New Brexit checks at NI ports will not be ready on time, official confirms

A Stena Line ferry in Belfast Port as processes on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will be kept to an “absolute minimum” following the end of the Brexit transition period, the UK Government said (Niall Carson/PA)

New checking facilities for goods arriving in Northern Ireland from Great Britain will not be ready for the end of the Brexit transition period, a senior official has confirmed.

Contingency arrangements are being prepared, including the repurposing of old buildings and an interim paper-based checking system, when the requirement for additional regulatory checks at ports comes into effect on January 1.