Irish Times Inside Politics: Recent Episodes
The Irish Times
In the second of three episodes on the rise and fall of the Progessive Democrats, Hugh and Pat pick up the story on the eve of the 1987 general election with the PDs riding a wave of energy and Fianna Fail's Charles Haughey chasing the overall majority that always eluded him.
The party's first outing at the polls is a triumph: 12 per cent of the vote, 14 seats and third place ahead of Labour, much of it carved out of a collapsing Fine Gael. Haughey falls two seats short. Without O'Malley's new party, would he finally have had his majority?
Instead, a minority Fianna Fáil government, propped up by Fine Gael's "Tallaght Strategy", embarks on savage spending cuts and commits to tax cuts, policies the PDs demanded.
The PDs' successes bring a problem: when your opponents adopt your programme, what are you for? By 1989 the party is squeezed from both sides and in the next election it slumps to six seats. But again, no party wins a majority. This time the solution brings the PDs to power, changing Irish politics forever.
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Today Hugh and Pat embark on a deep dive into the history of a political party that, despite its small size, had an enormous and lasting impact on Ireland.
Born of the dire economic and political realities of 1980s Ireland, the Progressive Democrats, or PDs, spent half of their 23-year existence in power despite never having more than a handful of TDs - and sometimes far fewer. Under successive leaders Des O'Malley, Mary Harney and Michael McDowell, the party used that power to fight for lower taxes and economic liberalisation, reshaping the Irish political landscape along the way. But despite their outsized impact, the PDs could not survive.
In the first of three episodes Pat traces the birth of the party to the misery of mid-80s Ireland, the enmity between Fianna Fail leader Charles Haughey and prickly, clever Des O'Malley, a natural leader and a Fianna Fáil TD for Limerick.
In a controversy emblematic of 1980s Ireland, O’Malley was expelled from Fianna Fáil over the issue of contraception, ridding Haughey of a problem - or so he thought. But what followed was the emergence of a new political force that would threaten Ireland's sclerotic two-and-a-half party system.
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Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
- It was revealed this week that the planned Dublin Metrolink could cost up to €19 billion. The last Metrolink estimates from 2022 suggested €9.5 billion as the midpoint of a “credible” cost range of between €7.16 billion and €12.25 billion. The increasing cost echoes the National Children’s Hospital and its umpteen budget increases – a saga that damaged the public’s trust in the State’s ability to deliver large necessary projects in a timely and cost-effective manner.
- The latest data from the Climate Change Advisory Council suggests the Government’s target of 400,000 heat-pump installations by 2030 is all but impossible at this stage. They are calling for a twentyfold increase in the pace of delivery, plus a surge in general home retrofits.
- The German chancellor Friedrich Merz was welcomed to Dublin by Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Tuesday where he delivered a speech on the need for a more austere approach to the common EU budget. The decision to speak entirely in German was not helped by malfunctioning translation devices given out to the Taoiseach and those present.
- The State has been urged to buy the lands of former Bessborough mother and baby home to create memorial park. This comes after planning permission was granted for more than 100 apartments on the Cork site.
- And more than 300 former members of the Christian Brothers will be summonsed through an advertisement in a national newspaper. The move was prompted by the fact that the Christian Brothers is an unincorporated association, meaning there is no legal entity that can be directly sued by people taking it to court.
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Narendra Modi’s 12 year rule of India has never looked so fragile.
Weeks of protests have engulfed the country following the leak of a medical entrance exam paper, which forced nearly two million students to resit the test. Protestors hailed victory from the resignation of the education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday.
On today’s podcast, Hugh asks our contributor in New Delhi, Rahul Bedi, to explain the significance of the movement.
What had fanned the flames, he said, was the description of unemployed young people as “cockroaches” by one senior government minister.
Then, out of the ootheca hatched the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical movement that has channelled the frustrations of millions of young Indians who, in the words of Bedi, believe the country is increasingly dominated by corruption, privilege and vested interests.
They’re not alone.
Farmers have again been protesting at the state of the rural economy. And another campaign has emerged against the government’s ethanol-blended fuel policy, with some motorists arguing that petrol containing 20% ethanol reduces fuel efficiency and may damage engines.
Bedi explains what these large movements mean for the strength and future of the Narendra Modi administration.
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Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
- Budget season has already started with the Summer Economic Statement pointing to less cash being available for new spending measures in Budget 2027. Minister for Finance Simon Harris and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers have announced that Government spending on infrastructure and services will increase by €7 billion next year to €125.5 billion. It seems that Government commitment of a maximum of €200 per child per month will have to wait a little longer.
- And while the Government stopped short of an outright ban on e-scooters, there will be new regulations coming into effect as early as next month that will extend the existing ban for under-16s to a ban for under-18s, and the mandatory wearing of helmets and high-visibility vests for everyone using an e-scooter.
- The end of private maternity care in publicly funded hospitals might be arriving sooner than expected with news this week that about 150 women have been turned away for private care by consultants at the National Maternity Hospital over the last six weeks.
- And it is all change in the annual RTÉ salary top ten as the on-air talent have been largely replaced in the list by ‘faceless executives’, with RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst occupying top spot. Who will think of the poor radio presenters?
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Returning to the podcast today is UK political commentator, broadcaster and author Iain Dale to talk to Hugh about the arrival of Andy Burnham as prime minister and the death of Iain's friend Ann Widdecombe.
Burnham's excellence as a communicator and a political salesman means there's a strong contrast between him and his predecessor. But after being swept to office unopposed, it's not yet clear what he is offering to the British public. How will he handle issues like immigration, defence and the economy, and what have we learned from his cabinet picks?
In part two: The killing of Ann Widdecombe has shaken British politics. Despite disagreeing with many of her convictions, Iain and the former Conservative MP had a close relationship. He talks about her life, her views, the growing threat politicians perceive to their safety and the role of social media in coarsening political debate and encouraging extremism.
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Michel Barnier is best known in Ireland for his central role in the EU's negotiations with the UK over Brexit almost ten years ago. But Barnier has also played a central role in French politics for decades, including a brief stint as prime minister. Today he is a member of the French parliament.
Last week he was in Dublin for a series of political meetings with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee and other senior figures, and on Wednesday Hugh interviewed him at Europe House, the European Commission's Dublin base, in front of an audience.
Their conversation ranged from Barnier's first political awakening as a teenager in the 1960s through to his verdict on Brexit 10 years after the referendum, figures like Nigel Farage who led the UK out of the EU, the rise of France's far right and the prospects for the French presidential election which takes place in April of next year.
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Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
- The Government’s report into Aughinish Alumina is expected to say that material produced there may or may not have been used in Russia’s war machine, citing a lack of evidence either way. Half of the alumina produced in the plant in the first quarter of this year went to Russia, up from 43 per cent last year. Will the Limerick plant’s days be numbered eventually?
- The calls to ban e-scooters grew louder this week with Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly saying society would be “better off” without them. On Tuesday Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he is “leaning towards” a total ban on e-scooters as the Dáil discussed the issue following incidents resulting in deaths and serious injuries.
- The high cost of deportation flights was laid out in figures supplied by the Department of Justice to the Public Accounts Committee. They showed that the State paid more than €1 million for a single deportation flight when returning 42 adults and children from Ireland to South Africa in June.
- Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan shows no sign of backing down in the row over legal aid solicitor fees. Now more than 100 solicitors have made it known that they intend to resign from the criminal legal aid panel, with solicitors continuing to refuse to provide advice to suspects detained for questioning in Garda stations.
- And it is goodbye to Keir Starmer as the UK prime minister defended his record and offered his support to Andy Burnham who succeeds him as Labour party leader.
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As the Dáil shuts down for the summer it's time for Hugh, Pat and Jack to take stock of the term gone by. But the biggest political event of the year didn't happen in Leinster House. The April fuel protests left their mark on Irish politics as few other events of recent years have.
In part two: How have the various parties navigated the term? Has Mary Lou McDonald steadied the SF ship, and could a forthcoming book by a former party insider cause renewed problems? Can the Social Democrats maintain their recent momentum? Has Simon Harris dialled down his high-energy approach to politics? And when Harris rotates back into the taoiseach's office next year, will Micheal Martin still be the man he’ll take over from?
Finally: Martin has repeatedly said this Government will be about results, delivery and substance. But will there be enough of that to satisfy voters? On the cost of living issue in particular, the challenge is steep - even with the next election a long way off.
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Last week an appeals court opened the way for Marine Le Pen of French far-right party National Rally to stand in next year's presidential election. If the far right comes to power in Paris it will be the culmination of a long journey that is outlined in The Dark Side of France: A History of the Far Right, a new book by Irish journalist Enda O’Doherty.
Hugh talks to O’Doherty about his book and what a Le Pen victory would mean. They discuss tensions within National Rally between economically liberal conservatism and its working-class base and trace the far right’s roots from the Dreyfus Affair and antisemitism through Action Française, Vichy collaboration, the Algeria crisis and how Marine’s father Jean-Marie Le Pen built up National Rally, then called Front National.
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Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· Sinn Féin’s Planning for Constitutional Change Bill, which obliges the Government to draft and publish a Green Paper on unification within 18 months, failed to win support from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, or independents.
· All Government TDs also voted against a PBP Bill to ban hare coursing. The Bill presented an issue where the party whip could have been spared in favour of a free vote, given the public’s clear support to outlaw the practice. The Bill was overwhelmingly defeated by 125 votes to 24.
· And this week saw Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and far-right French leader Marine Le Pen take the biggest political gambles of their respective careers.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Graham Platner crashes and burns, dwindling swag bags for visiting journalists, and the derelict ‘Carlton’ site on O’Connell Street is snapped up by MetroLink.
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For Germany, football is often a reflection of the nations’ stability.
“When Germany is going well, things are going well on the pitch” Irish Times Berlin correspondent Derek Scally tells the Inside Politics podcast.
Following another premature exit from a world cup tournament they won only 12 years ago; in football, as in German politics, the future is uncertain.
Host Hugh Linehan asks where the major fault lines are in the upcoming federal elections in September. Elections, Scally explains, that are likely to be won by the far-right party Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) bar any major shifts.
“Establishment parties are seen as lacking ideas and energy” Scally says. “The sense of a government exhausting its political potential seems to be a general agreement around Berlin”.
Europe’s biggest economy is vulnerable on a number of fronts. It relies on Chinese manufacturing for its automotive sector, while facing major competition from increasingly popular, often cheaper, Chinese car makers.
Though the Christian Democrats’ Fredrick Merz has only been Chancellor for a year, “frustration” and “fatigue” are already creeping into public sentiment, Scally says.
Could his 34-point plan announced last week, including pension reforms, tax cuts, and business deregulation, turn things around?
Produced by Andrew McNair
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British MP Nigel Farage has resigned as an MP triggering a by-election in the constituency of Clacton-on-Sea which he says he will stand in.
It comes amid a row over his financial support, after The Sunday Times reported he had not declared benefits, including staff and security, received from his ally George Cottrell, who was convicted of fraud in the US.
“I’ve done nothing wrong” Farage said on a live stream provided by his UK Reform party and broadcast on British news channels.
Hugh speaks to our London Correspondent Mark Paul in the moments after the speech about what this move represents for British politics, and what happens next.
Produced by Andrew McNair.
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Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union got off to a slightly awkward start at the opening ceremony at Dublin Castle on Wednesday when guest Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned against “material emanating from a plant in Ireland” being used in Russia’s war effort. The Ukrainian president didn’t name Aughinish Alumina, but his feelings were clear.
· Dozens of solicitors walked out of District Court rooms on Wednesday in protest against a new pay system for legal aid. This marked an escalation in tensions with Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan who has pushed the reform through.
· The Government are not going to act on Oireachtas committee recommendations on the decriminalisation of the possession of drugs for personal use.
· And as the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, how has the country lived up to the principals and aspirations of its founding fathers?
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Hugh Linehan is joined by Alex Kane to discuss the double life of disgraced politician Jeffrey Donaldosn and its broader impact on the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) as well as Ulster unionism overall.
Alex Kane is an Irish News columnist and a political commentator as well as a former director of communications for the Ulster Unionist Party. The pair discuss a recent wave of stories that reveal the hypocritical behaviour of self-professed christian Donaldson over the course of his career; from projectile vomiting on the Mayor of Beijing to swigging from a wine bottle in the House of Commons and being spotted entering a gay sauna.
Kane says it seems as if no one in the DUP attempted to address this highly inappropriate behaviour. He also highlights a growing conspiracy theory among unionists who believe the British government may have used this information to blackmail Donaldson to return to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
In today’s episode, they discuss what all of this spells for the future of unionism in Ulster.
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Last week Pat Leahy sat down with former Labour leader Pat Rabbitte for an interview about his life in politics.
Rabbitte is now retired but for decades he was one of the most recognisable faces and voices of centre left politics in Ireland.
As a minister in the 2011 Fine Gael-Labour coalition, he witnessed first hand the events explored in our recent mini series on the subject.
He talked about the decisions he made as party leader and as a minister, as well as his formative years in the west of Ireland and 1960s America, and what he thinks of today’s splintered centre-left.
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Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Pat Leahy to look back on the week in politics:
All anyone can talk about this week is the weather. While the country enjoys the warmth, the Government still has to find balance between spending to prevent climate change and spending to mitigate the impact of change that has already arrived.
Keir Starmer may be gone but the UK's biggest problem remains: the lack of growth in their economy.
