Hi °C | Lo °C Taoiseach Enda Kenny is delayed in his arrival in Brussels for a crunch EU leaders meeting where the union's €1 trillion seven-year budget is on the table.
Mr Kenny was due to arrive this morning for meetings with EU chiefs ahead of the summit but couldn't make it because of the late night Dail session to pass the emergency banking legislation.
But Irish diplomats are in touch with their EU counterparts about the agenda.
The summit is the first meeting of Ireland's EU Presidency, so Mr Kenny has a key role in the negotiations.
The last round of talks on the issue were abandoned in November with no agreement.
The key issue of the clash between countries that want the budget cut and those who want it maintained remains.
The Taoiseach will arrive this afternoon for the summit, which starts at 3pm.
And he faces another late night tonight as talks are expected to go into the early hours.
Mr Kenny said he hopes a deal can be done by tomorrow.
He was due to meet with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso for a pre-summit meeting but he had to cancel.
