The EU does not want a "hard border" between Northern Ireland and the Republic as a result of Brexit, Jean-Claude Juncker has said.
The European Commission president was speaking after meeting with Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny in Brussels.
According to RTE, he said: "During the Brexit negotiations, the EU and Ireland must work together to minimise the impact. We don't want hard borders between Northern Ireland and Ireland."
However, the Irish Government has begun identifying possible locations for checkpoints along the border with Northern Ireland, as fears grow of a "hard Brexit".
Preparations are underway for the return of a hard border—despite Theresa May’s insistence that the move will not be necessary even after EU withdrawal is completed.
Internal documents uncovered by the Irish Examiner showed officials in Dublin fears that full “red and green channel” customs points may be needed.
Those checks would be introduced in Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim, and Donegal, with the M1 motorway between Dublin and Belfast also likely to be a focus for customs officials.
The potential move was then confirmed by Michael Noonan, the finance minister, in evidence to an Irish parliamentary committee.
Mr Noonan pointed out that both London and Dublin said they did not want to introduce a hard border, but that would require the agreement of the EU as well.
“Even though it is the intent of the two jurisdictions involved, we still have to get it across the line in Europe and that might be five or six years down the line,” he said in a later interview.
