Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Generally speaking, one of the big regrets of the whole Brexit saga has been the degree to which proper thinking of the impact on Northern Ireland was never really carried out. We are living with the situation ever since Brexit and it has had a negative impact on the overall sets of relationships in respect of Northern Ireland. The British Prime Minister when I last met him, as well as everything we have heard from his office and from the secretary of state for foreign affairs, indicated a view to getting this resolved by negotiation. President von der Leyen was hopeful last week, as the Deputy said. We hope the European Union, with the United Kingdom government, utilises this opportunity to resolve the outstanding issues in relation to the protocol. Parallel to that, the DUP should go back into the Assembly and facilitate the restoration of the Executive and the Assembly.

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