Sir, – I am sure I am not alone in wondering why Simon Coveney is making such a huge fuss about the introduction of certain formalities for non-Irish persons who plan to cross the Border. According to his department’s website: “Under the Common Travel Area (CTA), Irish and British citizens move freely and reside in either jurisdiction and enjoy associated rights and entitlements including access to employment, healthcare, education, social benefits, and the right to vote in certain elections.” So clearly there can be other arrangements for persons who are not Irish or British citizens without that infringing either the letter or the spirit of the agreement. Rather than voicing ill-founded objections to the principle, Mr Coveney would do better to calmly suggest ways in which the system can be made to work as smoothly as possible. It has already been said that the UK authorities will not be carrying out any routine checks at the actual border, and so nobody will be stopped and asked to produce papers; but there are reasonable questions about the ease of obtaining a waiver, and the period for which it will be valid. – Yours, etc,
D.R. COOPER,
Maidenhead, UK.