Michael Gove has insisted the British government will safeguard the security of the people on the island of Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
The cabinet minister in charge of preparing for a hard Brexit has met with business leaders in the North this afternoon.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to take the UK out of the EU by October 31st - even if a deal can't be reached before then.
British media today reports that Mr Johnson has written to civil servants saying that "preparing urgently and rapidly for the possibility of an exit without a deal" will be his top priority.
The Tory leader suggested he would "very much prefer to leave with a deal", but acknowledged he recognised that "may not happen".
The new British government's relations with Ireland have appeared to get off to a bad start - with Tánaiste Simon Coveney accusing the UK government of being on a Brexit 'collision course'
However, speaking at Warrenpoint Harbour today, Mr Gove insisted the two countries have "very good bilateral relations".
He told reporters: "Of course we're also talking to other EU partners as well. In the event of no-deal, there naturally will be issues - not just security, but trade issues as well.
"We will make sure that we safeguard the security of the people on the island of Ireland, and we will also make sure that trade continues to flow as freely as possible."
No-deal opposition
Meanwhile, opposition parties and some members of Mr Johnson's own Conservative party are continuing their efforts to thwart a potential no-deal.
Labour's Jeremy Corbyn has written to the head of the UK's civil service, Mark Sedwill, warning that Boris Johnson forcing through a no-deal would be "an unprecedented, unconstitutional and anti-democratic abuse of power".
It would be an outrageous, anti-democratic abuse of power for Boris Johnson - elected as Prime Minister by fewer than 100,000 unrepresentative Tory members - to force through No Deal in the middle of a General Election campaign.
My letter to Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill: pic.twitter.com/U3p6FHKVFJ— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) August 9, 2019
Mr Corbyn highlighted speculation that Mr Johnson could schedule an election for after the UK's planned exit on Halloween in a bid to bypass parliament.
The Labour leader called on Mr Sedwill to provide clarification on rules that would postpone major policy decisions until after the election.
Mr Corbyn added: "I would be grateful for your confirmation that, if the UK is due to leave the EU without a deal during a general election campaign, the government should seek a time-limited extension to Article 50, to let the electorate decide and the incoming government to take the next steps on the basis of the voters' wishes."
The House of Commons is currently on summer recess, meaning the parliamentary battle over Brexit will only resume with weeks to go until the planned exit date.
