Serious questions have been raised over the direct impact of a no-deal Brexit on Donegal.
Donegal Sinn Féin Deputy Pearse Doherty has slammed the Government over a lack of additional supports for the county as part of its Brexit legislation.
“To put it mildly, this county has been left woefully unprepared for the disruption, the economic and social upheaval, which Brexit will cause,” Deputy Doherty told the Dáil.
During a debate on the Government’s Brexit Omnibus Bill on Wednesday, Doherty said:
“This Bill gives no assurances to cross-border drivers for example in the event of Britain and the north crashing out without a deal; will they have to pay for a Green Card to be insured while driving in the north?
“Regrettably, the regional impact of Brexit is something that seems to have gone completely under the radar of this government, and this is of particular concern for us here in Donegal.”
Doherty said that Donegal is not in a position to take any Brexit impact: “The reality is that Brexit will impact on Donegal more than any other county, yet there is not one thing in this Bill in terms of regional support despite the fact that the county is crying out for help owing to years of neglect under this and successive governments.”
He added: “Even long before the very notion of Brexit came into being Donegal needed to been shown some positive discrimination by way of additional state investment however, given the current political landscape and with Brexit looming on the horizon such state intervention is needed now more than ever if this county is to have any chance of weathering this storm.”
In a no-deal scenario, Doherty called for State Aid flexibility and exemptions for areas like Donegal or for certain sectors in agri-food. He added that transport and infrastructure projects like TEN-T must be re-examined and delivered on an all-island basis.
Doherty concluded: “So while I broadly welcome the Bill and recognize its importance and look forward to it progressing, albeit while first having undergone the necessary scrutiny, that does not negate the onus on government to ensure that every effort is made to fight for a better deal for Ireland post-Brexit.
“And, crucially, such a deal must include a suite of measures specific to those regions and areas, such as Donegal, which stand to be most adversely impacted by any post-Brexit reality.”
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