Proposed “reform” (read: scrapping) of the “triple lock” restriction on Irish overseas military deployment has run into trouble due to disquiet among Fianna Fail backbenchers. If not a rebellion, there was certainly “a renewed amount of grumbling” over the issue. But will it be a real problem for Taoiseach Micheal Martin?
Plus the panel pick their IT stories of the week including a plea for underground bins, Michael McDowell’s bold predictions and the divestment of Catholic church patronage.
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Next week Ireland takes over the presidency of the EU Council. But what does that mean? What exactly is the EU Council anyway? How does this council and this presidency fit in among the numerous other European councils and presidents? And how is Ireland going to approach the challenges and opportunities the six-month position brings? To find out Pat Leahy talks to Jack Horgan-Jones and Jack Power.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Mark Paul join Harry McGee to look back on the week in politics:
· Taoiseach Micheál Martin is in Brussels for the EU summit this week, also in attendance is Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy who is pushing for serious peace negotiations with Russia. Will Vladimir Putin come to the negotiation table? And could Ukraine’s EU membership be fast-tracked during Ireland’s upcoming EU presidency?
· Security, competitiveness and the EU budget are some of the issues that will come into focus as Ireland becomes a deal maker and parks parochial affairs for the duration of its six-month presidency starting July 1st.
· And with Andy Burnham justifying the hype by crushing Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in the Makerfield byelection, will prime minister Keir Starmer go quietly or hang around for a leadership battle he stands little chance of winning?
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.
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Jimmy Wales founded Wikipedia in January 2001, and almost nobody thought that an encyclopedia that anyone in the world was allowed to edit would actually work. But a quarter of a century later, Wikipedia is still one of the most visited websites on Earth and one of the few large-scale online institutions that people across the political spectrum broadly trust.
In his new book, The Seven Rules of Trust, Wales argues that what made Wikipedia work was a set of principles encompassing human nature, reciprocity, purpose, civility, independence and transparency.
He joins Hugh to talk about where Wikipedia came from, what those principles are and whether they offer any way out of the crisis of trust that is currently shaping politics across the democratic world.
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Cormac McQuinn and Harry McGee join Hugh to discuss the week in politics:
The disorder in Northern Ireland since a knife attack in Belfast on Monday reached levels not seen since “the worst possible days of the Troubles”, the Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable Jon Boutcher said. In a society with a history of sectarianism, there are complex layers to the events taking place.
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll McNeill won her battle with the Rotunda Hospital this week.
The Football Association of Ireland has confirmed that Ireland’s Nations League clash with Israel on October 4th will be played at a neutral venue and behind closed doors.
Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times stories of the week.
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In a new book coauthored with fellow political scientists, UCD’s Aidan Regan argues that the three goals of democracy, economic growth and effective climate action are at odds with one another, and that the resulting “trilemma” requires novel political solutions to solve.
On today's podcast Aidan talks to Hugh about why it is so difficult to balance these goals and potential solutions.
They also discuss why effective climate action should be linked to improved standards of living, not increased costs; whether regulations are really to blame for our failure to deliver infrastructure and housing; how China manages to achieve economic growth while leading in the transition to green technology; and whether “degrowth” is a realistic path to sustainability or a political impossibility.
The New Trilemma of Advanced Capitalism: Democracy, Growth and Effective Climate Action by Aidan Regan, Hanna Schwander, Cyril Benoît and Tim Vlandas is available now.
Aidan Regan is a professor of political economy at the school of politics and international relations at University College Dublin
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For a special crossover episode of Inside Politics Hugh Linehan welcomes US podcaster Galen Druke, the host of GD Politics and formerly of the FiveThirtyEight politics podcast, for a discussion of the Irish and US political scenes. They cover topics including:
- Why there is no strong populist right party in Ireland
- Ireland’s economic success, dependence on US multinationals and military neutrality
- Gerrymandering in America
- Race, the Voting Rights Act and representation
- The two-party system
They also talk about the fate of FiveThirtyEight, a popular website and podcast that was eventually shuttered after being acquired by ABC News.
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Pat Leahy and Ellen Coyne join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has come out this week to demand the Rotunda maternity hospital withdraw permission for consultants on public-only contracts to practise privately on its premises. If not, it could have its funding pulled.
· An investigation by Swedish tax authorities alleges that Oligarch and Vladimir Putin associate Oleg Deripaska, who is under EU sanctions over his role in supporting the invasion of Ukraine, still controls Rusal, the company that owns the Co Limerick industrial plant Aughinish Alumina.
· And an explosive interview from Michael Healy-Rae on Radio Kerry detailed how he was “pulled overboard” by his brother and fellow Independent TD Danny, resulting in him resigning his position as minister of state. Could the rift see the brothers run against each other in the next general election?
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The joy of your first World Cup, the Leaving Cert is a tough but valuable experience, and Andy Burnham’s byelection test in a Reform stronghold.
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Pat joins Hugh after interviewing Fianna Fáil's Darragh O'Brien about major issues related to his twin ministries, Transport and Climate, Energy and the Environment. They listen back to the interview and discuss what O'Brien had to say about a new scrappage scheme to encourage the purchase of EVs, Ireland's certain failure to hit its legally-binding emissions targets in 2030 and the financial cost to the state of that failure.
They also discuss data centres and the future of Fianna Fail's leadership after a disappointing showing in the recent byelections.
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Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The left-wing alliance that was formed during Catherine Connolly’s presidential campaign is already straining, with the Social Democrats, Labour and People Before Profit concerned with the policy direction of Sinn Féin on issues like migration and reproductive rights.
· Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins was not impressed by left-leaning voters neglecting to supply party candidate Noel Thomas with enough transfers to prevail in the recent Galway West byelection. Perhaps those voters did not want to give Thomas a preference given his far from left-leaning stance on immigration.
· The omission of services from the Occupied Territories Bill, which targets Israeli imports produced from Palestinian lands, came as a surprise to no one. After many months of mulling it over, the Taoiseach was accused by Opposition parties of reneging on promises to prohibit all trade with settlements. Government can expect many calls for amendments when it is brought to Oireachtas in the coming weeks.
· And the building of one-off rural housing could become easier with plans to relax the rules for rural housing, aimed at allowing for increased supply, expected to be brought to Cabinet next month.
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RTÉ has been in the news again lately thanks to renewed controversy over payments to presenters. So it is a timely moment for the release of a new book on the institution. RTÉ: Saints, Scholars, and Scandals is the latest work by former TD, minister and journalist Shane Ross, who brings his dual experience of media and politics to bear on this unwieldy subject.
He talks to Hugh about the deep roots of RTÉ's structural problems, Fianna Fáil's dominance of RTÉ throughout its history (exemplified by Gay Byrne's cozy relationship with Charles Haughey) and the damaging recent scandals over payments and governance.
He tells Hugh the frustration politicians feel over negative coverage is the reason cash-strapped RTÉ has not enjoyed a licence fee increase since 2008.
Ross also talks about how illness (he is recovering from throat cancer) derailed the book for a few years.
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Journalist and author Helen Lewis has built a reputation for sharp analysis of politics, culture and the forces reshaping public life.
In one piece for The Atlantic she unpicks policies, and the figures promoting them, arguing against some rights for women.
On today’s podcast Helen tells Hugh about influential figures who would once have been considered “fringe” coming to the fore.
She explains why questions around women’s rights and gender identity have become so politically explosive, and how media and politics have become entangled in a cycle of outrage and performance.
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Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh to talk about the results of the Dublin Central and Galway West byelections:
As the day began Fine Gael were confident that their man, Senator Sean Kyne, would win the seat. That confidence wavered a little as Independent Ireland’s Noel Thomas picked up significant transfers throughout the morning. In the end it wasn’t enough and Fine Gael leader Tanaiste Simon Harris was celebrating a rare byelection win for a party in power. But is he right to call it “a victory for centrist politics”?
Independent Ireland can be encouraged by Noel Thomas’s performance in Galway West.
Fine Gael and Social Democrats are the winners on this occasion. But can they turn these victories into long-term success?
There was evidence of “vote left, transfer left” behaviour in Galway. But many of Sinn Féin’s voters gave their second preferences to Independent Ireland rather than Labour or Social Democrats.
Fianna Fáil were the other big losers in this campaign. But how much do these byelections, both won by strong local candidates, really tell us about the strength of the party nationwide?
Should the counting of votes take so long? Hugh and Pat think not, but Harry McGee dissents.
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A picture is emerging in the byelection counts. Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy, Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones to discuss what we have learned so far:
On the basis of the numbers available on Saturday afternoon, Social Democrats councillor Daniel Ennis and Fine Gael senator Sean Kyne look well placed to take seats in Dublin Central and Galway West respectively. But transfers could still shift result in Galway West where Independent Ireland's Noel Thomas is polling strongly.
The anti-establishment vote in Dublin Central has grown significantly with strong showings from both Gerry Hutch and Malachy Steenson.
Sinn Féin's apparent failure to top the poll in either constituency is a bad result for the leader of the opposition Mary Lou McDonald.
The results are even worse for Fianna Fáil, with its showing in Dublin Central, once a party stronghold, likely to be of particular concern to Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
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Pat Leahy and Naomi O’Leary join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· Taoiseach Micheál Martin arrived in Italy on Friday, meeting Pope Leo in the Vatican and Italian premier Giorgia Meloni in Rome. This is part of a round of meetings with leaders ahead of Ireland’s EU presidency starting in July, with Martin meeting French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Thursday. An estimated 270 meetings with senior politicians are scheduled for the duration of Ireland’s EU presidency, expect a lot of traffic disruption around Dublin Castle.
· Naomi O’Leary has been covering the taoiseach’s tour, where he has been keen to highlight the mistreatment of Gaza aid flotilla activists detained by Israeli forces. Could this, coupled with the slowdown in humanitarian aid into Gaza and the continued killing and displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank, finally spark the EU into placing sanctions on Israel?
· And record rent surges in the first quarter of 2026. There was a 4.4 per cent increase between December and March as the Government’s new rent control system came into effect.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Arsenal end 22-year wait for title win, the tragic death of Yves Sakila, and the issues foreign investment presents for Ireland.
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Cormac McQuinn and Harry McGee join Hugh for a final look at the Dublin Central and Galway West byelections before voting takes place on Friday.
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Economist and author Sinead O'Sullivan ruffled some feathers recently with her analysis of Ireland’s deficits in infrastructure and services. Her critiques of the State’s failure to deliver things that are taken for granted in other similarly wealthy countries sparked debate and drew pushback from figures including former taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
On today’s Inside Politics podcast she talks to Hugh about how her professional background in designing complex systems made it “ impossible for me not to see” the flaws she identifies in the Irish model. She argues that Ireland lacks strong institutions capable of separating long-term delivery from electoral politics, resulting in costly, short-term fixes.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Mark Paul join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The findings of the Irish Times and TG4 by Ipsos B&A poll throws up some interesting permutations for the Dublin Central byelection. Sinn Féin’s Janice Boylan leads the first preference vote at 21 per cent, Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats is in second place on 18 per cent, but as Jack explains, ‘second preference intention’ could be vital for both.
· It is now a question of when and not if for Keir Starmer after disastrous local and parliamentary election results prompted a slew of Labour MPs to call on the prime minister to resign. A defiant speech on Monday did little to inspire party members as Starmer vowed to fight any leadership challenge. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has been given a route to challenge Starmer following Josh Simons’ decision to step down as MP for Makerfield.
· And speaking to The Irish Times on Wednesday, former taoiseach Bertie Ahern addressed his recent comments on immigration, made while out on a canvass last week in Dublin Central. And while no apology was forthcoming, he did point out that he had “no problem with people from the Congo or Africa or anywhere else. I’ve good friends around Drumcondra, there’s a lot of the clergy in from Africa.” Could this controversy overshadow Fianna Fáil’s Ard Fheis taking place today and tomorrow as the party marks its 100th year in existence?
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· One Dublin mother’s 14-year wait for a bigger council house, the challenges for Ireland of a Reform-led UK government, and how difficult it has become for Irish diaspora to return home.
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The Irish Times and TG4 by Ipsos B&A poll shows Sinn Féin’s Janice Boylan leads the byelection race in Dublin Central with first preference votes at 21 per cent, Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats is in second place on 18 per cent. But Ennis will be in line for a lot of transfers from the fragmented left-wing vote, with Labour, People Before Profit and the Green Party all having candidates in the race.
Veteran criminal Gerry Hutch is running in third place on 14 per cent, growing his vote from 9 percent in the last general election. Could his transfers play an important role for Boylan’s path to victory?
And Fianna Fáil’s John Stephens is way back in the field on 4 per cent. His cause won’t have been helped by Bertie Ahern’s comments on immigration, captured while the former taoiseach was out on a byelection canvass last week. The poll shows immigration trails cost-of-living and housing as an issue for voters ahead of election day on May 22nd.
Produced by John Casey.
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With just over a week until two by elections, host Hugh Linehan unpicks the race for Dublin Central in today’s Inside Politics.
Political Correspondents Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn reflect on then race so far, and which candidates will benefit most from those critical transfers.
Ahead of Irish Times polling for the consistence to be published on Thursday, where are the battlegrounds? And what are the issues on which they will be won and lost?
Produced by Andrew McNair and Declan Conlon.
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In the week of Fianna Fail’s centenary Hugh and Pat are joined by reporter and historian Ronan McGreevy to trace the party’s origins and assess its legacy.
