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

Sometimes, in moments of opportunity like this, less is more in terms of what is said publicly. We are trying to rebuild a relationship of some trust, which has been largely absent for quite some time. Certainly, the conversations I have had with the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and his deputy, Steve Baker, have been warm. There is a genuine effort on the British side to try to rebuild and reconstruct relationships with Ireland, which is good. That is clearly under instruction from the Prime Minister's office because it is happening across the board.

My meeting this evening will focus on timelines and subjects where we think it is possible to make progress sooner rather than later. It will not be possible to resolve all the issues linked to the implementation of the protocol by 28 October but we could make significant progress on some of the issues that really matter to people in Northern Ireland, including the unionist and business communities. There are issues that need to be resolved and can be resolved relatively quickly, such as issues around tariffs and checks, the nature of those checks, and how we could move towards what Vice President Šefčovič has called "virtually invisible" checks by co-operation, partnership and sharing of data and information on trade flows and so on.

This is not easy stuff. If it was, it would have been done long ago. The chances of resolving these issues and bringing an end to the stand-offs on the protocol are enhanced by a new approach based on partnership rather than unilateral action. The UK Government unilaterally progressing and passing this legislation and making it law will, as I said many times, cause many more problems than it will solve. The legislation is in the system-----

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