Leo Varadkar and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte have failed to reach a deal that would see Ireland take in 600 migrants.

Mr Varadkar met the newly elected prime minister in Rome as the pair discussed the issue of migration.

Both leaders agreed it was a "European issue" and every country in the bloc must play a part in tackling it.

The offer, extended to the previous Italian government in 2015, was put on the table again at the meeting by the Taoiseach but no deal was reached on how to tackle the issues of security clearance and Garda vetting of those relocating to Ireland.

"I restated our commitment or offer which we made to the previous Italian government that we would be willing to take 600 migrants from Italy to Ireland.

"It wasn't possible to do that even though we committed to it probably two years ago now, because we couldn't agree the detail around Garda vetting and security clearance," Mr Varadkar said.

Ireland has demanded more involvement on the Italian side in vetting those due to move to Ireland.

Mr Varadkar said the offer was still on the table "if we can agree on appropriate security clearance and we said we would engage further on that".

Italy's stance on migration has hardened of late. It has acted as a frontline nation in the crisis and taken the brunt of the burden.

Now it wants other countries to do their part.

Challenges

Mr Conte has previously called for Europe to abandon the principles of the so-called Dublin agreement that sees member states where the immigrants first arrive held responsible for their processing.

Both leaders agreed on a Europe-wide approach to the issue of migration, during what was described as a "constructive" meeting.

"Any individual country acting on its own just passed the challenges on to the next country and we are very much of the view that we must have an EU-wide approach," Mr Varadkar said.

Speaking after the meeting, the Taoiseach said he believed there was a good basis for a good relationship between the countries in the future.

Mr Varadkar also visited the headquarters of Operation Sofia, the EU's rescue mission in the Mediterranean in which the Irish Naval Service takes part.

At the conclusion of his whistle-stop tour of EU capitals, Mr Varadkar also said he had received assurances in each that the Irish question remains a central issue of Brexit.

He said: "My sense is they very much have Ireland's back, very much understand our concerns and are very much on our side but also looking to us for solutions - that's what we need to do over the weeks ahead - to know that we have a strong European solidarity behind us, that the 27 member states are with us but also work to come up with solutions that everyone can live with."

Irish Independent