Chris Heaton-Harris said: 'There has been a tiny bit of progress made in talks with the European Union'
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has said there was"still a way to go" in terms of a deal between the EU and UK government over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
He described"substantive discussions", adding"obviously both governments remain very focused on the need to get the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement restored, particularly the assembly, the executive and the north-south bodies". He said he expressed"serious concerns" around the UK government's legacy bill which is currently making its way through parliament.The Taoiseach is also in Northern Ireland today for a series of meetings to discuss the Northern Ireland protocol and the resumption of power-sharing at Stormont.The Government said the presence of both men in Northern Ireland on the same day sent a strong signal.
He will also launch a new Shared Island fund to help all-island projects brought forward by civic society. "There are many factors which go into the thought process. One, to be quite frank, is that the UK government is negotiating with the European Union. "I would have had no difficulty that Mary-Lou McDonald was at that meeting, but that's a matter for the Foreign Secretary."
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