The DUP’s Brexit spokesperson Sammy Wilson has criticised the Irish Government’s no-deal Brexit planning, stating its shows how the EU “has been taking the British negotiators for a ride”.
On Friday, the Irish Government unveiled a package of emergency legislation to be enacted in the event of a no-deal Brexit that would safeguard citizen’s rights and the education, healthcare and transport sectors.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “We are doing all we can to avoid a no-deal scenario, but we need to be ready in case it does happen.”
Speaking on Sky News, Mr Wilson said some of the Irish Government’s proposals would run “totally contrary” to EU state aid rules, which prevent governments from assisting businesses through subsidies and grants.
“I think this really shows the EU negotiators have been taking the British negotiators for a ride,” he said.
Sammy Wilson also criticised the plans for not touching upon cross-border trade.
“It seems to contradict everything the EU negotiators have been telling the British Government that they have to put in place in order to comply with the single market rules and to protect the single market,” he said.
“First of all, there is not one word about how they intend to deal with trade across the border. We have always said that there is no need for hard border infrastructure and it seems that, even in the face of a no-deal, the Irish Government is not legislating for such a hard border.
“It begs the question: how do they intend monitor trade?”
The Omnibus Bill was published as the EU Commission confirmed it was relaxing certain state aid regulations in preparation for Brexit – a move that will give the government in Dublin more latitude to offer support to farms and other affected businesses.
Leo Varadkar said the new laws would “enables us to mitigate against some of the worst effects of no deal by protecting citizens’ rights, security, and facilitating extra supports for vulnerable businesses and employers”.