, the EU did not preclude us from experiencing the adverse effects of the economic crisis. However, it is difficult to imagine how Ireland could have emerged so quickly from that crisis or could have reached its current level of prosperity if it had not been part of the EU.
In sum, the continued progress and growth of the EU is, for Ireland, a vital national interest. Safeguarding this interest will be central to our approach to the forthcoming negotiations between the EU and the United Kingdom. There is a delicate balance to be struck.
On the one hand, it is in the interests of all member states that the UK maintains close links to the EU. Our prosperity is tied to theirs and the belief of the British public that the EU has dealt with the UK in an open and fair manner will create a cornerstone for good relations in the future.
On the other hand, any agreement on the UK’s future relations with the EU should be based on a balance of rights and obligations.
Ireland, as part of the overall EU negotiating team, will play an active role in defining the EU’s approach. Many issues will be common to all member states, though the strength of our economic ties gives Ireland a particular interest. But Ireland has its own unique issues, which are of the utmost importance and will need to be addressed as part of this common approach.
The EU has played a critical role in supporting the still evolving peace process in Northern Ireland. While European funding has played its part, sharing an identity as European citizens has also helped unionists and nationalists in Northern Ireland to find a space to accommodate their historic cultural, political and constitutional differences.
We now have, for the first time in centuries, a durable and equitable peace on the island of Ireland. The border between north and south is now almost invisible. Thousands cross it every day to work and to socialise. They do this without impediment.
This is very different from the border that many of us still remember, with customs posts and checkpoints creating divisions between territory and between people.
The restoration of a hard border would be a retrograde step. Any new EU-UK relationship must sustain a lasting peace.
Furthermore, the connections between Ireland and the UK are many and deep. Along with a common language and legal system, the Common Travel Area between Ireland and the UK has been in existence since 1922 and reflects the close historical links between both islands by allowing the free movement of people to and from both countries since Irish independence. It is important that any new arrangements that may develop between the EU and the UK recognise the necessity for and value of these links.
As we conduct the forthcoming negotiations, it is important that the EU continues to progress its own development. The EU-UK negotiations will be important, but they must not become all- consuming.
An EU that enables growth and is a force for peace in its region and the world will continue to be as important in the future as it has in the past 60 years. By delivering on its full potential the EU can minimise the damage of the UK exit and form the pivot around which all of us can build our future. Ireland will continue to play its part in ensuring that it does so. Building and developing our strong relations, bilaterally and as a member of the European Union, with the UAE and other key partners, will be central to that strategy.
Charles Flanagan is the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Elvis
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
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