Dublin rejects idea of alternative deal for Irish border post Brexit
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Ireland’s deputy prime minister insists country is committed to Brexit withdrawal agreement in full.

Ireland Sunday rejected the idea of negotiating a bilateral agreement with the U.K. as an alternative to the so-called backstop mechanism for avoiding a hard border with Northern Ireland after Brexit.

"We remain united [and] focused on protecting Ireland," Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney wrote on Twitter. "That includes continued support for the EU/UK agreed [Withdrawal Agreement] in full, including the Backstop as negotiated."

The Sunday Times had reported that British Prime Minister Theresa May was planning to try to strike such a deal with Ireland to avoid border checks without relying on the backstop, which many within her Conservative party reject.

A No. 10 Downing Street official told POLITICO in response to the report that “it is not something we recognize.”

A spokesman for the Irish government told the Financial Times that “Ireland negotiates as part of the group of 27 European nations.”