Council Motion calls for continued European representation locally

Democratic representation in Europe must continue post Brexit

Tonights monthly meeting of Newry, Mourne and Down Council will discuss a Sinn Féin proposed motion in support of continued European representation for the north of Ireland post Brexit.

Speaking in advance of the Council meeting, Councillor Róisín Mulgrew  said; “Brexit poses a real and immediate threat to the people of Ireland, north and south. That threat is felt most acutely here, in regions and communities close to the border dividing Ireland. Our agriculture sector faces decimation as cross border trade is frustrated and EU support ceases. Cross border workers and students face insecurity. All citizens in the north face losing access to the European Health Insurance Card, programmes like Erasmus and future funding streams. Hard won European workers’, human, environmental rights and protections risk being butchered by British Ministers. For these reasons, and others, the people of the north voted to remain in the European Union but still face the prospect of being dragged out, into a post-Brext British mire, against their will.

From the outset of this process, Sinn Féin have stated that Ireland cannot be the collateral damage in Brexit and that all outworkings envisioned by the British Government prove Brexit and the Good Friday Agreement are incompatible”.

The Slieve Gullion area Councillor continued, “As the British Government continue to stumble from crisis to catastrophe, the European Union have been firm. There can be no diminution of the rights of people in the north of Ireland. One of those rights, clearly identified by European treaties, is the right to stand and elect Members of the European Parliament.

"The reallocation of British seats in the European Parliament means that Ireland will receive two new seats. Sinn Féin is calling for these new seats to be allocated to the north and have submitted a detailed proposal to the Constituency Commission to that effect.

"Irrespective of the final outcome of the Brexit negotiations, whether there’s a deal or a crash, the European Union will be taking decisions that directly affect the north of Ireland. It is reasonable, therefore, that the north is directly represented in future decision making processes”.

The full text of the motion reads:

That this Council acknowledges the commitments made in the Brexit negotiations (both the Joint Report and the Draft Agreement) where Irish/EU citizens in the north of Ireland ‘will continue to enjoy, exercise and have access to rights, opportunities and benefits as EU citizens; recognises that this body of rights includes democratic rights i.e. the right to vote and stand as candidates in EU elections; calls on the Irish Government to facilitate this right given that Ireland has been allocated two additional MEP seats; calls on the Irish Government to amend the legislation, allocate those seats to the north of Ireland andallow citizens in the north to vote for candidates for these seats in order that they may be represented in the EU Parliament; calls on the Chief Executive to write to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government requesting this.