The EU has pledged its support to the campaign to avoid a return to a hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland post-Brexit.
European Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier was in Ireland this week where he told Dáil Éireann that the EU will work to ensure there is no hard border.
Addressing both the Dáil and the Seanad, Mr Barnier said: "I want to reassure the Irish people: in this negotiation Ireland's interest will be the Union's interest.
"Brexit changes the external borders of the EU," Mr Barnier added. "I will work with you to avoid a hard border."
"If we put things in the right order, if we negotiate with mutual respect, without any kind of aggressivness," he added.
"If we are open to finding solutions, there is no reason why a strong Europe cannot maintain a strong relationship with the UK.
"I want to reassure the Irish people: in this negotiation Ireland's interest will be the union's interest. We are in this negotiation together and a united EU will be here for you."
Taoiseach Enda KennyTaoiseach Enda Kenny also made a definitive declaration on his Government's stance on borders in Ireland.
"That border when it was there,' he said. "What we call a hard border with customs posts that had to be militarised, it brought wth it sectarianism and real difficulties where 3,000 people lost their lives, acts of terrorism, indiscriminate bombings, and all of that trouble and tragedy it brought on so many families.
"We do not want to return to that sectarian issue, and therefore, politically, we cannot have a border as applied before," he said.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was also among those to advocate on Ireland's behalf.
Speaking earlier today at the European People's Party at Druid's Glen in Co. Wicklow, Mr Blair told reporters that Northern Ireland should be designated as a "special case."
"I think the best thing is to treat Northern Ireland as a special case. To treat this border as a special case, to make sure we keep the Common Travel Area so people can move across the border freely.
"The challenge is for the EU," he said. "After Brexit, the border becomes the border between the UK and the EU."
Tony Blair, Former British Prime Minister, addressing the EPP conference on Brexit in Wicklow (Picture: Don MacMonagle/Rollingnews.ie/Pool)Last night, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan TD told HardTalk on BBC that both the Irish and British Governments need to work with the EU to ensure an open border.
"We have to work with the EU to ensure the open border between Ireland and Northern Ireland remains on the basis that 30,000 people cross everyday to work, to school, to families, and that doesn't include people going to cultural pursuits. That open border is a must in all circumstances," he said.
Former Taoiseach Bertie AhernSpeaking to Sky News yesterday, former taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the Customs Union, which operates over the border between the Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is a 'major issue' in Brexit negotiations.
"The customs union never came into the debate until January 17 when Prime Minister May raised the customs union issue.
"Pascal Lamy (the world expert on the World Trade Organisation and borders) has stated if the border between the UK and Europe is our border, then you have to have custom controls."
Mr Ahern went on to say that failure to secure a solution to the customs union border, would mean a hard border post-Brexit.
"Any kind of border for goods would be considered a hard border," he said, "The definition as the people of Ireland would see it as anything that would go back to the old situation would create a problem."
