TAOISEACH Enda Kenny is coming under pressure to set up an all-Ireland forum to deal with Brexit despite a "humiliating" rejection from First Minister Arlene Foster.
Mr Kenny said his invitation for an "island conversation" remains open to political parties and other organisations north and south but warned it would be divisive without cross-party agreement.
The DUP's Mrs Foster, whose party campaigned for a Leave vote, publicly dismissed the suggestion after a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council on Monday.
Mr Kenny was accused in the Dáil yesterday of having botched the idea by floating it over the weekend without consulting Mrs Foster.
Labour leader Brendan Howlin said the Taoiseach's approach had "damaged" the authority of his office and "more importantly the interests of Ireland".
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said he found it incredible that the forum was proposed without consultations with Stormont.
"Very clearly now the will of the people of Northern Ireland is going to be subverted by the English nationalistic approach in terms of its future within the EU," he said.
Around 56 per cent of voters in Northern Ireland backed remaining within the EU.
Mr Kenny said it was no time for political point-scoring and called on everybody to work together.
"It was a good idea and still remains a good idea," he said of the proposed all-island forum.
But he said the forum could not work if other parties did not buy into it.
But Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, who said he first proposed the idea in a letter to all leaders last week, insisted a DUP rejection "should not be allowed to stand in the way of such a body".
"There is actually an opportunity in all of these difficulties to redesign the future of the island of Ireland and of the EU," he said.
"But let's redesign the future of the island of Ireland first and the way to do that is to put together the forum."
Mr Adams claimed "civic unionism and civic society in general" would attend the proposed talks.
His party colleague, deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness echoed Mr Adams' comments yesterday and said he did not think "anybody should have a veto on a good idea".
Government ministers from Northern Ireland and the Republic drew up a list on Monday of priority areas they intend to work on to limit any potential damage of Brexit.
Among the points was an agreement to conduct a "full audit" to "identify the possible impacts, risks, opportunities and contingencies" that the island could face.
And the two finance ministers will "consider the issue of securing" further funding for regional development from the EU.
Meanwhile, Ulster Unionist MLA Philip Smith has said companies in the north need reassurance about their position following Brexit.
"Successful companies like Willowbrook Foods in my own Strangford constituency are crying out for communication and reassurance from the Northern Ireland Executive. They want to know how Brexit will affect their workforce, their access to key markets and company profitability," he said.
He said of the 19 managers at Willowbrook who attended a meeting with him, 11 were "originally from other EU countries".
"Many have married, bought houses and are raising their families in Northern Ireland," he said.
"They are more than economic migrants, they are new Northern Irish and they are now unsure of their futures."
