Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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135. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his recent phone conversation with the United Kingdom Foreign Secretary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32849/22]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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164. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his discussions with the United Kingdom Foreign Secretary in relation to the Northern Ireland Protocol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32935/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 164 together.

The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland was designed and agreed by the UK and EU to protect the Good Friday Agreement in all its dimensions and to mitigate the inevitable disruption arising for the island of Ireland from Brexit.  

I spoke last week to Foreign Secretary Truss and speak on an ongoing basis with Secretary of State Brandon Lewis, while the Taoiseach remains in contact with Prime Minister Johnson. I also maintain ongoing contact with the parties and other stakeholders in Northern Ireland, as well as with Commission Vice-President Šefcovic, EU counterparts, and a range of US partners.  

In contacts with the British Government, including with FS Truss, I have underlined the Irish Government’s deep disappointment at their decision to table legislation to unilaterally disapply parts of the Protocol. Such unilateral action would, if enacted, breach international law. It damages relationships within Northern Ireland, across our islands, between our governments, and between the UK and the EU. 

I underlined that people in Northern Ireland do not support this legislation. We have seen that 52 MLAs have written to PM Johnson expressing “in the strongest possible terms” their objection to it. Northern Ireland business is clear that they need certainty and stability and that this requires a negotiated settlement. 

Both the Irish Government and European Commission have engaged consistently with Northern Ireland stakeholders, including the Unionist community, to understand their concerns. In October, the Commission presented proposals directly addressing these concerns, but the UK has not seriously engaged with them. Last week, in addition to relaunching infringement proceedings following the UK’s actions on the Protocol, the Commission outlined further detail for these proposals. 

Only joint solutions can provide long-term legal certainty and predictability to Northern Ireland. The UK needs to reciprocate the flexibility shown by the EU. I strongly urge the British Government to engage constructively with the EU.