SINN Féin MEP Martina Anderson has said Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou McDonald will travel to Strasbourg today for a series of meetings with senior EU figures on Brexit.
Martina Anderson said: “Sinn Féin’s deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald TD and party leader in the north Michelle O’Neill will travel to Strasbourg today for a two-day visit to the European Parliament, during which they will meet with senior figures to discuss Brexit.
“This visit by the Sinn Féin leadership is part of our ongoing diplomatic offensive to build support for our case for designated status for the north within the EU.
“During the visit they, along with the Sinn Féin MEP team, will hold a series of meetings with members of the European Parliament’s steering group on Brexit, including the Parliament’s chief negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt.
“They will also meet with a number of the presidents of the main political groupings in the Parliament.
“Our meetings will also include an engagement with Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan to discuss the impact of the Tories’ plans to take the north out of the EU against our will.
“The Sinn Féin leadership team will also meet with Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly to reiterate the need for the Irish government to stand up for the interests of all Irish citizens, including those living in the North, and to make securing designated special status within the EU its negotiation position.
“We value the ongoing support we have received from Europe in the face of the reckless Brexit agenda of the British Tories and look forward to continuing support so that the will of the people of the north can be realised and that we see our future in a more social and democratically accountable EU.”
