UK, EU have "substantially" responded to unionist concerns, Ireland says

British and European Union negotiators have responded in "a substantial way" to concerns expressed by Northern Irish unionist politicians over the region's post-Brexit trade rules, Ireland's foreign minister said on Monday.

"I do believe that the key issues that have been identified (by unionist parties) have been responded to in a substantial way, that would be my assessment of it," Micheál Martin told Irish national broadcaster RTE.

Martin said a meeting on Monday between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was a clear manifestation of very significant progress in revising the trade rules and that he would leave it to the two leaders "to announce whatever has to be announced".