Brexit – deal or no deal?

A chara, – Like your letter writer Michael O' Leary (December 11th), I too am perplexed as to what I have to do to prepare for Brexit.

I have a small business employing 15 people on the Cavan side of the Fermanagh border. I attended several meetings on how to prepare and left still wondering what I had to do.

January and February are busy months for me and I have to take on skilled tradesmen on a temporary basis. I managed to contact four men in Belfast who are available but who needed PPS numbers to work in the South. I have now been warned – for the first time – that this could be problematic. As I write, this has not yet been resolved. To date, as we stand on the precipice, no-one really seems to know what’s around the corner. As a Border man, I’ll do the natural thing and get on with it! – Yours, etc,

DONAL CARLIN,

READ SOME MORE

Ballyconnell,

Co Cavan.

Sir, – Boots Pharmacy employs more British people than Britain’s fishing fleet. Fishing is a totemic issue for the Brexiteers because they are worried about Scotland. Brexit is now likely to precipitate the break-up of the United Kingdom in the medium term. So much for “taking back control”.

Boris Johnson’s political hand has become dangerously weak. That augurs badly for the Brexit end game and for Ireland.

Already much political energy across the water is being quietly allocated to the blame game. Michael Gove and Boris Johnson have few things in common. “It’s someone else’s fault” is their only continuously shared political creed. That creed is about to be resoundingly rejected by English, Welsh and Scots alike. – Yours, etc,

MICHAEL DEASY,

Carrigart,

Co Donegal.

A chara, – “Plaice in our time.” – Is mise,

LOMAN

Ó LOINGSIGH,

Dublin 24.

A chara, – It looks like Boris Johnson’s oven-ready deal is turning into a recipe for the Great British Break-Off. – Is mise,

COLM O’FATHARTA,

Rathgar,

Dublin 6.