Hello and welcome to Brexit Republic, RTE's podcast on Brexit.

I'm Sean Wheeler and RTE's London correspondent, but this week I'm in Brussels, doing the Brexit thing on both sides of the North Sea while Tony's on leave.

And I'm Colom O'Mongown, RTE's Deputy Foreign Editor in Dublin.

Each week, Brexit

Republic assesses all the latest Brexit developments in Brussels, London and here in Dublin.

So at last, the future relationship talks are underway. We'll look at what we know at the end

of week one, look ahead to the rest of this month's process, and try and separate the breakfast

diplomacy from the breakfast diplomacy

from the Brexit diplomacy.

From David Frost's patriotic sausage, egg and beans to the dirty rumour that Michel Barnier

starts the day with a bowl of Frosties, we'll tell you what's really important about these

talks.

We'll point out the cod from the red herrings in the main areas of dispute.

Fish for clues on the level playing field.

Give our own adequacy decisions on the data flow from both sides

and may even make an equivalence ruling of our own

in the fields of guff, spin and hype.

And we'll talk to former EU ambassador to the US, David O'Sullivan,

who is also the Union's Director General for Trade,

for his view on the current situation.

And we'll chat a little about what we know

of the UK government's latest position on the Ireland Protocol.

...