To quote President Juncker this morning:

Where there is a will, there is a #deal — we have one! It’s a fair and balanced agreement for the EU and the UK and it is testament to our commitment to find solutions. I recommend that #EUCO endorses this deal.

And so say all of us, but let us not get carried away. There is a long way to go yet. This is only avoiding a drop-off Brexit. It will be a difficult process for our island. I commend the Tánaiste, all the Government officials, Members and everybody else who got us to this stage. There has been a massive political and personal effort by many and on the part of all our negotiating teams. We have been here before and we are once again in the hands of Westminster.

Can the Tánaiste outline his most up-to-date understanding of the position? We are all still digesting the deal. There is a commitment that there will not be any border or customs checks on the island. Can the Tánaiste confirm that? Can he confirm that the Single Market retains its integrity? Can he assure the House that the Good Friday Agreement is intact in the deal? These are the three key questions.

Has the Government, either through the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach or the relevant officials, engaged with the DUP in recent days about its concerns regarding the deal? Does the Tánaiste have any plans at political or official level to engage with it to see if the Government can assuage its concerns, whatever they may be, about this deal? What is the Tanaiste’s view on the implications of the Benn Act which demands a very solid update for Westminster by 19 October, 48 hours from now? What does he see as the likely timeline of the deal getting through Westminster and will it result in Britain exiting the EU on 31 October?

First, I urge caution. While an agreement between the Prime Minister and EU leaders has been announced in Brussels - I expect it be confirmed at the Council meeting later today - that is not the end of the process because it needs to be ratified by the British Parliament and the European Parliament. This is a big step forward. It is a new deal that recognises all the issues we have been raising for the past three years and that will protect people, peace and trade on the island. It will also ensure that there will be no checks of any kind. In that context, there will be no sanitary or phytosanitary checks, no regulatory checks, no checks on live animals and no customs checks on goods being traded between the North and the South. That is a significant achievement. I want to particularly thank the chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and his team. They have done a really extraordinary job in putting together a new deal that reflects the new approach of the British Government and the new Prime Minister. Much in this deal is the same as previously. The language and the guarantees relating to citizens’ rights remain the same. The language and commitments in terms of UK contributions to EU budgets remain the same. The approach to the transition period is still clear and intact. The transition period after the UK leaves, if it leaves at the end of this month, will conclude at the end of 2020 unless the it decides to request and trigger an extension of one or two years' duration, which it has the option to do before next summer.

The part of the withdrawal agreement that has changed relates to Ireland. Much of the Irish protocol in respect of issues such as the common travel area, CTA, etc., remains the same. The provisions previously referred to as the backstop have changed. We have always stated that if we could replace the backstop with something else that does the same job on the key issues I outlined earlier in the context of protecting the peace process, preventing a hard border and protecting Ireland’s place in the EU Single Market and the customs union, then we would always look favourably on a new approach as long as the outcomes were guaranteed. I am of the view that they are guaranteed. This deal is worth supporting because it protects core Irish interests.

I want to bring the Tánaiste back. Prime Minister Johnson spoke of not being quite at the summit but of being "on the Hillary Step". He stated that the summit is not far away but that it is shrouded in cloud. That cloud remains in the form of the DUP. In getting to the point we have reached, political relationships on the island have been damaged. They are not what they could or should be. It is important that we, as well as those in London, engage with the DUP on its concerns. Does the Tánaiste have any plans to do that at political or official level between now and Saturday in order to try to bridge the gap in the same way as has been done over the past week in the context of the agreement? Is he confident that Brexit will proceed and that the UK will depart the European Union on 31 October?

We maintain open lines with all political parties in Northern Ireland. I am available to meet in person or to talk by phone to any one of those parties that wants to speak to me. We reach out too. Earlier this week, I was in Belfast meeting the Secretary of State. I also had a breakfast meeting of approximately 90 minutes duration with representatives of Sinn Fein a few days ago. I have also spoken to the leaders of the SDLP and the Alliance Party at length this week during several phone calls. Our approach to this has always been to listen to all political parties, including both unionist parties.

Of course we do not always agree, but it is important to say that while we want to reach out and to ensure a deal is something that all parties in Northern Ireland can live with, that does not mean we can change the deal between now and when it is potentially voted on in Westminster, and we should not pretend that we can. The deal is what it is. I expect that it will be put to a vote in the Westminster Parliament on Saturday. The management of that vote from the Government's perspective is a matter for the Prime Minister and his team.