DUP responds to Varadkar claim Protocol is too strict: 'Is this the same man who said no to negotiations?'

Back in February 2020 for example, not long after the protocol was agreed, he had insisted the UK must “honour that in full”.

"I am saying to the British government, there can be no backsliding on the Withdrawal Agreement, let’s not even go there,” he said.

Mr Varadkar ceased to be taoiseach a few months later, but recently returned to the role after a stint as deputy premier.

His remarks today, that the protocol is “too strict”, prompted the following response from DUP East Belfast MLA David Brook.

“Leo Varadkar should accept his role in foisting a bad deal on Northern Ireland,” he said.

“Indeed, until recently he was telling unionists there could be no renegotiation and the protocol was the only show in town.

“Rather than encouraging his EU counterparts to recognise the concerns of unionists, he was scaremongering and handing out photocopied 30-year-old news stories about bombed border checkpoints.

“The NI Protocol must be replaced with arrangements that unionists can support and thus restore genuine power-sharing.

“So far taxpayers have spent £436,000 per day to help companies deal with protocol paperwork.

“If that money had been used to employ nurses, it would have paid the annual salary for another 7,000 highly experienced nurses. I’d rather have that money in our health service than frittered away on EU paperwork.

“Northern Ireland only moves forward together. Genuine power-sharing based on consensus is the only way forward. The idea that one section of our people will dominate the other and ignore the concerns of unionists will never produce durable or balanced outcomes.

“London and Brussels must work for an arrangement unionists can support.”

Mr Varadkar, leader of Fine Gael, served for about two years as deputy premier under Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, but returned as taoiseach in mid-December due to a deal with his coalition partners.