Leo Varadkar insists security concerns will not stop him visiting Northern Ireland

Mr Varadkar’s name and image have appeared in threatening graffiti and posters in loyalist areas of Northern Ireland in recent times

The Fine Gael leader said he aims to travel to Northern Ireland in the early new year as he signalled that resolving the impasse over the protocol is his priority. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

Leo Varadkar has insisted any personal concerns over his safety will not deter him from visiting Northern Ireland in the near future.

Mr Varadkar, who became Taoiseach for a second time last week, has become deeply unpopular within some sections of unionism and loyalism who claim he was an instrumental figure in the creation of Brexit’s contentious .