Westminster’s ‘volatility’ slowed progress on important issues, Taoiseach says

Political “volatility” in Westminster in recent months held up progress tackling important issues, such as finding an agreement on the future of the Northern Ireland protocol, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.

The Fianna Fáil leader said there was a clear sense that recent developments in the UK had brought their political system back towards a “stable framework”.

Mr Martin said it was “challenging” in politics when dealing with periods of instability, as “certain issues can’t get moved as quickly as one would like”.

He said he hoped there would now be a breakthrough “as soon as possible” in negotiations between the UK and European Union on the protocol, which governs the post-Brexit trade arrangement across the Border.

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Mr Martin said he was struck by British prime minister Rishi Sunak’s “pragmatic approach” to the issue, following their first bilateral meeting on Thursday evening.

Mr Martin was speaking on Friday at a press conference at the end of a two-day summit of the British-Irish Council, where representatives from the Irish, British, Welsh and Scottish governments met, as well as representatives from Jersey, the Isle of Man and Guernsey.

The meeting discussed the war in Ukraine, housing issues, migration, the climate crisis, as well as the “economic headwinds” facing the various governments, he said.

Politicians from Northern Ireland did not attend the summit, as it remains with a devolved Executive or Assembly, with a return to powersharing currently being blocked by the DUP over opposition to the protocol.

Elections in Northern Ireland have been postponed to allow for UK and EU negotiators to try to find a fresh agreement on how the protocol is implemented.

“We regret the fact that the First Minister and Deputy First Minister are not here. The real pressure point is to get this issue resolved, so we can create a pathway for the restoration of the institutions,” Mr Martin said.

The Government had always recognised that there were “legitimate issues that need to be dealt with” before unionists could accept an agreement, he said. Mr Martin added that the views of businesses and industry in Northern Ireland, who benefitted from the protocol, also had to be taken into account.

“I remain hopeful. I do not understate the difficulties, I do not understate the challenges, that’s why we have to keep all parties on board,” he said.

British minister for intergovernmental relations Michael Gove said he “sincerely hoped” the Executive would be restored in Northern Ireland by the next meeting of the British-Irish Council, which will be in June or July next year.

Mr Gove said he was “not aware of any plans” to pause the progress of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill moving through UK parliament, which would tear up parts of the protocol agreement. He said questions around the controversial legislation were “above my pay grade”.

First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon said the recent instability in Westminster politics “has made communication and dialogue, engagement” between the British and Scottish government more difficult. However, the Scottish leader said she felt “we are entering a phase that will be more constructive and positive”.

Speaking after meeting Mr Sunak on Thursday, Mr Martin said both leaders agreed there “was a good window of opportunity” to resolve the deadlock over the protocol.