PRESIDENT OF THE European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker is to hold a meeting about Brexit with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Government Buildings in Dublin today.

Juncker will be accompanied by Europe’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, and European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney and Minister for European Affairs Helen McEntee will also attend the meeting.

They are expected to discuss the state of play in Brexit negotiations in advance of next week’s European Council meeting. Other topics on the table will include trade, the Economic and Monetary Union, EU migration and the EU’s budget.

Juncker will address a joint sitting of the Dáil and Seanad after the meeting. This evening Varadkar will host a dinner in Juncker’s honour at Dublin Castle. Juncker will meet President Michael D Higgins tomorrow.

‘Progress needed from the UK’ 

Speaking ahead of the visit, the Taoiseach thanked Juncker and Barnier for “their ongoing support for Ireland and their show of solidarity throughout the Brexit negotiations”.

This is an important opportunity to assess the state of play in the Brexit negotiations.

“We need to see much more progress from the UK to implement the commitments they made in December and March, and I expect the UK’s efforts to intensify in the period ahead,” Varadkar added.