Equestrian anger as Northern Ireland Protocol pain persists

Felim Crane, from Enniskillen, said he was hopeful that a recent deal on the Irish Sea Border would see ongoing issues with the Protocol addressed, but this has not been the case.  

Instead, Mr. Crane said that bringing horses from Northern Ireland to the mainland continues to be fraught with difficulty, including time-consuming paperwork, physical checks and the requirement of a 'WIT' number.

Meanwhile, anyone travelling with a horse for over eight hours requires a 'WIT2' number, which Mr. Crane said creates even more "hassle" for traders.

And bringing a horse from in reverse is even more onerous, with requirements such as arranging for blood samples to be taken, which can take up to 10 days, and a separate inspection, which costs the taxpayer £500 each time.

In addition, an online movement log must be completed, and further checks are then required at Larne or Belfast, before a horse can walk on Northern Ireland soil.

Mr. Crane, who specialises in buying and selling horses and ponies alongside Fermanagh's Luke Barton, says the restrictions have placed "untold financial stress" and "genuine economic hardship" on their business.

The pair sell animals mostly into the rest of the UK, with around 80 per cent of their sales taking place to England, Scotland and Wales.

And while he was hopeful that a new deal by DUP leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, would sort these ongoing issues out, he was sorely disappointed when he discovered that "nothing had changed".

"I watched the DUP collapse the NI Executive over the implementation of the NI Protocol," Mr. Crane explained.

"I listened for two years about how until the 'border in the Irish Sea' was abolished, there would be no Executive.

"I watched and experienced numerous public sector strikes over fair pay, and the DUP refusing to go back into government.

"I read and listened to the DUP and the British government use a young boy's life and play political football with it as he was waiting for an organ [transplant].

"With this in mind, when I heard about Jeffrey Donaldson's negotiations with the British government and the fantastic news that a deal had been done, he had scrapped the Protocol, there was now no longer a border down the Irish Sea - I’ll be honest, I was delighted.

"I thought to myself that we can finally get back to 'normal'.

"That was until I arrived at Belfast Port to transport two horses to their new homes, and was informed by a member of staff from DEARA that nothing was changing, and all of the checks to leave NI and return with equines were remaining in place.

"I kept thinking about Jeffrey’s interview on BBC Nolan, which I listened to full of hope that our business could now start trading at full capacity again.

"The more I thought about it, the more I felt deceived and let down," claimed Mr. Crane.

As a result, he collated his concerns and sent them directly to Sir Donaldson.

In response, the DUP leader said that changes to the NI Protocol "would not happen overnight",  but assured Mr. Crane that changes would take place.

Sir. Donaldson also stated that his party was opposed to the restrictions, additional costs and paperwork imposed under the NI Protocol: "It remains our view that there is no need for such measures on the movement of horses between one part of the UK and another."

The Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Chris-Heaten Harris, along with the  DUP's Carla Lockhart MP, have agreed to meet with representatives of the equine sector in Northern Ireland to discuss ongoing concerns.

However, Mr. Crane isn't hopeful that resolutions will be reached any time soon, and discontent is growing amongst the equestrian community.

"I am getting hounded every single day by angry horse transporters and horse dealers, horse traders, who use that port on a daily and weekly basis.

"There is a growing desire to block the ports, both Belfast and Larne, with lorries.

"Plain and simple - if politicians don't start listening to us, this is what is going to happen."