Richmond refers Brexit campaign organisation to ComReg

Fine Gael TD and spokesman on European Affairs, Neale Richmond, has referred the Leave.eu campaign organisation to ComReg following its relocation to Waterford.

“Leave.eu is an odious campaign group that’s spread fear and disinformation throughout the Brexit referendum and subsequent negotiation process.

“The group is the subject of numerous legal disputes and has a reprehensible record in the UK.

“Following the end of the transition period, the group has moved its registered office from the UK to Waterford in order to maintain its .eu domain name.

“Such a move not only maintains the domain name but also retains the group’s prominent profile on the internet through search engines, social media sites and existing references.

“The revocation of Leave.eu to Waterford is certainly not a Brexit dividend and the basing of such an organisation here should not be welcomed nor should it be easy.

“As such, I have written to ComReg and placed Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications querying the legitimacy of such a relocation.

“It is my understanding that to maintain a .eu registered domain name, an organisation must be an EU citizen or business based in the EU with other qualifying conditions.

“We cannot allow Ireland to be a brass plate of convenience for this grouping and this requires rigorous scrutiny,” Deputy Richmond said.