Mistakes were made on all sides in handling of Brexit — Varadkar

Taoiseach conceded the post-Brexit protocol was 'too strict' and said he understood unionist concerns the Northern Ireland Protocol has made them feel less British

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar: 'Brexit was imposed on Northern Ireland without cross-community consent, without the support of the majority of people in Northern Ireland.'

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said mistakes were made on all sides in the handling of Brexit, but vowed to be "flexible and reasonable" when attempting to solve issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol.

He conceded the post-Brexit protocol was "too strict" and said he understood unionist concerns that the treaty has made them feel less British.

Mr Varadkar has become deeply unpopular within some sections of unionism and loyalism, who claim he was an instrumental figure in the creation of the contentious protocol.

His name and image have recently appeared in threatening graffiti and posters in loyalist areas of Northern Ireland.

Despite this, he has insisted he is looking forward to travelling there early this year.

Asked about the negative perception of him within unionism, the Taoiseach said: "I'm sure we've all made mistakes in the handling of Brexit.

"There was no road map, no manual, it wasn't something that we expected would happen and we've all done our best to deal with it.

He added: "One thing I have said in the past is that, when we designed the protocol, when it was originally negotiated, perhaps it was a little bit too strict. And we've seen that the protocol has worked without it being fully enforced.

'Room for flexibility'

"And that's why I think there is room for flexibility and room for changes and we're open to that and up for that. I know from speaking to [European Commission] President [Ursula] von der Leyen and [EC vice-president] Maroš Šefčovič, that's their position too."

He said he had spoken to a number of unionists.

I do understand how they feel about the protocol. They feel that it diminishes their place in the union, that it creates barriers between Britain and Northern Ireland that didn't exist before.

"But that's also true of Brexit. Brexit was imposed on Northern Ireland without cross-community consent, without the support of the majority of people in Northern Ireland, and one of the good things about the European Union was that it diminished barriers and diminished borders between north and south and that was a great reassurance to people who come from a nationalist background in particular."

Mr Varadkar said he accepted but regretted Brexit was a reality which was not going to be reversed.

"Anything we've done since then, whether it was the backstop or the protocol, was an attempt just to deal with that reality and to avoid a hard border on our island, to make sure that human rights in Northern Ireland are upheld and there is no diminution of them, which is really important to me as well, and also that the European Single Market is protected, and they're my firm red lines.

"The backstop, the protocol, were just mechanisms to achieve those objectives and, so long as we can achieve those objectives, I'll be as flexible and reasonable as I can be."