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The Irish Ambassador to the UK Adrian O’Neill told BBC Radio 4 Today the best Brexit outcome for Ireland would be a deal as close as possible between the UK and the EU. He said: “Ireland is

one of the 27 EU member states and we wouldn’t be overstating our significance in the negotiations. “What I would say, in relation to the question on the future relationships and in terms of

the bilateral relationship that we enjoy with the United Kingdom that is of immense importance and one that we value greatly, “Our hope would be that at the end of these negotiations we

could secure the closest possible deal in relation to the EU and the UK as a whole.” He added: “That would certainly help us in facilitating a very positive bilateral relationship.” Mr

O’Neill was asked to define what “as close as possible” means to him.  He replied: “We won’t be able to determine what that is until the UK makes the fundamental choices that it needs to

make.” BARNIER: NO SPECIAL ACCESS FOR UK FINANCIAL SERVICES AFTER BREXIT He said: “I can understand why people are anxious to push ahead to the next phase but I think the way these

negotiations work is we take them stage by stage. “The next stage is going to be about critically convert  what was agreed in the progress report between the EU and the UK  into a withdrawal

agreement and also looking at the transition arrangements.” “Ireland will absolutely want to stay friends with the UK. The strategic relationship between Ireland and the UK is of immense

importance to us. the degree of contact between our two countries is immense and it’s in our interest that it stays that way in the future.” > The strategic relationship between Ireland 

and the UK is of immense > importance to us >  > Adrian O'Neill On Friday 8 December Prime Minister Theresa May reached the end of the first phase of the negotiations with

Brussels.  In the report drafted at the end of the press conference given by the PM and Mr Jean-Claude Juncker, the UK and Brussels have agreed to keep the Irish border open.  The parties

also agreed on the issues of the Brexit divorce bill and the rights of EU citizens living in the UK.