DUP: Edwin Poots expects 'very frank' discussions with taoiseach

Democratic Unionist Party leader Edwin Poots has said he expects discussions with Taoiseach Micheál Martin to be "very frank".

The DUP leader is holding his first meeting with Mr Martin in Dublin. Ahead of it, he reiterated that NI cannot be a "plaything" of the EU or Dublin.

Mr Poots said there was "a lot of anger" among the unionist community towards the Northern Ireland Protocol.

He said north-south relations "have never been as bad".

"I do not blame the current taoiseach for that, I blame the past taoiseach," Mr Poots said.

"Northern Ireland cannot be a plaything of the European Union or indeed of the southern government."

His comments come after Sinn Féin joined the SDLP in seeking legal advice over the DUP's non-attendance at North-South Ministerial Council (NSMC) meetings.

The DUP is boycotting some NSMC meetings due to its opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The protocol is the part of the Brexit deal that creates the Irish Sea border.

Mr Poots told a Stormont committee earlier on Thursday, speaking in his capacity as NI agriculture minister, that he had every intention of fulfilling his ministerial obligations.

"At no point have I refused to attend north-south meetings," Mr Poots said.

Mr Poots was criticised earlier this month for preventing what was billed as a "long-standing meeting" relating to agriculture from taking place.

The NSMC is the main body for cross-border co-operation between the governments of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Under the DUP's five-point plan in protest at post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland, ministers are refusing to take part in north-south engagement where the protocol is being discussed.

Mr Poots told reporters in Dublin that he would discuss north-south relations with the taoiseach. He asked whether any taoiseach would want to "hurt Irish people living in Northern Ireland?"

The new DUP leader said he planned to go to the British Irish Council meeting in Fermanagh next week.

Earlier on Thursday, DUP MLA Paul Givan said any legal action over non-attendance at NSMC meetings would be an overreaction and should be a "last resort".

Mr Givan said there had to be a recognition of the opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

However, the SDLP's Nichola Mallon said she firmly believed the DUP was in breach of the ministerial code.

She also accused the DUP of being "dishonest" in how it has communicated its absences from NSMC meetings.

On Wednesday, Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill called on Mr Poots to attend a meeting later this month, saying the boycott cannot "be allowed to continue".

Mr Poots was speaking following a virtual meeting of the NI party leaders' forum.

He said the parties discussed Northern Ireland's waiting lists, the New Decade, New Approach deal, the NI Protocol and "summer tensions".