Ireland would “absolutely” back extending Brexit talks to avoid no deal, says deputy PM Simon Coveney | City A.M.

Ireland would “absolutely” back extending the Brexit process so that talks can be concluded without the UK crashing out of the EU, a senior government member said today.

Simon Coveney, deputy to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and minister for foreign affairs, told the BBC “of course” Dublin would support the UK if it asked to extend the Article 50 process to buy some vital time for negotiators.

There are now just eight months for a deal to be concluded by the 29 March Brexit day, although factoring in the time it will take for parliaments both in Westminster and the EU to ratify any deal, the cut-off point is closer to December.

Last week, City A.M. revealed that negotiators and MEPs were mulling an extension for this exact reason, with sources suggesting figures in Brussels could be persuaded if it were for a limited period of between six weeks and three months, although one figure indicated it could last as long as two years.

This morning Coveney said talk of Britain leaving the EU without an agreement with Brussels was “bravado”, adding: “I don’t believe Britain can afford to have no deal on Brexit.”

Yesterday new Brexit secretary Dominic Raab confirmed plans would be put in place for food to be stockpiled, while health secretary Matt Hancock said the NHS was preparing to stockpile medicines and blood products.

Coveney blamed the delay on the UK government “negotiating with itself” for the last six months, but suggested now “at least we have a white paper” that progress might be made.

“The negotiation between the EU and the UK really starts now in earnest,” he said. “You know, a lot of people might not think it listening to me, but actually Ireland is one of Britain’s big allies in these negotiations.”