Tag Archives: Northern Ireland

This afternoon.

Dublin Castle, Dublin 2.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin taking part in the government’s Shared Island Initiative – hosted by Dearbhail McDonald (above right) – working with the Northern Ireland Executive and the British Government to ‘address strategic challenges faced on the island of Ireland’.

Shared Island Initiative (Gov.ie)

Julien Behal Photography/RollingNews

This morning.

Via RTÉ News:

Non-Irish EU citizens living in the Republic will have to apply online for pre-travel clearance from the UK in order to cross the border on the island of Ireland, under proposed new British immigration laws.

Under the Nationality and Borders Bill, they will be required to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before entering the UK, including when crossing into Northern Ireland.

The Bill has cleared the House of Commons and now heads to the House of Lords.

Meanwhile…

Non-Irish EU citizens need travel clearance to cross border under UK plan (RTÉ)

RollingNews

This afternoon.

Shayna writes:

I received my “Spend Local” £100 Credit card. Stormont is the only devolved government to implement the scheme.

It is estimated that it will cost £15M , designed to help local businesses in The North of Ireland who have suffered due to Covid. It’s available to anyone who resides in NI, over 18 and can provide a National Insurance number, also it is not means tested.

However, I gather, far from stimulating the local economy, lots of types are using the full £100 at Tesco and the like to purchase gift vouchers for Amazon. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, comes to mind.

Ah here.

Damn you, Bezos.

This morning.

St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh.

Wild geese fleeing (out of picture).

NI centenary: Boris Johnson and Simon Coveney in Armagh for cross-community service of reflection and hope (Belfast Telegraph)

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney this afternoon

This afternoon.

Merrion Street, Dublin 2.

West Brit hits the fan.

Coveney to attend event marking NI centenary after President Higgins declined invitation (Independesnt.ie)

Meanwhile….

Um.

RollingNews

From top: The expert panel report: The former nuns’ residence at the Marianvale mother-and-baby home in Newry, county Down

This morning.

Via BBC:

A panel has called for a public inquiry to be held into institutions for unmarried mothers in Northern Ireland.

The three experts also advised that there should be immediate redress payments to survivors.

The devolved government committed to an investigation after research into mother-and-baby homes and Magdalene Laundries was published.

Women said they were detained against their will, used as unpaid labour and had to give up babies for adoption.

The primary recommendation in Tuesday’s report is to establish an “integrated Investigation” by a non-statutory independent panel, feeding into a statutory public inquiry.

There are also further recommendations for supporting measures to ensure that victims and survivors can participate in the investigation, including access to records legislation.

Panel backs public inquiry into mother-and-baby homes (BBC)

Pic: BBC

Incendiary.

Meanwhile…

The introduction of vaccine passports in Northern Ireland is a “no brainer“, the infrastructure minister has said.

SDLP MLA Nichola Mallon said she has raised the issue at Stormont executive meetings on “a number of occasions”.

“It’s frustrating that we’re still sitting having this discussion,” Ms Mallon told the BBC’s Sunday Politics programme.

Covid-19 vaccine passports a ‘no brainer’, says Nichola Mallon (BBC)

This afternoon.

Tony Connelly of RTÉ News reported that the European Union is likely to challenge on legal grounds any move by the UK to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Via RTE News:

Although the UK government has repeatedly threatened to trigger Article 16, saying the conditions have already been met, the European Commission does not believe that to be the case, and would challenge any triggering of the article on legal grounds.

While details have not been shared with member states, it is understood the European Commission is preparing a hierarchy of responses should London trigger Article 16.

“The commission is internally of the view that Article 16 could happen at any time, that it hasn’t gone away, that it’s a very serious possibility,” says one diplomat familiar with preparations.

It is understood the European Commission is working on a twin-track approach, on the one hand bringing forward new proposals that would ease the implementation of the protocol, while on the other hand preparing a response to an Article 16 move

EU likely to challenge any move to trigger Article 16 (RTÉ)

Graphic:  @MillsSheehy and @melissaittoo

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson with US president Joe Biden in The White House last night

“We’re going to talk a little bit about trade today and we’re going to have to work that through.

“But on the (Northern Ireland) protocols I feel very strongly on those.

“We spent an enormous amount of time and effort, the United States, it was a major bipartisan effort made.

“And I would not at all like to see, nor I might add would many of my Republican colleagues like to see, a change in the Irish accords, the end result having a closed border in Ireland.”

US President Joe Biden

Biden: No change to ‘Irish accords’ that results in ‘closed border’ (RTÉ)

Getty