Fianna Fáil Leader in Belfast to Campaign for Remain

Fianna Fáil Leader Micheál Martin TD will spend tomorrow in Belfast campaigning with other parties for a ‘Remain’ vote in the upcoming Brexit referendum.

Deputy Martin will make a keynote address alongside Alliance Party Leader David Ford at the headquarters of the Vote Remain campaign, before canvassing in Belfast with former Lord Mayor of the city, SDLP’s Nicola Mallon MLA.  He will also conduct a series of media engagements.

He commented, “I am acutely conscious that this decision is one that Northern Ireland and British residents will make, and it is theirs alone.  But it is important that the decision they make is based on the facts and that voters are able to reflect on a broad range of perspectives.

“As someone who played a role in the Northern Ireland talks and as a former trade minister, I am very clear that leaving the EU would be bad for the UK and particularly so for Northern Ireland.  As someone who has played a small part in helping improve the relationship between the UK and Ireland to the point where it is now better than it has ever been before, I believe it would be a major step backwards to start putting up barriers to that relationship and reintroducing border controls.

“Europe has been good for the island of Ireland – it has played a positive role in farming and industry; it has funded a very well developed community sector in the North that would otherwise simply not have been sustainable and it has contributed to the work of the cross border bodies.  Fianna Fáil would be the first to criticise elements of how Europe operates, but now is the time to look at the bigger picture.

“Referendum voters in Northern Ireland are now making key decisions and I hope that Fianna Fáil is able to bring another perspective to the debate at this critical time.”