Brexit: Micheál Martin calls on 'big beasts' of EU to 'cool it'

The taoiseach (Irish PM) has called on the "bigger beasts of the EU" to "cool it" in their dealings with the UK.

Micheál Martin was reacting to issues in the last few weeks over the NI protocol and the attempted triggering of Article 16 by the European Commission.

He told BBC News that Ireland risked being "collateral damage".

"I worry a bit about the post-Brexit noise from EU member states towards Britain and vice versa," he said.

"I would tell one or two of them that they need to cool it, dial it down," he added.

"This isn't an ongoing battle between the UK and some of the bigger beasts of Europe. Let's move away from that. They need to cool it. We'll be collateral damage in all of that.

"Everybody needs to cool it a bit," he added.

He also indicated that any extension to the grace period for the NI protocol would be for a matter of months - "It can't be a year," he said.

The taoiseach also spoke about tensions in loyalist areas over the NI protocol and Irish Sea border in recent weeks.

Mr Martin said: "I don't think the threats were as real perhaps, as might have been suggested, but you can see how it can tip over very quickly. And therefore we have to be very, very vigilant that it doesn't," he said.

He also talked about fears that such tensions could lead to a return to sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.

"If we handle this the wrong way, and if things are handled wrongly, you could provoke that response" he said.

"But I don't think loyalism wants that," he added.

"I think it's important that we understand the communities from which they spring, and that we make sure whatever we do, or whatever moves, or whatever voices we articulate, that we take on board their position and their sense of identity. I think their voice needs to be listened to, and their voice needs to be engaged with," he said.

Asked about the possibility of a border poll to decide the political future of the island of Ireland, the taoiseach said: "If we just see this as a simple numerical majoritarianism, we're going backwards, not forward. And I don't believe the future of the island of Ireland is about majoritarianism."

He said it would be a mistake to have a border poll in the next five years.

The UK and EU will try to solve issues with the new Irish Sea border later on Thursday when Michael Gove speaks to Maros Sefcovic from the European Commission.

The NI Protocol was part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and guarantees an open border between the EU and Northern Ireland, with no controls on exported products.

Instead, there are checks on some products travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

This is because Northern Ireland, in effect, remains part of the EU single market for goods while the rest of the UK has left.

However, Article 16 of the protocol part of the deal allows the EU and UK to choose to suspend any aspects they consider are causing "economic, societal or environmental difficulties".

Last Friday evening, the EU announced it would trigger the clause and introduce the export controls on its vaccines entering Northern Ireland in a bid to prevent the region becoming a backdoor for jabs to be sent to the UK mainland.

It later reversed this decision, but unionist parties in NI have been pressing the UK government to use Article 16 to reduce checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.