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2019 MPs Warned That No-Deal 48% Do Not

16th, Believe Carbon Tax
Increase Is The
October Brexit Would Be ‘Catastrophic’ Way To Tackle
Climate Issues
Nearly half of voters do not
| For Farmers In The North believe a carbon tax increase is
EXAMINER no-deal Brexit would bank- “Right from the word go, we rally,” he said. proxy border poll. issues. in a new Irish
the way to tackle climate
“They have a potential to
That is despite a majority of
“I’m not sure Northern
rupt manyNorthernIreland realized that a no-deal would be
those
“There is a potential for
IRISH Afarmersamida“catastrophic” catastrophic for our farming opportunities to exist for them Ireland politics can withstand Times/Ipsos MRBI poll agree-
collapseoftheagri-foodmarket,MPs members in Northern Ireland,”
that every four years,” he said.
ing that climate change is a
It has been suggested that, in
to carry out their terrorist
havebeenwarned.
he told MPs.
Ivor Ferguson, president of “It would be catastrophic crimes and activities depending order to avoid a hard border in major world problem.
Finance Minister Paschal
the Ulster Farmers’ Union across all sectors of farming and on what (border) infrastruc- Ireland, the UK might be pre- Donohoe announced a €6 car-
(UFU), told a Westminster indeed for the agri-food busi- ture, for example, would look pared to consider a customs bon tax in 2020 Budget. He
committee that livelihoods ness in general and, of course, like.” partnership with the EU that also predicted that the public
would be ruined if there was agri-food business and farming The committee also exam- would see it collect tariffs on will face €6 carbon tax hikes
not an “orderly and managed” is the biggest sector in Northern ined recent proposals for secur- the EU’s behalf on goods arriv- every year over the coming
EU exit. Ireland, so it would have a detri- ing a Brexit deal. ing by sea to Northern Ireland. decade.
Mr Ferguson’s remarks mental effect even on the On the issue of Stormont Importers that retained The poll of 1,200 voters
came as a senior police officer Northern Ireland economy.” giving its consent for a poten- those goods within Northern between last Friday and
expressed concerns that Brexit He said the potential for sig- tial all-island regulatory system, Ireland, and did not transport Sunday found 55% of them
could act as a rallying call for nificant tariffs on goods moving David Phinnemore, a professor them on to the EU, would then believe climate change is the
dissident republicans to increase into the Republic of Ireland was of European Politics at Queen’s be potentially eligible to claim biggest issue facing the world.
attacks on security forces. the most concerning threat, as University, questioned the back the duty paid. However, when it comes to
Police Service of Northern he highlighted that 30% of milk appropriateness of using a con- Dr Esmond Birnie, senior ways of tackling the crisis, only
Ireland (PSNI) Assistant Chief and 50% of lambs produced in tentious voting mechanism economist at the Ulster 48% would be willing to pay
Constable George Clarke gave Northern Ireland go south. that requires parallel consent of University, estimated the more for fossil fuels.
evidence alongside the UFU “What would it mean for us? both unionist and nationalist potential upfront duty costs on 56% are against spending
president as they and several It would mean market failure, it members of the Assembly. goods moving from Great more on environmental prob-
other witnesses from the region would mean bankruptcy for a “Northern Ireland is a radi- Britain into Northern Ireland lems and less on public servic-
appeared before the Brexit fair percentage of farmers,” he cally different place from what could be £500 million a year. es.
committee in London. said of a no-deal. it was in 1998, then 33% of the “So businesses would be up- The poll also found those
Committee members also “So obviously you can population did not identify as front out of pocket, as it were, most concerned about climate
heard from senior academics understand, it is a place that we unionist or nationalist,” he said. for a considerable sum of tend to be younger, urban and
from Northern Ireland’s two just don’t want to go.” “The latest survey indicates money,” he said. better-off voters.
universities. Mr Clarke reiterated calls that’s now about 50%. I do “And then there would be a People in rural settings,
One questioned whether made by fellow PSNI com- wonder whether the petition of certain degree of administrative older and less well off were
Stormont’s consent mechanism manders for around 600 extra concern, the parallel consent burden on their part to retrieve least concerned and farmers
was fit for purpose while anoth- officers to help the service man- mechanisms, where you have that money.” were seen as the most scepti-
er warned that a suggested NI- age the outworking of Brexit. designated unionists or nation- Dr Birnie said the adminis- cal about climate change
only customs partnership with While stressing that the dis- alists, really are fit for purpose trative process for securing issues. C
the EU could saddle Northern sident threat had been severe in the Northern Ireland of rebates could be “fiendishly dif-
Ireland importers with £500m for a decade, he warned of a today.” ficult”. Employers Called On
(575) of upfront costs. potential further upsurge after Prof Phinnemore said hav- Roger Pollen, from the To Incorporate
Mr Ferguson painted a bleak Brexit. ing a vote every four years on Federation of Small Businesses Menopause Into
picture when asked what the He said the UK’s exit from whether Northern Ireland Northern Ireland (FSB), told Sickness Policies
consequences of a no-deal the EU could serve as a “clarion remained in the regulatory sys- MPs that the system could
would be for his industry. call” for the violent extremists. tem would essentially be a potentially work if there was Employers need to incor-
no movement of money porate menopause into their
required, and the tariff and sickness policies, according
rebate cancelled themselves to the Menopause Hub.
out in one transaction. An estimated 300,000
“If that was a process that women in the workforce are
could be done in a simple trans- within the menopause age
action that would show tariff group.
paid and tariff due to be The Irish Nurses and
reclaimed, and you would com- Midwives Organization is
plete the transaction so there calling for greater workplace
was no actual movement of support for women experi-
money, just reconciliation, then encing symptoms.
people (FSB members) felt it Loretta Dignam from the
was manageable,” he said. Menopause Hub says there
“It comes down to level of are a number of things
detail – what will actually be employers can do.
behind that sort of transac- “You can incorporate,
tion? If it is as seamless as that, into your sickness and
then it is something people absence policies, aspects
will deal with and take in their around menopause,” said Ms
stride.” C Dignam. C