Tánaiste Simon Coveney has said that this has been a good week for Brexit despite the resignations that followed the publication of Theresa May's Chequers proposals.
"Actually despite all the political movement and challenges in Westminster I think this has been a good week for Brexit. There was always going to be a moment in time that was needed for the British Prime Minister to show her authority because she had a very divided cabinet on her approach to Brexit," he said.
The Tánaiste was speaking at the Institute of International and European Affairs in Dublin where he was making a speech about EU-Africa relations
Mr Coveney said there hadn't been a clear British negotiating position for many months. "What's been positive about this week is we do now have that," he said.
He acknowledged that some of the British proposals would cause difficulties, adding that there are things that the EU can't do.
WATCH: "Actually despite all the political movement and challenges in Westminster I think this has been a good week for Brexit," according to @simoncoveney, who says the British now have a clear negotiating position pic.twitter.com/hr6lQVRX29
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"Michel Barnier and his taskforce cannot negotiate an outcome that compromise the integrity of the Single Market for everybody else. He cannot compromise the workings of a shared Customs Union across the EU for everybody else," he said.
"Having said that, I think there will be an attempt to try and accommodate the British thinking in a way that protects the integrity of the Single Market and the Customs Union," he added.
Mr Coveney said it was clear that Mrs May would survive this week and she had shown authority on Brexit.
