Ireland dismisses UK Brexit border check plan as 'non-starter'

A UK government proposal to set up customs checkpoints 10 miles either side of the Northern Ireland border, was rejected out of hand as a non-starter by Irish politicians on Tuesday.

The “unofficial” secret plans were submitted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the European Union, according to Irish broadcaster RTE, which had seen the documents.

Johnson had previously insisted there would be no hard infrastructure on the border. On Tuesday he denied the latest suggestion was government policy, saying it was “out of date”.

RTÉ reported that customs clearance sites would be sited five to 10 miles from the border to the north and the south to deal with imports and exports.

Traders could opt to have customs checks done at these sites or be tracked electronically.

Irish deputy prime minister Simon Coveney said the idea was a “non-starter” and called for a “serious proposal” from the UK.

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said the plan was “absolutely out of the question”.

“What has been described in this document is essentially a hard border on the island of Ireland. Anything that causes there to be customs, tariffs, checks anywhere represents a hardening of the border,” she said.

“Boris Johnson voted for the backstop because in a moment of perhaps rare lucidity he recognised that was the bottom line to protect the island of Ireland. I only hope he returns to that position.”