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Free condoms are
to be made available at Taoiseach Calls For Britain To IRISH
third level institutions from
September, the Minister for Drop ‘Red Lines’ In Brexit
Health Simon Harris has EXAMINER
confirmed.
The service is part of a Negotiations
targeted government strat- |
egy to promote sexual he Taoiseach has August
health. said the UK
Figures show that last TG o v e r n m e n t 7th,
year, 409,319 condoms should drop its Brexit
and 287,565 lubricant “red lines” if it wants to 2019
sachets were delivered reopen the Withdrawal
through the National Agreement.
Condom Distribution Leo Varadkar said the
Service. current deal, negotiated by
The announcement Theresa May’s Government,
comes following recom- was arrived at because of the
British negotiating position.
mendations from The It comes as the finance
Oireachtas committee on minister Paschal Donohoe
the Eighth Amendment to said a Brexit deal that sees
increase access to contra- the UK enter into a transi-
ception. tion agreement with the EU
The Department of while a future relationship is
Health will also roll out a negotiated “is still possible”.
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis In an interview with the i make out that it’s undemoc- saying that I do believe that tionship between the UK
program, which is medica- newspaper in Belfast, Mr ratic too but it’s been agreed the prospect of a no-deal and Ireland would “funda-
tion used to prevent HIV. Varadkar said: “We ended by 28 governments, includ- Brexit has grown. mentally change” in the
A nationwide sex survey up with the Withdrawal ing the UK Government, “I believe that a no-deal event of a no-deal Brexit.
will also be carried out next Agreement and the backstop and the European Brexit and the United Earlier in the day, Michael
year on peoples’ attitudes because of all the red lines Parliament, all of which fol- Kingdom leaving the Gove accused the EU of
to sexual health and crisis that were drawn up by the lowed democratic proce- European Union without a refusing to engage in negoti-
pregnancy in Ireland. British Government. dures.” deal is a very credible and ations on a new Brexit deal.
Speaking about the “Now if we’re going back Earlier, Mr Donohoe said material risk now.” The Chancellor of the
Mr Donohoe said the
scheme, Minister Harris to square one and those red while a deal was “still possi- appointment of Mr Johnson Duchy of Lancaster, who is
lines are being changed,
ble”, the prospect of no deal
in charge of no-deal prepara-
said: “The first phase of the then we’ve something to had increased. as Prime Minister had tions, said he was “deeply
service will see a dispenser talk about.” He was in London as he “added a new dynamic” to saddened” by the EU posi-
service being implemented Mr Varadkar said if no met UK Chancellor Sajid Brexit talks. tion, which was “not in
across third-level colleges deal happens “it will be as a Javid to discuss the UK “I believe Prime Minister Europe’s interests”.
and university access consequence of decisions Government’s latest plans Johnson feels differently “We will put all our ener-
points in quarter four of made in London”. for exiting the EU. about the relationship gy into making sure that we
2019. He added that he was Speaking to the BBC’s between the United can secure that good deal
“This is one of a number open to talks with British Newsnight program, he said Kingdom and the European but at the moment it is the
of things we are doing to Prime Minister Boris a deal could be done. Union and the future trust of EU that seems to be saying
promote sexual health. We Johnson as he believed there He added: “I believe it is that relationship to how they are not interested,” he
have allocated €500,000 had been some suggestion still possible that we could Prime Minister May would said.
to join the Fast Track Cities the Withdrawal Agreement see agreements in which have,” he said. “They are simply saying
Initiative and increase com- was an “invention” of the Britain enters into a transi- “And I believe that has ‘No, we don’t want to talk’. I
munity HIV testing. Government or had been tion agreement in advance added a new dynamic into think that is wrong and sad.”
“Later this year, we will imposed by the European of them finally departing where we are in Brexit. On Tuesday evening, at a
“But in acknowledging
roll out PrEP. The working Union. before the European Union. that there is a new dynamic, political discussion in
“That’s not the case,” he
“But as I stand now, I’d
Belfast, Mr Varadkar said
group on the provision of said. “There’s an attempt to have to be equally clear in I am also crystal clear that calls by Sinn Féin for a bor-
free contraception is also the views of the Irish gov- der poll in the event of a no-
due to report in September “I believe that a no-deal ernment and the views of deal Brexit were “divisive.”
with policy options in this Ireland in relation to the He added: “I think it
regard. Brexit and the United backstop, the Withdrawal would result in some of the
“As Minister for Health, I Agreement and our future in mistakes made 100 years ago,
believe it is crucial we work Kingdom leaving the the European Union, which when partition happened,
to reduce the number of have been affirmed again being repeated but just the
crisis pregnancies, European Union without a and again, that would not be other way around – a huge
increase awareness about changing.” number of people, those from
sexually transmitted infec- deal is a very credible and Speaking to journalists at a unionist, British, Ulster
tions and improve sexual the Irish embassy after his background, being brought
health.” C material risk now.” meeting with Mr Javid, Mr into a united Ireland against
Donohoe warned the rela- their will.” C

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