Ireland’s deputy prime minister has branded Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan a “non-starter”, crushing hopes that an alternative to the Irish backstop can be reached. The Prime Minister’s proposals to solve the Irish border challenge were leaked to the press on Monday and included plans for custom posts along both sides of the Irish backstop. Irish broadcaster RTE reported the posts would be built between five and 10 miles away from the current border but Simon Coveney poured cold water on the plans and said Ireland and Northern Ireland “deserves better”.

Mr Johnson’s final Brexit plan, aimed at securing a deal with the EU, also involved real-time tracking devices on lorries to track goods making their way north and south.

The proposals were reportedly made in a non-paper, effectively a pre-briefing to the official plan, and are believed to form the cruz of the UK’s formal backstop proposal to the EU in the coming days.

But Dublin look set to dispute the proposals, after the deputy prime minister heavily condemned it on Twitter.

Mr Coveney wrote: “Non-Paper = Non-Starter. Time the EU had a serious proposal from the UK Govt if a #Brexit deal is to be achievable in October. NI and IRE deserves better!”

Other Irish politicians piled on the criticism of the reported plans.

Lisa Chambers, the Fianna Fail Brexit spokeswoman tweeted: “This is effectively a border with a buffer zone and is clearly not a satisfactory alternative to the #backstop.

“With 30 days now to go until #Brexit we need to see sensible workable solutions that ensure no hard border on the island of Ireland.

“What about regulations on goods?

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Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald said: “The British proposal to reimpose a hard border on our island, as reported by @tconnellyRTE, is out of the question.

“It is further evidence of Tory recklessness and belligerence towards Ireland.”

Irish Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin also dismissed the plans.

He tweeted: “Leaked proposals from the UK on alternatives to the backstop are completely unacceptable.

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“The UK is well aware that a mass of new border checks, wherever sited, breach the agreement reached with the May government to avoid regulatory barriers to trade.”

In response to the leak, a Downing Street spokesman said the Government’s plans will not involve border checks.

He said: “Nothing we are proposing involves checks or controls at the border. That is an absolute commitment.”

A government source said the report was a misrepresentation of the “non-paper”, which discussed customs checks at place of origin or destination of goods.

Mr Johnson is expected to send his final Brexit plan to Brussels by the end of the week, ahead of the EU Summit which takes place from October 17-18.

If the Prime Minister fails to agree a deal, the Benn Act will force him to request an extension from the EU.

But Mr Johnson has repeatedly vowed to take Britain out of the bloc “whatever happens”, fuelling speculation that he plans to defy the Remainer legislation.

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