Ronan explains how in 1926, with frustration growing at Sinn Féin’s ineffectiveness, Éamon de Valera and allies such as Seán Lemass formed Fianna Fáil, rapidly building hundreds of cumainn. He looks at how the party first entered the Dáil, helped create a two-party system and ultimately won power.
The discussion also covers the party’s catch-all pragmatism, recent history of compromise with Fine Gael, and its mixed legacy of ties to corruption along with a commitment to democracy and state institutions.
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Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The findings of the Irish Times/TG4 opinion poll onfirst preference votes, carried out by Ipsos B&A, suggests three leading candidates in the Galway West byelection. It shows Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) at 17 per cent followed by Noel Thomas (Independent Ireland Party) on 16 per cent and Helen Ogbu (Labour) on 12 per cent.
· In Dublin Central, candidate and veteran criminal Gerry Hutch rejected claims that recent comments he made about immigrants were racist. In a social media post on Sunday Hutch said, “illegal immigrants”, including Somalis, who were “mooching” their way into the country, should be interned in the Curragh.
· And Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton’s recent confirmation that her department is facing a deficit of more than €500 million this year was dwarfed by the HSE’s decision to pause recruitment in non-frontline roles across significant parts of the country due to a projected €1 billion overspend this year.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Mark Paul on nationalist-led administrations running Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Finn McRedmond is not a fan of ‘grotty’ Stephen's Green Shopping Centre, and Donald Trump’s boundless appetite for self‑memorialisation.
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Hugh Linehan hosts a live Inside Politics show in Galway’s Róisín Dubh with Pat Leahy, Ellen Coyne and Galway native Harry McGee ahead of the May 22nd Galway West byelection. Harry, fresh from his day of shadowing candidates on the canvass, profiles the constituency and what influences are at play in this huge electoral area, which spans urban, rural and Gaeltacht districts. The Irish Times politics team outlines why byelections are hard to predict, who the key candidates are, and what dynamics might shape the race; from Independent Ireland’s Noel Thomas and the lingering impact of the fuel protests to the “vote left, transfer left” pact and Catherine Connolly’s influence. They also consider whether government candidates can break the usual byelection pattern, the Social Democrats’ momentum, and what the result could signal about longer-term shifts in Irish politics. Hugh also fields questions from our live audience, some of whom have travelled from as far away as Dundee in Scotland.
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Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· There are now 14 candidates confirmed as running in Dublin Central and 17 candidates in Galway West in the upcoming byelections on May 22nd. And while it looks like a tussle between those representing centre-left parties in the capital, Independent Ireland councillor Noel Thomas already looks to be the frontrunner in Galway West.
· Sinn Féin are hopeful of a byelection win in leader Mary Lou McDonald’s own constituency of Dublin Central, not least because of reported unrest, albeit privately, over the party’s future direction under McDonald’s leadership.
· And the Government announced this week that it will begin a six-month process of withdrawing tourist and commercial accommodation housing up to 16,000 Ukrainians here from August, coupled with the winding down of the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) scheme which will see the €600 monthly payment to hosts reducing to €400 in September and ceasing next March. What impact will this have on homeless figures and the number of integrated Ukrainians leaving the country?
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Gerry Hutch in sunny Lanzarote, the Ukrainian grandfathers fighting on the front line, and online misogynistic abuse thrives and proliferates.
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Fintan O’Toole talks to Hugh Linehan about Fianna Fáil as the party’s 100th birthday draws near. Fintan credits the party with helping create a vibrant Irish middle class - if only by accident. But in recent decades the party has undermined that legacy, he says, through short-sighted, reactionary politics and especially through its approach to home ownership.
They also discuss the recent fuel protests.
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Hugh is joined by Irish Times Washington correspondent Keith Duggan to talk about the dramatic events at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, where an intrusion by a gunman interrupted what was supposed to be president Donald Trump's first appearance at the annual event where the worlds of politics, media and celebrity socialise.
They then talk about Trump's complicated and contradictory relationship with the media: his contempt for mainstream outlets, his hunger for their approval and his administration's pivot to podcasters and social media influencers during the 2024 campaign.
In part two they look at the evolution of conservative media figure Tucker Carlson and his recent public break with Trump over the Iran conflict.
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Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The posters are going up, and candidates are preparing their pitch, but could Sinn Féin come up empty-handed in both the Dublin Central (party leader Mary Lou McDonald’s constituency) and Galway West byelection when the votes are counted on May 23rd? And does a vote against Government no longer mean a vote for the republican party?
· Given how many prominent Irish politicians retire and become silent, perhaps former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s unguarded opinions should be viewed as refreshing. The recent release of his book Speaking My Mind and various podcast contributions point to someone unafraid to give their unvarnished opinion.
· And President Catherine Connolly made her first trip overseas, attending the Defence of Democracy conference in Spain. Traditionalists might argue her first visit abroad should have been to meet another head of state.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Michael Jackson in Cork and the 10-year-old at his hotel, the ascent of Green Party leader Zack Polanski, and the cultural obsession with the 1990s.
Correction: In the course of a conversation about the aftermath of the fuel protests, Hugh Linehan said that carbon tax is applied pro rata to the price of fuel. That is not correct. Carbon tax, as the name suggests, is calculated on the carbon emissions of a fuel, not the price. Therefore price fluctuations do not affect the rate of carbon tax which is charged.
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The country is moving on from the protests that dominated the national discussion over Easter, even as what the protests actually meant continues to generate debate.
Leo Varadkar poured more fuel on the fire by telling rural dwellers that, far from them being the backbone that holds up the country, it is their city cousins who pay all the bills. Could these events mark the start of deeper urban-rural divide in politics? It seems very possible the protests will be looked back on as an important step in Ireland’s political evolution, wherever that leads.
Today Hugh is joined by UCD political economy lecturer Michael Byrne and political correspondent Ellen Coyne to talk about what the events of April 2026 have revealed about Irish society, Irish politics and how Irish people look at democracy, protest and the urban-rural divide.
You can read Michael Byrne’s Substack blog on housing here.
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Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· There were renewed questions about the future of Micheál Martin’s leadership in the aftermath of the fuel protests and the resignation of former Independent minister Michael Healy-Rae from Government. Fianna Fáil TDs James O'Connor, Ryan O’Meara and Albert Dolan outlined their “real and deep concern” with the Government’s response to the protests in a statement on Wednesday. However, any momentum behind a challenge to Martin had faded by Thursday night as Fianna Fáil Ministers and TDs rallied behind him.
· Another consequence of the Government’s response to the fuel protests has been the potential impact on Fianna Fáil’s relationship with rural Ireland. Will Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan’s announcement last week that the Army was being called in to clear fuel protest blockades come back to haunt the party?
· And President Catherine Connolly will meet her Council of State next Monday to consider the constitutionality of the recently passed International Protection Bill.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· US vice-president JD Vance takes issue with Pope Leo, excitement builds (mainly Pat’s) ahead of the Munster senior hurling championship, and how Irish energy prices compare amid the shock to oil and gas prices.
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Hugh, Pat and Ellen are joined by columnist Gerard Howlin to talk about a tumultuous day in Leinster House that capped a terrible week for the governing coalition:
- The Government faced down a confidence challenge, as expected. But the loss of now-former minister of state Michael Healy-Rae, along with the support of his backbencher brother Danny, cut its majority and underlined how the fuel protests have emerged as its biggest political challenge since the general election.
- The speed with which hundred of millions of euro were found to fix the problem has not been lost on every other interest group in the country. Further militant protests and renewed public sector pay demands are likely to follow. Is the Dáil lacking voices calling for fiscal restraint?
- Rural disillusionment is a slow-burning crisis for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with rural voters feeling abandoned by the big parties.
- Jim O'Callaghan's stock has fallen within Fianna Fáil over his handling of the crisis.
- And with the Government lacking a clearly articulated plan to steer citizens out of a painful cost of living crisis, the deep unhappiness on display over the past week is likely to persist.
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All agree that the scale of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán’s defeat in yesterday’s general election is hugely significant, for Hungary, Europe and beyond. But what exactly does the result mean? To find out Hugh talks to two journalists covering Hungarian affairs, Daniel Nolan and Ivan Nagy. They discuss how Orbán's populist playbook ran out of steam, why JD Vance's recent visit backfired and why Hungary now faces a painful economic reckoning.
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Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
- It was becoming clear towards the end of last week that protests over the price of fuel were coming. But the scale of what has unfolded seems to have caught the Government by surprise. Then there were missteps in the handling of the situation throughout the week. Now the battle lines have been drawn and positions have been given time and space to harden. Has the State’s authority been undermined?
- Jack and Ellen take us inside a week of crisis for the country and the coalition.
- Some opposition politicians showed enthusiastic support for the protests in their early stages, but the mood has become much more cautious as the scale of the impact on daily life has become clear.
- Donald Trump has claimed the two-week Iran war ceasefire as a victory for the US. In reality, the outcome is anything but.
Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including the nuances of court reporting, Paris’s anti-Emily in Paris movement and the childlike wonder inspired by the Artemis mission to the Moon.
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In the final instalment of our series on Labour’s time in government from 2011 to 2016, things get darker as it becomes clear economic progress will not be enough for voters to forgive the party for its role in austerity.
Labour’s poor showing in the 2014 local and European elections leads to a change at the top. But Joan Burton’s leadership does not revive Labour’s fortunes.
Then, when the disenchanted take to the streets to oppose water charges, the scale of public anger becomes clear - and much of it is still directed at Labour.
To wrap up the story, Pat and Hugh talk about the roads not travelled. Could Labour have avoided its 2016 general election wipeout, a political setback it has struggled to recover from ever since?
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Inside Politics is coming to Galway in May for a live recording. Get your tickets here.
In part two of this three-part series on Labour's harrowing experience in government from 2011 to 2016, Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan follow the story of the first three years of that austerity-delivering coalition.
As punishing budget after punishing budget was delivered, Labour struggled to retain its political identity and principles while working with Fine Gael to present a united front to a world that saw Ireland as an economic basket case. Successes - exiting the EU-IMF bailout programme, securing legislation on abortion - are completely overshadowed by the harshness of austerity. For Labour and its party leader Eamon Gilmore, the political damage mounts.
Listen to part one here.
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When Labour came to power in 2011 Ireland was in the depths of an economic crisis that had several more years to run. Their coalition with Fine Gael spent the next five years struggling to fix the economy while satisfying the EU and the IMF, who had bailed us out.
But it was Labour, led by Eamon Gilmore to its greatest ever number of seats in that election, who bore the brunt of voter frustration over the deep cutsLinehanx increases that the government then imposed. The party was decimated in the next election and voters, particularly of the working class, never fully trusted the party again.
So why did Labour get the blame? Could Gilmore and Joan Burton, who succeeded him in 2014, have done things differently? In this series Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan relive the fateful events and decisions of that era and, a decade on, take a fresh look back at Labour’s collapse.
In episode one they look at Eamon Gilmore, how Labour fought the 2011 election, the formation of the coalition with Fine Gael, how one of Labour’s key promises to voters was abandoned without a fight, and how the seeds of future trouble were sown with Labour's top brass taking on some of the trickiest ministries.
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Oliver Sears, founder of Holocaust Awareness Ireland, joins Hugh to talk about his growing alarm at the rise of anti-Semitism in Ireland and what he sees as the failure to take it seriously. They discuss whether the political response to Israel's actions since October 7th 2023 has complicated that debate.
The conversation covers questions such as where legitimate criticism of Israel ends and anti-Semitism begins, whether anti-Zionism can be distinguished from antisemitism, and what Ireland's institutions should be doing differently.
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This week the Government decided to unveil a €250 million package to help citizens meet the elevated cost of fuel. And this could be just the start of a series of new efforts to keep down the cost of living. After ending such supports in the last Budget, it seems there is a limit to the Government’s ability to resist helping when times get tough and the money is there. But what will happen when a crisis coincides with tougher fiscal times?
The renewed threat of inflation is having an impact across the economic and political landscape. Inflation means unpredictable costs and that is especially bad for one key area.
Other Government departments will be asked to bail out the Department of Education, which is facing another large budget overspend this year. Will this request brew inter-departmental strife?
Our population is growing and our constitution stipulates there should be at least one TD for every 30,000 people. Should that rule be changed before we end up with excessive numbers of Deputies? Maybe - but a referendum on the issue is unlikely under this Government.
Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including Newton Emerson on an issue uniting left and right in Belfast, Big Tech’s Big Tobacco moment and Malachy Clerkin’s report on Ireland’s heartbreaking loss against Czech Republic.
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Seán Lemass is remembered as the man who changed Ireland.
Several opinion polls have noted Lemass as the country's most admired taoiseach.
He never left any papers of autobiography, but rather twenty-two hours of private interviews.
Hugh speaks to Irish Times reporter Ronan McGreevy who has gathered these lost interviews and collated them into a memoir in Lemass's own words.
Produced by JJ Vernon and Andrew McNair.
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Eoin Drea is a senior researcher at the Wilfried Martens Centre, the official think tank of the European People’s Party (of which Fine Gael is a member), and an occasional contributor to the opinion pages of The Irish Times, where he is often critical of Ireland’s approach to Europe.
Recently he wrote that “Ireland’s recent hissy fit at not being invited to a pre-EU summit meeting in Belgium speaks volumes as to where Dublin ranks in the minds of our fellow EU members”.
