UK ‘Not Likely’ to Trigger Brexit Safeguard Measures: Irish Foreign Minister

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney in Manchester to attend the official opening of the Consulate General of Ireland for the North of England on Oct. 1, 2021. Peter Byrne/PA

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said on Wednesday that he doesn’t believe the UK will trigger the safeguard measure in the Northern Ireland Protocol any time soon.

Coveney’s comment came after the UK’s Brexit Minister David Frost hinted that he could trigger the Article 16 safeguard mechanism if the UK and the EU can’t agree on a solution to address the impact of the protocol on Northern Ireland soon.