Ireland Preparing For No-Deal Scenario In Same Way as For Other Scenarios - PM

The statement comes after Wednesday's reports of the British cabinet being expected to cut short its Christmas break and hold a meeting in order to discuss a no-deal Brexit scenario.

Ireland is now preparing for a no-deal Brexit scenario and treats it with a similar level of seriousness to preparations for the mainstream scenario that foresees the approval of UK Prime Minister Theresa May's deal, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Thursday.

Varadkar also emphasised that further moves and discussions must not change the tone of the deal and identify the Irish backstop plan as ineffective. 

READ MORE: PM May 'Will Find A Way' to Pass Brexit Draft Plan Through Parliament — UK FM

The UK is currently looking to secure final reassurances from the EU regarding the backstop, which is expected to allow Britain to avoid a hard Irish border.

Last month, UK Prime Minister Theresa May postponed a parliamentary vote on her deal until mid-January in the hope of securing additional guarantees on the Irish border backstop from Brussels. The European Union has stressed, however, that the deal is not open for renegotiation. This followed the EU endorsing a draft deal on November 25 that was later strongly condemned by the House of Commons.