Tag Archives: Brexit

Adams urges Irish America Trade Union support for referendum on Unity

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Gerry with Terry O’Sullivan President LiUNA & Thomas Callahan President IUOE

Sinn Féin Louth TD and former Party Leader Gerry Adams has just returned from New York where he spoke at a packed meeting of Trade Union leaders organised by the James Connolly Labor Coalition. On Friday evening he was the main speaker at the eighth annual Irish Echo Labor Awards.

Gerry Adams addressed both events on the issues of Brexit and Irish Unity.

Gerry Adams said:

“Brexit presents the most serious social, economic and political threat to the people of the island of Ireland for a generation. The British Conservative government, supported by the Democratic Unionist Party, is determined to drag the North out of the EU.

The current uncertainty around the negotiations between the London government and the EU is adding to an atmosphere of uncertainty and concern. In particular, there are very real dangers posed the imposition of any border checks. There are tens of thousands of jobs at risk in the two economies on the island of Ireland.

The Irish government has a responsibility to defend the democratic vote of the people of the north to remain within the EU and to ensure that the Good Friday Agreement is protected. Whatever the outcome of the current negotiations the rights and entitlements of the people of the North, as envisioned in the Good Friday Agreement, must be protected.”

The Louth TD also urged Irish American trade unionists to add their support to the growing call for a referendum on Irish unity. Mr. Adams said:

“The issue of a unity referendum and the goal of a united Ireland is now a matter of almost daily conversation. Our task as united Irelanders is to achieve these objectives in the shortest possible time with the maximum level of popular support. And we will achieve this sooner with the help and support of Irish America.

The vast majority of people in Ireland and in the Irish diaspora scattered across the globe want a society in Ireland that is based on values of social justice, fairness, equality and decency. This can best be achieved in a new and shared Ireland.”

Finally, Gerry Adams TD commended the initiative by a coalition of Irish American organisations for the McGuinness Principles. Mr. Adams said: “These principles are about implementing the Good Friday Agreement. They are for a Bill of Rights; equality for the Irish language; justice for the victims of conflict and their families; and support for a referendum on Irish unity.

They are modelled on the very successful MacBride Principles campaign against job discrimination. The success of that campaign shows the potential for Irish America achieving the same positive outcome with the McGuinness Principles.”

Ó Murchú: Brexit Breakfast, Useful Info for Local Businesses

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Vincent Power (L) and Thomas McEvoy (R) with Cllr Ruairi Ó Murchú

Louth Sinn Féin councillor Ruairí Ó Murchú attended the recent business themed Brexit briefing hosted by Louth Local Enterprise Office (LEO) and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland in the Ballymascanlon Hotel on Thursday last.

Councillor Ó Murchú said;

“The SCBI / LEO breakfast was certainly more impressive than recent commentary from Boris Johnson and others in relation to the entire Brexit debacle.

“This event, which had presentations by the SCBI, Enterprise Ireland, InterTrade Ireland and the LEO was designed to inform local businesses of the range of supports and finance that are available to business for Brexit proofing.”

Cllr Ó Murchú advised that “there is a necessity to draw the business community’s attention to these Brexit preparation aids.”

InterTrade Ireland has a ‘Brexit Voucher’ system which allows companies to engage a professional, to the value of €1,250 to evaluate its exposure to Brexit.

Enterprise Ireland offer ‘Be Prepared Grants’ for SMEs who would benefit from further research and may need specialist services in developing their Brexit plan. This grant can be up to €5,000.

The SCBI Brexit Loan Scheme offers amounts of between €25,000 to €1.5m, loan terms ranging from 1 year to 3 years and unsecured loans up to €500,000. All information relating to these schemes are to be found on each organisation’s website.

“The LEO contribution by Thomas McEvoy was a comprehensive list of the many services available to companies in relation to planning, marketing, their online platforms etc. and didn’t just relate to Brexit.

“For information on the all these services go to localenterprise.ie/louth.

“Any measures which may mitigate some of the negatives of the Brexit process on Irish companies are to be welcomed. I would encourage companies and businesses in Louth to seek further information from the Local Enterprise Office.”

This event was attended by representatives of many local businesses both SMEs and larger companies.

“Their attendance is proof of the levels of concern among the business community regarding the negative effects Brexit could have on their ability to trade competitively.

“Sinn Féin has consistently said that Brexit will be bad for Ireland, north and south, in economic, political, social and cultural terms. I believe that the Irish Government must ensure the backstop agreement is enacted in the event of a no deal Brexit.

“Dr Vincent Power, the highly entertaining keynote speaker told of the spectrum of Brexit in relation to the multiple facets of the economy and society and its impact upon them. Brexit in relation to people and goods being different to Brexit in relation to services and that’s not to speak of medicines and aviation etc. He explained the Customs Union and Single Market as being maintained by a hermetical seal along EU borders which are a lot less porous than ours. He stated that any Brexit deal likely to be done would be a ‘skinny deal’ and a perpetual state of negotiations between Britain and the EU.

