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           2019  Pelosi Urged To Back                                                                    Irish Courts Order Repossession Of
                                                                                                       Over 300 Homes In First Half Of 2019
           4th,                                                                                      Over   300  home
           September  US-UK Trade Efforts                                                         repossessions   were
                                                                                                  granted in Irish courts
                                                                                                  in the first half of this

                                                                                                     In total, there were
           |  Only If They Protect                                                                year.
                                                                                                  314 repossessions with
           EXAMINER  Peace Deal                                                                   246 of these relating to
                                                                                                  primary homes.
                                                                                                     According to details released under the Freedom of

                                                                                                  homes in circuit and district courts in the first six months this
           IRISH                                                                                  Information Act, banks were given permission to repossess 290
                                                                                                   year.
                                                                                                     Forty-eight orders were granted in Dublin, which was close-
                                                                                                   ly followed by Meath, where banks got the go-ahead to repos-
                                                                                                   sess 40 homes.
                                                                                                     There were 30 granted in Cork, 20 in Kildare and 15 in Offaly.
                                                                                                     The only counties were banks didn’t get permission to repos-
                                                                                                   sess homes were Kilkenny and Sligo.
                                                                                                     Land league campaigner Gerry O’Boyle said that he was not
                                                                                                   surprised by the statistics.
                                                                                                     “There are a lot of families out there suffering with this,” Mr
                                                                                                   O’Brien said. “They are ordinary, decent people.
                                                                                                     “They got caught in the crossfire.
                                                                                                     “We have a lot of farmers to come downstream here - they
                                                                                                   are going to lose their farms,” he said adding that “agriculture is
                                                                                                   the backbone of rural Ireland.”
                                                                                                     A further 24 orders were granted in the High Court, after
                                                                                                   banks took firm against those in arrears on their mortgages. C

                                                                                                          Irish Government’s “Top Priority”
                                                                                                               Is No-Deal Preparations
                 ivic and business groups  “very carefully, to ensure full  nomic stability and investment  The Irish government is giving “top priority” to preparations
                 have called on the     compliance with the 1998     essential to embedding peace  for a no-deal Brexit, it has been announced.
            CSpeaker of the US House    Agreement”.                  and providing stability for     The move was detailed in a statement issued tonight follow-
            of Representatives to only back  “We urge Congress to satis-  future generations, the equal  ing a briefing on the latest position on negotiations between the
            a UK trade deal that protects  fy itself that the truly transfor-  rights and non-discrimination  European Union and the United Kingdom about the latter’s
            Northern Ireland’s peace deal.  mational foundations for peace  of citizens here, and the impor-  departure.
              A range of organisations  and prosperity here, which   tance of cross-border coopera-  The Government said it had “noted the increasing risk of a
            from the region have penned a  were laid with the indispensa-  tion.”                  no-deal Brexit on October 31”.
            joint letter to senior Democrat  ble aid of the United States, are  The groups that have  It came just hours after the European Commission said that a
            Nancy Pelosi outlining their  not undermined in any man-  signed the letter are: Centre  no-deal outcome remained a “distinct possibility”.
            concerns about a no-deal    ner by decisions to be taken in  for Cross Border Studies;   However British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the
            Brexit.                     Congress,” it stated.        Children’s  Law     Centre;  House of Commons on Tuesday that he believes the chances of
              The letter was sent to       President of the Derry    Committee       on     the    a deal have risen in the last few weeks.
            Speaker Pelosi as US vice pres-  Chamber of Commerce, Brian  Administration  of  Justice;  The Government statement said it had agreed to give no deal
            ident Mike Pence continued  McGrath, explained the con-  Community Foundation for      planning “top priority”.
            his first official visit to Ireland.  text for the letter.  Northern Ireland; Disability  “It also discussed in detail the position on no-deal Brexit con-
              Mrs Pelosi and several other  “The letter expresses a  Action  Northern   Ireland;  tingency mitigation and preparations and agreed that no-deal
            senior US politicians have pre-  sense of escalating danger in  Federation  of  Passenger  Brexit planning would continue to get top priority across all
            viously made clear they would  Northern Ireland, which is set  Transport  NI;  Freight  Government Department and Agencies,” the statement reads.
            not ratify a US/UK trade deal  to suffer the worst effects of a  Transport  Association  “Notwithstanding the full range of preparations and mitiga-
            that undermined the terms of  no-deal or a ‘hard’ Brexit,” he  (Northern Ireland); Human  tion measures in place, a no-deal Brexit risks potentially severe
            1998 Good Friday Agreement.  said.                       Rights Consortium; Derry     impacts in a number of areas, as summarized in the Updated
              The letter is signed by a    “And yet the means of full  Chamber  of   Commerce;    Contingency Action Plan published by the Government in July.”
            range of civil liberty groups,  democratic representation are  Manufacturing NI; Mineral  The government also agreed that all ministers should review
            community     organisations,  currently limited.”        Products   Association  NI;  preparations again, and should continue to engage in an exten-
            trade unionists and representa-  Brian Gormally, director of  Newry  Chamber     of   sive program of outreach to stakeholders.
            tives of businesses across  the   Committee    on   the  Commerce; Newry & Mourne        Work is ongoing to help Irish businesses be prepared for a
            Northern Ireland. There are 21  Administration  of  Justice,  Co-operative & Enterprise  hard Brexit, with incentives available to increase preparedness.
            signatories in total.       another   signatory,  added:  Agency;  Northern  Ireland     “An additional phase of work is now under way involving
              A delegation from the con-  “Our letter sets out the main  Committee, Irish Congress of  trader outreach and a ‘call to action’ to ensure that businesses
            sortium   will  travel  to  conditions for peace which   Trade   Unions;   Northern   are ready for the new regulatory requirements in the event of a
            Washington later this month  must be protected through the  Ireland Council for Voluntary  no-deal Brexit.
            to outline their concerns to  process of the UK’s withdraw-  Action; Northern Ireland Food  “Since July the Revenue Commissioners have been writing
            Speaker Pelosi and other sen-  al from the EU and its future  and  Drink  Association;  individually to all businesses trading with the UK and have com-
            ior US politicians from the  trade agreements.”          Northern    Ireland  Retail  pleted the exercise of issuing 92,000 letters with, to date, 18,000
            main parties in Congress.      He set out the “pillars of  Consortium; Retail NI UNI-  follow up phone calls,” the statement adds.
              In the letter, the groups  peace” which needed to be   SON Northern Ireland; Union     “To support this effort, the Government agreed to a new
            asked Speaker Pelosi to ensure  protected.               of Shop, Distributive and    phase of a central communications campaign focusing on a call
            the Congress scrutinized any   “The normalization of secu-  Allied Workers; Women in  to action to businesses and other affected sectors, which will be
            future trade deal with the UK  rity arrangements, the eco-  Business NI. C            formally launched tomorrow.” C
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