Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Seán Crowe TD, continually raised the case for the North achieving special status in EU in a series of meetings in Brussels on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Crowe was part of a cross party Oireachtas Joint Committee on EU Affairs delegation which met with Michel Barnier (Chief Negotiator on Brexit for the EU Commission), Guy Verhofstadt MEP (European Parliament Representative on Brexit), Emily O Reilly (European Ombudsman), Phil Hogan (European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development), and MEPs from Scotland, Cyprus, and Malta.

Speaking at the end of the two day programme, Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“In all our meetings I detailed how forcing the North out of the EU, against its democratic wishes, would be a disaster for the entire island of Ireland, and have implications for the Good Friday Agreement.

“I continually raised the case for the North to have special status within the EU and that the EU has shown itself to be flexible in coming forward with pragmatic arrangements for dealing with other complex territorial situations.

“Both Mr. Barnier and Mr. Berhofstadt were keenly aware of unique and difficult situation that Ireland is in and the role that the EU has played in the peace process.

“Sinn Féin will continue to press the Irish Government and the EU to ensure designated special status for the North to remain within the EU.”

ENDS