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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said Brexit negotiations are entering a \u201crocky patch\u201d over the coming weeks but he believes a deal between the UK and the EU can be reached.<\/p>\nTaoiseach Leo Varadkar has said Brexit negotiations are entering a \u201crocky patch\u201d over the coming weeks but he believes a deal between the UK and the EU can be reached.<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar said he was determined to keep working to secure an agreement and avoid a cliff-edge scenario next March.<\/p>\n
The Taoiseach made the comments following a two-day summit of European leaders in Austria to discuss the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar held a meeting with Theresa May at the summit in Salzburg where the British Prime Minister said the UK would be coming forward with new proposals on the so-called backstop arrangements on the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland in a bid to break the deadlock.<\/p>\n
Speaking from the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Co Offaly, Mr Varadkar said: \u201cI think we can have a deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019re entering into a rocky patch over the next couple of weeks but I\u2019m determined to keep working and to secure that deal that we need before the end of the year\u2026 ideally in October or November.\u201d<\/p>\n
He denied there was any division among the European Union leaders about the matter.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a sense created perhaps in the UK press that there was division around the table among the European Union, among the 27,\u201d Mr Varadkar said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was not.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar said the EU was \u201ctotally united\u201d, not just behind Ireland but behind protecting the integrity of the single market.<\/p>\n
\u201cPerhaps a sense was created that Prime Minister May would come away with something more positive than occurred but I don\u2019t think anyone in the European Union or Ireland is to blame for that.<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately the problems that are being created by Britain and the British Government are being created as a consequence of Brexit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar added that Mrs May\u2019s Chequers proposal could form a useful \u201cinput\u201d into the talks but there were \u201cobvious problems\u201d with it.<\/p>\n