Reacting to reported news of a breakthrough on the back-stop in Brexit negotiations, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) president Pat McCormack said if true it would be a relief to Irish farmers.

He said: “If these reports are confirmed, then every farmer in Ireland is entitled to feel the weight lifting from their shoulders just a little in the hope that a deal will be reached.”

He said the Irish farming and food production sector had “been living on its nerves” as the March 2019 exit date approached with no sign of a deal being agreed.

McCormack said all sides now needed to set aside any sense of "winning" or "losing" and commit to a settlement that served the greater good.

Ambition

He added that if both sides embraced that ambition and agreed a transition period of appropriate length, then he was satisfied goodwill and realism would take care of the detail and procedure.

Earlier this evening, both RTÉ News and BBC News reported a deal had been reached last night that dealt with the Irish border.

While Brexit negotiations have not yet concluded, the Irish border question was one of the main issues to be addressed.