Irish border checks ‘can be done remotely’

CUSTOMS checks on goods moving between Northern Ireland and the Republic could be done remotely to avoid a hard border after the UK’S withdrawal from the European Union, a Brexit minister has suggested.

Appearing in front of the Northern Ireland affairs select committee, Robin Walker said the Government “would not under any circumstances want to be taking steps to harden” the border between the two countries, even in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The Government is adamant that technological solutions can be found to prevent the imposition of a hard border, but a key ally of Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, yesterday rubbished the idea, arguing that “roving customs checkpoints” would become “targets to dissident paramilitaries”.

Neale Richmond, the EU affairs spokesman for Mr Varadkar’s Fine Gael party, also dismissed the notion that sufficient progress had been made on the border issue for Brexit talks to move onto trade.

“We have yet to see from the UK Government any sufficient or significant level of detail when it comes to proposals [on the border],” he said.

The EU has said the UK must spell out an acceptable solution to the Irish border issue before a crunch summit in December, when European leaders will decide whether withdrawal talks can move onto trade.