A group representing Irish business has welcomed a call from the UK for the country to remain in the single market and customs union for a transitional period after Brexit.
IBEC has backed the message from the Confederation of British Industry, who want a "status quo" scenario after Britain formally leaves the bloc.
Arnold Dillon, Brexit campaign lead for IBEC, says a so-called "hard Brexit" is a concern for Irish businesses.
"It remains a deep concern that the UK are determined to have a sort of 'Hard Brexit', and leave both the Single Market and Customs Union," he said.
"The exact details of that have yet to be ironed out and there's still a very significant debate in the UK .
"The hope of Irish business would be that as that debate progresses, and as some of those complex issues come to the fore in negotiations that that position would change and ultimately we would see the UK in a very close partnership with the EU."