The Tánaiste says suggestions of a time limit on the backstop aimed at avoiding a hard border after Brexit would "never be agreed to by Ireland or the EU".
Simon Coveney has been responding to reports the British Brexit Secretary, Dominic Raab, wants the backstop to only last three months after Britain leaves.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Mr Raab has privately demanded the right to pull Britain out of the EU's proposed Irish backstop after just three months.
The backstop has emerged as the main stumbling block in the Brexit negotiations.
Reports at the weekend suggested that the EU is now ready to contemplate concessions which would keep all of the UK in a temporary customs union following the end of a transition period due to end on December 31 2020.
The Tánaiste has tweeted to say the idea does not deliver on the UK's previous commitments.
"The Irish position remains consistent and v clear that a 'time-limited backstop' or a backstop that could be ended by UK unilaterally would never be agreed to by IRE or EU.
"These ideas are not backstops at all + don’t deliver on previous UK commitments."
The Irish position remains consistent and v clear that a “time-limited backstop” or a backstop that could be ended by UK unilaterally would never be agreed to by IRE or EU. These ideas are not backstops at all + don’t deliver on previous UK commitments #Brexit pic.twitter.com/y7AQ8V1jMo
— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) November 5, 2018
A spokesman for Mr Coveney said: "The UK has given written commitments last December and March that the withdrawal agreement will include a legal guarantee of no return to a hard border in Ireland in any circumstance.
"In March the UK agreed this backstop will apply 'unless and until' a close future relationship eliminates any need for border infrastructure or related checks and controls.
"While we too hope the Northern Ireland backstop will never be required to be used, it will be required to be written down in legal text.
"This has been committed to by the UK in order to have a withdrawal agreement. We hope a deal can be done but we're not there yet."
- Digital Desk and PA
