Time to stop the Brexit merry-go-round with real and detailed plans - Tóibín
Aontú leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has called on the government to announce clear Crash-Out Brexit plans.
An Teachta Tóibín stated:
"It is clear that the backstop is a baseline must. It is the very least that is necessary to protect the Good Friday Agreement and the economy in Ireland north and south.
"Day after day, the Tories are grandstanding and entrenching their positions. With just over 10 weeks until Brexit, it is clear that both the EU and Britain are heading on a collision course. The damage that will be done for many sectors in our society and economy is clear. And yet they government have provided very little clarity on plans to deal with a no-deal Brexit.
"It is important that we are honest. In a no-deal Brexit there will be a hard border. There will be in this scenario a physical border. This will trash enterprise, supply chains and communities. The Peace Process is already corroding before our eyes on a daily basis and this is likely to accelerate with the physical imposition of a hard border. Yet no one in the Irish government is taking charge of the situation.
"There are actions we can take. The government can prioritise and invest in the drivers of an all-Ireland economy. Communications and transport infrastructure can be improved and built. The A5 Derry to Dublin Motorway is a blinding example of this. Yet the Fine Gael government has put this road into reverse and taken money out the project.
"InterTradeIreland is extremely well placed to mitigate against the negative effects of Brexit yet it has a cap on staffing levels and what it can offer businesses in Ireland north and south. Integrating spatial planning, creating a border economic zone, stronger ties between universities on the island, creating an all Ireland Retail Council; these are the practical responses that match the enormity of the crisis that facing Ireland.
"In the middle of the Brexit crisis the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are in smithereens. Here again we see an enormous mismatch between the governments actions and what is actually needed to fix the crisis. The Irish government along with the London government could get real and institute joint authority as an interim measure.
"This would see Ministers nominated to deal with the spiraling socio- economic problems in the north and really motivate the DUP to power share. Ultimately inviting all of the civic and political views on the island of Ireland to a New Ireland Forum could help shape a real partnership response to the enormity of this challenge."
