Simon Coveney believes Common Travel Area between Ireland and UK will be 'protected' after Brexit

The Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said the "first big win" of the Brexit negotiations will be the retention of the Common Travel Area between Britain and Ireland.

Mr Coveney has expressed confidence that any deal done between Britain and the EU will allow for continued free movement between the two islands.

The comments come as the complicated Brexit negotiations continue to stall.

Minister Coveney told Cork’s RedFM he believes the Common Travel Area will be retained.

He said: "Ireland and Britain have since 1923, since independence, essentially recognised each other's citizens.

"They have allowed free movement between the two islands, access to health care, social welfare, you can carry your pension entitlements, you can vote in each other's countries.

"We think we are going to get a deal on that, that that would be protected even post-Brexit, which would be a really good deal for Ireland."