The leaders of some of the north's political parties have signed a joint statement claiming "significant areas of concern" remain around the impact of Brexit in Northern Ireland.
Michelle O'Neill, assembly leader and vice-president of Sinn Fein, Colum Eastwood, leader of the SDLP, Naomi Long, leader of the Alliance Party, and Steven Agnew, leader of the Green Party in NI, agreed and issued a statement last night in which they said the north was at "a crucial point in the Brexit negotiations".
"Guarantees were given in the Joint Report between the British Government and the EU in December that there would be no diminution of rights as a result of Brexit, on the rights of people resident here and that the Good Friday Agreement would be protected".
"These guarantees have yet to be fully translated into legally binding text and reflected in the Draft Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland".
In the statement, the leaders said "significant areas of concern remain and there is little sign of any tangible progress on a range of important matters" including continued access to third-level study with the status of EU students; continued access to the European Health Insurance Card; continued provision for cross border health services, such as the Northwest Cancer Centre and the Children’s Heart Centre; and safeguards for EEA migrant workers in Northern Ireland, as well as a broad range of other areas reflected in our earlier Joint Declaration on Human Rights and Equality.
"We note the proposals put forward by civic society groups for amendments to the Draft Protocol and we urge further dialogue and consideration of changes to ensure that the Protocol is amended in a manner that faithfully reflects and translates into law all rights and equality commitments made in the first phase of the negotiations".
