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Following the triggering of Article 50 and hence the start of the UK's exit from the EU, Sinn Fein held at a public meeting in at the Carrickdale Hotel, Co. Louth last week
The meeting was addressed by Sinn Féin Leader Gerry Adams TD, Martina Anderson MEP, Matt Carty MEP, German MEP Gabi Zimmer and John Sheridan of the Border Communities Against Brexit group.
MEP's Martina Anderson and Matt Carty were hosting a Task Force of MEPs from various countries in Ireland to examine the impact of Brexit on here.
The delegation included Gabi Zimmer (Die Linke, Germany), president of the GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament, Josu Juaristi (EH Bildu, Basque country), Maria Matias (Left Bloc, Portugal), Lidia Senra (Galician Alternative Left, Spain) and Giorgios Karatsioubanis (Syriza, Greece).
The Task Force also held meetings with Newry, Mourne and Down Council and Monaghan County Council.
Addressing the impact on ordinary families and communities in border counties by any strengthening of the border, her colleague, Sinn Féin MEP Matt Carty said “I remember very well the long battles in the past to re-open cratered border roads that many of us use on a daily basis. Can we imagine if these roads are closed again? We must all stand together to uphold the democratic wishes of the people of the North, as provided for in the Good Friday Agreement.
“We have to take a stand against an EU frontier in Ireland. We are one community and one country – we must build towards unity not further division.
The MEP Continued "Our preference is for a referendum on Irish unity, and a recent Red C poll found that a majority of those polled believe that Irish Unity is the best way to avoid a hard border.
“However, political leaders should also look to unique arrangements which are already in place in the EU. Denmark is an EU member, yet Greenland is outside the Union and still receives European funding.
“The EU, as a result of a decision by the European Council in April 1990, became an active persuader for the reunification of Germany.
"Northern Cyprus, in the event of Cypriot reunification, will be fully integrated into the EU. Its seats in the European Parliament are allocated on the basis of the population of the island of Cyprus, not merely the de-facto state.
"This is an arrangement that must be considered for Ireland, given the inherent right of those born on this island to Irish citizenship, and by virtue of that right, citizenship of the EU.
"The Irish Government must use the forthcoming Brexit negotiations to secure designated special status for the North of Ireland within the European Union.”
