Ireland and the UK are being urged to agree a special side deal before Brexit talks begin.

That's according to the UK's House of Lords, which says the deal should be incorporated into the final deal.

They say it's the best way to make sure issues around the border with Northern Ireland are dealt with.

The findings have been commended by the former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern - who is warning that Ireland has perhaps "six months" to reach a deal with the UK before talks with the rest of Europe begin.

The report from the House of Lords' EU Committee is the first one ever to be launched outside of London, and was compiled after hearings with 33 academic and political witnesses from both sides of the border.

Our political correspondent Gavan Reilly reports:

However this evening Michael Noonan appears to have rejected the idea - saying it would be against EU law.

The Irish government has consistently said that, under EU law, Ireland will have to side with the remaining 26 EU member states in the Brexit talks with the UK.

Sources also say that because the EU has sole powers in certain areas, a bilateral deal in some areas would be almost useless anyway.

Michael Noonan this evening even suggested it might be illegal for Ireland and the UK to even try to negotiate a side deal first: