Visiting Brussels to discuss the impact Brexit will have on the Ireland, Prime Minister Enda Kenny expressed his hope that the upcoming negotiations would result in the “closest possible relationship between the UK and Europe”. The British government is expected to trigger Article 50 in the coming weeks.

He assured that Ireland would remain a member of the European Union but spoke of the unique set of circumstances in Northern Ireland. Kenny also said that any Brexit deal would need to allow for Irish reunification in line with the terms of the Good Friday peace agreement: “Should it arise at some point in the future that the people, by consent, were to form a united Ireland, we would need to ensure a seamless transfer into the EU as happened in the case of East and West Germany. So we want the wording of this internationally binding agreement included in the negotiated Brexit outcomes.”