Irish cabinet to discuss '˜no deal' Brexit vote

The meeting will take place only hours before the House of Commons votes on Theresa May’s draft EU withdrawal deal.

The Irish government will circulate new memos building on a document it released last month regarding its plans.

British MPs are due to vote on the Brexit withdrawal agreement later today.

Mr Varadkar said on Monday that he still believed a no-deal Brexit was unlikely, but that the Republic of Ireland had to be prepared for the possibility.

“I shouldn’t pretend to anyone that any country can be fully prepared for Brexit, there is no good Brexit and a no-deal Brexit will have a very significant impact on Ireland, Britain and Europe,” he told reporters in Dublin.

“We will be prepared, but I’m not going to say to you that everything is going to be fine.

“Of course there will be interruptions and negative impact but we’ll be as prepared as we possibly can be.”

His deputy, Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Coveney, said the government needed to “tread carefully” over the coming days.

“This is a time where Ireland has to hold its nerve. We’re most impacted by Brexit of all the EU states.

“We need to stay close to the British government and EU partners - but shouldn’t respond in knee-jerked or any panicked way.”

The DUP has been saying for weeks that its 10 MPs will vote against the deal because of their opposition to the backstop, which would see extra checks for some goods coming into Northern Ireland from Great Britain, if it took effect.

Speaking the day before the vote, Mr Varadkar refused to say what he thought would happen next.

“I think it’s important that we allow the British political system the time to make that decision,” he said.

“I hope the vote will be in favour, that the Withdrawal Agreement will be ratified by Westminster and we can get straight into talks on the future relationship.

“It is a matter for them and out of respect for their democratic institutions we should allow them to have their vote tomorrow and we’ll reassess.

“I don’t think it would be in Ireland’s interest for me to be interfering in their internal politics.”

A letter containing assurances from the presidents of the European Council and European Commission was published ahead of Theresa May’s statement to the Commons on Monday.

Mrs May said the letter contained “valuable new clarifications and assurances to put before the House of Commons, including on getting our future relationship in place rapidly so the backstop should never need to be used”.

She added: “We now have a commitment from the EU that work on our new relationship can begin as soon as possible after the signing of the Withdrawal Agreement in advance of March 29, and we have an explicit commitment that this new relationship does not need to replicate the backstop in any respect whatsoever.”

Mr Coveney said he hoped the letter from the EU would provide reassurance and clarity to MPs in Parliament as they prepare for Tuesday’s Commons vote.

“People shouldn’t feel threatened by it (the backstop), some people have painted the backstop into something that it’s not,” he said.

“This week is going to be a really significant few days. This is a time where Ireland has to hold its nerve. We’re most impacted by Brexit of all the EU states.