Fury at DUP move to halt sea border check posts
Minister’s decision to halt work on inspection facilities branded a ‘stunt’
AGRICULTURE Minister Gordon Lyons has been accused of a political stunt after halting construction of permanent inspection facilities for post-brexit checks on agri-food goods arriving here from Britain.
The DUP politician instructed officials to stop work on building new border control posts at Belfast, Larne and Warrenpoint.
Recruitment of staff for the posts has been halted, with Mr Lyons saying charges would not be levied at the ports on traders bringing goods from GB into Northern Ireland.
But he faced criticism, with three Stormont ministers demanding an urgent meeting of the Executive. Deputy First Minister Michelle O’neill branded the DUP move a “stunt” and accused Mr Lyons of a “solo run”.
A MOVE by the Agriculture Minister to halt construction of permanent inspection facilities for post-brexit checks on agri-food goods arriving from Britain has been branded a stunt.
The DUP’S Gordon Lyons instructed officials to stop work on new border control posts — a requirement of the EU divorce deal — at Belfast, Larne and Warrenpoint. He also told them to halt recruitment of staff for the posts, and said charges would not be levied at the ports on traders bringing goods from GB into Northern Ireland.
The move, amid growing unionist opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, comes as pressure mounts on the UK Government to mitigate the effects of the mechanism on trade from Britain.
The protocol avoids a hard border in Ireland, but means we will continue to follow EU rules on goods, creating a de facto Irish Sea border.
It is understood the move does not affect current protocol checks, which have already affected supermarket food supply chains, agricultural animal movements, pet travel and the sale of plants to garden centres and private customers.
Mr Lyons said his move was in response to the “practical difficulties” caused by the protocol.
He cited uncertainty over the movement of goods when grace periods currently limiting protocol bureaucracy end in April.
“It’s a real nightmare for us and it’s going to be causing us an awful lot of problems,” he said.
The minister cited UK domestic legislation in the form of the Internal Market Act in arguing he had a “legal duty” to stop the work.
He said that law compelled him to always act with special regard to Northern Ireland’s place within the UK’S internal market.
Mr Lyons said the UK Government had acknowledged there were problems with the trading arrangements, adding: “I think this is a reasonable and proportionate step to take.”
But he faced criticism from Executive colleagues.
Sinn Fein Finance Minster Conor Murphy, SDLP Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon and Alliance Justice Minister Naomi Long formally requested an emergency Executive meeting. In a letter, they stated: “This controversial and cross-cutting matter requires the Executive to meet as a matter of urgency.”
Deputy First Minister Michelle O’neill branded the DUP move a “stunt”. She said: “Tonight’s solo run by DUP Minister for Agriculture Gordon Lyons instructing his officials to halt work on further infrastructure and charging at the ports is clearly a stunt.
“Businesses, traders, retailers, consumers and workers need certainty and want to see the protocol implemented to give them that certainty. There is no credible alternative to the protocol.”
Ms Mallon questioned whether Mr Lyons could take the decisions without wider approval. She said: “This is a five-party Executive facing two significant crises: a global pandemic and the impact of Brexit.
“We should be taking decisions together in the substantial common interests of the people we represent, not using political office for divisive stunts.”
DUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson said: “It’s quite clear that the EU and, so far, the UK Government has not been responding to the very clear damage that is being done by the protocol, which we believe is illegal, and Gordon has taken a good step as a minister.”