DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said his party would take time to study the detail of the new deal between the UK and EU but warned there remains “key issues of concern”.
“There can be no disguising the fact that in some sectors of our economy EU law remains applicable in Northern Ireland,” he said.
While saying it was “clear that significant progress has been secured across a number of areas”, the DUP would “now assess all these proposed outcomes and arrangements against our seven tests” to determine whether it meets them and “respects and restores Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom”.
However, speaking on GB News the DUP MP Ian Paisley said his “gut instinct” was that “it falls some way short in satisfying those tests”, and “unfortunately that means that powersharing does not look like it’s coming back any time soon”.
Sinn Féin vice-resident and first minister designate Michelle O’Neill welcomed the deal and called for the swift return of the Stormont institutions. “I think most people in society out there will welcome the fact that we’re at the end of this negotiation, that’s complete, and I think most people’s minds here at home will very quickly turn to the fact that we need to be in this institution, we need to be working together.”
She said the detail of the deal was still coming through, and her party would continue to work through it,” she told reporters in the Great Hall in Stormont.
“I was always very clear that the protections that were secured within the protocol were necessary, they remain necessary,” she said. “The fundamental priorities for us were the protection of the Good Friday Agreement, the all-island economy, protecting those things that were working and then smoothing out the things that need to be fixed, I hope that’s the position we’re standing in this evening.”
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said his party’s “primary goals have been to retain the benefits of dual market access for businesses in Northern Ireland, restore the democratic institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and to send politicians back to work in the interests of all our people”.
“My appeal to political leaders is to approach this moment in good faith and with a common determination to restore our Assembly and Executive. To those intent on intervening in this process to bolster their own political position I would say this – do not attempt to wreck this deal, to demolish the hope of a resolution that serves the people of Northern Ireland.”
The Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group, which represents 14 industry bodies, said it commended the “considerable efforts made by the EU and the UK government to find joint solutions on the Northern Ireland protocol”.
“From the outset our priority has been to secure an agreed, durable outcome that protects our consumers and enables our businesses to thrive,” the group said in a statement. “Reaching an agreement is an important step in securing the stability and certainty businesses have been seeking.
“While we do not doubt that many issues will have been resolved, others may remain and/or arise in future, so we would encourage the UK and EU to continue with a constructive, solutions-focused approach as businesses adjust to the new arrangements.
“It is our shared aspiration that this agreement will deliver a unique platform that unlocks economic growth and investment, but we will now need time and space to work through the technical detail with our members,” the group said.
The president of Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, Selina Horshi, said it was “positive news”.
“This has been a turbulent period for businesses, and clarity and certainty are welcome,” she said, adding that she was “hopeful that this deal now paves the way for the full and speedy return of the Executive and Assembly at Stormont”.
