Brexit means Brexit and we're going to make a success of it.

We have got a cast iron assurance and a guarantee from the British government.

The particular problems around the Irish border are being used politically to try to frustrate Brexit.

Northern Ireland must leave the European Union on the same terms as the rest of the United Kingdom.

Northern Ireland would form part of our customs territory.

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

I'm Tony Connolly, RTE's Europe editor in Brussels.

I'm Sean Whelan, RTE's London correspondent just arrived in Dublin.

And I'm Colom Ongoing, RTE's Deputy Foreign Editor, also in Dublin.

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

The Brexit clock is ticking louder than ever.

The UK is now certain to leave the EU in just a few weeks' time as Boris Johnson

wields his mighty majority. Yes, indeed, the withdrawal agreement bill which destroyed Theresa May

has just passed its third stage in the House of Commons with barely a whimper. We'll assess

the last gasp efforts of Northern Ireland's political parties and businesses to change the bill to guarantee unfettered trade across the Irish sea.

Meanwhile, the new European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen love bombs her way into Downing Street for her first meeting with Boris Johnson.

But leaves a sour taste with her warnings that a future relationship cannot be

concluded by the end of the year. We look at what's at stake in those upcoming trade negotiations,

what a level playing field looks like, and why the future for the EU and UK might look more

like Switzerland than Canada. But first over to you, Sean. This week and the Commons.

What was going on there?

It was the withdrawal agreement, Bill, column,

...