On today’s podcast he talks to Hugh about how Ireland’s influence in Europe has declined, why he believes Ireland’s political discourse around Europe is naive and lacking strategic depth and what “two-speed” EU development could look like - with or without Ireland as a key player. He also talks about how Ireland is viewed as being "in the pocket of the US multinationals".
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Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· Israeli strikes on Iranian natural gas infrastructure marked an escalation in the US-Israeli war on Iran. With global oil and gas prices climbing, could we soon see Government measures to offset the cost to consumers?
· Opposition parties were less than impressed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s showing during his St Patrick’s Day meeting with US president Donald Trump, but the world’s media praised Martin’s polite pushback on certain points.
· The demolition of an illegally-built Co Meath home has captured the public imagination this week. It has served to highlight the urban-rural divide when it comes to one-off housing during the current housing crisis.
· And the monthly payments to those housing Ukrainian people in their spare rooms will be wound down over the coming year.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Ronnie Delaney’s Olympic gold medal win inspires Frank McNally to victory, the generational talent of Oscar winner Jessie Buckley, and the enduring fascination around JFK jnr.
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Taoiseach Michel Martin has been meeting US president Donald Trump as part of the annual St Patrick’s Day pageantry. Martin once again faced the challenge of outlining Ireland’s positions on issues from tariffs to wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran while maintaining his personal dignity and without antagonising Trump to Ireland's detriment. It was no easy task, with the US president criticising UK prime minister Keir Starmer, attacking Europe on its migration and energy policies and misgendering President Catherine Connolly. So how did Martin do? Pat Leahy reports from Washington.
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Ellen Coyne and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s St Patrick’s Day visit to The White House to meet US president Donald Trump could prove awkward should he face questions about the US and Israel’s military action against Iran, and its impact on the Middle East, Gulf regions and soaring fuel prices. Last year’s meeting was a minefield to be navigated – perhaps Martin has learned from that experience.
· A far less fraught meeting took place on Friday when the Taoiseach welcomed Britain's prime minister Keir Starmer to the UK-Ireland summit at Fota House in Cork. Security and co-operation were the order of the day, as Anglo-Irish relations continued to improve from a post-Brexit low.
· And the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided this week, after a mere fifteen years, not to bring criminal charges against anyone arising from the Moriarty tribunal’s final report in 2011. Michael Lowry and Denis O’Brien no doubt welcomed the decision.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The brave and anonymous women we all owe a debt, the beef between farmers and Government, and Patrick Freyne’s golden age of male role models.
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As war in the Middle East rages on, the world's superpowers are making diplomatic representations to end it, and contingencies to protect their economies from the knock-on effects, namely oil and natural gas prices.
China, which buys oil from Iran, would rather the conflict hadn’t begun and would like to see it concluded, according to Irish Times Beijing correspondent Denis Staunton. However its reliance on foreign oil is small in comparison to other nations.
On today's podcast Hugh is joined by Denis and Political Editor Pat Leahy who says European governments, including Ireland, have a much greater problem with the volatility of the energy markets.
The Irish government was one of the few incumbent European governments that was re-elected after the volatility brought on by the war in Ukraine. How will European politicians handle the Iran war challenge?
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The Irish-American experience fitted seamlessly into the story of the United States as a “nation of immigrants”. In the Trump era that narrative has fallen out of favour. Family ties are weakening over time and the old political associations are changing too. So where does that leave our relationship with the 38.5 million Americans who ticked “Irish” in the last US census?
On today’s Inside Politics podcast Professor Liam Kennedy talks to Hugh Linehan about how Irish American identity has changed over the decades, how traces of it persist through popular culture and the contrast between the liberalism of Joe Biden and the nationalism of Steve Bannon. They also discuss the "soft power" of the Irish-American relationship, as exemplified by the shamrock ceremony that takes place next week in Washington, and whether it too is on the wane.
Professor Liam Kennedy is director of the Clinton Institute for American Studies at University College Dublin.
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Naomi O’Leary and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· After six days of US-Israeli attacks on Iran, the conflict is escalating and has spread to Lebanon which has experienced sustained airstrikes from Israel. Iran has vowed to continue targeting Gulf countries having fired missile and drone attacks into Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The US has entered into a conflict with no clear focus or potential resolution. Trump’s demands on social media for an ‘unconditional surrender’ from Iran seem like wishful thinking at this point.
· Irish consumers are already feeling the consequences of the conflict in the Middle East as the average cost of 500 litres of home heating oil was put at just under €800 on Thursday, an increase of nearly 60 per cent in less than a week. The Government was quick to react, asking the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to launch an immediate investigation of domestic suppliers here.
· And research into last year’s presidential election by the Electoral Commission threw up some interesting results, not least that almost half of those who spoiled their vote, more than 12 per cent of the total ballot, did so because they didn’t like any of the candidates.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Horse manure sparks tension in the Liberties, mobile phones can be ageing over time, and does an arts degree retain any value these days?
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While the world’s attention is focused on the Middle East, Inside Politics looks at the US sphere of influence on Cuba, which is facing ever tightening economic sanctions.
Cuban governments have survived attempts to overthrow it by multiple US administrations going all the way back to Dwight Eisenhower following the revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959.
Over the decades, Cuban governments have managed to survive crippling economic sanctions largely because of its allies in the region, namely Venezuela.
In recent weeks, the US Navy has amassed a huge number of vessels in the Caribbean Sea to stop oil imports to Cuba, and the US government has threatened sanctions on Mexico if it tries to deliver oil to the island.
But why now? And what impact will it have on the Cuban government, and on the lives of the people there.
The journalist Hannah McCarthy travelled to Cuba to find out.
“What we’re seeing is just a grinding halt of daily life” she said.
“Buses not running. Rolling blackouts that were already happening before are increasing" and "people's lives have contracted to finding food or running water".
"Cuban's are fed up" she added.
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Denis Staunton, author of The Irish Times Global Briefing newsletter on international affairs, joins Hugh to talk about the escalating war in the Middle East. They talk about how Iran gradually lost its status as a regional heavyweight, America's unchecked and unrivalled military power, the shift under Trump to a strategy of decapitation when dealing with enemies, the potential economic fallout from Iran's strikes on Gulf states, potential scenarios for a post-war Iran and Europe's timid response to America's breach of international law.
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Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· In the Dáil on Wednesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin issued an apology on behalf of the State to survivors of abuse in industrial and reformatory schools. Nobody doubts the sincerity of such apologies, but given the number of them over the years, perhaps their rhetoric should be matched with the practicalities and supports survivors need.
· With the Residential Tenancies Bill comes into effect from March 1st, Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty was accused of “scaremongering and misinformation” by Tánaiste Simon Harris in the Dáil on Thursday. Doherty pointed to research carried out by I-Res Reit, the State’s largest corporate landlord, which suggested a potential increase in rent returns of up to 25 per cent resulting from the new rent rules. The new rules are designed to attract new investors into the rental property sector, and what could be more attractive than charging higher rents?
· The glacial speed at which vital infrastructure projects such as the Greater Dublin Drainage Project are delivered here could be accelerated by the establishment of a new Infrastructure Regulatory Simplification Unit in Minister for Public Expenditure and Infrastructure Jack Chambers’s department.
· And the upcoming byelections in Dublin Central and Galway West, with seats vacated by Paschal Donohoe and Catherine Connolly respectively, are looking increasingly hard to call.
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Campaigner Maria Steen, whose failed bid to launch a run for the presidency last year put the spotlight on the nominations process, talks to Hugh and Ellen Coyne about that campaign. She talks about whether she could have won had she got that nomination and why not enough councils supported her.
She also talks about Catherine Connolly's first 100 days in office, why she is uncomfortable with the labels 'conservative' and 'right wing' and whether Catholicism is a hindrance to taking part in public life.
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Under this coalition Government Ireland's climate ambitions are colliding with political reality. Hugh talks to Climate and Science Correspondent Caroline O'Doherty about how the current Government is retreating from its own climate legislation even as energy-hungry data centres multiply, agricultural emissions remain stubbornly high and extreme weather batters the country. From Europe's looming fines to the politics of wind farms, “herd culling” and airport expansion, they look at why Ireland is falling far short of its legally-binding 2030 targets and what that means for the future.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The sharp criticism that greeted a review of allocation of special needs assistants in schools around the country prompted a hasty retreat by Government. The review has now been paused which should buy the Government some time to soothe tensions.
· The Government are yet to act on their own voiced concerns around under-16s using social media. The problems arising from children using these platforms has been thoroughly diagnosed, but what will actually be put in place to address them?
· Ireland’s only directly-elected mayor, Limerick mayor John Moran, is finding it difficult to achieve what he has set out to do in his role, and has questioned whether there is a strategy in place to “create sufficient pressure that I might simply walk away”.
· The International Protection Bill is quickly working its way through the Dáil to be in place by June, in time for the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum which will take effect then.
· And splashed across every front page on the planet this week was former British prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor who had been detained by police on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· A revolt against Microsoft in a small German state (which Hugh fully supports), doyen of the Irish business world Michael Smurfit, and the street sweepers who keep Dhaka in Bangladesh ticking over.
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13 months in, Donald Trump's second term is proving to be a much more radical political project than his first. On today's podcast Hugh is joined by Fintan O'Toole to talk about whether the Trump administration's ideology, use of state power and rhetoric now make comparisons with the fascism of the 20th century appropriate. What would fascism look like in today’s media, institutional and geopolitical context?
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Disputes over freedom of speech, censorship and the shifting norms of acceptable discourse are part and parcel of modern political debate. Now the debate has come to the Leaving Cert. A review of content of the optional Politics and Society subject is underway, with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment saying consideration will be given “to potential risks associated with including theories that may be at odds with a human rights approach”.
In response, one teacher wrote to Irish Times philosophy columnist Joe Humphreys to voice concern that proposed changes will prevent students from learning about 'difficult' ideas.
Joe wrote about it in his latest Unthinkable column and on today's podcast he talks to Hugh about the teaching of politics in school, the leftward skew of 'key thinkers' featured in the curriculum and how the race for CAO points means the exploration of ideas is of secondary importance to second level students.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· This week saw the European Parliament approve a € 90 billion package to support Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia. The loan was approved by a comfortable majority, but among those who voted against it were Sinn Féin’s two MEPs, Lynn Boylan and Kathleen Funchion. The decision to oppose the measure put them in the company of the likes of Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland, Hungary’s Fidesz and France’s Rassemblement National.
· The Government has made a U-turn on the regulation of short-term lets here. After consultation with the tourism industry, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke decided to change the previous plan to restrict such lets in towns with populations of more than 10,000 to populations of at least 20,000, this move would effectively lift the threat of regulation from potentially thousands of Airbnbs across rural towns here.
· The mood was buoyant at the Social Democrat national conference in Cork with the afterglow of Catherine Connolly’s presidential election win in evidence, along with polls showing the party has begun to put daylight between itself and the Greens and Labour, who occupy the same political space. Are they about to spearhead a united left movement ahead of the next general election?
· Plus, sport and politics collide ahead of the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League fixtures against Israel in the autumn. There have been calls for a boycott, but the FAI confirmed on Thursday that the matches would go ahead as planned.
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How Ireland Voted is a regular publication featuring academic analysis of Irish elections. The latest edition looks at the 2024 general election and features an essay by Gail McElroy and Stefan Müller that puts party manifestos under the microscope, identifying which topics get the most attention and where the parties line up from left to right. The analysis suggests a major leftward shift in Irish politics over the past decade. Why has this happened, and who is filling the gap this move has left on the right of the political spectrum?
Gail and Theresa Reidy, who edited the book, talk to Hugh and Pat about what the analysis tells us about Irish politics. They also talk about candidate selection practices, which is the subject of Theresa's own essay.
Gail McElroy is a professor in the Department of Political Science at Trinity College, Dublin.
Theresa Reidy is a professor in the Department of Government and Politics at University College Cork.
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John Mearsheimer returns to the podcast to talk to Hugh about his view of geopolitics and global security in 2026.
They talk about Donald Trump's unilateralism, the security architecture of Europe, the consequences for Europe of the war in Ukraine, US Middle East policy and threats to liberal democracy.
Mearsheimer paints a pessimistic picture, warning that the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza will have poisonous long-term consequences that most people fail to grasp.
Professor John Mearsheimer is a political scientist and geopolitical analyst at the University of Chicago.
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Pat Leahy and Ellen Coyne join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· When it comes to the housing crisis or whether to spend the exchequer surplus, the results from the latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll suggest an electorate that wants to see some action. This is despite Government’s claims that real progress has been made on housing.
· One of the most noteworthy finds of the latest Irish/Ipsos B&A opinion poll is the uptick in Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s approval rating. He is now the most popular party leader here who continues to have the backing of more than 80 per cent of Fianna Fáil voters. Perhaps he has now put Jim Gavin’s fiasco of a presidential campaign behind him?
· And the latest tranche of Epstein files is proving to be quite damaging for UK prime minister Keir Starmer, with an apology issued this week to victims of Jeffrey Epstein over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador at a time when his friendship with Epstein was already public knowledge.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The Melania Trump film, a world without nuclear arms control, and why transgender rights misinformation is the last thing schools need.
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Last week the Government confirmed it will push ahead with legislation to change how the Defence Forces are deployed overseas, including the removal of the Triple Lock when Irish troops are part of an international force.
The Triple Lock makes it necessary for any deployment to be ratified by the Dáil, the Government, and the United Nations. The proposed change removes the need for UN approval.
