British and EU negotiators will hold talks next week on the Northern Ireland protocol, to try to end a dispute.
The Taoiseach says the EU caused ‘political mayhem’ by its decision to trigger part of the agreement last weekend, in a vaccine row.
Some checks at ports in Larne and Belfast remain suspended after threats were made against staff.
Under the protocol, all products are normally permitted to be exported from the EU to Northern Ireland without checks, as Northern Ireland remains in the single market for goods and continues to operate under EU custom rules.
The protocol was designed to avoid a return of checkpoints along the Irish Border and minimise potential disruption of cross-border trade.
However, amid a row over vaccine delivery shortfalls, the EU last week invoked Article 16 which allows the EU or UK to unilaterally suspend aspects of its operations if either side considers that aspect to be causing “economic, societal or environmental difficulties.
The European Commission reversed the move shortly afterwards.
The British Prime Minister is threatening to dump part of the agreement – but Minister for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, says there can be no major changes.
