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The deadline for the end of the Brexit transition period should have been extended due to the global pandemic, according to former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
Continued uncertainty would be a step back and the last thing each side needs, he added.
He told Times Radio in Britain: “In my opinion, one of the big mistakes this year, particularly when the pandemic hit, was insisting that the transition period ended on 12/31.
“It is a known fact in the history of trade agreements that trade agreements drag on.
“They create division and difficulty, and the idea of trying to bring a trade deal into a calendar year in the middle of a global pandemic was not, to put it in its mildest form, not a good idea, and it still is not.”
He said British and EU negotiators could decide tomorrow that they need more time.
“I think people should be big enough to say, ‘Listen, we’ve had a pandemic all year, we’re going to have more time for this.’
“The third thing is to square the circles and say, ‘Listen, there’s not much difference here,’ and they both commit.”
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Mr Ahern added: “I think just blowing everything up and going into a whole period of uncertainty and retrograde steps for Europe, retrograde steps for the UK, is the last thing they should do.”
He said some in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would use a no-deal Brexit to make their case for a form of independence and some kind of change.
“I think in the case of Northern Ireland the good news is for customs and trade, Northern Ireland in general remains in the Single Market and remains in customs agreements, with some complications.
“At least the deal that was made before Christmas last year seems to be in place, so that’s a good thing.
“So maybe Northern Ireland is not as difficult as it could have been.”
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