Opposition parties and many independent TDs and senators are opposed to the change. That includes Independent Senator Tom Clonan, who joins Hugh today to explain why.
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Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The floods brought by Storm Chandra earlier this week devastated eastern parts of the country, and once again exposed our lack of preparation for extreme weather events. The painfully slow delivery of flood defence infrastructure will be highlighted repeatedly as climate change makes such weather events more common.
· Some of the biggest developers in the State are unhappy with the rental reforms scheduled to be introduced on March 1st. They view them as unconstitutional and have threatened legal action against the Government if they fail to engage with them on it.
· And the death of 16-year-old Grace Lynch, hit by a scrambler motorbike on a pedestrian crossing on the Ratoath Road last Sunday, shows the urgent need for proper enforcement of laws to stop illegal use of scramblers in urban areas of the country.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· US composer Philip Glass upsets Donald Trump, why not all rankings are worth paying attention to, and the mega success of K-Pop Demon Hunters.
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Legislation to reform Ireland's residential property rental landscape is being fast-tracked through the Dáil. What impact will it have? On security of tenure, we will now have some of the most robust protections for renters in Europe. But rents are likely to become even more unaffordable, says Michael Byrne, a lecturer at UCD's School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice.
Hugh and Jack are joined by Michael to talk about how the legislation will change the landscape for renters. They also talk about the ideas in Michael's new book, Beyond Generation Rent, and the radical changes that are happening in Ireland's housing market, from the growing proportion of institutional landlords to the massive investment in social housing.
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Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Jack Horgan-Jones to look back on the week in politics:
· This week saw EU-US relations shift as the near-confrontation over Greenland perhaps showed the best way to handle US President Donald Trump’s demand to take over the Arctic island. The decision by Trump to withdraw the threat of tariffs against eight European countries opposing his plan for Greenland represents a rare climbdown.
· Bord Bia chairman Larrry Murrin faced calls from Sinn Féin and the Irish Farmers’ Association for his resignation this week amid a controversy over his company Dawn Farms importing Brazilian beef.
· The proposed reforms to the national rent control system due to come into effect on March 1st might be a hard sell for Government due to rent increases and evictions that may arise from the changes.
· And former Fianna Fáil senator and MEP Brian Crowley has passed away at the age of 61. A native of Bandon, Co. Cork, topped the poll in every European election he contested – in 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 and in 2014 – and was a well-liked figure both inside and outside Fianna Fáil.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Emer McLysaght on the joy and hidden challenges of living alone, the disappearance of former New York Giant Sam Beale, and the upcoming Six Nations Championship.
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Jack Power and Jack Horgan-Jones join Pat Leahy to assess a dramatic week in which the transatlantic alliance took a further battering from US president Donald Trump and his demands to acquire Greenland.
After Trump used a rambling address at Davos to reveal he would not use force but would 'remember' a failure to hand the vast territory over, EU leaders may now wait and see. Will threatened tariffs become a reality? There are two member state heads in particular whose response to whatever Trump does next should be watched.
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Harry McGee, Ellen Coyne and Mark Paul join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The Minister with responsibility for artificial intelligence (AI), Niamh Smyth, met with executives from social media company X on Friday over concerns about their Grok app. The app has been in the headlines because of its ability to produce non-consensual intimate images. Current law bans sharing of intimate images but does not appear to criminalise generating them – what is the Government’s next step?
· The level of energy needed to power a data centre was laid bare this week. An internal Government document showed that a single facility in west Dublin consumes 10 times the electricity of a nearby pharmaceutical plant employing 2,000 people, equivalent to enough power for 200,000 homes.
· And more ‘psychodrama’ for the Tories this week as Robert Jenrick, the Conservative shadow justice secretary, defected to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK after being sacked from the Conservative shadow cabinet.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The US and Denmark battle for control of Greenland, Inside Politics veteran Jennifer Bray is releasing a book (and it’s rather good), a reader’s letter questions how dog-friendly we should be as a society, and who is next for Donald Trump’s crosshairs?
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Despite global turmoil, the focus of Irish politics in 2026 is set to remain on matters close to home. Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to identify the main challenges facing the Government this year, particularly those on the desks of Minister for Housing James Brown, Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien and Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and how global events could impinge on those domestic affairs.
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US president Donald Trump wants to acquire Greenland, asserting strategic and security needs but also a 'psychological need' to take over the vast, frozen island from Denmark. So how do Greenlanders themselves feel about this idea? Derek Scally is in Greenland's capital Nuuk to find out. He talks to Hugh Linehan about a people whose passion for total independence may have been catalysed by Trump's covetousness.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Ellen Coyne join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The long-anticipated EU-Mercosur trade deal was provisionally approved on Friday, despite the opposition of Ireland, France and three other countries. The deal has been immensely unpopular in Irish political life for a long time, thanks largely to efforts by the farming lobby. But there is now a sense that some figures in the European Commission are disappointed the Government did not make the case for the economic upsides of the deal.
· Taoiseach Micheál Martin was in China this week on a four-day visit. Trade was also high on the agenda there, with China eager to import more high-quality food from Ireland. Human rights were mentioned in passing, and there was condemnation by the Taoiseach of Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime in Venezuela, the irony seemingly lost on the Fianna Fáil leader given the country he was visiting.
· And the Taoiseach’s party colleague, Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless, wants to ditch the one-bed en suites as the Government looks to move towards a co-living model involving communal space for university accommodation. A bathroom of one’s own is a luxury students can go without.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The Saipan film reopens old wounds for Kevin Kilbane, Seán Moncrieff can’t throw away all those old electronic cables, and boycotting Doonbeg is the least we can do to oppose Donald Trump’s appetite for war.
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After the weekend’s US airstrikes on Venezuela, and arrest of its president Nicolás Maduro by US special forces, The Irish Times’ China Correspondent Denis Staunton has been pondering what it means for the international order, and territorial disputes around the world.
“Events in Venezuela have emboldened Trump and we’ve seen him step up his rhetoric around Greenland” he told the Inside Politics podcast.
Donald Trump has held no punches in expressing his desire for the US to take over Greenland, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
On Sunday, the US president told reporters Washington needed Greenland for “national security” with White House officials suggesting military operations to achieve it aren’t off the table.
Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen said: “If the United States were to choose to attack another Nato country, then everything would come to an end”.
And in the Irish Times’ Global Briefing newsletter, Denis writes “If the past year is anything to go by, there is no reason to believe that Europe will put up any kind of fight, military or otherwise”.
What other dominos at play within the international order could fall in the wake of Trump’s arrest of Nicolás Maduro?
Inside Politics is presented by Hugh Linehan and produced by Declan Conlon, with JJ Vernon on sound.
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For part two of our festive ‘Ask Me Anything’ episode Hugh Linehan is joined on today’s Inside Politics podcast by Jack Horgan Jones, Cormac McQuinn and Ellen Coyne.
In this round they tackle listener questions on a border poll, citizen’s assemblies and why we keep on calling our country ‘the State’.
Thanks to everyone who listened to the podcast in 2025. From all of us on the Inside Politics team we wish you a very happy new year.
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This episode was first published in July 2025.
You can tell an awful lot about a society by who it labels a genius. You can also learn from who it excludes from that category, who it enables and what it is prepared to tolerate from them. The tortured poet, the rebellious scientist, the monstrous artist, or indeed the tech disruptor.
All of these archetypes feature in The Genius Myth, the new book by the journalist, author and podcaster Helen Lewis. She joins Hugh to talk about so-called geniuses, from Elon Musk to The Beatles, the modern influence of concepts like IQ, and what it takes to be a political genius.
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Hugh is joined by Jack Horgan Jones, Cormac McQuinn and Ellen Coyne for part one of our traditional festive AMA. This year listeners asked about the presidential nomination process, the influence of party leaders, the need for a dedicated Minister for Defence and the stability of centrist politics.
Wishing all our listeners a very Happy Christmas.
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Dr Kevin Cunningham of TUD is one of Ireland’s most insightful political scientists and pollsters. At the Inside Politics live show in early December he joined Hugh, Pat, Cormac and Ellen on stage at the IFI to talk about Irish voters. What are the issues that really motivate them? Are they driven more by pragmatism or ideology? Today's episode is an excerpt of that conversation.
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It was a difficult week for Micheal Martin and FIanna Fáil with the delivery of the report on the party's failed presidential campaign. Martin's position as leader is safe for now, but questions and doubts remain. In part one of today's podcast Pat delivers his assessment of the state of play within Fianna Fáil.
In part two Jack Power reports from Brussels on the ongoing EU summit, where European leaders have agreed on a package of financial support for Ukraine. But the deal came after difficult negotiations and only after Plan A - using frozen Russian assets to pay Ukraine - was ditched. Instead, the EU will fund the package itself. Jack explains how the deal went down and why it was a significant moment within European geopolitics.
And finally Pat, Jack and Hugh pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including a warning on antisemitism, a profile of Tommy Robinson and a look at the new season of Emily in Paris.
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Earlier this month Hugh, Ellen, Cormac and Pat got on stage at the IFI in Dublin for our annual end of year live show. Today we’re bringing you an excerpt from the show as the panel discuss their choice for the standout moments from the political year.
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Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan talks to Hugh and Pat about antisemitism after the Bondi beach attack, the progress of the Occupied Territories Bill, Ireland's security needs, why and how the Government wants to reduce inward migration, regret over his decision to support Jim Gavin's nomination for the presidency and his own ambition to one day lead Fianna Fáil.
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Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to look back on the week in politics:
- Next week Fianna Fáil will get the long-awaited review into the circumstances around Jim Gavin's disastrous presidential campaign. Has the wait taken the sting out of the issue for Micheal Martin?
- The Government is worried about political fallout if it fails to vote against the EU's Mercosur trade deal. It argues that any such vote could be purely symbolic
- Another thorny issue for the coalition: lengthy waiting lists for assessments of need, the process by which children with additional needs are assigned educational supports. The situation has long been untenable but the proposed solution is also controversial.
- Hugh addresses some of the many comments that have come in about Wednesday's interview with Eoin Lenihan.
- Minister Patrick O'Donovan wants Ireland to move ahead of the EU to restrict how younger teenagers access social media.
And finally the panel pick their favourite Irish Times journalism of the week.
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Eoin Lenihan joins Hugh to discuss his bestselling book Vandalising Ireland. In the book Lenihan sets out his argument that the choices made by successive governments, on issues from migration to the economy, have destroyed the country.
He points to an alliance between the political establishment and the media, academics and NGOs, all intent on stripping Ireland of its original identity and replacing it with a globalised, multi-cultural society. The book calls for national, cultural and social renewal.
In the interview they discuss the lost Ireland of Lenihan's childhood in County Clare, the extent to which Ireland's problems are particular to Ireland, whether the Irish media is too compliant and why Lenihan believes our migration policies will lead to 'parallel societies' with negative consequences.
In the second half of the interview they discuss Lenihan's background as a researcher into extreme groups, including his work using social media to identify connections between journalists and the leftist movement Antifa. They also discuss his defunct social media persona 'Progdad'.
Vandalising Ireland: How the Government, NGOs, Academia and the Media Are Engineering a New Globalist Ireland by Dr Eoin Lenihan is available in bookshops and online now.
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The appearance of drones of unknown origin in Dublin last week around the time of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy's visit again highlighted the security challenges of the present day and Ireland's lack of capability to act in its own defence.
Neutrality remains a popular policy, as again demonstrated recently by the election of Catherine Connolly as president. That popularity does not answer the question of how much Ireland should invest in its own defence. Ireland diverges from other neutral European countries in our low defence spending and reliance on others for protection, information and security. But against those calling for bigger defence budgets, others warn of militarisation and point out the money could be better spent elsewhere.
So does being a voice for peace preclude greater defence spending, or is defence spending a crucial part of a viable neutrality? On today's podcast Hugh is joined by Naomi O'Leary to pick apart the elements of Ireland's approach to defence and neutrality, how we compare to others and what questions will arise as Ireland comes under increasing pressure in Europe to boost capabilities.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· Ireland, along with Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands, will boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in protest of Israel’s participation. RTÉ said in a statement on Thursday that it would be “unconscionable” for Ireland to partake in the event given the “appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there”.
· Far more contentious was the proposal to rename Rathgar’s Herzog Park in south Dublin. Named in honour of Belfast-born Chaim Herzog, Israel’s president from 1983 to 1993, who spent his early childhood in Dublin. Perhaps including the Irish-Jewish community in the process might have dampened a lot of the controversy that has erupted this week.
· Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was in Ireland this week, but it was drones more than diplomatic ties that made the headlines. It exposed the gaps in our national security, especially with Ireland holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from next July, when a lot of state leaders will be visiting these shores.
· And will the Government’s new infrastructure plan to accelerate the delivery of vital projects bear fruit before the next general election?
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Patrick Freyne’s continuing vendetta against Kevin the Carrot, a row over state pensions could destabilise Germany’s new coalition, and the sudden death of ‘low-key national treasure’ Hugh Wallace.
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Terry Prone is a legend in Irish political communication. Her memoir, I’m Glad You Asked Me That, looks back at her remarkable career.
On today’s Inside Politics podcast, she talks to Hugh Linehan about the early days of political interviewing on TV, her experience of working with both Garret Fitzgerald and Charles Haughey, her ringside seat at some of the biggest political stories of the last four decades and what people don’t understand about the work she does.
