Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said EU leaders may now convene an emergency summit before the end of November to consider the draft Brexit deal.

Fielding questions in the Dail, Mr Varadkar said: "Back in December when the joint report - the agreement between the EU and UK - was issued I said the next step was to turn that joint report that we agreed back in December into a legally binding and legally operable withdrawal agreement and we are close to that point today.

"But it is still a draft agreement. It is yet to be agreed by the UK Government and they will discuss it this afternoon and it is yet to be agreed by the European Council and we may be in a position to have an emergency European Council meeting before the end of the month to do exactly that."

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Mr Varadkar said he was confident the suggested deal would not negatively impact on the terms of the 1998 Good Friday peace accord - an agreement that had a strong emphasis on cros- border co-operation and linkages.

"My reading is the Good Friday Agreement is not negatively impacted by this," said the Taoiseach.

"In fact it is protected by the draft agreement."

When pressed, Mr Varadkar suggested that an EU Council meeting may take place on November 25.

He said: "Should the UK Cabinet be in the position this afternoon to say it's content with the text it is proposed that the commission taskforce would be in a position perhaps tonight to publish the text with the possibility or probability of an EU Council meeting around the 25th of November."

He added that the text would have to be ratified by Westminster and the European Parliament.

While it is not necessary, Mr Varadkar said it was his view that the text should also be put to a vote in the Irish parliament.

Belfast Telegraph