Ireland will do utmost to keep British common travel area – PM

There are also fears of travel restrictions imposed on Irish people visiting and working in Britain as well as Brexit having a drastic effect on our economy.

The question of unity in both Northern Ireland and Scotland had been raised before the vote, but the preparation will do little to console Prime Minister David Cameron.

Ahern claimed the Irish Republic could become a new backdoor for people-traffickers and refugees into the United Kingdom via the border with Northern Ireland.

The vote signals the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union more than 40 years after joining.

Ireland’s central bank had warned that a withdrawal would hurt economic growth and jobs and significantly impact the financial sector, while a government-commissioned report found it could cut trade with Britain by at least 20 percent.

Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist first minister, Arlene Foster, has predicted that, unlike Scotland, there would be no poll on the region’s place within the United Kingdom after the Brexit vote. “The Irish Government should support this”, he said.

“There can be no return to a physical border across this island”.

Martin McGuinness said: “The people of the north of Ireland, nationalists, republicans, unionists and others have made it clear at the polls that they wish to remain in the EU”.

“It is all so uncertain”, she said.

“There will be no immediate change to the free flow of people, goods and services between our islands”.

A border poll can only be called by the Northern Ireland Secretary if there is clear evidence of public opinion swinging towards Irish unity.

The deputy first minister said the impact in Northern Ireland would be “very profound”. He added that he was “acutely aware” of the concerns that will be felt by the many thousands of people within Irish community in Britain.

In the Republic, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said keeping Ireland’s borders with Britain open is a key priority.

This morning, officials in Scotland and Northern Ireland are grappling with how to move forward now that they will be split off from the European Union, against the will of the majority of their voters.

The final result has ended with a narrow majority voting in favour of leaving the EU.

“We don’t know exactly how long this will take.but certainly a two-year timeframe is what everyone’s talking about, and that’s what provided for in the treaties”.

The Taoiseach said that the Government has engaged in detailed contingency planning for the possibility of a Brexit. “However, the British people have spoken and we fully respect their decision”, he said.

Voters should be offered a say on the reunification of the whole of Ireland in light of Northern Ireland’s vote to remain part of the European Union, according to Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness.

The British Government have now forfeited its mandate to represent the north of Ireland in relation to the European Union.

With uncertainty over what happens next there are fresh concerns about the relationship between the North and South.