Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will hold a series of key meetings in Brussels today with 51 days to go before a potential no deal crash out Brexit.
Mr Varadkar is expected to meet with European Council president Donald Tusk this morning, after which both politicians are due to publicly re-commit to the EU's no hard border stance and backstop support.
The Taoiseach will then hold high-level talks with Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and European Parliament Brexit steering group chair Guy Verhofstadt alongside EU commissioner Phil Hogan.
He will follow this with a further behind-closed-doors meeting with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker on no deal emergency plans this afternoon.
In a statement before leaving for Brussels, Mr Varadkar said:
"The withdrawal agreement is the best way to ensure an orderly withdrawal by the UK.
We want the future relationship between the EU and the UK to be as close, comprehensive and ambitious as possible so that the backstop will never be needed.
"However, given the ongoing uncertainty in London, we are intensifying our planning for all scenarios, including a no-deal exit.
"My visit is an opportunity to exchange views on the detailed contingency planning underway at both domestic and EU level, and to explore what supports might be needed."
It is understood Mr Varadkar will press home the need for ongoing EU support during the meetings, alongside long-flagged calls for Brussels to relax state aid rules for companies to help Ireland cope with a no deal Brexit crisis.