“Following my question on how he foresaw the Irish border post Brexit. He couldn’t see anything other than a ‘Hong Kong’ type solution and a border in the Irish sea. Anything else would have definite ramifications for border communities and businesses.

“This solution sounds to me like special designated status for the 6 counties, which would allow it to stay within the EU and maintain the necessary alignments between North and South.

“This was a useful event and I commend the staff of Louth LEO for convening this information briefing.”

British advice on future cross border trade deeply insulting – Ó Murchú

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Sinn Féin Louth councillor Ruairí Ó Murchú has said that advice given to businesses in the North by British Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab on Thursday 23rd August is deeply insulting and displays the complete lack of concern for Irish interests.

Councillor Ó Murchú said:

“It is breath-taking that Dominic Raab had the audacity to advise businesses in the North in his technical papers to consult the Irish Government if they need guidance on cross border trade post Brexit.

“Brexit is a mess of the British Government’s making. For too long the Tories have pandered to Brexiteers within their own party and now to the DUP which is propping up their government.

“It is blatantly obvious that they are not worried about the people of the North, who voted to Remain, and they are not acting in their best interests whatsoever. Any economic uncertainty for business in the North will have a detrimental impact on business here in the South, of that there is no doubt.

“If it proves too difficult for businesses here to trade with the North or vice versa then we will see businesses close. During the past weeks we have heard of the possible catastrophic impact of a no-deal Brexit on the electricity market in the North. We have also learned that Ireland’s medicine and blood stocks could be in jeopardy in the event of a hard Brexit.

“The British ‘Border Security Bill’ would see the creation of a one-mile border zone where members of the public could be stopped, searched and detained. This would also be the case at train stations. We could be facing the unacceptable vista of id and passport checks for travel from Dundalk to South Armagh or Newry.

“It is almost September. The British government has admitted this week that the October deadline may be missed. We still have no detail regarding the backstop agreement which comes into effect in the event of a hard Brexit. The Taoiseach and his government cannot allow this to stand.

“The people of this border region, as well as businesses that operate across the border need certainty and clarity on this issue. I call on the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs to press home this point.

“It shows once again that we need a special meeting in September between Britain and the EU to deal exclusively with the arrangements for the north. This needs to happen as a matter of urgency.”

Adams Meets Loughs Agency

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Louth Sinn Féin TD Gerry Adams has met with the chief executive and staff of the Loughs Agency along with Councillor Ruairí Ó Murchú and Matt Carthy MEP. 

The meeting, which took place in Carlingford on Friday 27th July, had a number of objectives as Deputy Adams outlines;
“The Loughs Agency was established in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

“It is a cross border body with a remit for the promotion and development of Lough Foyle and lands surrounding it in Donegal and Derry and for Carlingford Lough and it’s hinterland in Louth and Down. 

“The remit of the Loughs Agency is the development of these areas in terms of marine aquaculture, conservation and promotion and I was heartened to hear of the team of scientists who monitor and manage fish stocks in the Loughs.

“The Loughs Agency has identified the challenges and opportunities which Brexit has presented for them and I have pledged to work with the Loughs Agency to assist in the development of the agency. ‘

Sinn Féin Louth Councillor Ruairí Ó Murchú added;

“The Loughs Agency Chief Executive has indicated issues with office premises and storage facilities in the Carlingford area.

“I have committed to raising this with Louth County Council to find appropriate space in the Peninsula to enable the Agency to develop to its full potential in Louth and promote this county as much as possible.”

Brexit threat must be challenged – Adams

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Sinn Féin Louth TD Gerry Adams today joined Councillor Ruairí Ó Murchú, Conor Murphy MLA, and Megan Fearon MLA and several other SF Councillors in a protest in Dundalk square against Brexit. In a piece of street theatre Boris Johnson was searched by customs officials.

Speaking afterward Gerry Adams urged the Irish government to take a tougher stance to ensure that the British government honour the backstop agreement on the customs union and the single market.

Gerry Adams said:

“Last December the Irish people were told by the Taoiseach that the so-called backstop arrangement was a guarantee that there would be no hard border and that the interests of citizens in the north, the majority of whom voted against Brexit, would be protected.

We were told we had a cast-iron guarantee that there would be no hard border on our island.

We were told that this draft agreement would be converted into a legally binding text. It didn’t happen.

We were also told that the December agreement would be enshrined in a legal text and that the British had to produce firm proposals for today’s EU summit. It didn’t happen.

On May 17 following his meeting with Theresa May, the Taoiseach said that the British would table a new proposal on a future customs relationship within the following two weeks. It didn’t happen.

The Irish government should not allow the talks to proceed without agreement at the EU summit on the border and the backstop arrangement. However, I suspect they will.

Brexit presents a massive threat to our two economies and to the Good Friday Agreement. The Irish people need certainty on no hard border. That certainty can best be found if the north is given a special status that keeps it within the single market and customs union”.