Coveney says NI protocol must be implemented 'the way it was designed'

DUP threatens to walk away from Stormont unless agreement is replaced

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney: 'If the British government were to unilaterally set aside the protocol, it would cause significant problems not only in Northern Ireland, and of course, in Dublin, but also across the European Union.' 

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney says the Northern Ireland protocol will be implemented “the way it was designed” amid the DUP’s threat to walk away from Stormont unless the agreement is replaced.

The count in Northern Ireland elections kicked off on Friday morning, with the DUP’s Sammy Wilson saying his party would not help form an executive without changes to the Northern Ireland protocol, meaning Stormont would not be able to fully function.