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Reported plans by the British Government to create customs posts along both sides of the border to replace the backstop, have been dismissed by Simon Coveney.<\/p>\nReported plans by the British Government to create customs posts along both sides of the border to replace the backstop, have been dismissed by Simon Coveney.<\/p>\n
RTE reported the suggestion sent to the European Union by the UK would lead to the posts being built between five and 10 miles back from the current border.<\/p>\n
The idea for the customs posts are contained in the so-called \u2018non-papers\u2019 submitted by UK officials during recent technical discussions.<\/p>\n
The T\u00e1naiste poured cold water on the plans, saying Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland \u201cdeserves better.\u201d<\/p>\n
He tweeted: \u201cNon-Paper = Non-Starter. Time the EU had a serious proposal from the UK Govt if a #Brexit deal is to be achievable in October. NI and IRE deserves better!\u201d<\/p>\n
Shadow secretary of state for Brexit, Keir Starmer tweeted: \u201cIf Boris Johnson had spent any time listening to businesses and communities in Northern Ireland, he would know that these proposals are utterly unworkable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Opposition political parties also criticized the reported plans.<\/p>\n
Lisa Chambers, the Fianna F\u00e1il Brexit spokeswoman tweeted: \u201cThis is effectively a border with a buffer zone and is clearly not a satisfactory alternative to the #backstop With 30 days now to go until #Brexit we need to see sensible workable solutions that ensure no hard border on the island of Ireland. What about regulations on goods?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor all the UK governments talk that they wouldn\u2019t erect a border on the island of Ireland, here they are proposing a border as a solution to their #Brexit paralysis,\u201d she tweeted.<\/p>\n
Sinn F\u00e9in President Mary Lou McDonald tweeted: \u201cThe British proposal to reimpose a hard border on our island, as reported by @tconnellyRTE, is out of the question. It is further evidence of Tory recklessness and belligerence towards Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n
Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin also dismissed the plans.<\/p>\n
He tweeted: \u201cLeaked proposals from the UK on alternatives to the backstop are completely unacceptable. The UK is well aware that a mass of new border checks, wherever sited, breach the agreement reached with the May government to avoid regulatory barriers to trade.\u201d<\/p>\n
SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood said the reported proposals fall short of fulfilling the objective of the backstop.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe content of these proposals fails to meet the British Government\u2019s obligations under the December 2017 joint report to avoid physical infrastructure, checks and controls at the border. It doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s a mile, five miles or ten miles away, the presence of physical checks will create economic and security challenges that are unacceptable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, the Irish Farmer\u2019s Association President Joe Healy said the reported proposal by the UK to install custom clearance centers\u2019 at both sides of the border is not a credible alternative to the backstop.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese customs clearance centers\u2019 are border posts under a different name. The purpose of the backstop is to act as a fallback in the event that a future trade deal cannot address the NI Border issue to the UK and EU\u2019s satisfaction. This latest proposal is an attempt to put lipstick on a pig. A customs post is a customs post, no matter what is called or where it\u2019s located,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n