Council told a dozen officers required for Larne port food-related inspections

The council has been instructed to begin the process by the Food Standards Agency following direction issued by Whitehall.

The posts will be funded entirely by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

Commenting on a letter received from Robin Walker MP, Minister of State for Northern Ireland, at last week’s council meeting, council chief executive Anne Donaghy said that the correspondence indicated that there would be “no new customs infrastructure placed in Northern Ireland”.

“However he has highlighted there would be an adjustment of what is needed for entry for agri-food goods.

“We do not have a clear definition of what the reasonable adjustment is. We don’t know what that is.”

The Chief Executive went on to say that the new environmental health team will be based at Larne port to carry out inspections for agri-food goods during a 24-hour period, seven days a week, for three years.

“DAERA officials have also met with our planning department. They have begun a conversation about planning permission. It looks very much like a conversation around permitted development at the port.”

Braid DUP Councillor William McCaughey has asked for an assurance over the import of medicines from the United Kingdom.

He said that he was speaking on behalf of 531 pharmacies across Northern Ireland that dispense more than 41m items.

“Pharmacies and also hospitals rely on those medicines coming from the United Kingdom in their entirety. Within this supply chain are medicines with a critical expiry date.

“It is imperative that these medicines are not affected in any way by administrative procedures.

“Efficiency comes down very heavily that there are no administrative blockages in their path.”

TUV Bannside Councillor Timothy Gaston stressed that all businesses in Northern Ireland need clarity urgently.

Larne Lough Alliance Councillor Robert Logan stated that ambiguity remains for the most part with “more questions than answers”.

He quipped: “We are giving up the bureaucrats of Brussels for the wise guys of Westminster.”

The chief executive said that engagement is continuing with the UK Govenment and she will write “with urgency” to the minister to arrange another meeting.

The United Kingdom left the European Union on January 31. Currently, there is a transition period in place which will conclude at the end of this year.

In his letter to the borough council, Mr Walker said: “The UK Government will give effect to our obligations without the need for any new customs infrastructure in Northern Ireland

The minister added: “We will make the necessary adjustments to existing entry points for agri-food goods to provide for proportionate additional controls including some checks to help movements of live animals and agri-food from Great Britain into Northern Ireland.”

“As we had committed to do, we have submitted applications in respect of these facilities.

“Although checks are already currently carried out at Larne port on livestock entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain, the port is not currently a designated BCP (Border Control Post).”

Read earlier council discussion on the subject here

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter.

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