UK's May must explain why she wants Brexit delay - French finance minister

British Prime Minister Theresa May will have to outline exactly why she wishes to delay Britain's exit from the European Union if her parliament demands she do so, France's finance minister said after a meeting with his Irish counterpart.

"There is an agreement. We believe this is a fair and a good agreement and it is up to the British government to assess the best way of adopting that agreement. If there is a call for an extension of Article 50, we will have to understand what for. It is up to the British government to explain what for," Le Maire said at a joint news conference on Tuesday.

Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said Dublin and Paris believed ratifying the divorce deal already struck with the EU was "the best and only way forward" but added that Ireland would not block any potential extension. (Reporting by Graham Fahy and Padraic Halpin Editing by Gareth Jones)