{"id":24715,"date":"2022-01-07T08:40:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-07T13:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24715"},"modified":"2022-01-08T09:46:31","modified_gmt":"2022-01-08T14:46:31","slug":"donaldson-set-for-make-or-break-meetings-with-truss-next-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24715","title":{"rendered":"Donaldson Set For Make-Or-Break Meetings With Truss Next Week"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Jeffrey Donaldson has challenged the UK Government to act, and said if they are not prepared to, he is (PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is set to have a crunch meeting with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss next week over the Northern Ireland Protocol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It comes as several months of talks between the UK Government and EU over the post-Brexit arrangements have failed to reach a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unionists are strongly opposed to a slew of checks at Northern Ireland\u2019s ports while the region effectively remains within the EU single market, to avoid a hard border with the Republic of Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Donaldson has threatened to withdraw his party\u2019s ministers from the Stormont Executive if the UK Government does not act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, the UK said the conditions to trigger Article 16 of the protocol, a move that would effectively unilaterally suspend the treaty agreed between the UK and the EU, had been met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking to reporters in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh on Friday morning, Sir Jeffrey said he has given \u201ctime and space\u201d for negotiations but warned the situation \u201ccannot go on indefinitely\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cOur position has been clear and if agreement cannot be reached quickly, and I have given time and space for these negotiations, I paused the actions that I intended to take when I saw that the EU and the UK Government were coming together to negotiate, I have tried to give time for those negotiations to make progress, but this cannot go on indefinitely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re now six months on from the UK Government\u2019s command paper where they said six months ago that conditions had been met to trigger Article 16,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd six months later, nothing has happened. That is not a sustainable position and if the UK Government isn\u2019t prepared to act, I am.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sir Jeffrey said he is meeting Ms Truss early next week, describing it as \u201cvery important for me\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said it will \u201chelp to determine the direction in which the Government is travelling\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added: \u201cIs there, as Liz Truss says, still a commitment to trigger Article 16 if agreement can\u2019t be reached with the EU?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what she is saying publicly and I want to test that. I want to explore with her what that means, and particularly, what is the time scale for triggering Article 16 if these talks, as it appears at the moment, are not going to be successful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sir Jeffrey said he wants to see Stormont continuing to deliver but he needs an outcome on the protocol talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want my ministers to continue working but I am very clear that we need an outcome on the protocol within a very short space of time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know that people will say, \u2018But you said that in December\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have tried to be reasonable, I have given time and space for these negotiations, I have waited to see what happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI will talk to Liz Truss and see what she has to say and then we will have to make a judgment as to whether we believe the UK Government is going to deliver on the commitment they made to safeguard Northern Ireland\u2019s place within the UK internal market or not, and if they\u2019re not, then they have dishonored the agreement which formed the basis on which Stormont was restored and that is not a sustainable position.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sir Jeffrey said that, in the absence of his party\u2019s ministers, arrangements will be in place for decisions to be taken on key departmental issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am not in the business of removing from Northern Ireland the ability to take decisions that benefit the people of Northern Ireland,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want departments to be able to continue taking those decisions, particularly in areas like health and education so we will make provision for that, but we are also clear that we can\u2019t continue in a situation with an executive that was formed on the basis of an agreement that was to protect our place in the UK internal market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat has not been delivered and in the absence of delivery on that, then we do not believe it is sustainable to continue unless the UK Government honors their commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n

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