Ulster Unionist Party Leader Jon Burrows MLA has spoken with Taoiseach Michael Martin by phone from London. The call marks Jon Burrows MLA's first engagement with the Taoiseach since becoming Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.

The conversation was candid and constructive, with both leaders committing to ongoing dialogue and the maintenance of good North-South relations. A wide range of issues affecting Northern Ireland were discussed, including legacy matters, the need for acknowledgement, ongoing difficulties with the Windsor Framework trading arrangements, and the upcoming Irish Presidency of the European Council. Both leaders also expressed a willingness to explore further areas of practical co-operation to build prosperity and drive up living standards for everyone.

Commenting following the call, Jon Burrows MLA said:

"We have come a long way from the dark days of the Troubles and we should all work to promote reconciliation and drive up living standards for everyone across the UK and Republic of Ireland. I will always strive to have a constructive relationship with the Taoiseach to promote reconciliation and co-operate on areas of mutual interest. Let us all commit to improving the lives of everyone on these islands.

"I won't shy away from constructive challenge, however, and I made a number of important points to the Taoiseach today. Legacy remains a deeply contentious issue and one that is corrosive to relationships, both within Northern Ireland and between the UK and Republic of Ireland. The way Dublin has handled legacy to date is simply not good enough, and that needed to be said directly.

"I raised the heartbreaking case of a retired RUC officer who took his own life due to the pressures of the Omagh bomb inquiry. Former soldiers and police officers who served this community with courage and dedication must be treated with dignity and fairness. That is non-negotiable.

"I also raised with the Taoiseach the revelations I made in the Assembly regarding the huge quantities of explosive material that found their way into the hands of the Provisional IRA in the 1970s and 1980s from a factory in the Irish Republic. This has never been properly examined or accounted for. I will be writing to the Taoiseach on this matter and I welcome the assurances he has given me today that he will review it.

"I raised the ongoing difficulties caused by the Windsor Framework to demonstrate the very real struggles that businesses in Northern Ireland continue to face every day. My position remains clear that Northern Ireland businesses must be able to trade freely within the UK Internal Market, and until that is achieved, this issue will remain unresolved.

"I look forward to further engagement with the Taoiseach and his Government. There is important work to be done, and I am committed to approaching it in a spirit of constructive partnership."