The Tánaiste has echoed the Taoiseach's calls for Britain to remain in Europe, warning that any exit would be harmful to both Ireland and the UK due to a lost trade relationship.

Speaking to The Right Hook this evening, Labour party leader Joan Burton echoed the Taoiseach’s comments, saying she believes a Brexit would not be good for Britain either.

“It has been on the whole very beneficial I think for both countries . We’re big customers of there’s, they’re big customers of ours ... anything which would take them out and make trade more difficult for us and them would not be in either countries’ best interest”

Ms Burton dismissed any chance of Irish politicnas lobbying the British voting public, but did say she believes the large Irish population with a vote in the UK would be important.

Even in the case of a Brexit, the Tánaiste believes even the most eurosceptic in Britain would not wish to lose the strong trading relationship between the countries.

“I assume that they would want to keep strong trading relationships,” she said. 

“I think even the most eurosceptic of people would say what we want really is a union or a treaty that’s about trade, but we don’t want all the others stuff about workers rights, equality for women ... all that stuff that they might say has been stuck on to the EU agenda.”