Government keeping close eye on Brexit amid CervicalCheck scandal

As the CervicalCheck controversy and the referendum on the Eighth Amendment command most of the political attention in Leinster House and beyond, those in Government Buildings are still keeping a close eye on London.

The Taoiseach does not quite provide a running commentary on the ongoing state of play as Britain’s withdrawal from the EU trundles up to a point where he UK government has to make crucial decisions, even if the process can hardly be said to be gathering pace.

But, unlike his predecessor Enda Kenny, who was skilled at saying very little over an extended period of time, Varadkar regularly uses his Dáil platform to outline government policy, particularly on Brexit.

He is asked about it at every opportunity by those on the Opposition benches, and yesterday's contribution is here.

Irish unity: Polarised response to May ‘comment’ on Border poll

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May invites Conservative MPs to briefings to discuss Brexit

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UK to produce ‘significant’ white paper on Brexit plans

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Brexit: May expected to push for a ‘customs partnership’

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Against a backdrop of ongoing internal debate within the British government about what customs arrangement to pursue after Brexit, Varadkar last week sought to support the so-called “customs partnership” model favoured by Theresa May

Varadkar yesterday restated the Irish Government position on the Border and rubbished the alternative model favoured by hard Brexiteers, called "maximum facilitation" or "max fac".

Varadkar said “max fac” - which essentially relies on technology to minimise friction on the border - would be no more effective than the “make up or deodorant” he initially thought the phrase referred to.

This morning, RTÉ reports that May is looking at a "third way" that essentially aligns the UK to the customs union membership for a longer period than had been anticipated.

In essence, it outlines what is being dubbed in London as "max fac plus delay," which is the talk of Westminster according to Denis Staunton.

According to Denis: “This would see Britain remaining in the customs union beyond the end of the post-Brexit transition period at the end of 2020 until the arrangements are in place at its borders to make trade sufficiently frictionless.”

However, as recently as Sunday, Brexiteer Michael Gove ruled out an extension to the customs union.

Meanwhile, May is reportedly using the prospect of a united Ireland to bring Tory MPs around to her way of thinking.

The British government is to now produce another white paper in advance of the next EU summit in June setting out what it wants the future EU-UK relationship to be.

The problem is that nobody yet knows what it will say, and fears of a breakdown in June - and a hard summer ahead, as Simon Coveney warned this week - linger still.