Border Checks

Oral Answers to Questions — The Executive Office – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:00 pm on 30 November 2020.

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Photo of George Robinson George Robinson DUP 2:00, 30 November 2020

2. Mr Robinson asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister for their assessment of whether the change in approach in relation to border checks as previously intimated by the Minister for Foreign Affairs will be beneficial to the working relationship between Northern Ireland and Dublin. (AQO 1202/17-22)

Photo of Michelle O'Neill Michelle O'Neill Sinn Féin

The protocol commits to avoiding the need for any customs and regulatory checks or controls and related physical infrastructure North/South. As such, there is no change in the position of the Irish Government. The recent statement from Minister Simon Coveney clarifies that that will remain the case, even if, notwithstanding, the controversial clauses in the Internal Market Bill are reinstated when it returns to the House of Commons. I welcome that clarification.

Photo of George Robinson George Robinson DUP

Does the deputy First Minister agree that, compared with previous statements, the more cooperative tone from the Republic's Minister for Foreign Affairs is welcome, particularly for Northern Ireland businesses?

Photo of Michelle O'Neill Michelle O'Neill Sinn Féin

We have to continue to work together. It is in everybody's interest that we work together North/South and, indeed, east-west, on the taxing issue of Brexit. As I said, the clarification from Minister Coveney is welcome.

Photo of Jim Allister Jim Allister Traditional Unionist Voice

How does the deputy First Minister feel about the guarded border that is being provided by the Republic of Ireland in respect of COVID-19? Does that not illustrate the faux anger and farce of opposition, both from Dublin and politicians such as herself, to as much as an extra camera on the border when it came to Brexit? Is she so wedded to an ideology that she does not care whether restrictions on imports into Northern Ireland cripple the Northern Ireland economy, or, in fact, is that what she is looking for?

Photo of Michelle O'Neill Michelle O'Neill Sinn Féin

I remind the Member that the majority of the House reject Brexit. The majority of the parties and the majority of MLAs reject Brexit; it is being foisted upon us against our wishes. We set ourselves a task at the very start of the Brexit debacle to try to afford ourselves some protections, and those were achieved in the form of the protocol and the withdrawal agreement. Albeit far from perfect, they at least provide us with some guarantees and assurances, particularly in relation to there being no return to a hard border and protecting the all-island economy.

Whilst there is no meeting of minds in the Executive on Brexit, there is a joined-up approach insofar as we want to minimise disruption and minimise costs being pushed on to the consumer. We have worked very hard to make sure that that is front and centre of the debate.

I say clearly to the Member that I have worked very hard to protect the interests of the people who live here. I have looked to Dublin to afford some protections to people in this jurisdiction, and we need to continue to do that.

Photo of Pat Sheehan Pat Sheehan Sinn Féin

I want to pick up on the issue of borders and border checks. Does the joint First Minister share my concern about the uncertainty facing cross-border workers in the context of Brexit?

Photo of Michelle O'Neill Michelle O'Neill Sinn Féin

Yes, I certainly do. There are an estimated 30,000 cross-border workers in Ireland, many of whom cross the border, back and forth, every day as part of their daily routine. The loss of protections at the end of the transition period in just over one month's time — that is fast coming towards us — will have a huge impact on people's everyday lives.

I am concerned about the flaws and shortcomings in the British Government's frontier workers' regulations. I note that several trades unions, the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), the Centre for Cross-Border Studies and various migrant welfare associations have also recently raised those concerns with the British Government. As the Brexit negotiations enter the endgame, it is not an acceptable nor a tenable position that cross-border workers are still in limbo at this stage of the discussions.

Any frontier schemes must be accessible for, and cognisant of the special needs of, cross-border workers in Ireland. The British Government must fulfil their legal obligations as contained in the Good Friday Agreement and the EU withdrawal agreement.

Photo of John Blair John Blair Alliance

Can the deputy First Minister confirm that all Departments have been working collectively to ensure that they are ready for the post-transition period and to deal with all possible outcomes of the negotiations?

Photo of Michelle O'Neill Michelle O'Neill Sinn Féin

A cross-departmental group has been set up. It looked at the areas of concern and what we need to address. Six high-level impact risks have been identified and will need to be addressed: food supply; highly regulated goods, such as medicines; business preparedness; data flows; sanitary and phytosanitary checks; and transport. Everyone is working together on a cross-departmental basis to try to address those. I can assure you that there is a long list beyond those six things that also needs to be resolved. There are significant challenges, and significant preparation is under way. As we come to the crunch period — we have been told it is a crunch for a number of weeks now — we are now in the realm of the endgame for where Brexit is going to land. These are big challenges for the Executive and the Assembly, and we are going to have to embrace them and take them on.

Photo of Christopher Stalford Christopher Stalford DUP

The contents of the Internal Market Bill represent a "backstop to the backstop", to use a phrase. Given the reaction that there has been to the content of the Internal Market Bill, does it not expose just how false the claim that "best endeavours would be used" has proven to be? By what torturous logic does the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland say that a proposal that cuts Northern Ireland business off from its largest market represents a good outcome for us?

Photo of Michelle O'Neill Michelle O'Neill Sinn Féin

The Member will know my views on the Internal Market Bill — they are very clear. This is the British Government trying to rewrite a deal which they had previously made and reneging on a commitment which they made to the EU, only to then legislate and to breach international law. That does not bode well for anybody looking for a future trade relationship. When it comes to the interests of businesses here, there will not be very many opportunities if the British Government continually breach their own obligations that they themselves signed up to.