Letter: If the Irish Sea border is harmless then move it to the land frontier

Having read Brian Wilson's letter of April 26 (‘It is hard to feel sympathy for the difficulties of the DUP, which is merely the chickens coming home to roost,’ see link below), I am somewhat puzzled by his assertion that the Northern Ireland Protocol “is not a major constitutional issue as there have always been checks on some goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland”.

Now if this is indeed the case, then the solution to the present Stormont impasse is very simple indeed. Simply move the EU checkpoints from Larne, Belfast and Warrenpoint to Dundalk, Belleek, Lifford and Letterkenny and let Larne, Belfast and Warrenpoint resume the same level of checks as pertained prior to the protocol.

This will alleviate unionist concerns about being severed from the rest of the UK, and allow them to re-enter the devolved assembly.

Furthermore, if, as according to Mr Wilson, the current Irish Sea border is not a 'hard border' at all, the Irish/ EU cabal should have no problems introducing these checks to that part of the island which is official EU territory.

After all, it was 'a hard border on the island of Ireland' that allegedly caused such concern to the Irish and EU. If, as Mr Wilson claims, the Irish Sea Border really is no big deal, why can't the EU/ Irish Republic show some flexibility in the cause of the Good Friday Agreement, and placate unionist fears by moving the checkpoints to their own territory?

Indeed, as long as they refuse to entertain these so-called checkpoints on Irish/EU territory, they merely reinforce the claim that the Irish Sea Border is indeed a 'hard border', and ensure the non co-operation of any self-respecting unionist.

Tom Ferguson, Ballymoney

It is hard to feel sympathy for the difficulties of the DUP, which is merely the chickens coming home to roost