Lord Empey uncovers £192m budget for Irish Sea border posts - saying frontier is 'alive and kicking'

Ulster Unionist peer Lord Reg Empey says it demonstrates that the Irish Sea border is “alive and kicking”.

Sir Reg asked the government how much money had been allocated for the construction of border inspection posts in Northern Ireland.

Lord Douglas-Miller, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed how much money had been set aside for the facilities.

In a written answer, he said: “The construction of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Inspection Facilities in Northern Ireland is supported by an agreed business case which provides a funding envelope of up to a maximum of £192.3 million. This figure is just an envelope and is not guaranteed as the department always aspires to come in under budget”.

Sir Reg Empey told the News Letter the cost of the Irish Sea border is colossal.

He said: "The amount of money being thrown at these border inspection posts is absolutely staggering!

"Anybody who has the cheek to say that the border in the Irish Sea is gone needs to explain this colossal sum to the people of Northern Ireland.

"Its a total lie. The sea border is alive and kicking as this Answer confirms.

“When we realise that some school and hospital buildings are in danger of falling down this bill tells you where some people's priorities lie!”

Border inspection posts are a key part of the special post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland, and provide a way for the European Union to protect its single market.

EU rules on plant and animal health continue to apply in Northern Ireland – requiring checks on certain goods entering from Great Britain.

The Windsor Framework provided easements for certain sectors, particularly physical retail outlets. However, as reported in today’s News Letter, there are still outright bans on certain items – such as plants – which don’t meet European Union single market rules.