LEO Varadkar has said there will be “many twists and turns yet” in the Brexit saga with just 74 days left until the UK leaves the EU.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Taoiseach will speak over the phone for the second time next week.

1 UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Taoiseach will speak over the phone for the second time next week Credit: Reuters

The UK and the EU are at loggerheads over the NI backstop with Boris demanding the border insurance policy is scrapped and a new deal drawn up. However, Leo and the EU have refused to budge as they claim the backstop is necessary to maintain peace.

Speaking at the Fleadh Cheoil in Drogheda yesterday, Leo said he will sit down for a face-to-face with Boris in September.

He also said he will be using their phonecall next week to ask the PM how the UK will come through on its promise to avoid a hard border in Ireland.

He said: “I’m due to speak to the Prime Minister in the early part of next week and he’ll be having meetings with President Macron and Chancellor Merkel in the run up to the G7 Summit and I imagine we’ll meet in person probably in early September some time.

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“But really this is going to be an opportunity again to state our positions and certainly I’ll be interested to know from him if the Withdrawal Agreement isn’t something that he believes he can accept how the United Kingdom will honour the obligations or the commitments rather that they made to Ireland and the European Union back in December 2017 around citizens’ rights.

"Around the financial settlement and also around avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland the Republic of Ireland.”

Leo added: “What I expect between know and October 31 is there will be many twists and turns yet in this.”