Leaks from Dublin suggest that the UK government is set to concede that Northern Ireland will remain aligned with a number of key EU laws and regulations when Britain finally leaves the bloc. 

Theresa May flew out to Brussels today to take part in crunch talks with EU bosses on the future of the Irish border, the Brexit divorce bill and citizens’ rights. 

The Irish border has long been a four-way sticking point between Westminster, Brussels, Dublin and Belfast, but it seems the stalemate is about to be broken.

Earlier today, European Council President Donald Tusk suggest that negotiators are "getting closer to sufficient progress” on the issue of Ireland. 

What will happen to the Irish border after Brexit?

Negotiations are ongoing, but the Irish government is confident that the post-Brexit border will be "invisible" with "no barriers" and "will look very much like it looks today".

Irish Tanaiste Simon Coveney told RTE: "The indications we have is that we are in a much better place now than we have been in the negotiations to date. 

“The legitimate concerns that Ireland has been raising for months are going to be addressed fully.”

It is not yet known for sure exactly what the deal will entail, but early reports suggest that Northern Ireland would continue with broadly the same rules and regulations as the Republic after the UK leaves the EU. 

The Irish border will be the only land border between the EU and UK after Brexit and it seems the British government could keep Northern Ireland under some single-market and customs union regulations.

Jonathan Tonge, professor of Irish politics at the University of Liverpool, said it was very hard to keep tariff-free trade within the British Isles when one country is in the EU and the other is outside.

He told Sky News: “What appears to have been proposed today is a solution - basically there would be no regulatory divergence between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, so there would be no need for any operation at the border. 

“Now the devil may be in the detail. We need to know exactly what is proposed here, but this looks like the most encouraging movement that we’ve had. 

“Basically it’s Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic having a continued symmetry across that border in terms of the standards of goods, in terms of cross-border trade and in terms of not having tariffs on those goods.”

DUP leader Arlene Foster, whose party is propping up the Conservatives' fragile government, is insisting that Northern Ireland must leave the EU on the same terms as the UK.

In a statement to reporters, she said: ”We will not accept any kind of of regulatory divergence which separates us economically or politically from the rest of the UK.

She added: "The Republic of Ireland government is trying to unilaterally change the Belfast agreement without our input and without our consent.

"Of course, we will not stand for that."

Meanwhile, Ukip leader Henry Bolton has called the Ireland deal is a “heck of a compromise”.

“So, the government is prepared to let N. Ireland be subject to the ECJ and European Commission, so still in the EU,” he wrote on Twitter.

“That’s a heck of a compromise.”

The news sparked nationalistic message from SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, who said: “If one part of UK can retain regulatory alignment with EU and effectively stay in the single market (which is the right solution for Northern Ireland) there is surely no good practical reason why others can’t.”

Even London Mayor Sadiq Khan suggested the capital could get its own deal with the EU. 

He tweeted: “Huge ramifications for London if Theresa May has conceded that it's possible for part of the UK to remain within the single market & customs union after Brexit.

“Londoners overwhelmingly voted to remain in the EU and a similar deal here could protect tens of thousands of jobs.”