Time is running out for Britain to explain its vision for Brexit to the rest of the world, the Irish Prime Minister has warned, ahead of a meeting with Theresa May on Monday.

Leo Varadkar called for “clarity and urgency” from the UK Government as he revealed that his administration “still don’t know what the British government wants Brexit to mean” despite months of negotiations.

Mr Varadkar and Ms May are both travelling to Belfast for discussions focusing on the formation of a power-sharing administration in Northern Ireland. The province has been without a devolved government for months since the last coalition collapsed in acrimony and fresh elections failed to break the deadlock.

EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said earlier this year in a meeting with MPs that he believed “one of the conditions” of a smooth Brexit process was the restoration of a government in NI. The DUP, the largest party in Northern Ireland, was widely seen as a block to a realistic solution for the Irish border after Brexit last year – after which the issue was effectively kicked into the long grass to be dealt with later.

Matters are also complicated on the Conservatives’ reliance on DUP votes for a majority in the House of Commons, meaning it is likely they could effectively any deal they did not like.

Mr Varadkar told Irish public broadcaster RTE: “Time is running out, it is 20 months since [the Brexit] referendum, and we still don't know what the British government wants Brexit to mean.

“The UK is due to leave the EU in March 2019. It’s a little over a year away and I think we need clarity and urgency from London.”

The Taoiseach’s warning echoes concerns voiced by other senior European politicians about the clarity of the UK’s position. Last week Manfred Weber, a senior ally of Angel Merkel who leads the largest group of MEPs in the European Parliament, the UK needed “to come out with concrete proposals very soon” and that Ms May’s government had provided “no clarification” and left the EU with “no idea” about its vision.

Mr Barnier also said last week it was time for the UK to “make a choice”.

The British public also echoed the concerns on a poll by BMG for The Independent released on Sunday. 74 per cent of the public said Ms May’s plans for Brexit were unclear, compared to just 17 per cent who said they were clear. A further 9 per cent said they did not know whether the plans were clear or unclear.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that “Brexit means Brexit” and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UK’s economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Party’s coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a “specific solution” would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

The delay continues as Downing Street admitted last week that the Cabinet did not discuss Brexit during its weekly meeting, amid divisions in the Conservative party about exactly how hard Brexit should be. The PM ruled out membership of the customs union and single market at the start of the process but the red lines have severely limited the UK's options in its future relationship.