Leo Varadkar must match his words with action on the Northern Ireland Protocol, say the UUP and TUV

After being reinstated as Taoiseach in the republic's coalition government, Mr Varadkar said that he would be “flexible and reasonable” when attempting to resolve issues around the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Asked about the negative perception of him within unionism, the Taoiseach said: “I’m sure we’ve all made mistakes in the handling of Brexit."

In response, DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said a “fundamental change of attitude” is needed in UK-EU negotiations on the protocol to reach a long-standing solution and thereby restore powersharing at Stormont.

Similarly, UUP leader Doug Beattie said that Mr Varadkar would now have to demonstrate that his sentiments towards unionists are genuine.

"What we need now are actions to match the sentiments being expressed," Mr Beattie said.

"The damage which the protocol is doing to the Belfast Agreement and relationships across these islands and beyond, needs to be reversed. That will require strong leadership on all sides, an acknowledgment that the protocol isn't working and a negotiated solution which restores the constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom."

TUV leader Jim Allister said Mr Varadkar must go further, and offer unionists an apology.

"What is needed from Varadkar is not a bland admission that 'mistakes were made on all sides' but an apology for using the threat of IRA violence to further his political objectives," Mr Allister said.

"Unionists well remember how he waved reports of a Provo bombing during an EU summit. During his previous tenure as Irish Prime Minister he was happy to exploit the EU desire to punish the U.K. for daring to leave by pushing for the Protocol.

"There needs to be a recognition that leaving the people of Northern Ireland subject to laws they do not make and cannot change overseen by a foreign court is fundamentally anti-democratic and a situation which no one should tolerate.

"With the Government now openly arguing in court that the Protocol disapplies key elements of the Acts of Union the fantasy that the Protocol has not trashed the Belfast Agreement's assurance of no constitutional change without consent can no longer be maintained.

"Mr Varadkar needs to acknowledge that the Protocol far from protecting the Belfast Agreement has ridden roughshod over it."