Stormont minister urges common sense solution to problem with protocol January 27 2021, 4.20pm
Gordon Lyons has called for a common sense solution to problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol (Press Eye/PA)
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A Stormont minister has urged the EU to agree a common sense solution to problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Gordon Lyons said the bloc needed to show greater flexibility.
Hauliers and businesses have grappled with complex challenges following Brexit which have emptied supermarket shelves and left lorries stranded in Great Britain without loads.
“It is what we heard directly from those who will be most affected by them.
“There needs to be common sense when it comes to goods coming from Great Britain into Northern Ireland that have no risk of entering into the EU.
“We need to see an awful lot of flexibility there and we need to see change in the approach.”
Northern Ireland is following EU rules on movements of goods through its ports.
A three-month light touch regulatory grace period for supermarkets sending goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland finishes on March 31.
Mr Lyons told his Executive Office scrutiny committee at the Assembly that arrangements should impact as little as possible on ordinary people, and jobs needed to be protected.
Texel Twilight sale set to see 55 pedigree in-lamb hoggets up for grabs
Most sheep sales are now over for 2020 but there are a few exceptions. The Texel Twilight sale is set to take place in Station Road Mart Cootehill on Tuesday (December 29) at 6:00pm.
The sale will see 55 pedigree Texel in-lamb hoggets up for grabs from 10 breeders from the North East Texel Club.
The Twilight Sale is in its fifth year of existence and, according to the club’s chairman, Michael McHugh, it is encouraging to see some new breeders, whose flocks were established with the purchase of ewes at previous Twilight sales, now exhibiting sheep at this year’s sale.