Budget will be 'Brexit-proofed', says Kenny

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has told the British Irish Chamber of Commerce that Ireland must now plan for a future in which Britain will no longer be a member of the EU.

In a speech in Dublin last night, he said he had asked Finance Minister Michael Noonan and Public Expenditure & Reform Minister Paschal Donohoe to ensure that Budget 2017 was 'Brexit-proofed'. The Taoiseach added that the Government would avoid "reckless risks".

He said the Brexit vote meant there would bemajor challenges ahead, for the EU, Britain and for Ireland, adding that, because of the closeness of the British-Irish relationship, the stakes had always been higher on this issue for Ireland than for other EU members.