The Irish government should haul European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen and the commission “over the coals over the Article 16 blunder”, according to independent TDs Michael Fitzmaurice and Thomas Pringle.

Last week the commission announced its intention to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, after a row erupted over the supply of Covid-19 vaccines by AstraZeneca.

Irish politicians, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, described the knee-jerk action as a “mistake” by the commission and the decision was revoked last Friday night (January 29).

‘Blunder’

“This blunder is part of a pattern of European political mismanagement which must be challenged by Micheál Martin, Leo Varadkar, Simon Coveney and Stephen Donnelly,” TDs Fitzmaurice and Pringle have said in a joint statement.

“Ireland’s own commissioner must also be far more assertive in protecting the interests of the people who elected her. Ms. [Mairead] McGuinness should also come clean over what she knew about the Article 16 debacle and explain, if she did not know anything, why this was the case?

Questions to answer

The two independent TDs have said that the previous Irish commissioner, Phil Hogan, “as a Trade Commissioner he would not have been bypassed so easily on this matter”.

The TDs have said that Ursula Von Der Leyen must now “satisfactorily” answer 10 questions if she is to keep her position.

Credibility crisis

“The commissioner and Europe [are] facing a crisis of credibility over how one of the most allegedly affluent regions in the world is unable to protect its citizens from a deadly disease,” the two TDs added.

“The government must stand up for the Irish people and seek answers on these issues from Ms. Von Der Leyen and from our commissioner, Ms. McGuinness, too.”