There is a “pathway to make progress” which could solve the disagreements between the EU and the UK over the Northern Ireland protocol, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said.
Mr Coveney also emphasised that there was “no justifiable reason to leave Northern Ireland’s democratic institutions in limbo” and urged the restoration of the Northern Assembly and Executive.
In his speech to the British-Irish Association conference in Oxford on Saturday, Mr Coveney said he “hoped to see progress” on the protocol once the new British prime minister was in place.
Earlier, the Taoiseach told the conference the EU would respond positively if Britain abandoned its unilateralist approach to the protocol and called on the next UK prime minister to give a “clear and genuine signal” that their priority is to reach a negotiated settlement.
The winner of the Conservative party leadership contest is due to be announced on Monday.
“Certainly, from an Irish Government perspective we will give the time and space for that new prime minister to set his or her agenda and we will certainly be there as a willing partner to try and find solutions, or a basis for solutions, on the outstanding issues,” Mr Coveney said.
“I firmly believe that, with real political leadership, we can resolve these differences.”
A satisfactory outcome, he said, could not be achieved through unilateral action. “We either do it together or we have serious problems in the future.
“It can only be achieved through co-operation to find joint solutions that address the genuine issues facing people and businesses in Northern Ireland,” he said.
Mr Coveney restated the Government’s “firm” opposition to the UK’s new legislation to deal with the legacy of the Troubles, which was introduced in the UK parliament in June and which is opposed by the North’s five main political parties and by victims and human rights groups.
Mr Coveney said he “sincerely” hoped it was “possible to move back to a collective approach to these most difficult and emotive issues.
“The Irish Government has been and continues to be available to help to navigate a way to do that,” he said.
Any way forward, he said, would “only work if it is collectively agreed and in line with fundamental human rights protections” and the process “must have the needs of victims and survivors at its centre”.
Reflecting on the theme of the conference, which is focusing on the Belfast Agreement in advance of the 25th anniversary of its signing next year, Mr Coveney said it was an “important marker” and a “waypoint in our ongoing journey towards sustainable peace and stability” which should “give new energy to our endeavours” to achieve reconciliation in the North.
The conference also heard speeches from the Northern Secretary, Shailesh Vara, and the vice-president of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, who warned the UK’s next prime minister that triggering Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol could give European leaders the impression London was not interested in co-operating with the European Union.
