Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Richmond for once again raising this very important issue. I agree the statistics that he articulated would indicate that the economy in Northern Ireland is outperforming other parts of the United Kingdom when it comes to trade. Perhaps that is linked to the advantages of the protocol, which give Northern Ireland access to the European Single Market but also give it access to the Great Britain market. Coming to an agreement on the protocol is a priority. I appreciate the political sensitivities around it and the opposition that is there from the unionist community in particular. We are very keen to work, through the European Union, with the UK Government to amend or modify the protocol so it can become acceptable to both communities, and all communities, in Northern Ireland, thus facilitating the re-establishment of the Assembly and Executive, which is long overdue.

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