Brexit: Inquiry into suspension of Irish Sea border checks

In mid January, graffiti started to appear in NI

A Stormont investigation is to take place into the suspension of checks at post-Brexit border posts in Northern Ireland.

The Department of Agriculture temporarily suspended physical checks at Larne and Belfast ports amid security concerns.

Its staff returned to work on Wednesday.

Members of the Agriculture Committee voted five to three in favour of an inquiry on Thursday.

Northern Ireland remained part of the EU's single market for goods when the rest of the UK left at the end of the transition period.

This means that some products from Great Britain now have to enter NI through border control posts.

Council chief 'told councillors of paramilitary threat'

On 1 February, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and then the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs withdrew staff amid claims of intimidation.

Threatening graffiti had appeared showing opposition to the NI Protocol in the government's Brexit deal with the European Union.

The council staff later returned to work, but the department's stayed out.

PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne said earlier this week that he had no evidence of a "credible threat" to staff, leading to accusations by Sinn Féin MLA John O'Dowd that the suspensions of checks was based on "misinformation".

A councillor said Anne Donaghy told them she had information that paramilitaries were behind the threats

On Thursday, Sinn Féin councillor James McKeown claimed party group leaders on Mid and East Antrim Borough Council were originally told by its chief executive Anne Donaghy that it was her "assessment" that a paramilitary group was behind the threats.

Mr McKeown said Ms Donaghy told them the assessment came from "information which she had received", but when asked for more details she told members it was "from a source she didn't want to disclose".

However, "the name of the UDA came up," the councillor told BBC News NI's Evening Extra.

A spokesperson for Mid and East Antrim Council said its "threshold for risk is very low" when it comes to the health, safety and well-being of its workers.

"Serious concerns were raised to council by a range of stakeholders around the safety of workers at Larne Port," they continued.

"Council sought a threat assessment from the PSNI and until the level of threat, and credibility of any threat, could be determined by police, council prioritised the safety of its staff and removed them from inspection duties as a precautionary measure."

The council added that staff returned to their duties a day after the PSNI's threat assessment was returned.

"This remains under review by council in partnership with our stakeholders, and the chief executive will continue to address any queries and concerns from elected members."

DUP withdraw from certain council meetings

Earlier, the DUP withdrew from party group leaders' meetings of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

The party's group leader Gregg McKeen said the meetings "are not a decision-making body, but should be problem-solving forum".

"Unfortunately when details of discussions are leaked it negates the usefulness of this forum.

"If these problems can be resolved we will be happy to resume participation," he added.

Mr McKeown said the group leaders' meetings should go ahead without the DUP.

• Why were Northern Ireland port checks suspended?

• NI port staff return after security concerns

"A special meeting of the council should be urgently convened and, if such a meeting is held, we will be calling for a full investigation into the events surrounding the withdrawal of workers from the port of Larne," he said.

The Alliance Party's Gerardine Mulvenna said that the DUP was "being reckless" with people's futures.

The council said a meeting of group party leaders will take place next week.

Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan told Stormont's agriculture committee on Thursday that the confusion over what evidence the council had to suspend staff "warranted further investigation and scrutiny".

He said some of the information was "simply not true" and that he believed the decision was "calculated and political by the DUP".

DUP MLA William Irwin said staff safety was a priority and that there were "no consequences at all" from the decision to suspend staff, that it was a "sensible decision to make".