Ireland to ramp up no-deal Brexit preparations, says Foreign Minister Coveney

Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney at a news conference in Dublin, Ireland, on April 12, 2018. PHOTO: REUTERS

DUBLIN (REUTERS) - Ireland's Foreign Minister will bring a detailed paper to Cabinet on Tuesday (Dec 11) on preparations for various Brexit scenarios, including Britain crashing out without a deal that he said the government must now gear up for.

"We are now actively, not only preparing for that, but taking actions to ensure that if necessary we will be ready on March 29 for Britain to leave the EU without a deal," Mr Simon Coveney told Irish national broadcaster RTE, adding that he still thought a no-deal Brexit was unlikely.

After British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday postponed a parliamentary vote on her Brexit deal, Mr Coveney said he did not believe the wording of the withdrawal agreement would change "at all", but that he hoped the EU could provide her with the reassurance she needs around the so-called Irish backstop.

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