Simon Coveney tells US Congress members about growing tensions between EU and UK

Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister has told an influential group of US Congress members about the growing tension between the EU and the UK over issues around Brexit.

Simon Coveney and EU Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic spoke to the Friends of Ireland caucus on Wednesday, including its chairman, Congressman Richie Neal.

The group discussed Northern Ireland and concerns around the UK’s unilateral extension of post-Brexit grace periods.

Mr Coveney said: “We explained what happened last week in the context of the tension around the protocol, the divisions and polarisation of politics in Northern Ireland related to that.

“And why the relationship between the EU and the British Government is so strained at the moment on this issue.

“We talked for about an hour and a half about the protocol, its implementation, the tensions around that, the mistakes that have been made by both sides.

“The need to try to re-engage in discussion, because without finding a way forward through dialogue, which of course has to be the preference for everybody, then Maros Sefcovic outlined that the EU side really has no option but to take legal action, which will begin this week.”