Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and his European counterparts will travel to Austria today for an informal meeting of the European Council.

Brexit is expected to be high on the agenda at the meeting in Salzburg, along with issues such as migration and internal security

Today's summit comes as the EU's chief negotiator said that next month's formal gathering of EU leaders will be the 'moment of truth' on whether a Brexit agreement can be reached.

Michel Barnier says talks are in the 'home straight', adding that he's ready to improve a proposal to avoid a hard border in Ireland.

The Irish issue - in particular around plans for a workable 'backstop' - has been a key sticking point in negotiations to date.

Mr Barnier said: "Work on the EU side is ongoing. We are clarifying which goods arriving in Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK would need to be checked - and where, when and by whom these checks could be performed.

"Most checks can take place away from the border, at the company premises or in the markets. We need to de-dramatise the checks."

Tánaiste Simon Coveney met with Mr Barnier yesterday, and stressed that there will be no withdrawal deal without a "legally operable Irish backstop".

In a statement after the meeting, Minister Coveney said: "Time is short and what we need to see now from both negotiating teams is heightened engagement in the lead-in to October’s critical EU summit."

The Cabinet here yesterday agreed to a number of contingency plans for a 'no-deal' Brexit - including hundreds of extra staff for ports and airports, and a nationwide communications campaign on 'Getting Ireland Brexit Ready'.

Theresa May, meanwhile, has been defending her government's Brexit plans.

Ahead of today's Salzburg summit, she told the Daily Express newspaper: “I’m confident we can get a good deal.

"We’ve put the Chequers plan on the table and that does deliver for people."

She again dismissed the mounting calls in the UK for a second Brexit referendum on the final deal.