Brexit deal possible this week but 'we're not there yet' - Irish deputy PM Simon Coveney
Simon Coveney says "we need to be cautious" and give the negotiating teams "time and space" to try and strike a deal.
Monday 14 October 2019 22:12, UK
A Brexit deal could be possible this week but "we're not there yet", Ireland's deputy prime minister has said.
As the clock ticks ever closer to the 31 October deadline, Simon Coveney said "we need to be cautious" and give the negotiating teams "time and space".
"This is not an easy job," he added.
UK and EU officials are continuing talks in Brussels on Monday, ahead of a crucial summit on Thursday and Friday.
Boris Johnson's spokesman said there was still a "lot of work" to be done and the discussions "remain constructive".
"In terms of the substance of the talks, I'm not going to get into those at all. I think it's important that people are given space for the talks to progress," he said.
The prime minister briefed his cabinet on Sunday, telling them a "pathway to a deal" was in sight but there remained a "significant amount of work to get there".
In a conference call, he also said they still had to be prepared to leave on Halloween without a deal.
Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg has hinted that the government is preparing to make compromises in order to get a deal - telling Sky News that he may have to "eat my words".
Speaking on Monday morning in Luxembourg, Mr Coveney said: "On Brexit the less we say now the better.
"But we need to give time and space to [EU negotiator] Michel Barnier and his taskforce and the British negotiating team.
"I think it's pretty clear what we're trying to do, but there are pretty detailed technical discussions now and I think we need to give the time and space for that to happen.
"Hopefully we can make progress today on those."
Mr Coveney urged caution, saying: "This is not an easy job."
"We've spent three years trying to get an agreement between the two sides and have made progress at different times.
"But certainly the last number of months have been difficult.
"So I think, as my Taoiseach [Irish PM] has said, a deal is possible, and it's possible this month, may even be possible this week. But we're not there yet.
"And, as Michel Barnier said yesterday, there's still a lot of work to do, so I hope that we can make more progress today."
The issue of avoiding a return to a hard border on the island of Ireland remains the sticking point in the negotiations.
Mr Johnson wants to get rid of the backstop, an insurance policy designed to keep the frontier between the two countries open in the event the two sides cannot sort out the issue before Brexit takes full effect.
Mr Barnier is reported to have concerns about the complexity of a British proposal to keep Northern Ireland in the UK's customs territory while avoiding the need for border controls.
The EU side has reportedly expressed doubts over a scheme which would involve tracking goods as they move through Northern Ireland and then working out which tariff needs to be paid depending on where they end up.
If there is no decisive breakthrough this week the talks could carry on, with the possibility of an emergency summit just days before the deadline to finally approve a last-minute agreement.
But legislation passed by opposition MPs last month compels the PM to seek a Brexit extension if he has not achieved a deal by 19 October - this Saturday.
Labour has vowed to force Mr Johnson to comply with the bill, including taking court action if necessary.
The stage is set for a Saturday showdown in the Commons, the first in 37 years.
Downing Street has said that the PM will have to decide by Wednesday whether or not to propose that parliament convene on that day.
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Meanwhile, the Department for Transport has announced that measures to manage traffic on motorways in Kent ahead of possible no-deal Brexit will be implemented later this month.
Operation Brock will come into force on 28 October, three days before the current Brexit deadline.
Lorries travelling to Europe will face a 30mph speed limit on a 13-mile stretch of the coastbound carriageway of the M20.
All other traffic, including lorries carrying out UK deliveries, will have to use a 50mph contraflow of two lanes in each direction in the London-bound side.
A number of holding areas to park lorries will also be available if required, including at Manston Airfield.