O’Brien welcomes UK High Court decision on Brexit

​Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade Darragh O’Brien TD has welcomed the UK High Court ruling that the UK Parliament rather than the Government has the power to trigger Article 50.

Commenting on the issue Deputy O’Brien said, “I welcome today’s significant ruling, and although I am aware that the Prime Minister has signalled her intention to appeal the decision, it nevertheless may give the British Government pause for thought as to how they are approaching Brexit.

"The approach taken so far by Prime Minister May would indicate that the UK is moving towards a hard Brexit which would have very serious negative ramifications for the entire island of Ireland. I would hope that today’s ruling may soften the UK Government’s stance and I welcome the fact that they will now have to consider and debate the views of the wider parliament before triggering Article 50.

"The significance of Brexit and its implications for the European Union and Ireland in particular cannot be underestimated. It is essential that there is a full and frank debate of the implications before Article 50 is triggered. So much of the debate in the run up to the referendum was based on lies, hyperbole and xenophobic sentiment. I hope that this ruling will now give space to properly explore what Brexit actually means and the implications of such a momentous decision.”