Brendan Smith Urges Pragmatic Protocol Solutions Amid Ukraine Crisis
Deputy Brendan Smith urged pragmatic, consensus-based solutions to outstanding issues in the Northern Ireland Protocol following a meeting of the Good Friday Agreement Committee with the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. He called for urgency in resolving impediments to cross-border trade and movement, noting the added pressure on governments from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Committee meeting and stance
He said that members of the Good Friday Agreement Committee met with the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee earlier that day and that all shades of political opinion sought pragmatic solutions and consensus on the outstanding protocol issues.
Impact on cross-border trade and economy
He highlighted the growth of the all-Ireland and cross-border economy since 1998 and stressed the interdependence of enterprises north and south. Businesses and communities, he said, want any impediments to trade, business and commerce removed so daily commercial life and travel can continue unimpeded.
Urgency because of international crisis
He warned that the brutality of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has created a demanding agenda for governments and the EU, increasing the urgency of progressing protocol issues to protect business and movement of people, goods and services.
Path to a forward-looking EU-UK relationship
Other speakers in the discussion echoed the call for flexibility and pragmatism, arguing that an agreed approach to the protocol would allow all sides to turn the page and open a new chapter in a forward-looking, constructive EU-UK relationship.
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I welcome your response. Could I just say that earlier today, as members of the Good Friday Agreement Committee, we had a meeting with the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee and obviously Brexit and the protocol were major issues that we discussed along with the need to implement in full the Good Friday Agreement. All shades of political opinion at that meeting spoke about the need for pragmatic solutions and getting a consensus on the issues that are outstanding. We have to be realistic and know that there will be a very demanding agenda for all governments and for the EU with the crisis that has taken place now because of the brutality of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. So I believe that there is an urgency in trying to progress the issues concerning the protocol. The people that I represent, where we have a huge amount of cross-border trade, cross-border enterprise and business, thankfully, which the all Ireland economy, the cross-border economy has grown immensely since 1998, they want to ensure that any impediments to trade, business, commerce are removed. And that comes from all shades of political opinion and from all business that I have dealings with both north and south of the border. Thankfully, many of our enterprises today are based on in both jurisdictions and there's a huge interdependence, as you know, and the economy south of the border and the economy north of the border. So it's in the interest of all the people of this island and of Britain as well to ensure that the remaining issues that need to be resolved are put to bed as soon as possible and ensure that we can get on with our daily lives from a business point of view and from a travel point of view and not have impediments to the movement of people, goods or services on our island or between our islands either. Thank you, I can call on. DEP. A Mr. Deputy Smith quite to raise the issue in terms of pragmatic solution to this, given the international crisis that we are now experiencing with the far güeg as the playing war on Ukraine. I think the focus has to remain on addressing genuine problems that have been raised. Reaching an agreed approach to the protocol would be an important factor, I think, in allowing us all to turn the page and open up a new chapter in a forward-looking constructive EU-UK relationship. that's the key and partnership and I think flexibility and pragmatism as Deputy Smith has said is key here and also what's emerging is that the protocol is presenting significant opportunities for business and employment in Northern Ireland I've taken what Deputy Smith said about your conversations I think it was yesterday with the Good Friday Agreement this morning in Northern Affairs Committee that all shades of opinion and wanted to wanted to have a pragmatic solution to this and I think that is because like Northern Ireland is not the only place in the world that has free and full access to both the European Union single market and the rest of the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland
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