Seizure Of NI Boats A Sign Of Irish Govt Brexit Escalation- UUP

The leader of the Ulster Unionists Robin Swann has said the impounding of two Northern Irish fishing boats by the Irish Navy is a sign of the Irish Government "foolishly upping the ante" ahead of Brexit.

57-year-old Jack Brown and 47-year-old Kevin Trainer plead guilty to breaching fishing regulations on Friday 01 March after their boats were seized in Dundalk Bay.

It comes amid an ongoing dispute over their right to fish in Ireland's waters.

"The seizure of these two boats was totally uncalled for," Mr Swann said, alleging that the incident was a mere "point scoring" exercise.

The north Antrim MLA continued: "I wonder how the Irish fishing fleet would respond if the UK were to suddenly bar them from fishing the inshore waters around Northern Ireland. Yet that's unlikely to happen because, unlike the current Irish Government, we still see the value in doing things the right way and using the appropriate diplomatic channels.

"I find it really disheartening that less than a month away from the UK leaving the European Union that the Irish Government are more interested in engaging in pathetic stunts such as these than they are in trying to find a solution on the border for the 29th March onwards.

"The increasingly reckless brinkmanship and public statements coming from people such as Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney has to end."



(JG/CM)