Micháel Martin says people of Northern Ireland deserve better government

Micháel Martin met with the main Stormont political parties at the Grand Central hotel in Belfast

Irish Foreign Minister Micháel Martin says the people of Northern Ireland deserve better government.

The Tánaiste is hosting meetings with all Stormont party leaders in Belfast on Friday to provide progress updates on the protocol and to discuss the restoration of power-sharing.

Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill says she is "very much encouraged" by what the Irish Foreign Affairs Minister has said about the ongoing negotiations between the EU and UK over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said his discussion with Mr Martin had been a "useful and constructive conversation".

The Tánaiste began by saying that "In a democracy, when people elect their public representatives they expect them to take their seats both in the Assembly and in government,

"The context is there in terms of the negotiations and discussions that are under way between the United Kingdom Government and the European Union team, he said.

"I made the point to the parties this morning there is a significant degree of confidentiality surrounding those negotiations and discussions, and I am in agreement with the need to provide space to both the negotiating teams to see if they can bring about a resolution of the issues around trade.

"I reiterated our very strong view that the constitutional position of Northern Ireland is not impacted, and has to be underpinned in terms of the principle of consent, and that is something we strongly assert, that there can be no undermining of the constitutional status of Northern Ireland as per the Good Friday Agreement and the principle of consent.

"We believe the issues can be resolved but that is a matter in the first instance for the EU negotiating team and the United Kingdom.

"There are a lot of challenges, I would not understate the difficulties that both sides will face in trying to resolve the issues, but I think the sensible thing to do is allow the EU and the UK to continue with the negotiations.

"Meanwhile the parties here will have to focus on the imperative of getting the Executive and the Assembly restored."

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