Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has rejected a suggestion that he has ordered an increase in checks on food travelling from Great Britain into Northern Ireland since he took office.
During a hearing of Stormont’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs committee, an MLA said she had been told that almost half of chilled trailers moving into Northern Ireland had been stopped over a four-day period last week.
The DUP’s Michelle McIlveen asked the minister if he supported the elimination of all “routine physical and identity checks” on goods moving within the UK internal market system, as set out in the Government’s Safeguarding the Union command paper.
The paper followed a deal between the Government and the DUP that led to the restoration of the Stormont powersharing Executive.
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the new arrangements removed the so-called Irish Sea trading border and restored Northern Ireland’s place within the UK internal market.
Mr Muir told the committee that his department’s job was to uphold the law.
Ms McIlveen said: “With regard to checks which have been taking place over the last short while.
“Since you have taken up office, have you or your officials given a direction to increase the level of visual checks on agri-food from GB at NI ports?
“I am saying this because anecdotally we are hearing back that this may have happened, particularly for some supermarkets.
“One retailer has told us that out of 47 chilled trailers arriving into Northern Ireland over a four-day period last week, 40% were stopped for inspection by DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) and 10% were detained for a considerable period of time.
“I just want to be reassured that there hasn’t been a direction given in respect of that and that people aren’t being over-zealous for a particular reason, because obviously there are impacts for fresh food.”
Mr Muir responded: “I can make it very clear to the committee today I have given no direction of any sort in relation to that and I have no desire to.
“One of the frustrations I have around this is anecdotal reports.
“People, if they have concerns or issues, they need to bring them to me and to my officials and we can consider those and we can find a way to address any concerns around that.
“There has been no direction given and there is no desire to be over-zealous in relation to this.
“My job as minister is to implement the law and it is my clear desire to ensure that we support businesses over the time ahead.”
Mr Muir was also asked about funding to implement the provisions of the Windsor Framework, a deal between the UK and EU on post-Brexit trading arrangements.
The minister said: “If the UK Government has a desire to ensure the smooth implementation of the Windsor Framework, they need to ensure that they properly pay for all of the costs associated with that.
“The ball is in their court in relation to that.”