Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We are now at ten minutes to midnight. If St. Patrick's week is removed from the 38 days, there are fewer than 30 working days until the UK's withdrawal, assuming that everybody will be working weekends in the lead up to it. The Irish Timestoday said that the British focus is now on legal language which would put a limit on the backstop in respect of content, duration, or both.

The Taoiseach has spoken with the Prime Minister several times recently, as he said, on the phone and in person. Has she told the Taoiseach specifically what legal changes to the withdrawal agreement she and the British Government are seeking? Have the Taoiseach's EU counterparts advised him as to what the British are actually looking for in their negotiations? Has an extension to the Article 50 period been considered in the discussions? Is the Taoiseach aware as to whether the Prime Minister is trying to negotiate that? An extension of the Article 50 timeline probably would suit a lot of people in Ireland because it would give us some more time in which to prepare. Has there been an agreement about any likely impact on the European elections in May in the context of an extension of Article 50?

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