Chris Heaton-Harris criticises Taoiseach's 'unhelpful comments' on Irish Unity in Belfast visit

The Secretary of State has criticised the Taoiseach for 'unhelpful comments' he made about the inevitability of Irish unity.

Chris Heaton-Harris was speaking in Belfast after meeting Leo Varadkar as part of a joint UK-EU £1billion pound investment announcement for Northern Ireland and the Republic's border counties.

Last week Mr Varadkar said he believed he would see a united Ireland in his lifetime, and has previously discussed the potential for a "plan B" if devolved government in Northern Ireland was not restored by the autumn.

Mr Heaton-Harris said the comments of the Taoiseach resonate among the unionist community, especially while work was underway to restore the Stormont Executive.

"There's a responsibility, actually, to kind of allow this process to continue. Getting an executive up and running is the most important thing for me in my role as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland," he said.

"There are always plenty of people who are willing to point out when obstacles are put in the way.

"The Taoiseach's got a lot of domestic politics on his plate, but occasionally unhelpful comments down in Dublin do resonate up here amongst the unionist community, and I need the clearest picture possible to get the executive up and running."

Despite his criticism the Secretary of State said he believes Stormont will return.

"I think devolution can be restored and, to be frank, I don't think it would be a Plan B because, whatever was happening, we'd be constantly trying to make sure that the executive got back up and running.

"So it would be an evolution of process rather than an alternative to try and get the executive. But both those two things can run together."

He added that it was "impossible" to put a timeline on when Stormont would be functional again.

"I'm keen to make sure that we come to a conclusion and the executive is up and running in the shortest period of time," he said.

"And as I just said, talk of Plan B is unhelpful because whatever is going on, we need to be trying to get the executive up and running."

The Secretary of State's comments come after Leo Varadkar doubled-down on his comments on Irish unity saying there needs to be more discussion about how people from a British culture would feel welcome in a united Ireland.

Speaking about the reaction to comments he made last week, the Irish premier said: "It is not the first time I have expressed my view that I would like to see a united Ireland in my lifetime.

"Every time I say it, it is not the right time. So I would often ask the question, when is the right time?

"I stated very clearly that I believe the success of a united Ireland would be judged on how we treat our minorities. That is how you judge the success of states.

"In a united Ireland there would be one million people who are British. They don't just identify as British, they are British. That is their culture, that is their heritage, and we in the south need to talk a lot more about what we would do to make sure they feel included, feel wanted, would put their effort behind a united Ireland and not seek to oppose it.

"If a united Ireland is going to be successful, and I don't want it if it's not going to be successful, we need to make sure that we do everything we possibly can to make sure that minority feel included, feel respected, feel wanted."

Mr Varadkar said he also told Mr Heaton-Harris that a point is coming when "alternative arrangements" will need to be discussed to address the power-sharing gap in the region.

He said: "In the course of my discussions with the Secretary of State we talked about the progress, or rather lack of progress, being made when it comes to re-establishing the Executive and the Assembly.

"We are very keen for that to happen. We want power-sharing to be restored here in Northern Ireland. People voted for an Assembly and an Executive, most people here in Northern Ireland want it up and running.

"I want it to so I can work with them as we have done in the past.

"I did say to the Secretary of State that there is going to come a point where we can't keep waiting and we have to start talking about alternative arrangements within the confines of the Good Friday Agreement.

"I will be seeing Prime Minister Sunak in Spain in early October and that will be the next opportunity to talk about that."

The Taoiseach also said confidence is "starting to wane" among Northern Ireland parties that it will be possible to get the Stormont institutions up and running again.

Speaking in Belfast about efforts to restore power-sharing, the Taoiseach said: "I don't want to put an artificial deadline on it, work is ongoing, talks are still ongoing.

"But I think we all appreciate they can't be ongoing forever.

"I think if it is advancing at all, it's advancing at a snail's pace, and I know from talking to all five main parties here that confidence is starting to wane about whether it is going to be possible to get the Assembly and the Executive up and running.

"I am worried about that, I am certainly not giving up on it. We are willing to help in any way that we can.

"But there does come a point at which the stalemate can't go on forever."

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