Helen McEntee: Ireland 'willing and ready to listen' to backstop proposals

Minister for European Affairs Helen McEntee has said that Ireland’s focus in the Brexit negotiations remains on securing a deal.

Ireland is "willing and ready to listen" to any proposals to the backstop impasse, but has yet to hear anything credible from the UK, she told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.

Ms McEntee said the alternative suggestions from the UK in a letter to Donald Tusk were not credible and included previously-mooted trusted trader schemes, technological solutions or a proposal that Ireland align itself with the UK instead of the single market.

It was no secret that Ireland has been talking to the European Commission about a no-deal Brexit scenario, she added.

The Minister said the talks are not about the backstop or alternative arrangements, but are about damage limitation on this island of Ireland.

The twin goals and objective of the talks with the European Commission are about how to protect the invisible border and ensure no infrastructure is reintroduced or any threat returns along the border, while also seeing that Ireland keeps its place in the single market, she said.