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The South Antrim MP has written to the government about the “time-consuming and expensive process” pigeon fanciers must go through to move birds across the Irish Sea, when they face no restrictions if fly back themselves. Mr Swann says both the UK and Northern Ireland governments must “urgently address the bureaucratic barriers” impacting the movement of the pet birds between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He has written to both the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to highlight what he described as an “anomaly” facing local pigeon fanciers. The former health minister says that under the current Windsor Framework arrangements, pigeons can be transported freely from Northern Ireland to Great Britain, but anyone bringing pigeons, mostly breeding birds, back from Great Britain to Northern Ireland must obtain a veterinary health certificate for each bird, signed by one of only a small number of certified vets. Mr Swann said: “This added red tape is causing unnecessary expense and inconvenience. It also makes little practical sense. These are healthy, traceable birds, and yet fanciers must go through a time-consuming and expensive process just to bring them home, all while the same birds can fly back across the Irish Sea without any restrictions at all. “It’s absurd that racing pigeons can fly freely between Great Britain, Ireland and Northern Ireland, but can’t be transported without paperwork.” The UUP MP said he welcomed Alliance minister Andrew Muir’s offer of a departmental meeting but stressed that the issue ultimately lies with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in Westminster, which oversees animal movement under the Windsor Framework. “I will continue to press DEFRA to find a proportionate solution. This is yet another example of how the current post-Brexit arrangements have created needless complexity in everyday life. “We should be making it easier, not harder, for responsible pigeon fanciers to continue their sport”, Mr Swann said.
