Taoiseach discusses reset in British-Irish relations in first meeting with Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak became the first British Prime Minister in 15 years to attend a meeting of the British Irish Council 

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (right) meets Taoiseach Micheal Martin during a meeting at the British-Irish Council summit in Blackpool. Picture date: Thursday November 10, 2022.

The Taoiseach has hailed a potential reset in British-Irish relations as he sat down for the first time with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Mr Sunak became the first British Prime Minister in 15 years to attend a meeting of the British Irish Council. 

Mr Martin told reporters after the meeting that he now believes that Mr Sunak wants a negotiated settlement to the standoff on the Northern Protocol and that there is now a "very good window of opportunity" to do so.

The Taoiseach said that the Irish government welcomes the news that the British government will delay fresh elections in the North in a bid to allow EU and UK negotiators work out the issues with the agreement, which the DUP says is why it won't form an Executive in Stormont. 

However, Mr Martin said that he would not get into "timelines" on when the Protocol impasse might be solved. He said that it was important to "create space" for the negotiation and said that "daily speculation" on the protocol was perhaps not helpful.

"The Prime Minister and I agree that there is now a very good window of opportunity here to get this issue resolved," said the Taoiseach. 

He said that both men agreed to "remain focused on this issue with the European Union" in order to have a negotiated settlement. The Taoiseach said that both he and Mr Sunak are aware of the issues with the protocol but that they did not go into detail on Thursday.

He said that he had seen "a determination" in Mr Sunak to get the issue solved and praised the new Prime Minister for giving "strength" to the British Irish Council, a function of the Good Friday Agreement.

"It's a very significant decision by him to come here and it's one that I welcome. And I think he took the earliest opportunity to engage with me and we appreciate that."

Speaking at the same event, Mr Sunak said that the protocol is "having a real impact on the ground on families on businesses in Northern Ireland and threatening Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom" but said that he wants to resolve the standoff.

"And I want to resolve that I'm deeply committed to the Belfast Good Friday agreement. I want to see the institutions back up and running in Northern Ireland because that's what the people in Northern Ireland need and deserve."