The President of the European Council Donald Tusk will hold Brexit talks with the government in Dublin today.
His visit comes ahead of a European Council meeting in two weeks time that will finalise the Withdrawal Agreement with the UK.
The draft document contains a so-called 'back stop' guaranteeing no hard border on the island of Ireland, which has been rejected by the British government and the DUP.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney says he wants to see alternative ideas from the UK.
"We've also made clear our commitment to exploring specific solutions to be proposed by the United Kingdom, if or when, these are tabled," he said.
"But at the same time, and should it prove necessary, there is now the required legal provision to implement the back stop of maintaining full alignment in Northern Ireland."
Mr Tusk is also due to discuss key economic issues with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, as well as the future relationship between the EU and the UK.