Foster calls protocol meeting "disappointing" - O'Neill found it "constructive"

Q Radio News/PA

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster described a virtual meeting of the UK and EU Joint Committee on the Northern Ireland Protocol as “hugely disappointing” and blasted EU officials as “tone deaf”.

“I can’t say I had high expectations for it given the attitude of the European Commission to everything that we have said thus far, so it has been hugely disappointing that they haven’t listened to the voices of unionism, the majority community in Northern Ireland," she said.

“What they have decided to do instead is, if there are problems then what is needed to deal with those problems is actually not less protocol but more protocol, and I think that that is entirely tone deaf.”

Mrs Foster added that “even (Cabinet Office minister) Michael Gove was slightly taken aback by the attitude of the European Union”.

She said she looks forward to working with Mr Gove’s successor Lord Frost “in trying to find a replacement to the protocol which, of course, the protocol itself makes space for under Article 13,8 of the protocol”.

Mrs Foster warned of “real and genuine difficulties” coming at the end of March when some of the grace periods for checks on some goods arriving into Northern Ireland will end.

“We’ve heard from some of our food service companies who are very concerned about the fact that they’ll not be able to bring in pre-prepared meat products from Great Britain at the end of March,” she said.

Michelle O'Neill.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill described the Joint Committee meeting as “very constructive”.

“I found that it was very timely we had the discussions that we had today, not least because it gave both sides – the EU side and also the British Government – the opportunity to, as they did, to restate their commitment to implement the protocol,” she added. 

“I think it was very pragmatic in terms of the fact that there are a number of issues that have been identified, some of which are a direct result of Brexit and the consequences which people identified from the very start of the Brexit debate, some of which are issues that have arisen as a result of the protocol and need to be resolved.

“I welcome the fact that we had the conversation today and actually are able to focus on how to find solutions to these issues because that’s what needs to happen here.”