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Tánaiste Micheál Martin after the 62nd plenary of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly in Co Cavan on 24 Oct, 2022. PA

Tánaiste welcomes data-sharing progress amid Northern Ireland Protocol row

The EU and UK have reached agreement on data sharing and EU access to UK IT systems.

TÁNAISTE AND FOREIGN Affairs minister Micheál Martin has welcomed progress between the EU and the UK on post-Brexit data sharing.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris met European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic in London today, in ongoing talks between London and Brussels to find a solution to the Northern Ireland Protocol row.

They reached agreement in the area of data sharing and EU access to British IT systems amid friction over the implementation of the post-Brexit arrangements, which has seen the DUP insist it will not take part in devolved government at Stormont until its concerns are resolved.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin welcomed the progress, adding this “provides a new basis for EU-UK discussions”.

“It is important that joint solutions are found,” he said, adding that he will be in Brussels on Tuesday for meetings around the protocol and other issues.

Martin also spoke with Northern Ireland political leaders on the telephone today.

He described “good engagement”, and said he is focused on getting the Stormont government back up and running.

The Stormont parties are due to meet Heaton-Harris later this week around the latest collapse of the institutions.

Sinn Féin Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill described a “good call” with Martin.

She tweeted: “We share a common commitment on way forward to get negotiated outcome on Protocol and immediate restoration of power-sharing.

“My priority is to work with all parties & both Governments to achieve this in days and weeks ahead.”

Meanwhile DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson welcomed what he termed recognition in London, Dublin and Brussels that the protocol is a problem for unionists.

“It was a mistake for the protocol’s authors to press ahead with an agreement that has harmed Northern Ireland’s constitutional and economic place within the United Kingdom,” he said.

“More and more voices now recognise the unanimous view amongst unionist MLAs.

“We have an opportunity to get an outcome from these negotiations which replaces the protocol by arrangements that restore NI’s place in the UK internal market and our constitutional position is respected.

“I am committed to the restoration of Stormont, but such a restoration can only be durable if it is built on solid foundations which are supported by unionists and nationalists.”

He described his telephone conversation with Martin earlier as “a useful conversation as the Republic of Ireland is an EU member state and fits as part of a wider programme of engagement with influential voices in London and Brussels”.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he discussed with Martin “the urgent need to restore the powersharing institutions at Stormont”.

“I had a productive call with the Tánaiste this morning,” he said.

“Our shared priority remains the restoration of the devolved institutions at Stormont. With crises facing the delivery of public services and household finances in every community, it is vital that the Assembly and executive are back up and running as soon as possible.”

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    Mute GM
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    Mar 6th 2020, 6:43 AM

    Have the Paddy’s day festival and keep letting sick people come in from Italy – short term economic gain long term pain

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    Mute Dan Mullins
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    Mar 6th 2020, 7:00 AM

    @GM: it’s too far gone, I don’t think there’s any chance of holding it back now.

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    Mute Sean O' Donovan
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    Mar 6th 2020, 7:06 AM

    WHO receive a huge portion of funding from China. You can be assured they have to downplay it under instructions from China so confidence in their market doesn’t drop enough to send their economy crashing.

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    Mute Sean O' Donovan
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    Mar 6th 2020, 7:10 AM
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    Mute Tomàs
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    Mar 6th 2020, 7:12 AM

    @Sean O’ Donovan: A terrifying truth

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    Mute Paul Cunningham
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    Mar 6th 2020, 7:15 AM

    @Sean O’ Donovan: Its why its not been described as a Pandemic too, despite being, well, a pandemic. China getting labelled as the country that spawned the pandemic would be damaging the CCP’s image.

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    Mute Rachel O' Meara
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    Mar 6th 2020, 6:36 AM

    As much as we blame our government (because let’s face it they are pretty inept) I’m surprised that the WHO also handled the situation so badly themselves, there really should have been a coordinated global effort to try and contain this virus, it’s like they gave up from the start.

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    Mute Joe Mc
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    Mar 6th 2020, 6:50 AM

    @Rachel O’ Meara: because it’s about money. The real solution would be to shut down borders by every country. But vested interests and all that

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    Mar 6th 2020, 6:34 AM

    Pinball Wizard. Very good.

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    Mute Sea Graham
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    Mar 6th 2020, 9:12 AM

    The WHO!? They’re a great little band that will, if sense prevails cancel their gig on the 18th

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    Mute Tracey Russell
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    Mar 6th 2020, 10:55 AM

    What about the persons that present with symptoms after the 14 days isolation…will that practice be reviewed

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    Mute Farreller
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    Mar 6th 2020, 9:13 AM

    Are they not a band

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    Mar 6th 2020, 10:09 AM

    @Farreller: great band.

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