Today FM is seeking permission to release its latest Gift Grub offering in time for the Christmas market.

The song, based on Lily Allen's hit single 'LDN', was aired for the first time on Thursday morning on Ian Dempsey's Breakfast Show and according to a spokeswoman for the station it received a "massive" reaction.

Such was the response to the song that host Dempsey decided to take the unusual step of replaying the song at the end of his show. The Gift Grub team is now seeking permission from Lily Allen to release the song in time for Christmas.

In the original song, 21-year-old Allen tells of her day cycling through London and the sights she sees. But where Allen sings, "Riding through the city on my bike all day / 'Cause the filth took my licence away", Bertie's song opens with the line, "Riding through the city in my Merc one day/ With my free CD by the Bee Gees".

While Allen sees prostitutes and drug addicts on her travels through London . . . abbreviated to 'LDN' . . .

Bertie sees only smokers standing in the cold outside pubs, traffic jams on the M50 and Eamon Dunphy getting into a taxi.

"You might laugh, you might frown, it's Christmas in Dublin town", sings the Taoiseach, replacing Allen's original lyrics, "You might laugh, you might frown/ Walkin' around London town".

Riding through the city in my Merc one day With my free CD by The Bee Gees Everything's gift, it's AOK And I'm gettin' my windscreen squeegied It's lashing with rainf I'd say it's down for the night But all the punters are laughing and joking Kinda looks like the pubs are stuffed But in fact they're just outside smoking You might laugh, you might frown It's Christmas in Dublin town Santa's in the sky . . . oh why oh why Would I wanna be anywhere else?

Santa's in the sky . . . oh why oh why Would I wanna be anywhere else?

When you look with your eyes Everything's so nice But you'll be twice the size Cause of those mince pies There's a line of people doing nothing at all Just sitting there looking quite shifty In a huge big car park . . . down to a crawl I believe it is called the M50 There's a little old lady: look she's getting in the cab Sitting in the back . . . all comfy Curly white hair and the gift of the gab No Jaysis, it's Eamon Dunphy You might laugh, you might frown It's Christmas in Dublin town Santa's in the sky . . . oh why oh why Would I wanna be anywhere else?

Santa's in the sky . . . oh why oh why Would I wanna be anywhere else?

When you look with your eyes Everything's so nice But you'll be twice the size cause of those mince pies