CLAIM: A business transaction happens every six seconds across the border of Northern Ireland and Ireland.
CONCLUSION: INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION. There was a cross-border commercial vehicle journey every 6.74 seconds in 2016. But there are no known data on cross-border business transactions. Continue reading A cross-border business transaction every 6 seconds?
CLAIM: The EU sends Northern Ireland €500 million a year
CONCLUSION: ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION. The €500 million figure quoted by the SDLP is substantiated by European Commission figures for EU regional funding of Northern Ireland. However, this is not a ‘net’ figure and does not take into account Northern Ireland’s proportion of the UK’s contribution to the EU. A more complete statement would be to say that Northern Ireland receives €55/£45 million more than we pay to the EU. Continue reading Does the EU send NI €500m annually?
CLAIM: 60% of people in Northern Ireland are against the backstop.
CONCLUSION: INACCURATE. 35% of all those polled in a LucidTalk poll responded that they would oppose some sort of special status for Northern Ireland; 60% of Unionists polled were opposed to one option of special status, because “it would be bad for the NI economy”. Continue reading Are 60% against “The Backstop” in Northern Ireland?
CLAIM: There are approximately 100 lorries per day crossing the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and cross-border trade represents 0.5% of UK-EU trade.
CONCLUSION: INACCURATE. There are 5,900 lorry (heavy goods vehicle) crossings daily. Cross-border trade represents 0.97% of UK-EU trade; alternative figures may be due to different measurement practices between countries. Continue reading Is border trade 0.5% of UK-EU trade?
CLAIM: 62% of income received by farmers in Northern Ireland comes from the European Union.
CONCLUSION: ACCURATE. The average payment received from the EU (£27,648) in 2016-17 represented 62.4% of total farm income (£44,305). This ratio fluctuates with market prices; it ranged between 52% and 71% during 2012-13 to 2016-17. Continue reading Do our farmers receive 62% of income from EU?
Semtex and powdered milk: A history of Ireland-Northern Ireland border checks
by Ferre WOUTERS for FactCheckNI
21 January 2019
At an event in London on 15 January 2019, Arlene Foster (Leader, DUP), stated that during the Troubles there has not been a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. When asked what she meant by this, she explained: “The borders of the past were there for a completely different reason. They were there to stop terrorists, they were there to stop the flow of Semtex (explosives), as opposed to the flow of powdered milk.” Continue reading Semtex and powdered milk: A history of Ireland-Northern Ireland border checks
