Simon Coveney told the Belfast Chamber that having access to the single market and the UK would be an “exciting” opportunity for businesses

Irish companies may move north of the border due to the “extraordinary” competitive advantage the Brexit deal offers the region, Simon Coveney has said.

The tánaiste said that the terms of the agreement between the UK and EU presented an “exciting and genuine” opportunity for Northern Ireland to prosper.

It came as Leo Varadkar backed Donald Tusk’s proposal to grant the UK an extension to the Brexit deadline of 31 October.

A government statement said that Mr Varadkar and Mr Tusk spoke by phone yesterday morning. “The taoiseach confirmed his support for President Tusk’s proposal to grant the request for an extension which was sought by the UK. They noted that it would still be possible for the UK to leave before January 31, 2020,