Brendan Smith warns on single market integrity and border economy
Brendan Smith called for full implementation in good faith of the withdrawal agreement and the Northern Ireland Protocol and warned that the British Internal Market Bill has damaged border communities and trade. He urged protection of the EU single market, state aid rules, employment rights and environmental standards, and pressed for no tariffs on key exports from central border counties.
Main demands
He insisted on full and faithful implementation of the withdrawal agreement and the Northern Ireland Protocol, rejecting any diminution and stressing that the joint political declaration must be implemented to protect business, the economy and employment both north and south.
Concern for border communities
He highlighted the central border area - Cavan, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Monaghan - as the least developed parts of the country, with local economies heavily dependent on small and medium enterprises that first export to Northern Ireland and then to Britain. He emphasised three critical sectors - agri-food, construction products and engineering - and argued there must be no tariffs on exports from those sectors.
Single market protections
He argued for the absolute need to protect the integrity of the single European market and warned that the Internal Market Bill caused concern among border communities and businesses. He called for agreement on state aid rules, protection of employment rights and enhancement of environmental standards that the state has invested in for citizens' benefit. From an EU perspective he noted the protocol also protects the Good Friday Agreement and Ireland's place in the single market.
Business implications and negotiations
He said the minister had been upbeat about reaching an agreement and wished him well in negotiations, but reiterated the need for a level playing field for business when circumstances change on January 1. He warned that any diminution of the withdrawal agreement would be damaging for the economy across the island.
All-Ireland COVID coordination
He concluded by advocating an all-Ireland approach to dealing with the COVID pandemic, calling for more comparable restrictions north and south and a similar implementation of measures and restrictions in both jurisdictions.
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I welcome your repeated statements here today in regard to the absolute need to implement in full and in good faith the withdrawal agreement and the Northern Ireland protocol. You have been very clear on that. The British Internal Market Bill has been damaging. It has caused concern among border communities. It has caused concern among business and enterprise, particularly sectors that are very heavily dependent on the British market to export to. I believe we do not hear enough commentary about the absolute need to protect the integrity of the single, European single market. It has been so beneficial to us and helped to grow the all Ireland economy. Similarly, we need agreement in regard to state aid rules, protection of employment rights and protection and enhancement of environmental standards. They are areas that our state over the years has invested heavily in and has been for the benefit of our citizens. Minister, you stated that there will be changed circumstances come January 1. The absolute need, again, to ensure a level playing field for business. I believe that the implementation of the joint political declaration is critical for business, for our economy and for employment both north and south. There cannot be any diminution in any aspects of the withdrawal agreement. It would be very damaging for our economy and particularly for all of our country. Minister, you would have heard me repeatedly say at this committee in the past and at all as well, the less developed areas of the less developed areas of the less developed areas of our country. Take the central border area, Cavan, Fermanagh, and Tyrone Monaghan. They have been the least developed areas in the economy due to historical reasons. It played a big factor in that. By definition, our local economy is very heavily dependent on small and medium enterprises. By definition, when those enterprises grow, they depend as the first export market depend on Northern Ireland and then when they grow, they depend on the British market. Again, three sectors in particular are critical to that economy in the central border area. The agri-food, construction products and engineering sector. Again, they are sectors that are most heavily dependent on Britain as an export market. I am just trying to emphasise the absolute need need to have no tariffs in relation to the export of products for those sectors, which are such a sizeable part of the economy in the central border area and elsewhere as well. Minister, you have been upbeat in regard to the possibility of reaching an agreement. We wish you well in your negotiations. I think, in full and in good faith, the Northern Ireland Protocol and the withdrawal agreement is absolutely critical for the future development and good of our society on all of this island. In conclusion, I have been advocating an all-Ireland approach to dealing with the COVID pandemic. Can I just say that we need more comparable restrictions, North and South, and, very importantly, we need a similar implementation of those measures and restrictions as well? Thank you. Mr. Brendan's question in relation to protecting the integrity of the single market. When we talk about the protocol and its protection of the Good Friday Agreement and the all-island economy, from an EU perspective, that is important. But it is also about protecting Ireland's place in the single market and maintaining our place in the single market. If we could not find a way of solving the border question through Brexit, Ireland would have faced the really difficult choice of having to consider some form of border infrastructure or accept the fact that we could no longer guarantee the integrity of the EU single market. That our economy thrives on the back of, and have to look at some form of checking system between the island of Ireland and the rest of the EU single market. Thank you Mr. Brendan. Thank you. Thank you. You
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