THERE WILL BE no penalty for Northern Irish drivers who do not display GB stickers on their cars while driving in the Republic in the event of a no-deal Brexit, Minister for Transport Shane Ross has confirmed. 

Discussions over a GB identification sticker arose last month when it was spotted that a UK government website advised drivers to display this sticker on the rear of their vehicle while driving in the EU after Brexit. This advice remains on the site. 

However, Minister for Transport Shane Ross has said it is not an offence in Ireland to not have a sticker like this on your car. 

“There is no offence of not having a sticker of this kind in Irish road traffic legislation,” said Ross in a written statement replying to a query from Sinn Féin transport spokesperson Jonathan O’Brien. 

“While I need hardly point out that a person is unlikely to be made liable for vehicle tax simply as a result of not having an international sticker, this is essentially a matter for Revenue.  I understand that there is likewise no offence of not having a sticker in UK law.”

The minister said that national identification stickers are prescribed under international road traffic conventions which applies between Ireland and the UK. The sticker is used to identify a vehicle as visiting rather than based in the jurisdiction for tax purposes.

Ross further confirmed that drivers from Northern Ireland would be able to drive in the Republic if a no-deal Brexit occurs.  

TheJournal.ie previously factchecked the issue of Northern Irish drivers requiring GB stickers on their vehicles and found the claim to be unproven. 

He said that people crossing the border will be able to drive in the Republic using their Northern Ireland licences on a “visitor basis” with no additional documentation required in this instance.  

Sinn Féin MEP Matt Carthy said that common sense prevailed over the “empty” threat of a GB sticker for Northern Irish drivers. 

“For us those of from the border region these are the real outworkings of what represents a hardening of the border.  We will not accept any burden that makes it more difficult to get about our lives on a cross-border basis,” said Carthy in a statement today.