UK to submit Brexit bargain, Ireland sceptical

British proposals to tackle the Irish border after Brexit have been leaked - and immediately dismissed by Dublin as a 'non-starter'.

The plans, reported by Irish national broadcaster RTE, include the placement of 'clearance centers' - effectively customs posts - along the border.

The details reportedly came from the so-called 'non papers', sent from London to Brussels, as the UK prepares to present new proposals to the EU this week.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, BORIS JOHNSON, SAYING: "Clearly this is the moment when the kind of rubber hits the road." British Prime Minister Johnson denied that Britain was proposing border posts ... (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, BORIS JOHNSON, SAYING: "They're not talking about the proposals that we're actually going to be tabling." ... but said checks would need to be in place.

Ireland's foreign minister was quick to dismiss the leaked plans, saying "Non Paper = Non-Starter".

The Irish border has proved to be the thorniest issue in Brexit talks; The Irish and British governments and EU all want to avoid physical infrastructure on the border - But simply removing checks has long been rejected by Dublin.

Johnson says he wants to remove the 'backstop' from any Brexit deal - an insurance policy preventing the return of border infrastructure - saying there is no point in leaving the EU if the UK remains locked in a customs union.