With Sunday agreed as the deadline for EU and UK negotiations to reach an agreement on a future trade deal, there is still quite some way to go as both sides strive to reach a breakthrough on a post-Brexit trade deal.
Following Wednesday night's three-hour meeting between British Prime Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, she said: "We had a lively and interesting discussion on the state of play on outstanding issues. We understand each other's positions. They remain far apart.
The teams should immediately reconvene to try to resolve these issues. We will come to a decision by the end of the weekend."
With so many issues still to be resolved, the government has published advice for those in receipt of social welfare that are curious about how Brexit might impact them?
They state: "If you are an Irish citizen living in the UK, or a British citizen living in Ireland, your social welfare rights will not change when the transition period ends on 31 December. You will continue to be entitled to access social assistance schemes, including pensions and child benefit payments in either jurisdiction, just as before."
These measures also include social insurance entitlements where British and Irish citizens living in Ireland maintain the right to benefit from social insurance contributions made when working in the UK and to access social insurance payments if living in the UK and vice versa.
On the issue of social housing, the Common Travel Area - of which Ireland is a part of - allows Irish citizens residing in the UK, and British citizens residing in Ireland, the right to access social housing including supported housing and homeless assistance on the same basis as citizens of that state.
Following the end of the transition period, both Irish citizens in the UK and British citizens in Ireland will continue to enjoy these rights.
EU and UK negotiators will begin a final push on Sunday to agree on a post-Brexit trade deal after Downing Street warned the gaps between the two sides is still "very large".
Speaking today in Brussels, Taoiseach Michael Martin said: "There can be no winners or losers in these negotiations from now on. There has to be a common purpose in terms of getting a deal over the line, because it makes sense to get a trading deal.
"I didn't expect a breakthrough last evening. I think the fact that they met for quite a lengthy period of time and had that frank exchange of views is a good thing, and the fact that negotiators are mandated to go back in again and try and break the logjam is positive. Dialogue is key."
.jpg?w=600)
