MICHEÁL Martin last night urged the British government to "pull back" from acting unilaterally on the Northern Ireland Protocol now Boris Johnson has announced his resignation.
The taoiseach was speaking following Mr Johnson's announcement yesterday that he is resigning as Conservative leader.
He will remain as prime minister in a caretaker role until a new leader is selected in the coming months.
His announcement follows days of high drama with a wave of UK government resignations by Tories who demanded he resign following months of scandals.
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis,who withdrew his backing of the PM yesterday, has been replaced by MP Shailesh Vara, a former Northern Ireland Office minister and Tory party vice-chair.
Mr Johnson's resignation has led to uncertainty over controversial UK legislation to override the Northern Ireland Protocol as well as the legacy bill that aims to end prosecutions related to the Troubles.
The taoiseach criticised both pieces of legislation and said: "Our joint responsibilities concerning stewardship of the Good Friday Agreement, as well as nurturing broader bilateral relations between us, require us to work together in a spirit of respect, trust and partnership.
"That is more important than ever today and I would once again urge a pulling back from unilateral action, whether that be on dealing with the legacy of the past, human rights, or the Northern Ireland Protocol."
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said Mr Johnson "will not be missed".
"Under his leadership we have seen an attack on the Good Friday Agreement, threat after threat to break international law," she said adding: "Whoever succeeds Boris Johnson needs to change direction and change tact."
Former European Commission chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, in a tweet following Mr Johnson's resignation, referred to the row over UK plans to override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
He said his departure "opens a new page" in UK relations with the European Union.
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, whose party has boycotted a return to Stormont over the protocol,however said the Conservatives should "recognise that no unionist MLAs or MPs support the protocol".
"Fully functioning devolved government in Stormont and the protocol cannot co-exist."
Meanwhile, campaigners against the UK's planned legacy legislation have also said Mr Johnson's departure could "be a window of opportunity".
Mark Kelly, whose sister Carol Ann Kelly (12) was killed in west Belfast in 1981 by a plastic bullet, said the Johnson resignation "definitely is a window of opportunity for some of these people to stand up and understand the north and understand the people in the north of Ireland and what it means to them - truth and justice."
Mark Thompson, of Relatives for Justice also said it was an opportunity to "reverse and overturn" the legacy bill .
