Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important and pertinent issue. Maintaining the UK landbridge as an effective route to market has been a key priority in the Government's Brexit planning. The Irish Maritime Development Office estimates that there are approximately 150,000 landbridge movements annually, with an estimated trade value of €18.2 billion. This is a very important connection. As the Deputy outlined, many of these goods are agri-food products with a short shelf life, such as fresh fish, which makes the landbridge particularly valuable. It is the most viable route to market for many of those goods.

The UK's accession to the Common Transit Convention is welcome. For the information of Members, that allows goods in transit to move through the United Kingdom without undergoing full import or export customs formalities on entry and exit. We have engaged in substantial talks at official and political levels across the European Union to ensure that EU goods in transit via the landbridge will not be subject to additional and unnecessary checks and controls. We have worked especially closely with our French, German, Dutch and Belgian counterparts to understand each other's operations and plans for the post-transition period.

The Deputy has raised the question of the UK Government's commitment to this in light of its introduction of the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill 2019-21, which runs counter to and represents a disavowal of the withdrawal agreement, a binding international treaty, and the Northern Ireland protocol. I have spoken to the UK Prime Minister and pointed out in no uncertain terms that this is unacceptable. It breaches an international treaty and raises questions about the UK Government's commitment to any further agreements that might be concluded. We are working with our EU colleagues in that regard.

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