IFA: ‘UK must stay in customs union to avoid a hard border’

IFA President Joe Healy said he finds it hard to foresee how the border between the Republic and the North can remain ‘soft’ in the event of the UK quitting the customs union under Brexit.

He was speaking at the Institute of International and European Affairs in Dublin last week.

President of the IFA Joe Healy outlined the association’s vision for a soft-border future of limited impact on existing trade - it necessitates the UK remaining in the customs union.

“The nature of the border we have with Northern Ireland will be dependent on the future trading relationship between the EU and the UK,” Mr Healy told the conference at the Institute.

“We cannot have certainty as regards the nature of a future border without the trade aspects being resolved”.

Chief Executive of the Ulster Farmers Union, Wesley Aston also addressed the conference, which marked the first anniversary of the UK vote to leave the EU.

Mr Healy continued: “All parties involved in the negotiations are clear that they wish to avoid a hard border.

“However, in a scenario where different customs and other regulatory regimes end up being applied to products entering Northern Ireland than those entering the Republic of Ireland, it is very difficult to envisage a scenario where there won’t be a hard border”.

The most straightforward solution to keeping the current border arrangements, and to minimise the disruption to trade, is for the UK to remain within the EU’s Customs Union, he said.

“While the UK has reiterated its desire to leave, there is an intense negotiation process ahead.

“Ireland should place keeping the UK in the Customs Union, or reaching agreement on a trading arrangement that would have similar effect, as the top priority in the talks”.

Mr Healy said that while issues relating to the political circumstances in Northern Ireland are important, it is critical that trade issues are a top priority for the Irish Government.

“Our agri-food sector is the most exposed to Brexit.

“With over 40 per cent of our exports going to the UK, the implications for the sector are devastating if we end up with punitive WTO tariffs being applied to our exports there.

“The closest possible trading relationship with the UK must be an absolute priority for Ireland in the Brexit negotiations.”