Protocol agreement will be ‘uniquely favourable’ to NI, says Taoiseach

The new agreement between the European Union and British government on the Northern Ireland protocol has provided solutions that are “agreeable, workable and durable”, said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Mr Varadkar said that the solution was a “uniquely favourable” arrangement for Northern Ireland as it would allow for the free movement of goods between it and Britain. He also said the Windsor Framework would not water down the protocol.

However, he accepted that the EU was willing to make more concessions because of the challenges facing Europe, particularly the energy crisis. He said Brexit was a concept on paper before it became operational. After it happened, there was more understanding of how it and the protocol had affected trade movement in reality.

Destructive Brexit

“It made us understand what aspects of it were not necessary and we were able to take some of those away,” he said.

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Speaking at Government Buildings, Mr Varadkar said Brexit had been destructive to people on these islands.

He said the protocol had been designed to prevent hard borders on the island of Ireland but its “operation has led to some problems for business and made trade more complicated than it needs to be”.

He said the agreement would bring stability and certainty to a situation that has been in flux since the decision by the UK to leave the EU nearly seven years ago.

“I firmly believe people in Northern Ireland do not want to return to divisions of the past. They want progress and a shared future,” he said.

Asked what was different about British prime minister Rishi Sunak’s approach, Mr Varadkar replied that a lot of trust had been built up between the European Commission and Mr Sunak and his team through behind-the-scenes work.

“It does make a difference. It was done in a way that builds confidence and trust,” he said, adding that the exchange of data on trade and the movement of goods was helpful.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said the agreement would pave the way for Northern Ireland’s political institutions to be restored “without delay”, a year after the Executive and Assembly were suspended.

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Mr Martin, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the same food will be available on supermarket shelves in Northern Ireland as in the rest of the UK. Medicines will also be available to people in Northern Ireland at the same time and under the same conditions as the rest of the UK, he added.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said her party had made it clear throughout the process that there would be no hard border on the island. “It is crucial that the agreement works for ordinary people across the island, including businesses and the wider community,” she said.

Leading Irish American congressman Brendan Boyle, who is also co-chairman of the US congressional caucus on the European Union, strongly backed the new deal.

He also urged that there should be a return to Stormont as soon as possible.

“I enthusiastically commend negotiators from the European Union and the British government for reaching a deal on the Northern Ireland protocol,” he said. “It is now incumbent upon all of the parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly to return to government and make the institutions work for all.”