In a statement released this morning, Minister Varadkar stated the election results made clear that there was "no mandate" for a hard Brexit and that these results represented "an opportunity for Ireland."

The statement in full reads:

“The Irish Government is ready to participate in negotiations on Brexit and to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland.

“We must ensure that the Brexit talks are handled in a smooth and coherent manner to secure the best possible outcome for Ireland, for Europe and the UK.

“The results of the UK election indicate to me that there is no strong mandate to proceed with a hard Brexit, which represents an opportunity for Ireland.

“The early restoration of the Executive in Northern Ireland is also a priority. There is now a strong opportunity for the parties in Northern Ireland to re-engage in discussions to form an Executive.”

In the wake of the results, the Conservatives are likely to go into coalition with Northern Ireland's largest party, the DUP.

More follows.