Brexit: The road ahead for Irish firms

Britain has served its separation notice and talks over the divorce terms start soon. An all-island

Over the past week, we have witnessed events of great symbolic importance. Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty has been triggered by the British government and its so-called Great Repeal Bill has been introduced into the Houses of Parliament. Great swathes of EU legislation will now be transposed into Britishdomestic law allowing for greater certainty in the conduct of peoples’ affairs. It remains to be seen just how many of those laws survive over the long run. A cloud of uncertainty hangs heavy, in particular, over those of us on the island of Ireland, most of whom have played little or no part in the decision on the part of the citizens of the UK, to depart from the EU.

Towns such as Clones, in Monaghan, seem remote from Westminster where much of the action has been taking place, but it and fellow border districts could be deeply affected. A sense of just how severe the effects could turn out to be is contained in a report by the Frontline project which was published last week by Chambers Ireland. Thirty members from various locations along the border — from Dundalk to Letterkenny— were interviewed on the record for the project. Some of the views aired are somewhat alarming, though counsels of despair do not predominate. These are business people, after all.