Irish PM says unclear if Northern Ireland protocol deal possible by April

DUBLIN (Reuters) - It is unclear if Britain and the European Union can reach a deal on tweaking post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland in time for the mid-April anniversary of the region's 1998 peace deal, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday.

"I think we would all love to see a resolution before the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement or ... before St Patrick's Day (March 17), but I can't say if that is possible at this stage," Varadkar told parliament.

"In terms of the timeline for an agreement, there is no definite timeline, there is no deadline," he said.

(Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)