There still needs to be more flexibility from the British government to get a Brexit deal over the line.

That is according to the Tánaiste Simon Coveney, who said he believes a withdrawal agreement can be finalised this month.

He was speaking after a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in Dublin.

Mr Coveney and Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan hosted Britain's Minister for the Cabinet Office, David Lidington, and Northern Ireland Secretary of State Karen Bradley at Iveagh House.

The backstop arrangement that would avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland is still the sticking point between European Union and UK negotiators.

Mr Coveney said the EU has already been flexible on a final deal.

"I think we've made a lot of progress on this in recent weeks, but we are not quite there yet.

"And in my view there is some movement needed still on the UK side to find a legal wording that can allow this process to agree to a draft withdrawal treaty".

Pictured at Iveagh House in Dublin are (left to right) Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley, British Minister for the Cabinet Office David Lidington, Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and Justice Minister and Charlie Flanagan | Image: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie

Northern Ireland Executive

A joint communique was also issued, setting out what was discussed.

This covered legacy issues, security co-operation, East-West bilateral issues and political stability in Northern Ireland.

On this, Mr Coveney said: "We have had a very productive meeting today with our British counterparts.

"The two governments are determined to see the Northern Ireland Executive and assembly up and running again as soon as possible.

"We also discussed future East-West co-operation post-Brexit and agreed that we will work together to ensure that Ireland and the UK's future relationship is safeguarded."

Security and co-operation

While Minister Flanagan said: "This constructive meeting was another opportunity to discuss our shared approach to the security threat from paramilitary groups on this island who have rejected the Good Friday Agreement.

"We reaffirm our shared determination to tackle these groups and to protect communities.

"The police and security agencies, North and South, will continue to work closely together to combat these groups and put them out of business."

They also discussed a number of possible models for making sure that high-level of bilateral co-operation between Ireland and the UK is "maintained and strengthened" following Brexit next March.

Image via @dfatirl on Twitter

The communique states: "The Conference agreed that these new structures should clearly demonstrate the strength and depth of the relationship; provide opportunities for ministers and officials to continue to engage both formally and informally with each other; and to maintain the spirit of cooperation that has been engendered through such contacts in an EU context; as well as provide an overall architecture for cooperation that is both meaningful and sustainable in the future."

Officials were asked to take more detailed work forward in this area, with a view to presenting fully worked through proposals for future East-West cooperation, for consideration by the UK and Irish Governments at a future meeting.

They said that these should be "ambitious", and reflect the importance attached by both governments to the bilateral relationship.

It was agreed that the Conference would meet again in the spring of 2019.

Additional reporting: Sean Defoe