Varadkar: Talks over Northern Ireland Protocol 'inching towards conclusion'

Rebecca Black, PA

Negotiations over the Northern Ireland Protocol are “inching towards conclusion”, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has indicated.

Mr Varadkar was speaking as speculation mounts that a deal may be announced in the coming days.

Talks between the EU and UK to fix issues with the post-Brexit trading arrangements have been ongoing for some time.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen had been expected to travel to the UK on Saturday, and was to meet Britain's King Charles III at Windsor Castle.

British government sources confirmed Ms von der Leyen’s trip was called off, prompting commentary around British prime minister Rishi Sunak’s handling of the negotiations.

The DUP has pressed the British government to act on unionist concerns around the impact of the protocol on trade between Britain and Northern Ireland, and impact on the union.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has demanded action on the protocol before his party re-enters devolved government.

Speaking in Galway on Saturday, Mr Varadkar commended the “level of engagement” in recent months.

He said he was cautious about saying anything that might risk the process, but indicated he believes there is a possibility of agreement in the next few days.

“Certainly the deal isn’t done yet,” Mr Varadkar told RTÉ.

“But I do think we are inching towards conclusion and I really want to thank the UK government and the European Commission and the Northern Ireland parties for the level of engagement that they’ve done in recent months to get us to this point.

“I would just encourage everyone to go the extra mile to come to an agreement because the benefits are huge.

“They allow us to have the Northern Ireland Assembly back up and running in the north and the Good Friday Agreement working properly again, and also to put relations between the United Kingdom and Ireland and the European Union on a much more positive footing.”