Ireland's European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee speaks during an interview with Reuters at Government Buildings in Dublin, Ireland, December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Agreeing a review mechanism that would allow the EU and Britain to decide when a “backstop” to keep the Irish border open after Brexit is no longer needed could help move talks along now, Ireland’s European affairs minister said on Tuesday.

However Helen McEntee told national broadcaster RTE that such a mechanism could not change how the emergency Irish border fix would work and that there had been “absolutely no change” in Ireland’s position on the backstop arrangement.