Varadkar-No 'Red Flags' On UK-NI Deal, But Commission 'Has Some Questions'

Irish Taoiseach (PM) Leo Varadkar speaking at the EUCO summit on the agreement reached between the UK gov't and political parties in Northern Ireland that seeks to restore the power sharing executive after two years without a functioning devolved gov't. Varadkar stays that the European Commission "has some questions" regarding the proposals from the UK gov't that are intended toremove any checks on goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. For the EU, there could be concerns about the integrity of the Single Market given the lack of border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

• Varadkar: "There are definitely going to be some questions about what was agreed between the UK government and the DUP, but nobody is at this stage saying that there are any red flags or anything, or that gives us major concern. Certainly from our point of view in Ireland our priority was always to make sure there was no hard border between North and South. I think that's been achieved and protected, and also to make sure that there would never be any doubt about our position in the single market and the EU."
• The Irish leader says that Commnission Exec VP Maros Sefcovic held a call with UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron on the evening of 31 Jan, which Varadkar described as 'good'.