Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard has said the Irish Protocol of the Withdrawal Agreement must be implemented in full in order to protect the all-Ireland economy.

The Sinn Féin Brexit spokesperson said:

“The majority of people in the north opposed Brexit realising the damage it would do to our economy. There is no good Brexit for Ireland.

“Through extensive work in Europe, we secured unique protections for the north in the Irish protocol of the Withdrawal Agreement to protect the all Ireland economy and the Good Friday Agreement. 

“Those protections must be implemented in full. 

“The proposals brought forward by the British government today will now be assessed by the EU to see if they represent sufficient progress as the clock ticks towards the Brexit deadline. 

“While these proposals will have to be studied in detail, it is clear the British government is planning for border control posts and checks at ports of entry in the North for agri-food goods coming from Britain and elsewhere outside the EU. 

“It again highlights the fork-tongued approach the British government have adopted through all of this: using Brexiteer rhetoric and bluster while at the same time accepting it will develop border posts at ports. 

“There are already checks and while further physical infrastructure is now required, our primary focus is to minimise disruption for business. 

“This will require putting in place workable solutions as agreed by the EU and British government. 

“The EU has been critical of the progress from the British government to date. Sinn Féin has been clear that, given the approaching Brexit deadline and the delays to the negotiations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brexit deadline should be extended in order to protect our economy which is already under intense pressure.”