Post-Brexit rules mean Northern Ireland customers pay more – catering boss

It is "reality" that the cost of the Windsor Framework has to be passed onto customers, one of Northern Ireland's biggest catering suppliers has said.

Andrew Lynas, of Lynas Foodservice, said Brexit paperwork, certificates, staffing, and additional costs from suppliers in Great Britain have led to customers paying more, adding he "doesn't want and doesn't like it".

It comes as the House of Lords' Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee found the Windsor Framework is "impossible to navigate".

The government said the framework was "the only workable solution" that safeguards Northern Ireland's place in the UK internal market and EU single market, and ensures no hard border on the island of Ireland.

Mr Lynas said if you are an all-island business, the system of red lanes - set up for goods at Northern Ireland ports as a result of the Windsor Framework - does not work.

"The green lanes work brilliantly if you're a retail business in Northern Ireland - if you're bringing goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland it's been a big improvement," he said.

"But the reality is if you're an all-Ireland business in any shape or form [and have to use the red lanes] then it doesn't work."

Talks between the UK and EU are resuming this autumn.

Mr Lynas said: "I think we need to have ambition in these next sets of talks to say, how can we eradicate that? How do we use technology? How do we use AI?

"How do we build on the trust that is there and say, let's actually make this work for the long term? And so we have an agreement for the next five to 10 years."

A government spokesperson said the Windsor Framework is "the only workable solution for Northern Ireland, safeguarding Northern Ireland's place in the UK Internal Market and the EU Single Market, and ensuring no hard border on the island of Ireland".

They said the government regularly engages with businesses and people in Northern Ireland "as we work to deliver greater prosperity and security".

"We will now consider the committee's findings and respond in due course."

Red lanes and green lanes were set up as a result of the Windsor Framework to ease trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

Goods arriving into Northern Ireland with minimal checks go into the green lane.

Those which could go across the border into the Republic of Ireland – and therefore the EU – use the red lane.

That means full customs paperwork and goods can be checked at the ports.