Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
15 litres fuel ration plan in Brexit chaos
NI civil service prepares for no-deal
NORTHERN Ireland civil servants are planning for Brexit fallouts including fuel shortages that could lead to a 15 litre-a-week fuel ration for motorists.
Senior officials insist much of the contingencies are for scenarios that are unlikely to occur but must be prepared for in any case.
It is understood a number of staff in key roles have been involved in “war games” style exercises with them asked to deal with various scenarios including livestock stuck at the border and public transport grinding to halt.
Fuel shortages are also being looked at as a possible outcome of a hard Brexit.
The Department for the Economy said it has policy responsibility for the NI energy sectors, including fuel and for many years has worked with industry to develop contingency plans.
It added: “The routine fuel response plan includes a range of measures which can be deployed depending on the severity and scale of the impact of any fuel shortage.
“There is, however, no indication any such fuel emergency will occur in relation to Brexit.”
One official, however, told the Mirror planning is being “taken very seriously”. He added: “They’re organising us like we’re getting ready for a military campaign with command structures in place.
“The fuel rationing though is laughable if it were not so serious. There’s been a historic problem with dodgy diesel being traded across the border, can you imagine the field day the smugglers would have if petrol was rationed and demand surged for fuel?
“People here will not give up their cars easily for public transport so they will find a way of getting fuel.
“Let’s hope the contingency plans never have to be enacted.”
At the end of last year, the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service confirmed he had written to its 23,000 staff seeking “volunteers” for its contingency response to Brexit. David Sterling said NICS’ preparations include planning for a no-deal Brexit and a “worst case scenario” involving “sustained and widespread disruption”.
He said “new, temporary structures” may have to be introduced on a 24/7 basis.
However, he added the plans do not mean he believes a “no-deal exit is now the most likely outcome, or that it will even be necessary to ever operate these arrangements”. DECLAN Donnelly takes a break from the “world’s hardest job” – and we don’t mean hosting Britain’s Got Talent.
Dec, 43, and wife Ali, 41, in a leopardprint top, had a night off from parenting four-month-old daughter Isla to enjoy a romantic meal at The Ivy in Manchester. The star, currently filming BGT, said being a dad was “the hardest thing I’ve ever done but I’m loving it”.
Let’s hope Ali agrees as Dec has said he wants a brother or sister for Isla.