The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland was one of the thorny issues that plagued the initial stages of Brexit negotiations. During Prime Minister Theresa May's tenure, the debate over the withdrawal agreement was largely focused on the Irish backstop and its practicality. When Prime Minister May resigned, the question of the Northern Ireland border remained unresolved.
In end-2019, the BBC noted that the Irish border is "blocking" Brexit. At that time, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised "good solutions" to the Irish border.
Recently, it appears to me that the Irish border has received far less attention as compared to other thorny issues such as the post-Brexit fisheries policies of the EU and the UK and competition policies. Last week, EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier noted that fisheries was the main obstacle in Brexit talks.
Since trade negotiations and the Brexit transition period are ending soon,
- What happened to the dispute over the Irish backstop?
- Is the Irish border no longer a major obstacle in the negotiations between the UK and the EU?
- Has a satisfactory and practical solution to the Irish border issue ever been reached?