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.

And I'm Sean Whelan, RTE's correspondent in London.

And I'm Colin 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. With Brexit Day edging closer, the withdrawal agreement

bill has been making its way through the House of Lords, but the probable silence of Big Ben

at 11pm on January 31st

has outraged Brexiteers. Yes, we'll be looking at the probably ill-fated plan to bong a bob for a Big Ben bong,

and what that says about the mood of Britain on the eve of departure. And while the bell will toll for no one on Brexit night,

the European Union has been

sharpening its studs for the big trade negotiations scrap that'll follow, with sharp warnings

over how closely it expects the UK to maintain EU standards. We'll be taking a closer look at that

level playing field issue and why it'll be a bruising battle and as the irish general election kicks

off we'll assess the impact brexit might have and we'll discuss ursula vonder lion's quick trip to

dublin where she promised there would never be a hard border in ireland sean to you first and

the big ben bong bung bung how's it all going over there?

Not very well.

...