THE CAMPAIGN GROUP Border Communities Against Brexit today posted photos of new Revenue customs cars arriving in Dundalk as Ireland prepares for the UK’s exit from the EU.
The group has campaigned against a return to a hard border in Ireland since the UK voted to leave the EU.
A spokesperson for Revenue said that it was “in the process of acquiring 16 new vehicles”. Some of these, they said, were replacements while others would be new. The new cars would bring the total number of revenue vehicles to 242.
The spokesperson did not confirm where these vehicles would be used.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Border Communities Against Brexit member Damien McGenity said that the cars were a sign that “the Irish government are in a state of readiness about no-deal”.
However, McGenity was critical of the fact that “the government hasn’t been upfront about what the arrangements will be in the event of no deal”.
Since Boris Johnson took office as UK prime minister, his rhetoric and Brexit strategy have fuelled concerns that the UK is poised to leave the EU without a deal on 31 October.
Last night, RTÉ published British proposals to the EU that suggested the creation of a series of customs posts along the border.
The proposals would also create a “customs clearance site” in the North that could be monitored using GPS or tracking devices on trucks.
The proposals fueled concerns today on both sides of the border about the approach taken by the UK to Brexit negotiations.
McGenity called the photos “ominous”.
“These photos today have been exponentially shared and viewed,” he said. “It has come as a real shock to people.”
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