EU leaders have gathered in Brussels to sign off on a deal with Turkey that is aimed at addressing the refugee crisis.
The deal is expected to offer the country closer ties with the EU, along with €3bn in extra funding to help Syrian refugees in Turkey.
Newstalk's Shona Murray reports:
Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirmed that the talks could see the opening of the 'next chapter' of negotiations with Turkey in its accession talks to the EU.
Negotiations on the issue have repeatedly stalled since they commenced in 2005.
In return, Turkey is expected to agree to make greater efforts to control the flow of refugees to Europe from Syria.
The Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will meet with EU leaders later this afternoon.
President of the European Council Donald Tusk says the summit will cover a range of issues, including "re-energising our relations with Turkey":
The talks come amid continued tensions between Russia and Turkey, following the downing of a Russian jet earlier this week.