A truck leaving the village of Bridgend in the Republic and traveling into Northern Ireland.
EAMONN FARRELL/ROLLINGNEWS.IE
By Anthony Neeson
Up to 1,000 new staff will be employed at entry points at Irish ports and airports to carry out relevant controls and checks once Britain leaves the EU.
The news comes as the Irish government has signed off on several key Brexit preparedness measures, including departmental action plans, while regular updates will now be submitted to government.
At the same time the government also agreed to continue contingency planning for a “no deal” Brexit. This planning is at an advanced stage, some elements will not be published as negotiations between the EU and the UK for an agreed British withdrawal are ongoing.
Speaking after the Cabinet meeting, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “The UK is leaving the EU and some things are going to change.
“Today the government agreed a series of measures to be ready for that change. The key decisions are particularly focused on areas where the government has direct responsibility and on measures that need to be taken on an East-West basis, such as customs and veterinary controls at ports and airports.
“The government also reiterated its position today that it would not countenance a return of a border on the island under any circumstances, including in the event of a hard Brexit.”
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, said: “It is important to be clear that the decisions taken by government today do not represent the beginning of our preparations.
“A huge amount of work has been underway across government and its agencies for many months. We will also be carrying out some of our preparations on an EU-wide basis, in cooperation with our EU partners.
“The UK has chosen to walk way from the EU’s comprehensive regulatory framework but we will continue to benefit from the stability of our EU membership.”
