Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes has suggested the North could be given associate membership of the EU while also remaining part of the UK.

However he has conceded that giving a special status to the North after Brexit is unlikely to happen in the near future.

“I think two things would have to happen,” he said.

“The British Government would have to change their position, because it would be, as sure as night follows day, that possibly Scotland would look for something – but that’s a matter for Scotland.

“But secondly, there would have to be some kind of settled view in Northern Ireland, within the unionist and nationalist republican communities would actually go for this.”