I can be king on the North..
Micheal vows to sort Brexit border chaos
It would be more honest for Fianna Fail to go into government with Fine Gael.
GERRY ADAMS ON FF RULIG OUT COALITION WITH SINN FEIN
FIANNA FAIL has called for an electronic border with Northern Ireland after Brexit similar to the toll system operating on the M50.
Delegates at its Ard Fheis in Dublin’s RDS yesterday backed a proposal for a “frictionless” crossing during a talk on foreign affairs and trade.
The motion also suggests an autologging system for all goods and services traded between the UK and the EU to avoid a return to old-style border check points.
It follows revelations in a Revenue report which warns that an open border is not possible – and that as many as eight customs checks and control points may be required along the border.
The report states: “A final scenario of somewhere in the region of eight designated crossing points is not inconceivable. The staffing and infrastructure costs... will make this a significant project.”
Meanwhile, party leader Micheal Martin was also critical of the Government’s decision to spend €5million on its strategic communications unit, accusing the Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of organising “a spin campaign”.
Jobs spokesman Dara Calleary said the money would have gone a long way in addressing the housing crisis.
Meanwhile finance spokesman Michael Mcgrath said TDS would wait to see the Finance Bill next week to examine the controversial issue of stamp duty on commercial property. Fianna Fail has agreed to facilitate one more budget as part of its confidence and supply agreement with the minority coalition. But with 45 TDS and 13 Senators, the party is already gearing up for the next General Election and hoping to build on its 2016 performance. Just hours before the Ard Fheis, party boss Micheal Martin once more firmly ruled out going into a future coalition government with either Fine Gael or with Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said that he was “bemused” by the motion preventing such a coalition. He said: “It is no surprise that the Fianna Fail leader doesn’t want Sinn Fein in government. “For nearly 100 years, both they and Fine Gael have run the state in their interests, the interests of elites, and not the interests of citizens.. “It would be more honest and appropriate for Fianna Fail to go into government with Fine Gael.”