Sinn Féin Senator Elisha McCallion has called upon the British Government to end the uncertainty around a Brexit deal and “bin the Internal Markets Bill”.

Speaking during a Seanad debate on the Withdrawal Agreement, Senator McCallion said:

“For the last three years the British government has pursued a selfish and self-centred approach to its plan to leave the European Union.

“Ireland our people and our economies north and south, are to be the collateral damage of this plan.

“The British government must end this uncertainty, bin the Internal Markets Bill and accept a sensible negotiated departure with the EU, as was agreed in the Withdrawal Agreement.

“The Withdrawal Agreement was hard fought for, much the same as the Good Friday Agreement – and any deviation from either will have devastating consequences for us all.

“The threat of a no deal scenario and the implementation of the Internal Markets Bill being discussed at Westminster is adding a phenomenal amount of unnecessary pressure onto people.

“There is a very real and strong fear locally that the bill could potentially undercut local standards and jeopardise the world class farming and agri-food industry in the North.

“Both the Good Friday Agreement and the Withdrawal Agreement are international treaties that must be maintained and protected in order to prevent a hard border in Ireland, to protect our all-island economy, and to ultimately protect the integrity of the devolved settlement and our peace process.”