The Chairman of the US House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee has issued a fresh warning that there will be no trade deal between the US and the UK if Brexit leads to the return of a hard border.

Richard Neal was speaking at an event at the Irish Embassy in Washington last night on the issue of the future of US-Irish relations.

The committee will oversee any future trade deal between the US and the UK after Brexit and last night Congressman Neal said he would not be backing away from the emphasis he has placed on the fact that America is a guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement.

"There's no talk of going back to the bad old days. Without that border, commerce has flourished and cultural exchanges have taken place," he said.

Congressman Neal made reference to the fact that the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has also warned that there will be no trade deal with the UK if Brexit undermines the Good Friday Agreement.

"She has said to the entire galaxy of the UK government that they can forget it", he said.

Congressman Neal added they are happy to do a bilateral trade agreement but the border must be kept open and left alone.

On the issue of Ireland getting access to E3 visas, Richard Neal said this is something that can be revisited.

He said there is bipartisan support for the bill and he believes if it were put to a vote in the US Senate it would pass.

Instead, one Republican senator has put a hold on the E3 visa bill, something which Congressman Neal described as "anti-democratic".