PEMBROKESHIRE is set to be ceded to the Republic of Ireland, in an effort to avoid the disruption to the county’s ports as a result of Brexit.
The Welsh Government had recently admitted that the UK Government’s temporary tariffs on imports, which would come into force in the event of a no deal Brexit, could see Welsh ports lose out. In such a scenario, the UK’s temporary import tariffs will not apply to goods crossing from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland. It is also unlikely there will be routine checks on goods travelling between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, potentially creating an incentive for hauliers to route traffic through Northern Ireland, rather than taking the direct sea routes from Ireland to Wales.
Last year, the president of the Irish Road Haulage Association told Parliament’s Welsh Affairs Select Committee that in a no-deal scenario, the Dublin-Holyhead route would be the only
Irish port able to handle agricultural produce moving between the EU and the UK as it has a specialist inspection post. At Fishguard and Pembroke the facilities are not developed. It has been feared that in Fishguard port alone, 70-80 direct jobs would be lost as a result of Brexit.
A Welsh Assembly committee report found that over 70% of Irish cargo passes through Wales, and voiced concerns that displacement of traffic from Welsh ports as a result of Brexit would negatively impact ports in the Republic of Ireland. As a result, plans have been made to incorporate the county of Pembrokeshire into the Republic of Ireland.
Pembrokeshire would become the 32nd local authority of the Republic, and would be incorporated into the Western region of the Gardaí police service. Trilingual road signs will be erected in the county, displaying directions in English, Welsh and Irish Gaelic.
Pembrokeshire also shares a rich cultural heritage with Ireland. The name Dyfed is derived from the historic name given to the region once settled by the Irish Déisi in the early Middle Ages, and until the 5th century Old Irish was spoken in the region.
Ireland’s citizenship laws currently relate to ‘the island of Ireland’, thereby extending them to Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK. Therefore, this will be updated and extended to Pembrokeshire. People of the county may then exercise an entitlement to Irish citizenship, such as an Irish passport, as well as retaining all the benefits of being an EU citizen.
