SECURITY WILL BE PRIORITY IN THE CHANGED REALITY

The imposition of a ‘ hard border’ and the resulting security measures needed to maintain it are high on the list of Dundalk people’s concerns following Brexit.

The Leave campaign said throughout the campaign that the spectre of a return to checkpoints along the border was part of the Remain campaign’s ‘Project Fear’ and pointed to the Common Travel Area between the North and the Republic of Ireland, which allows the free movement of people and goods.

There have been these type of agreements, which pre-dated the EU, that allowed easier cross-border movement.

But now, it is unclear how the arrangements currently will be affected by the Thursday’s Brexit vote and what a new agreement will look like.

However, the Irish government will, no doubt, come under serious pressure to min- imise the impact of any border between the North and South on Irish people, while other European governments will want to ensure that not only are the borders properly secured, they will need to show Euro sceptics in their own countries that there will be a serious price to be paid for leaving the EU.

The Argus asked the Garda press office for their official view of Thursday’s Leave vote. They responded: ‘An Garda Siochána acknowledges the address of the Tánaiste (Frances Fitzgerald) indicating that there will be ‘no immediate change’ to current arrangements.

‘An Garda Síochána has a strong and close working relationship with the PSNI and its counterparts in the UK, in the delivery of policing and security services, and this relationship will continue following the UK referendum’.

The Sunday Independent’s security editor, Jim Cusack, says there will be increased security at ports and airports, because it’s ‘impossible’ to secure the 500km land border, quoting senior Garda sources.

Mr Cusack said: ‘Policing on both sides of the border has reduced to well under half the levels there were during the 1971-1997 Provisional IRA terrorist campaign, when there was also a substantial British military presence at fortified checkpoints. The Irish Army also maintained a presence at the border.

‘ The four garda border divisions - Donegal, Sligo-Leitrim, Cavan-Monaghan and Louth - have a combined strength of 1,280 officers.

‘Although extra resources were promised in the Louth division, which has had two gardai - Det Garda Adrian Donohoe and Garda Tony Golden - murdered while on duty, garda numbers have continued to fall. In 2008, there were 296 gardai in the Louth division compared with 287 this year, according to Department of Justice figures.

‘ The Cavan-Monaghan division has seen an even bigger reduction from 488 in 2008 to 387, a nearly 20 percent reduction.

‘ The number of active customs inspectors in the Republic is understood to be under 200, although the Revenue Commissioners insists the figure is higher. Customs sources say the service has been ‘whittled down’ since the opening of EU borders.

‘A senior garda source said the most likely outcome of Brexit will be a major upswing in smuggling. And transport industry sources said the belief among the smugglers is that a bonanza is on their way as EU-UK price fluctuations begin to occur’.