A HOUSE of Commons Committee has warned that it is not possible to avoid a hard border with Ireland after Brexit.
The British Government has previously said it does not want a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and no customs border between the latter and the rest of the UK.
The group of MPs scrutinising the exit process has said proposed technological solutions to to enable a frictionless border are 'untested' and 'to some extent, speculative.'
Another proposal by the British Government would involve a 'customs partnership,' with Britain leaving the single market without introducing an EU-UK border, something Britain has admitted would be "challenging."
The committee has urged the Government to set out these proposals in more detail.
"Ministers say they don't want a border, they don't want any infrastructure," said its Labour chair Hilary Benn.
"We all agree with that, but self-evidently, the Irish government is not persuaded by what it has read so far."
Simon Coveney called for more credible answers. (Picture: Sky News)Prime Minister Theresa May has said the British and Irish Governments "have the same desire" on the border - to ensure that the movement of trade and people continues "as now" and that no new barriers are created.
The Government added that it remained "absolutely committed to finding a solution that works for the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland."
Speaking this morning in Dublin, Minister for Foreign Affairs and newly-elected Tánaiste Simon Coveney said Ireland wants a good outcome for everyone, but it needs more 'credible answers.'
"We want an outcome here that is good for Britain, good for Northern Ireland, good for Ireland; that we can all live with and move on.
"That is why we are insisting we get more credible answers in the context of how we're going to manage a border on the island of Ireland in the future.
"We are saying very clearly - and we have been for months now, the Irish position has not changed - in the context of moving to phase two of negotiations - sufficient progress is to be made.
"We have agreed to deal with issues in a more comprehensive way that relate to Ireland and we are not there yet, and we cannot move on to phase two without credible understanding of the parameters in which we're going to solve the border issues, that's all we're asking for."
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