Taoiseach Micheál Martin and European Affairs Minister Thomas Byrne will join EU leaders for a vital European Council summit in Brussels today.
The negotiations with the UK on a Brexit trade agreement are top of the agenda.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had set today as the deadline for a deal, while the EU's deadline is the end of this month.
Fine Gael MEP Frances Fitzgerald says the two-day summit is a crucial part of the process.
