Danny Healy-Rae warns customs invoices threaten Kerry businesses
Danny Healy-Rae spoke about new customs and data-protection requirements affecting Kerry businesses, fishermen and farmers. He warned that mandatory invoices listing goods and costs for couriers and haulers from England and the UK are reducing lorry traffic and risking increased competition for local producers.
Local traffic and fishing impact
Healy-Rae noted a noticeable reduction in lorries from Castelon Bear passing through Kilgarven village, and expressed concern about cuts affecting fishermen. He said the drop in evening and night traffic is already serious and affecting local trade.
Data protection and invoice concerns
He reported that many businesses across County Kerry contacted him with problems related to data protection and goods brought in by couriers and haulers. He said the new requirement for invoices specifying goods and cost - linked to customs processing - could expose local businesses to more competition by revealing purchase prices.
Proposed administrative alternatives
Healy-Rae recommended an alternative to showing commercial values on invoices, suggesting use of a number or a customs clearance certificate that does not specify the value of goods. He urged the minister to ensure the issue is resolved to reduce regulatory friction for businesses already impacted by coronavirus.
Agricultural trade friction and farmers’ risk
He raised "agri-friction" concerns about England bringing food and beef into their country and warned this will have a negative impact on local farmers. He called for action to avoid accommodating outside sources within the European Union to protect domestic producers.
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I'm very concerned about the cut and the fishing to our fishermen and I noticeably see a reduction in lorries from Castelon Bear going up through Kilgarven village. They have traditionally gone up there evening after evening and night after night and there's already a serious reduction in the amount of traffic that's taking place at the present time. Many businesses throughout the county of Kerry have contacted me with problems in relation to data protection in relation to the goods that they're getting brought in by couriers and haulers into their businesses that are traditionally sourced in England and the UK. They're saying that an unnecessary invoice of theirs specifying the goods and specifying the cost is required now that the haulers and the couriers are supposed to have to go through customs and they're worried that this will expose their businesses to more competition from other sources when the cost of everything is known and what they get for their produce after bringing it in. Regulatory barriers are a problem and this is one of them and I'm asking, we hear so much about data protection, surely we must ensure that our businesses here are bad enough, as it is with the coronavirus and everything else, that these invoices that these invoices shouldn't be shown or have to be, there should be some other way, a number or something or a customs clearance certificate not specifying the value of their goods or how much they paid for it or how much they, you know, and that's very important minister and I'm asking you to ensure that that problem is sorted out and the friction, agri-friction in relation to England bringing food and beef or whatever into their country that's definitely going to have a negative impact on our farmers and we must do our best to ensure that it is going to have a negative impact on our farmers. We must do our best to ensure that we do not accommodate those outside sources in the European Union.
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