The Minister for Foreign Affairs has said Ireland is listening to those who have real concerns about the Northern Ireland Protocol, and "making the case strongly at an EU level for flexibility and pragmatism", but also "an adherence to what was agreed".
Simon Coveney was speaking following a meeting of the British-Irish intergovernmental conference in Dublin.
Mr Coveney and Minister for Justice Heather Humphreys met Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis and Junior Minister Robin Walker in Dublin Castle.
He said it was the first such meeting since 2019, describing it as a "really important" structure that allows the UK and Irish governments to "work together on issues of mutual interest and concern", adding they are committing to holding it several times a year going forward.
"I hope this week that we will see progress between both sides on the request from the British Government side for a modest extension to the grace period for chilled meats," he said.
"I hope we'll be able to see progress on sensitive issues like guaranteeing supplies into Northern Ireland, and also on pets and I hope we can, in the coming weeks and months, also explore positive opportunities around common standards around food production, management and safety.
"This was a good discussion."
Mr Coveney described the "most substantive decision of the day" as concerning legacy matters in Northern Ireland.
"If looking for 'radical change' means that you're not committed to the protocol, then that's a problem," Minister for Foreign Affairs @simoncoveney says, adding "The protocol itself is international law" and "this isn't a renegotiation of what was agreed" https://t.co/OvIXyzyAAt pic.twitter.com/Qmp5QfnmLV
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) June 24, 2021
He acknowledged concern among some that the Stormont House Agreement structures on dealing with the past are "not as comprehensive as needed".
"The two governments have agreed to move a process forward together in partnership to reach out to families of victims, to political parties in Northern Ireland and other stakeholders to talk about the way forward on legacy in a way that is open minded, does not have any predetermined outcome and the starting point of those discussions is of course Stormont House but we're going to look at how we can develop that in the weeks ahead," he said.
"This isn't something that we're talking about managing for months and months and months, we're going to move this ahead quickly in partnership, led by the two governments," Mr Coveney added.
Responding to a question on incoming DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson's position on concessions on the Northern Ireland Protocol, Mr Coveney said "the relationship between the DUP and the British government is really a matter for the British government".
He said the EU and Irish government were listening to the anxiety around the Protocol in Northern Ireland.
"Despite the frustration we have heard, we are trying to work through the issues where there are solutions," he added.
Mr Lewis said the Protocol is not sustainable in its current form.
"This is an issue for the whole of Northern Ireland. There is, undoubtedly, for those in the Unionist community who have this sense of identity and feel very strongly about that. We have to understand and respect that," he said.
"The issues though, the challenges in the protocol, the problems in the workings of it affect everybody in Northern Ireland regardless of their constitutional view," he added.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime programme, Mr Coveney said Mr Lewis assured him that legislation ending the prosecution of former British Soldiers will not come before the House of Commons rises for summer recess.
"As a result of this process, we now are not going to see legislation coming through Westminster before the summer recess, which was the concern that people had. Instead, we're going to have a dialogue, focused on Northern Ireland and not on other concerns," Mr Coveney said.
He said both sides have agreed to begin a consultation process with victims and their families.
Mr Coveney said political stability in Northern Ireland was also discussed.
He referred to the two governments needing to give support to the local parties in the context of the challenges they face, and the "polarisation of politics particularly linked to issues like the Protocol and the aftermath of the Brexit decisions which are challenging".
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis said he was hopeful that the EU was being "flexible" in its approach to the trade dispute with the UK Government over chilled meats.
Mr Lewis was speaking after a meeting of the British-Irish intergovernmental conference in Dublin, following speculation of a truce in the "sausage war" dispute.
He said: "Obviously we have not had a formal response yet from the EU, so we need to wait to see that formal response. Some technical conversations are ongoing around that.
"Obviously I'm hopeful that they are being flexible and looking at a pragmatic way forward, that would be a good indication. "We'll have to see what the detail is when it comes forward and then we can hopefully move forward positively."
Asked about the potential for another period of crisis at Stormont, @SimonCoveney says Ireland and the EU are listening to anxiety in Northern Ireland around the protocol, and 'trying to respond to that in a pragmatic and sensible way' https://t.co/OvIXyzyAAt pic.twitter.com/snWTogjEoM
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) June 24, 2021
Cooperation on tackling the coronavirus and concern about the impact of the Delta variant was also discussed at the British-Irish intergovernmental conference.
The conference is one of two institutions established under the Good Friday Agreement aimed at strengthening relations and promoting cooperation on matters of mutual interest.
It has not met since talks in London in May 2019.
A meeting had been scheduled to take place in November 2019, but was cancelled as a result of the British general election and it could not be rearranged because of Covid-19 restrictions.
Additional reporting PA
