A Dublin MEP claims the UK deciding to leave the EU is as a result of ‘nonsense politics’ and a ‘toxic’ rhetoric.

Brian Hayes says a poisonous debate has existed in certain sections of British politics since Margaret Thatcher’s reign.

Yesterday the Taoiseach said the Government has a contingency plan to deal with the UK leaving the EU.

The Dáil will meet on Monday to discuss the Brexit vote.

Brian Hayes said the news came as no surprise: “People who have watching the debate, listening to the debate in the UK for the last 20 or 30 years. That debate has been a poisonous debate.

“Where everything that went wrong was the fault of the European Union and Brussels and if only people could get away from the European Union our problems would be solved.

“It is this kind of nonsense politics, in a sense I was surprised even 48% voted to remain in the circumstance where this toxic poisonous environment is in existence over the last 30 years.”