I’m Glad You Asked Me That: The Political Years is published by Red Stripe
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Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to talk through the week in politics:
- Jim O'Callaghan's message on migration
- The Taoiseach's fondness for overseas trips
- New data showing a rise in eviction notices
Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week.
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When Catherine Connolly was elected president with the support of every left-wing party, it sparked new hope on the left that greater cooperation between Sinn Fein, Labour, the Greens, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit could reap further electoral dividends. How realistic is that hope? And how would a left alliance actually work? Hugh talks to academic Aidan Regan and political correspondent Cormac McQuinn.
Aidan Regan is a professor of political economy at the school of politics and international relations at University College Dublin
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Denis Staunton has reported from Washington, London and Berlin. Now, as Irish Times China Correspondent, he is using his new vantage point to make sense of this turbulent era as it looks from outside the Western world. In a new newsletter exclusively for Irish Times subscribers, he writes about what’s happening in geopolitics, why it matters and how it affects you.
You can sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing here.
On today's podcast Denis talks to Hugh about some of those themes, including the growing tension between China and Japan, China's technological advancements and the economic policies of Xi Jinping and the developing situation in Ukraine.
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Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· As Paschal Donohoe departs for pastures new at the World Bank, will his absence weaken Government? And does Simon Harris possess the right skillset for the role of Minister for Finance? It might not matter if the qualified doctors who have run the Department of Health are anything to go by.
· Paschal leaving has led to a Cabinet reshuffle with Fine Gael deputy leader Helen McEntee becoming the first woman to serve as the Minister responsible for both foreign affairs and defence. She will inherit many issues in need of urgent attention, not least the progression of the Occupied Territories Bill.
· And the Oireachtas transport committee was told on Wednesday that Dublin’s planned MetroLink will need about 8,000 workers for its construction. Speaking to RTÉ radio, transportation expert Brian Caulfield suggested that “something like an Olympic village” would be necessary to house workers on the project.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Emerson Newton on how the Left are agitating for a border poll when conditions are far from ideal, and Diarmaid Ferriter on why authenticity matters more than spin in politics.
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In his final interview as an Irish politician before leaving for a new role at the World Bank, Paschal Donohoe talks to Hugh and Pat about his decision to leave politics and his record as Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure, both roles he has held since 2016. The wide-ranging discussion looks at:
- The circumstances that have led to Donohoe's departure, including his decision to run again in the 2025 election
- The area "we have really not done well enough" in during his tenure
- The pressure Donohoe faced from other ministers to increase spending
- Fine Gael's shrinking number of Dáil seats and the future of the party
- Why he never wanted to become taoiseach
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After 14 years in Dáil Éireann and a decade in ministerial office, Fine Gael's Paschal Donohoe today announced his resignation. He leaves to take up a senior role at the World Bank in Washington, D.C.
Why did Paschal Donohoe decide to go now, and where is he going?
How important and consequential was Donohoe, as a politician and a minister? And just how prudent was 'Prudent Paschal'?
Where does the move leave Fine Gael and the Government?
They also look at the 'mini-reshuffle' precipitated by Donohoe's departure, including Tánaiste Simon Harris's move to take over in the Department of Finance.
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Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The inauguration of Ireland’s 10th president in in St Patrick’s Hall, Dublin Castle, on Tuesday, saw Catherine Connolly deliver a stirring address, amid a real testament to the health of democracy in this country, with all sides coming together after an at times brutal election campaign. Perhaps this is something our immediate neighbours and those across the Atlantic could one day emulate.
· The Government’s long-awaited housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, was published this week with the focus firmly on lifting families out of homelessness. A target of 300,000 new homes by 2030, ramping up the role of the Land Development Agency, and greatly reducing red tape when delivering homes, are some aspects of a plan that needs to become a reality if this Government is to be judged a success.
· And Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin faces continued pressure over the failed Jim Gavin presidency campaign, but Wednesday’s parliamentary party meeting revealed that the review of the campaign will now not be completed until early December.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The BBC makes mistakes but shouldn’t bend to Donald Trump’s will, Mark Paul on accents and belonging, and how Ireland’s forthcoming presidency of the European Council should focus the 'hot mess of uncoordinated gibberish' of some policy positions here.
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The government has come under increasing intense criticism of its record on housing, and the sluggishness with which its addressed the need to build more affordable homes.
Today on Inside Politics, Hugh Linehan discusses the issues with the planning and regulatory system that some argue is slowing down the process of boosting housing supply in Ireland.
In an essay published in The Irish Times last month, the tech billionaire and founder of Stripe John Collison argued construction, and infrastructure projects more generally, are being held back by regulation and judicial barriers stemming from the planning corruption scandals of the 1980’s and 90’s.
On the podcast today is Orla Hegarty, assistant professor at University College Dublin and a fellow at the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, dismissed Mr Collisons case, saying: “It jumps to a solution that doesn’t relate to the problem”.
“There is a thinking that if the market isn’t functioning, the issue must be regulation. That’s a really naive take.
”The evidence doesn’t support that" she added.
Hugh is also joined by Sean Keyes, the executive director of the think tank Progress Ireland, for which John Collison is a significant financial donor, says the argument is not solely about de-regulation.
“We need to build new agency. We need to build state capacity”.
He added: “What the national planning framework does is basically put a thump on the scale of building in Dublin”.
Produced by JJ Vernon and Andrew McNair
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As Catherine Connolly is inaugurated as Ireland’s 10th President on Tuesday, Inside Politics asks how the country’s European partners will be preparing for her presidency.
What issues from the Connolly campaign may have raised eyebrows on the continent, and how might she navigate Ireland’s EU presidency in 2026?
Hugh Linehan is joined by The Irish Times correspondent in Berlin Derek Scally, and in the studio by Europe correspondent Naomi O’Leary.
Produced by Andrew McNair.
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Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· With renewed criticism from left-wing Opposition leaders of Tánaiste Simon Harris, over remarks he made about migration numbers in Ireland being too high, has it become almost impossible to have an honest discussion around immigration?
· Taoiseach Micheál Martin is currently away at the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil, but the fallout from Fianna Fáil’s disastrous presidential campaign shows little sign of ebbing away. Could a potential heave against the party leader be gathering momentum?
· Could the controversy surrounding Ivan Yates and his admission that he advised Fianna Fáil's presidential candidate Jim Gavin, and the subsequent conflict of interest that created, all have been avoided if he highlighted it early on in the presidential campaign?
· And Mayor-elect of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, has been branded a ‘commie’, among other things, by US President Donald Trump and various members of the Republican Party, but has Mamdani shown the way forward for politicians mounting an election campaign?
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The annual British search for Irish poppy refuseniks, the $20,000 AI home robot butler, and Westmeath footballer Luke Loughlin on the issue of recreational drug use and the GAA.
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Iain Dale has written books profiling prime ministers, monarchs and dictators. Next up from the LBC broadcaster and podcaster is a book on the people - all men - who have served as taoiseach.
The Taoiseach: A Century of Political Leadership profiles all who have held the office and explores the evolution of the role. But Dale didn’t write it himself this time, instead drafting in a roster of Irish writers to take on a taoiseach each.
Dale talks to Hugh about Ireland’s political leaders and what examining them has taught him about Irish history and politics. Along the way they they take a lengthy diversion into Iain’s real area of expertise: UK politics.
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Ellen Coyne and Naomi O’Leary join Pat Leahy to look back on the week in politics:
· In the wake of Catherine Connolly’s emphatic presidential election win, could there now be a legitimate prospect of a left-wing government arising from the next general election?
· With anger still simmering in Fianna Fáil’s ranks after a disastrous presidential campaign, is party leader Micheál Martin looking at a leadership challenge down the line? Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1 this week, the Taoiseach criticised “unacceptable” and “hurtful” comments about him from Fianna Fáil rebels like fellow Cork TD James O’Connor.
· The coalition partners are becoming more openly critical of immigration. Perhaps they are now following the example of other European countries?
· And Naomi O’Leary discusses the Dutch political scene with reports suggesting the centrist D66 party caused a big upset in Dutch elections this week.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Mary ‘Mae’ McGee who successfully fought the ban on contraception in Ireland, and Newton Emerson on how Fine Gael’s anti-British rhetoric came back to bite Heather Humphreys.
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This week’s Inside Politics podcast with Hugh Linehan explores what a united Ireland would actually involve, Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole and Belfast Telegraph journalist Sam McBride have written a new book that addresses the case both for and against Irish unity.
The structure of the book is unusual. Each journalist writes two long chapters: one arguing for unity, and one arguing against. O’Toole says the aim is to “give people a sense of what a decent argument looks like”. Too often, he suggests, the subject becomes a referendum about identity rather than a discussion of consequences. McBride agrees, saying most people “don’t get beyond the binary of are you for or against it” even though “none of us know what it would mean”.
Practical questions run through the book: healthcare integration, welfare harmonisation, education, taxation and policing. McBride stresses the range of possible constitutional models. Northern Ireland could remain semi-autonomous within a united Ireland; or the island could adopt a more federal structure. “We don’t even know the most basic elements of this,” he says.
Their conclusion is that everyone on the island will soon need to make an informed choice. And that requires informed understanding, not simplistic assumptions.
For and Against a United Ireland is published by the Royal Irish Academy.
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Pat Leahy joins Hugh Linehan for the final episode of Election Daily for this campaign. They look at the impact of Connolly's victory on left-wing politics, wonder if Ireland is about to have a more outspoken president than ever before and consider Simon Harris and Micheál Martin's political futures.
Thanks to everyone who listened to Election Daily. Inside Politics will return on Wednesday.
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Votes are still being counted but it is already clear that Catherine Connolly has won the presidency by a huge margin.
Connolly's victory will be confirmed at Dublin Castle this afternoon. Hugh, Jack Horgan-Jones and Ellen Coyne are there and sat down to discuss the emerging results and what they mean. How did Catherine Connolly get her campaign so right and Fine Gael theirs so wrong? What does the unprecedented level of spoiled votes really signify? And how will the government parties interpret and respond to this loss?
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Cormac McQuinn and Jack Horgan Jones join Hugh Linehan to talk about the final day of campaigning before voters go to the polls.
They look at how the Connolly campaign has managed to create momentum that sustained her push for the Áras since July and why the Humphreys campaign did not live up to expectations.
Finally they pick their high and low points of the campaign.
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What does a two-horse race look like in our PR-STV electoral system? What happens when you throw a zombie candidate and a 'spoil your vote' campaign into the mix? And what about turnout? Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan nerd out with a look at how the count could play out this weekend.
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The two remaining candidates in the presidential election came into the final televised debate of the campaign needing different things.
Well behind in the polls, Heather Humphreys needed to come across convincingly while landing some blows. Catherine Connolly needed not to slip up. So how did they do?
On today’s episode of The Irish Times Election Daily podcast Ellen Coyne, Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan analyse how the battle-weary candidates handled questions from hosts Miriam O’Callaghan and Sarah McInerney and whether the programme will have moved the dial for voters ahead of polling, now just two days away.
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Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to talk about today's news from the presidential campaign trail:
A concert in support of Catherine Connolly's campaign brought top musical artists and thousands of young people together in Dublin's Vicar Street on Monday night. The event also brought together Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald, the Social Democrats’ Holly Cairns, Paul Murphy of People Before Profit-Solidarity and Labour’s Ivana Bacik, who were photographed hand-in-hand on stage. Could the left's new-found unity be an image of the political future?
The panel also look at the ongoing fallout from 'the video' and ahead to tonight's RTÉ debate.
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Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about the all the latest from the presidential election campaign.
There is one topic dominating the campaign today, or two related topics: Catherine Connolly's record as a barrister who worked on behalf of financial institutions in the aftermath of the property crash, and Fine Gael's negative campaigning around that record. A video posted by Fine Gael to social media and an interview Humphreys gave to a Sunday newspaper drew attention to the issue but also drew a huge negative reaction, from Connolly supporters but also from those who believe Connolly should be above such criticism due to how barristers are assigned cases.
Ellen assesses Fine Gael's tactics. Who is their video really aimed at: voters or journalists? Meanwhile Pat has been speaking to members of the Bar to find out whether Connolly has any case to answer.
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With Catherine Connolly showing an unprecedented lead for a presidential candidate one week out from polling day, could her campaign only be derailed by something extraordinary at this stage?
Cormac McQuinn and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to discuss Connolly’s seemingly unassailable lead, the repetitive nature of recent debates, and with posters for Connolly and even Jim Gavin outnumbering Humphreys in some Dublin Fine Gael strongholds, could the party be accused of adopting a low energy approach to this campaign?
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Catherine Connolly holds a commanding lead in the presidential election with just over a week to go before votes are cast, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll.
The poll finds that Connolly, on 38 per cent, has almost double the support of her nearest rival, Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, on 20 per cent. Support for the Fianna Fáil candidate, Jim Gavin, who stopped his presidential campaignlast week, but is still on the ballot paper, is at just 5 per cent.
Pat Leahy joins Hugh Linehan to talk about the significance of Connolly's lead, the mountain Humphreys now has to climb to win and what her campaign may do in the final week of the race.
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As independent candidate Catherine Connolly and Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys enter the final nine days of the campaign, Jack Horgan Jones and Ellen Coyne join Hugh Linehan to launch our daily podcast coverage.
- A motion of no confidence in Simon Harris over controversies in Children’s Health Ireland and waiting times for scoliosis surgery was itself a presidential election event.
