Sinn Fein slammed Mr Varadkar after he announced during a speech on Thursday that some checks on goods and live animals may need to take place near the Irish border. The Taoiseach was outlining the impacts of a no-deal Brexit to business leaders in Dublin.
He said checks would take place “as far as possible” in ports, airports and at businesses.
Mr Varadkar added: “But some may need to take place near the border.”
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald blasted the Irish premier for “thinking out loud” about possible checks, insisting they would breach the Good Friday Agreement.
Ms McDonald said: “We were very concerned to hear the Taoiseach think out loud and concede the point that there might be checks anywhere on the island of Ireland.
“We all committed to a bottom line, to protect our economy and peace process and never conceding any damage to the Good Friday Agreement, and the Taoiseach shouldn’t concede that now at the 11th hour.
“It’s very important that he remains steady and retain focus and we present a united front when dealing with EU authorities and in particular with the British system and Boris Johnson.
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But the Sinn Fein leader said the issue is not related to the timing, but the checks themselves.
She said: “You can dress it up any way you want, whether it’s a big bang or gradual process, the introduction of checks and customs and tariffs at any speed means you have not only breached the all-island economy but a fundamental building block of the Good Friday Agreement so that can’t happen.
“The EU agreed with us all of us, there was an agreement that the bottom line was no disruption to trade and protection of people’s livelihoods, but above and beyond all else, protection of the status quo that underpins the Good Friday Agreement, we take no comfort that this will happen slowly, it can’t happen at all.
“It shouldn’t be down to a choice between protecting the single market and the Good Friday Agreement, it should be both.
“If the Tories cannot reconcile that, then we’re straight into the terrain of removing the border.
“One way or another we cannot go backwards, we cannot envisage a repartitioned Ireland almost a century on.”
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin warned the Irish government to be “absolutely honest” and “up front” about their plans for customs checks.
It comes after they have been calling on the Irish government to publish their no-deal Brexit preparations for months.
Meanwhile, the House of Lords yesterday passed a bill to block no deal which is expected to receive Royal Assent on Monday.
