Varadkar says election result is ‘an opportunity’ for Ireland

Ireland’s prime minister-elect has declared the UK general election as an opportunity for the Republic.

Leo Varadkar, who is due to be formally voted in as Taoiseach next week, claimed Theresa May’s failure to get a majority showed there was no strong support for a hard Brexit.

“The Irish government is ready to participate in negotiations on Brexit and to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland,” he said.

“We must ensure that the Brexit talks are handled in a smooth and coherent manner to secure the best possible outcome for Ireland, for Europe and the UK. The results of the UK election indicate to me that there is no strong mandate to proceed with a hard Brexit.”