Brexit: Robust exchanges over Larne Port staff withdrawal

Mid and East Antrim Council withdrew 12 staff the day after sending a letter to the Cabinet Office

There have been robust exchanges at a Stormont committee over the withdrawal of staff from Irish Sea border checks.

The committee is investigating how departmental staff were stood down from some duties in February.

The focus was on a letter written by the chief executive of Mid and East Antrim Council, Anne Donaghy, whose responsibilities include Larne Port.

She sent it to the Cabinet Office in London the day before the council decided to withdraw 12 of their staff.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) quickly followed suit, suspending physical checks for more than a week.

In the letter, Ms Donaghy outlined difficulties caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol and suggested loyalist paramilitaries were intimidating workers - something the PSNI has ruled out.

• What is the Northern Ireland Protocol and why are there checks?

• Council defends Larne Port Brexit staff withdrawal

• What led to checks being suspended on Irish Sea border?

Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan claimed the letter was political and "could have come straight from the pages of a DUP manifesto or press release".

That sparked a strong response from the council's DUP mayor Peter Johnston, who asked that the remark be withdrawn.

DUP MLA William Irwin also apologised to Ms Donaghy for the way in which she had been treated during her evidence session.

The committee chair, Sinn Féin MLA Declan McAleer, denied that the inquiry was a "witch hunt" and said the questions posed were entirely legitimate.

Ms Donaghy said she had the permission of her council to write to government expressing its concerns about difficulties caused by the protocol.

She said the letter to the Cabinet Office had been one in a series of such letters, but it had not played any role in the decision to withdraw council staff.