The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the proposed Brexit deal protects the Good Friday Agreement, and will avoid a hard border with Northern Ireland.

Mr Varadkar has also revealed he intends to put the draft deal to a vote in the Dáil if it is passed by the British cabinet.

That meeting is underway in London, with UK Prime Minister Theresa May trying to get her ministers to back the deal.

If the British cabinet accepts the proposals, the government there will have cleared the first hurdle.

That will allow an emergency EU summit to take place at the end of November to sign off a deal.

A vote will likely be held in December which will make or break the agreement.

Mr Varadkar told the Dáil earlier the deal is positive for Ireland and Northern Ireland.

"My reading is that the Good Friday Agreement is not negatively impacted by this - in fact it is protected by the draft agreement," he said.

"If this agreement is made, it'll be an international treaty between the European Union and the UK - including Ireland on the one hand and the United Kingdom on the other.

"And therefore being an international treaty, would continue to apply even if there was a change of government here or a change of government in the United Kingdom.

"And that is the nature of such agreements".

He also promised the Dáil a final say on the deal before it is approved.

"The text would have to be ratified, as we all know, by Westminster and also by the European Parliament.

"But while it is not legally necessary, it my strong view - and the Cabinet's decision today - that the text should also be put to a vote here in Dáil Éireann.

"And I can give that commitment this afternoon."

The Irish Cabinet met to discuss the proposals on Wednesday morning, after senior officials briefed the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister for European Affairs and the Finance Minister on the proposals last night.

Backstop

The text of the draft agreement has yet to be published, however it is believed to include a single backstop preventing a return to a hard border in Ireland.

It will have the form of a temporary customs union between the UK and the EU that will remain in place until a new trade deal is agreed avoid the need for border checks.

It will include specific provisions for Northern Ireland that will see it aligned more deeply with EU customs and regulations than the rest of the UK.

It is understood the backstop includes an agreed review mechanism – however, the UK will not be permitted to unilaterally walk away from the deal.

File photo of UK Prime Minister Theresa May during a banquet in London | Image: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire/PA Images

The text of the deal has been by officials on both sides - but faces a tough test as Mrs May tries to rally domestic political support for it.

Answering leader's questions in the House of Commons in London earlier, Mrs May said her government was negotiating a "good deal for the UK."

"We are negotiating a deal that delivers on the vote of the British people; that takes back control of our money, law and borders; that ensures we leave the Common Fisheries Policy; we leave the Customs Union; we leave the Common Agricultural Policy – but we protect jobs, we protect security and we protect the integrity of the UK," she said.

File photo of Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe | Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Cabinet meeting

Heading in to the Cabinet meeting in Dublin earlier, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said ministers would be "carefully considering where we stand."

"The key thing that will happen now is that the Taoiseach and Tánaiste will brief the Cabinet on where we stand," he said.

He said the meeting "will give everybody in our Cabinet an opportunity to make an appraisal of where we are and I am sure the same will be happening in the UK."

Brexit battle

This is just the first step for the Mrs May, who will spend the coming weeks attempting to muster enough support to get it through the House of Commons – with the DUP, arch-Brexiteers and some Remainers already making their opposition clear.

Cabinet sign-off is by no means assured – amid speculation that some ministers could be prepared to walk out if a deal ties the UK too closely to Brussels.

The Irish Government has said it wants to allow the UK Government time and space to consider the deal before commenting.

It is believed the UK Cabinet will have to sign off on the plan on Wednesday if a special EU summit is to be called this month to finalise it.

EU leaders would be asked to rubber-stamp the plan – setting the stage for a crucial vote in the UK Parliament before Christmas.

File photo of DUP leader Arlene Foster and her deputy leader Nigel Dodds |  Image:  Brian Lawless/PA Wire/PA Images

Anger

Even before seeing the detail on Tuesday night, Westminster MPs on both sides of the debate voiced strong opinions.

The DUP set the stage for a parliamentary showdown – effectively pulling its support for Mrs May and warning that "every vote will count" as she attempts to win the support of her cabinet and the House of Commons.

The party has been propping up Mrs May's government under a confidence and supply agreement.

Speaking as she left for London on Wednesday, DUP leader Arlene Foster warned that the agreement is between the two parties - and does not include support for Mrs May herself.

"It is worrying times, there is no doubt about that," she said.

"What we will be looking at is the text – hopefully we will actually get to see the text so that we can make our own judgement on that.

"The prime minister is very clear on where we stand on all of this.

"We have written to her; she is very clear that we cannot be separated from the rest of the UK – either in terms of customs or regulatory alignment."

Additional reporting: Jack Quann and Sean Defoe