- Meanwhile Heather Humphreys has been on the campaign trail in Monaghan, with Ellen following her. It’s safe ground for the former Cavan-Monaghan TD. But is she spending too much time on home turf?
- Jack and Ellen compare the Humphreys and Connolly campaigns. Connolly has led in the latest polls, but who has the momentum?
- The Humphreys campaign is seeking the support of disenchanted centre-left voters, with help from ex-Greens Brian Leddin and Pauline O'Reilly, who this week said they regret their former party's support for Connolly.
- The two-horse race means intense focus on the nature of the two candidates. Could that mean the result will be more divisive than presidential elections past?
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Hugh talks to Ronan McCrea, professor of constitutional and European law at University College London, about his new book, The End of the Gay Rights Revolution. McCrea believes that the achievements of the most successful civil rights movement of the last few decades may be more politically fragile than most people assume. He argues that these successes were largely an incidental dividend of the wider sexual revolution rather than a standalone victory. What law and culture give quickly, he says, they can also take away.
The book traces the shift from decriminalisation to equality, the AIDS-era turn to pragmatism, and the post-marriage-equality problem of purpose. McCrea contends that movement overreach, mission creep to ever-broader agendas, and a reluctance to confront awkward truths leaves freedoms exposed to changing demographics, populism and a revived moral conservatism. The conversation asks what a strategy of consolidation rather than perpetual expansion would actually look like and whether it carries costs as well as benefits in a world where history rarely moves in straight lines.
The End of The Gay Rights Revolution is published by Polity.
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Ellen Coyne and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· With Jim Gavin gone, the presidential election is now a two-horse race between Catherine Connolly and Heather Humphreys, and a more combative one at that as the third live debate on Thursday on RTÉ Radio’s Drivetime will attest. Is Heather Humphreys trying to appeal to voters on the left who haven’t made their mind up about Connolly yet?
· As the timetable of who knew what and when becomes apparent in the Jim Gavin controversy, could those running his campaign have done anything to dampen the impact of the revelation around an unpaid debt to a former tenant from Gavin’s time as a landlord in 2009? And why did Gavin go ahead and participate in RTÉ’s televised debate last Sunday when the game was already effectively up?
· And will Wednesday’s marathon Fianna Fáil party meeting provide enough catharsis for a cohort within the party questioning Micheál Martin’s leadership in the wake of the Jim Gavin fiasco?
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Manchán Magan remembered, Japan’s Iron Lady, and Ray D’Arcy leaves RTÉ.
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Yesterday’s budget spelled out the Government’s tax and spending plans for next year. But what happens after that?
Barra Roantee of Trinity College Dublin’s Department of Economics says it is “shocking” that there is no plan beyond 2026.
“Last year we had five-year-ahead forecasting. The year before was four-year. We’re meant to be submitting a medium term plan to the European Commission.
This is part of our obligations, and we were told that was going to happen over the summer. Then, it’ll happen near the budget. It still hasn’t happened, and we still have no detail. We don’t know what spending is meant to be in 2027, 2028”.
He also highlights the lack of detailed costings to underpin our budgetary decisions.
“In the UK they’ll have hundreds of pages of costing documents for each policy decision and we have nothing. We have, like, a page”.
Roantree is also highly critical of the way Paschal Donohoe and Jack Chambers have conveyed their decisions, including “astronomical spending increases” that end up being far higher, he says, than is claimed on Budget Day.
“These costings are a cynical wheeze, innumerate, and they’re being used to, I think at this stage, cook the books”.
On today’s podcast Rowntree talks to Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy about Budget 2026.
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Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to talk about the stunning news of Jim Gavin's withdrawal from the presidential race, leaving Heather Humphreys and Catherine Connolly in a head-to-head battle.
The news has infuriated Fianna Fáil backbenchers and leaves party leader Micheál Martin and campaign director Jack Chambers with big questions to answer over how Gavin was selected and how his campaign was run.
There is also the question of which of the remaining candidates benefits most from Gavin's withdrawal.
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Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to talk about the week in politics:
We already know next Tuesday’s budget is going to be a much less generous affair than recent years. Jack and Pat share what they know about the tough stance being taken by Ministers Paschal Donohoe and Jack Chambers in negotiations, including one Government source’s characterisation of Chambers as akin to Margaret Thatcher: “no, no, no”.
Of the three presidential hopefuls, Catherine Connolly has run the strongest campaign so far. But could the news that she employed a woman convicted of firearms offences hinder her in gathering the votes she needs?
Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin’s campaign also made some missteps this week, hampering the novice politician’s campaign as it finds its feet.
Security issues are at the top of the European agenda thanks to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the fear of Russian cyberattacks and drone incursions.
Finally the panelists pick their favourite Irish Times journalism of the week including Senator Michael McDowell’s explanation for why he didn’t nominate Maria Steen, the passing of Martin Mansergh and a relatable personal problem.
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Fresh from the hostile grass arena of Bethpage, where supporters of the US Ryder Cup team spent the weekend abusing their European opponents, Washington correspondent Keith Duggan returns to the podcast to discuss the latest:
- Some commentators have tried to link the boorish behaviour of US golf fans to the ascendancy of Trumpism. Is that justified?
- What lies behind the steady level of popular support for president Trump?
- With the dust settling on Charlie Kirk's killing and the febrile aftermath, what meaning will those events hold in the future of the MAGA movement?
- The US government shutdown - why it is happening and what it means.
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Pat Leahy joins Hugh to talk about the first televised debate of the presidential campaign which took place on Virgin Media Television tonight. Independent Catherine Connolly, Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys and Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin debated a range of issues and did their best to come across as plausible candidates. But who dominated, and who struggled?
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Hugh interviews Albanian academic and author Lea Ypi about her new book Indignity: A Life Reimagined. The book is an exploration of political, historical and philosophical themes through the story of Ypi's grandmother, Leman Ypi, who experienced Albania’s tumultuous 20th century, from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, through fascism, Nazism, communism and its fall.
Lea talks about how literature helps us hear silenced histories - particularly those of women. She also discusses nation formation, the role of archives, and the analogies between historical and current political crises.
Lea Ypi is Professor in Political Theory at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Indignity: A Life Reimagined is published by Penguin.
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Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· Catherine Connolly, Heather Humphreys and Jim Gavin got their campaigns into full swing this week as they got out and about to meet voters and give their pitch ahead of voting day on October 25th. And while Connolly made headlines this week when she told a fireside chat with the UCD Politics Society that she believed Germany’s rearmament was like the 1930s, it will be next Monday’s televised debate that will give voters a better idea of each candidate.
· While the presidential election takes all the attention, it can be easy to forget that Budget 2026 is less than two weeks away. Perhaps Paschal Donohoe and Jack Chambers are enjoying the lack of scrutiny?
· And Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has not ruled out Ireland using deportation hubs outside EU borders, something that would have been very controversial in the not-too-distant past
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The bizarre political karaoke of the Lib Dems party conference, the central importance of William Shakespeare’s work to a proper education, and the influence of Kermit the Frog on Patrick Freyne’s journalism career.
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Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about how independent candidate Maria Steen came close but ultimately failed to secure a nomination to run for the presidency. Why did the coalition that supported her take so long to decisively swing behind her? And what does it mean for the race?
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Last year The Irish Times Inside Politics podcast released a three-part series looking back at the political rivalry between Charles Haughey and Garret Fitzgerald.
That series helped to inspire DCU’s Eoin O’Malley as he set out to write a book on the same subject.
Eoin talks to Hugh and Pat about the two men and what he wanted to add to the story: how their perceptions of one another influenced the decisions they made and the kind of leaders they became.
Charlie Vs Garret by Eoin O’Malley is published by Eriu.
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Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
- The nomination process for presidential candidates rumbles on. At the time of recording independent Gareth Sheridan has the best chance, needing two more local councils to back him. A report today looking at Sheridan’s business partner’s links with Russia may not be welcomed by his campaign as councillors around the country weigh up their decision.
- Meanwhile social conservative Maria Steen is gathering nominations in the Oireachtas. Can she get over the line before next Wednesday’s deadline?
- Mary Lou McDonald continues to be coy about who will get Sinn Féin’s backing, perhaps enjoying an opportunity to toy with the media. But who will it be - Catherine Connolly, or one of their own?
- Budget 2026 is drawing near. So far the focus of political debate has been on the withdrawal of one-off payments. It is an issue that cuts through, as Opposition parties well know.
Plus the panelists pick their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week, including columns on a rescinded award and Ireland’s rudeness problem and a look at sport’s greatest quirkiest cheating scandals.
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Hugh talks to Michael Brendan Dougherty, senior writer at National Review, about the murder of right wing activist and Christian nationalist Charlie Kirk and the vociferous reaction that has exposed and deepened America's political divides.
Michael talks about Kirk's significant influence on young conservatives, the media's portrayal of Kirk before and after his killing and the impact on U.S. political discourse.
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Leo Varadkar's new memoir promises readers an insight into what the former taoiseach really thought about the monumental events - Covid, Brexit, the housing crisis - that he was centrally involved in. He talks to Hugh Linehan and Irish Times Britain and Ireland editor Mark Hennessy about the book and his life and times in politics. He explains why Eoghan Murphy may have been suited to a government role other than Housing Minister, why he and Phil Hogan still don't speak, why a Covid inquiry still hasn't happened and why the question of reunification may need serious consideration more quickly than we think.
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Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The assassination of the conservative activist and influencer Charlie Kirk on stage at a college campus in Utah on Wednesday is the latest chapter in America’s increasingly toxic political climate. A Donald Trump loyalist, Kirk was instrumental in mobilising younger voters during last year’s US presidential race. Unfortunately, the threat of violence is present in Irish politics too, with Tánaiste Simon Harris outspoken on the intimidation and bomb threats directed at him and his family.
· The urgency with which aspiring independent presidential candidates have sought support is ramping up, with ten Oireachtas members now said to have given commitments to conservative campaigner Maria Steen to nominate her to enter the presidential election. Council nominations are also a viable route for independents but one that is narrowing all the time.
· And EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal to suspend parts of EU-Israel trade deal could be seen as a significantshift towards the stance Ireland and others have taken as the slaughter in Gaza continues.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Javier Milei’s right-wing ‘chainsaw revolution’ in Argentina, Ireland’s shambolic display against Armenia as their World Cup dream dies, and yet another new prime minister as France’s political crisis deepens.
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The run-in to October’s presidential election continues to pick up pace this week with the selection of Jim Gavin as Fianna Fáil’s nominee. Jack Horgan-Jones brings us behind the scenes at Fianna Fáil’s special meeting where members had to choose between newcomer Gavin and party stalwart Billy Kelleher. Could the manoeuvring that took place around this vote foreshadow leadership contests to come?
Jack, Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan also discuss Sinn Féin's stance in the presidential race now that Mary Lou McDonald has stated definitively she will not run. Does the party now clearly favour throwing in behind Catherine Connolly?
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Keir Starmer's Labour government seems to be in big trouble, with opinion polls suggesting the possibility of a dramatic reshaping of British electoral politics in favour of Nigel Farage's Reform UK. The resignation of deputy prime minister Angela Rayner last week has shown yet more Labour weakness for Farage to eagerly exploit.
It's all happening against a backdrop of deepening divisions over subjects including immigration, taxation, the economy, Gaza and freedom of speech. London correspondent Mark Paul has been trying to keep up with it all. He talks to Hugh on today's podcast.
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Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· With polling day expected to be October 24th, nominations are now open for the office of president and to close on September 24th. Another date to keep in mind is next Tuesday September 9th which will see a vote among Fianna Fáil’s 71-strong parliamentary party to select its presidential candidate from former Dublin football manager Jim Gavin and MEP Billy Kelleher.
· And with nominations closing on September 24th, that leaves just three weeks for Independent candidates, including Gareth Sheridan, Nick Delehanty and Maria Steen, to secure nominations from local authorities.
· September 20th could be a red-letter day for Sinn Féin. The party will either confirm support for Independent TD Catherine Connolly or select a candidate of their own choosing. Will questions be asked of Mary Lou McDonald if a strong candidate doesn’t materialise?
· Labour’s party think-in took place in Nenagh, Co Tipperary on Thursday and was almost derailed by Tipperary North TD and former party leader Alan Kelly’s refusal to follow the party’s endorsement of Cather Connolly.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Next month’s budget critical for the Coalition, Ireland’s past status as tradwife capital of the world, and RTÉ’S new national obsession, The Traitors Ireland.
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The absence of a coherent international response to the crises in Gaza and Ukraine has raised questions about what used to be called the international rules-based order. Does it still exist at all, or has the reality of raw military and economic power trumped every other consideration?
Against that backdrop, what role, if any, does the United Nations have to play? And what is Ireland's role within the UN?
On today's podcast Niall McCann, who recently left the United Nations Development Programme after more than a decade working throughout the UN system in positions in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, talks to Hugh about what he found at the UN, why it isn't working and how he thinks it should be reformed.
He also explains why Ireland's standing within the UN is lower than is sometimes suggested.
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Today we bring you a recording of a live episode that took place yesterday in the Mindfield area of Electric Picnic. Hugh talked to Ellen Coyne, Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy about the meaning of the presidency, the prospects of all the potential candidates and the political calculations being made by the big parties as the race begins. Thanks to everyone who attended and to Electric Picnic.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· It seems highly likely that former Dublin football manager Jim Gavin has the blessing of Taoiseach Micheál Martin to seek a nomination to contest the presidential election for Fianna Fáil. Cork MEP Billy Kelleher is also seeking support for a nomination through parliamentary party colleagues. Kelleher is a seasoned and formidable vote-getter, but how would Gavin perform should be find himself on the campaign trail?
