Irish foreign minister says reported UK border plan a non-starter

(Reuters) - Ireland's foreign minister said on Monday it was time the European Union received a serious proposal from the British government if a Brexit deal is to be agreed, dismissing a reported proposal for the Irish border as a "non-starter"

Irish national broadcaster RTE reported on Monday that Britain proposed in a technical, or so-called "non-paper", to set up "customs clearance centers" on both sides of the Irish border after Brexit in order to avoid the need for checks on the border itself, an idea Dublin has long rejected.

"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!" foreign minister Simon Coveney said on Twitter after the RTE report.

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; editing by Darren Schuettler)