The Minister of State for European Affairs has again warned that the current Brexit deal remains the only way to fully protect the Irish peace process.

Helen McEntee was speaking as British Prime Minister Theresa May faces a potential rebellion from hard-line Tory MPs in a key House of Commons vote this evening.

Brexiteer Conservatives have warned they may vote against the Government, for fear that supporting it may inadvertently take the possibility of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit off the table.

Addressing European journalists in Dublin this afternoon Ms McEntee said the Irish border backstop remains a “key element” of the Withdrawal Agreement – and noted that it was born out of proposals made by the UK during Brexit negotiations.

“It acts as an insurance policy to avoid a hard border in all circumstances,” she said.

“Recent events in Westminster have only reinforced how important this is.

“This is why the backstop cannot be time limited – a backstop with a time limit is simply not a backstop.”

“Alternative arrangements”

She noted that the EU remains committed to seeking “alternative arrangements” so that the backstop will never have to be triggered, but said it must remain part of the agreement in case they can’t be found.

“There are currently no alternative arrangements, which anyone has put forward, which achieve what both sides are determined to achieve,” she said. “To avoid a hard border, protect the Good Friday Agreement and protect the integrity of the EU’s Single Market and Ireland’s place in it.”

“This was explored endlessly in two years of negotiations.

“We have seen no alternative arrangements that meet this essential threshold and we need a backstop or insurance mechanism based on legal certainty, not just wishful thinking.”

Northern Irish support

Ms McEntee noted that the “overwhelming wish” across Northern Irish society is for any return to the borders and division of the past to be prevented - with groups like the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, the Confederation of British Industry and the Ulster Farmers Union publicly backing the backstop.

“We hope that those arguments are heard, however loud other voices in London sometimes are,” she said.

She warned that Ireland and the EU are “at one” in their rejection of any return to a hard border – and warned that when it comes to breaking the ongoing impasse, “the answers lie with Westminster, as they have done since the decision to leave the EU was first taken.”

Deal or no deal

Meanwhile, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he is confident but not complacent about the prospect of a deal being reached by the March deadline.

“Nobody can be absolutely certain about a deal being done by the end of March and, because we are not certain, we have put enormous preparation into ensuring that Ireland is as ready as we can be for no deal,” he said.

“So, this is not complacency, but it is confidence.

“Ireland certainly wants an orderly Brexit rather than a disorderly one.”

UK Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for a key vote in the House of Commons, 14-02-2019. Image: Steve Parsons/PA Wire/PA Images

Brexit vote

UK politicians will this evening vote on a Government motion which says the House of Commons “reiterates its support” for the Brexit strategy MPs backed in a vote at the end of last month.

However, the amendment has caused controversy as the House actually backed two separate motions on the strategy on January 29th.

One of the amendments asked Mrs May to return to Brussels and seek “alternative arrangements” to the Irish backstop – while the other aimed to take a ‘no deal’ scenario off the table.

Brexiteers have warned that backing tonight’s motion could see them unintentionally ruling out no deal.

Downing Street has urged MPs not to rebel on what it described as an “anodyne” amendment and Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay this afternoon confirmed that the UK Government aimed to leave the EU on March 29th with or without a deal.