For months, the government has been warning against the huge amount of paper work that will follow Brexit.
Much of Ireland’s trade goes through a British ‘landbridge’ as many products come via Britain and trucks selling goods go through Britain.
One obvious measure that could be taken would be to increase Ireland’s direct access to the continent via shipping. That would mean major public investment in ports like Rosslare and creation of a state merchant navy to move goods.
But internal documents reveal that the Fine Gael government has ruled out owning or even leasing ships to circumvent a British landbridge.
The think their own right wing ideology is more important than practical solutions.
The documents indicate that a shipping alternative is being ruled out because it “could give rise to claims of interference in the market” and complaints under State aid rules from shipping companies.
In other words, for all the talk of planning for a post crash Brexit, the simplest and most necessary measure is ruled out because it is ‘interfering in the market’.
