Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Some of the comments by the Prime Minister yesterday were, I think, unhelpful in that regard. The Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, and Maroš Šefcovic are building a good relationship as the two key negotiators on behalf of the UK and the EU in terms of trying to settle some of the outstanding issues on how we implement, with the maximum flexibility possible, the protocol into the future. We certainly will be working with both sides, and I speak to Maroš Šefcovic on a weekly basis. We want to try to find a way forward that can bring the certainty and stability that is needed in Northern Ireland so this extraordinary advantage that the protocol does actually provide can be fully utilised, instead of the protocol remaining a polarising issue in politics in Northern Ireland in the lead-up to elections. We all have an obligation to try to move forward these issues. I think the EU is playing its part in that in terms of offering real flexibility and I hope the UK will be able to respond positively to that in the weeks ahead.

See this speech in context