Brexit: Unionists should not be railroaded over protocol, says Ahern

Bertie Ahern was speaking to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee about the Good Friday Agreement

Unionists should not be "railroaded" into a deal over the Northern Ireland protocol, Bertie Ahern has said.

But he also believes the Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP) seven tests by which the party will measure any deal between the UK and EU will not be met.

Mr Ahern was before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on Monday discussing the Good Friday Agreement.

Meanwhile, Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke on Monday.

Mr Ahern, a former taoiseach, told the Westminster committee that compromise was needed from all sides to break the deadlock over the protocol.

He warned that without compromise, "we are building a future on quicksand".

The protocol, which keeps Northern Ireland aligned with some EU trade rules post-Brexit, has been a source of tension since it was enacted in 2021.

Unionist parties argue it undermines Northern Ireland's place within the UK. The DUP is refusing to enter power-sharing government in Northern Ireland as part of its protest against the protocol.

During their phone call on Monday, Mr Varadkar and Mr Sunak discussed a range of issues, including the importance of ongoing engagement between the EU and the UK over the protocol.

Mr Varadkar repeated the need for a solution which avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland and protects the integrity of the single market.

Last Friday, he said he regretted the protocol being imposed on Northern Ireland without the support of unionists and nationalists.

On Monday, Mr Ahern drew comparisons between the risks taken by political leaders during the Good Friday Agreement negotiations and the challenges facing current political leaders.

The Good Friday Agreement was signed on 10 April 1998 after intense negotiations between the UK government, the Irish government and Northern Ireland political parties.

Among other things, it set up a power-sharing Northern Ireland Assembly.

Mr Ahern told the committee the problem now is that Northern Ireland politicians have no control over the Brexit process which is being run by the UK and EU.

But he added that an outcome to the protocol talks which "bypasses unionists and ignores the largest unionist party will not bring about a solution".

He said he did not believe a deal was close but added that it would be a "grave mistake" to "long finger" the discussions into the distant future.

Then prime minister Tony Blair and taoiseach (Irish PM) Bertie Ahern sign the Good Friday Agreement in 1998

What is the protocol?

The protocol is a part of the UK-EU Brexit deal that keeps Northern Ireland aligned with some EU trade rules.

It keeps Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods, avoiding the need for a hard border with the Republic of Ireland after Brexit.

However, it also creates a new trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, something the EU accepts is causing difficulties for many businesses.

Some unionists say it is also undermining Northern Ireland's place in the UK.

The UK says the protocol is not working and plans to override most of the agreement if the EU does not agree to changes.

In protest against the protocol Paul Givan of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) resigned as Northern Ireland's first minister in February 2022, collapsing the power-sharing agreement.

Since then, there has been no devolved government in Northern Ireland.

Under Northern Ireland's power-sharing system of government, Sinn Féin - which became the biggest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly last year - cannot nominate its first minister until the DUP puts forward a nomination for the position of deputy first minister.

• A simple guide to the Northern Ireland Protocol

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What are DUP's seven tests for protocol deal?

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the party leader, set out the tests during a House of Commons debate in 2021.

They include no new checks of any sort on goods being traded between GB and NI.

That excludes pre-Brexit checks on livestock and goods which are moving onwards from NI.

• DUP sets out seven tests for NI Brexit deal

• No breakthrough in NI Protocol after talks

• A simple guide to the Northern Ireland Protocol

On the Good Friday Agreement, Mr Ahern said it has worked to secure peace and bring much-needed prosperity to Northern Ireland but he expressed regret that the institutions at Stormont had been "down as much as they have been up".

He added: "I can't think of another country in the world where institutions have been down as often as in Northern Ireland."

Mr Ahern said he supported a review of the institutions formed under the agreement but he warned against moving away from the current system of mandatory coalition.

He said it would be too easy to fall back into "polarisation and division" and he would rather have people "in than out".