· Catherine Connolly is already well and truly on the campaign trail, with fundraising and volunteer recruitment ramping up. Connolly is very much the anti-establishment candidate, but will she be able to build a vote beyond that?
· And Sinn Féin are the missing piece in this presidential race jigsaw – will they put forward their own candidate in the form of Mary Lou McDonald or Pearse Doherty? Or will they decide to throw their weight behind Catherine Connolly instead?
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Governor of California Gavin Newsom is trolling Donald Trump, Lara Marlowe is reporting from Ukraine, and what would Reform leader Nigel Farage do to the Good Friday Agreement?
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Éamon De Valera died on August 29th, 1975. Fifty years on, the Ireland of today would hardly be recognisable to the revolutionary leader, taoiseach and president who famously extolled the simple virtues, comely maidens and frugal comforts of the traditional Ireland he wished to see.
But in many ways, argues Irish Times reporter and historian Ronan McGreevy, we are still living in De Valera's Ireland. He talks to Pat Leahy about Dev's unexpected legacy in Irish politics, society, diplomacy and academia.
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Harry McGee and Ellen Coyne look back on the week in politics:
· The presidential race is the only show in town with Fine Gael recovering remarkably well from the news last week that Mairead McGuinness was dropping out for health reasons. Within days of that bombshell, Heather Humphreys and Seán Kelly emerged asrivals for the party candidacy, but Humphreys’ momentum and popularity across party lines makes her a strong favourite to win the race for the nomination.
· And while Fine Gael can count three legitimate potential candidates, Taoiseach Micheál Martin is playing his cards close to his chest with Fianna Fáil yet to put anyone forward. Perhaps former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will eventually get the nod?
· Will Sinn Féin throw their support behind Catherine Connolly in the absence of an obvious candidate in their own ranks? Mary Lou McDonald aside of course.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Walking the Boyne Valley Camino, and Rose of Tralee winner Katelyn Cummins.
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed Monday’s summit at the White House with US president Donald Trump as a “major step forward” towards ending Europe’s deadliest conflict in 80 years and towards setting up a trilateral meeting with Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and Trump in the coming weeks.
The meeting, attended by European leaders as well as Zelenskiy and Trump, resulted in one potentially major win for Ukraine: Trump's suggestion the US could play a role in providing security guarantees for Ukraine in a post-war era.
But how reliable is Trump’s support, and what would such security guarantees look like?
Eastern Europe correspondent Dan McLaughlin and Europe correspondent Jack Power join Hugh to talk about the details of the discussions and why the path towards any sort of peace deal remains difficult and unpredictable.
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Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan bring the story of Brian Cowen’s ill-fated 2008-2011 government to its conclusion.
Following Cowen’s embarrassing appearance on Morning Ireland in late 2010, many in the country and within his own party gave up on him. For Cowen and Fianna Fáil, the writing was on the wall.
But first, the country’s worsening fiscal situation would lead to one of the lowest moments in Ireland’s modern history.
The events of November 2010 and the subsequent general election in 2011 would reshape Irish society and politics forever.
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The surprise withdrawal from the presidential election race of Fine Gael candidate Mairead McGuinness on health grounds has introduced even more uncertainty to an already unpredictable contest. On today's podcast Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to assess the state of the campaign. Who will Fine Gael choose to replace McGuinness on their ticket? When will Fianna Fáil nominate a candidate? Would Dr Tony Holohan's Covid record be an asset or a liability if he decided to run? Could McGuinness's withdrawal carry downsides for independent candidate Catherine Connolly? And who exactly is Gareth Sheridan?
The panel also pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including an emotional preview of Oasis at Croke Park, a review of the pro golfers appearing in Happy Gilmore 2 and a dispatch from a small Welsh town that hit the jackpot.
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In part two of a three-part series on Brian Cowen’s ill-fated 2008-2011 government, Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan continue the story.
After the fateful 2008 decision to bail out Ireland’s banks, Cowen and his Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan spent the next year struggling to shore up Ireland’s worsening finances.
Throughout 2009 and 2010 the mood in the country darkened as recession bit. Spending cuts and tax rises were introduced in a series of hair-shirt budgets.
As a result, confidence in the government was already on the floor when Cowen made an infamous appearance on Morning Ireland in September 2009. But what did Cowen actually say in the interview, and what impact did it have?
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Brian Cowen became Taoiseach in 2008, just as Ireland’s economy was going into free-fall. For the next three years he struggled to lead the country through some of its darkest days, with public opinion quickly souring against him and Fianna Fáil.
In a new three-part series from The Irish Times Inside Politics podcast, Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy look back at how Cowen became Taoiseach and his short, turbulent time in power.
The podcast follows his early promise as the heir to an Offaly Fianna Fáil dynasty, through his rise to power and his doomed attempts to fix the banking crisis and the chaotic end of his political career.
Parts two and three will be published on Wednesday August 13th and Monday August 18th.
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Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· Fox News and its standard of journalism were highlighted during an episode of The Will Cain Show this week that featured media commentator and author Douglas Murray talking about open borders migration. During the segment Murray claimed Dublin had gone from being one of the safest cities in Europe to one of its most dangerous. His basis for this was a survey conducted by the Online Betting Guide (OLBG) entitled European Nightlife Index Casinos. In it, Dublin was ranked ninth in Europe with Birmingham, Naples and Paris placed among the most dangerous cities.
· A group of 16 members of the House of Representatives have sought to exert pressure on Ireland’s Government by writing to US treasury secretary Scott Bessent to request he consider adding Ireland to a list of countries boycotting Israel if the proposed Occupied Territories Bill is passed.
· Billionaire businessman Dermot Desmond feels Artificial Intelligence will make Dublin’s planned MetroLink obsolete and has urged the Government to shelve the €10 billion project.
· And Independent ministers are not happy with the current rules around inheritance tax.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Diarmaid Ferriter and Stephen Collins on the legacy of Daniel O’Connell, Cliff Taylor on how Ireland’s economy still remains suspended between Boston and Berlin, and Sonia Harris Pope on Jewish identity in Ireland at the moment.
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In today’s episode, Hugh is joined by historian Dr Cormac Moore to discuss one of the most consequential but little-known episodes in modern Irish history: the Irish Boundary Commission. Based on Moore’s new book The Root of All Evil, the conversation explores the hopes, fraught negotiations, and ultimate anticlimax that defined the commission’s work 100 years ago this year.
How did a clause in the Anglo-Irish Treaty come to carry the weight of nationalist aspirations and unionist fears? Why did so many believe that the commission would redraw the map of Ireland in favour of the Free State – and how did those expectations unravel so completely? Was the commission’s failure inevitable, or did political miscalculations and miscommunications seal its fate?
Moore, historian-in-residence with Dublin City Council, brings a forensic eye to the detail and a deep sense of the human stakes involved. He unpacks the central roles played by figures such as David Lloyd George, James Craig and WT Cosgrave.
What lessons does the Boundary Commission hold for how borders are made – and unmade – in contested spaces? And in a world where the political future of Northern Ireland is once again up for debate, is this century-old episode a cautionary tale of how not to manage competing nationalisms?
What happened in 1925 offers lessons for anyone interested in the deeper roots of partition, the evolution of identity on this island, and how historical decisions continue to cast long shadows.
Produced by Declan Conlon with JJ Vernon on sound.
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Cormac McQuinn and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The Labour Party has backed Independent TD Catherine Connolly’s bid for the Áras. And there is little appetite in Sinn Féin for Mary Lou McDonald to run for president as party figures move closer to the idea of also backing Connolly. Elsewhere, presidential hopeful Michael Flatley had to explain why he wasn’t a threat to great white sharks everywhere.
· The ongoing debate over the Occupied Territories Bill and whether it will include services in its final iteration, and the continuing Government move towards getting rid of the so-called triple lock governing overseas deployment of Irish troops will likely be two issues that will be put to any presidential candidates.
· The Social Democrats readmitted Dublin Bay South TD Eoin Hayes after his eight-month suspension from the party.
· And Donald Trump is intent on more trade chaos as he announced a slew of new tariffs. But will Ireland come out of it all relatively unscathed?
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Rosie O’Donnell’s new show at the Olympia gets a stinker of a review, the inside story of JP McManus’s failed €30m Irish Rugby Experience, and Ryan Tubridy living his best life in London.
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It's part two of our summer Ask Me Anything, with the panel tackling questions sent to politicspodcast@irishtimes.com by listeners. Hugh, Pat, Jack, Ellen and Cormac address topics from disapora voting rights to the lack of representation of migrant communities in Dáil Eireann, the meaning of populism and the efficiency of government spending.
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It's summer holiday season and that means it's time to open the floor to questions from the Inside Politics audience. Hugh, Pat, Jack, Ellen and Cormac sift through the politicspodcast@irishtimes.com inbox and pick out questions on the presidency, Gaza, the State's struggle to solve complex problems, and more. Thanks for listening to Inside Politics throughout the political year.
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Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· With Independent TD Catherine Connolly and former MEP Mairead McGuinness having declared their candidacy, there will now be at least two names in the race for the Áras. But with no sign yet of a clear candidate for Fianna Fáil or Sinn Féin, are any of the potential names currently being discussed likely to gain party support?
· Fianna Fáil's Niall Collins would be 'very uncomfortable' with a one-size-fits-all approach to a blanket VAT cut for the hospitality sector, given that luxury and five-star hotels would benefit from a measure they don’t necessarily need. Some Fine Gael Ministers are unhappy with Mr Collins for criticising a policy that would help support entry-level jobs in rural Ireland.
· And as the humanitarian crisis deepens in Gaza, urgency around the Occupied Territories Bill increases. The inclusion of services is still the big question given the huge potential knock-on effects for some businesses here.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· A new exhibition exploring the legacy of the Magdalene Laundries, fifty years since the release of Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, and Joe Canning’s take on Tipperary’s triumph in the All-Ireland hurling final against Cork.
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The Government’s updated National Development Plan (NDP) proposes to spend a vast sum of money on capital infrastructure. But beyond three ‘mega projects’ there is little detail and the vagueness of the document has led to some skepticism. In part one of today's podcast Pat Leahy joins Hugh Linehan to discuss the NDP and whether the Government's promise to prioritise infrastructure could survive a major economic shock - the kind created by heavy US tariffs, for example,
They then look at the Summer Economic Statement, also revealed this week, which shows there will not be much wriggle room in this year’s Budget.
In part two, back to the NDP and what it says about the Government’s plan for the development of transportation infrastructure. Dublin’s proposed MetroLink is one of the three mega projects identified, but there is €20 billion earmarked for other unidentified projects. Where should it go? How much will be spent on new roads, and what are the implications for carbon emissions? And what about public transport projects outside Dublin? Professor Brian Caulfield talks to Hugh and Pat.
Brian Caulfield is a Professor in Transportation in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at Trinity College Dublin.
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Cormac McQuinn and Jack Horgan-Jones join Pat Leahy to look back on the week in politics:
· The latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll shows Sinn Féin on 22 per cent (down four), with Fianna Fáil on 22 per cent (no change) and Fine Gael on 17 per cent (up one). Given just 14% of voters feel Government is successfully tackling the country’s problems,do Sinn Féin need to find a new strategy in order to stimulate support?
· One of the most notable findings of the poll is the clear growth potential around the Independents (up five) and new conservative parties like Aontú.
· The poll also shows that support for the Occupied Territories Bill is softening with voters as just one-fifth of voters (20 per cent) say the Bill should be passed quickly, with a further 14 per cent saying its scope should be expanded and it should be passed quickly. The Bill, which would ban trade in goods with the occupied Palestinian territories, is due before the Dáil in the autumn.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The plans to lower the UK voting age to 16, the Epstein Files present a new crisis for Donald Trump, and can Tipperary triumph in the All-Ireland hurling final against Cork?
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EU negotiators thought a deal with their US counterparts on trade and tariffs was near. Then US president Donald Trump ended those feelings of optimism by threatening to apply 30% tariffs from August 1st. Is this another negotiating tactic or does he mean it this time? And what is the mood in Dublin and Brussels about Trump's threats? Jack Horgan-Jones and Jack Power join Pat Leahy.
In part two: Independent TD Catherine Connolly is seeking a nomination to run for president. Will Labour, her erstwhile party, support her bid?
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Ellen Coyne and Harry McGee join Pat Leahy to look back on the week in politics:
· When Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald was asked on Monday if she was ruling herself out of this year’s contest to succeed Michael D Higgins, she replied, “we’re not ruling anything in or anything out.” But could a tilt at the presidency be a potential career-ender for Mary Lou?
· Elsewhere, those ruling themselves firmly in include Galway West Independent TD Catherine Connolly, who says she plans to launch her presidential election bid next week. The veteran Donegal TD Pat the Cope Gallagher says he is considering seeking Fianna Fáil nomination to run, but Fine Gael’s Seán Kelly has ruled himself out, with Mairead McGuinness now widely expected to seek Áras election.
· The Occupied Territories Bill is now undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny. The big question remains whether the proposed bill will include services along with the prohibition of trade in goods with Israeli companies operating in the illegally occupied Palestinian territories.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The throwaway lyrics of Oasis, the social cohesion of the July 12th bonfires, and when crying in public is the natural thing to do.
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This month marks 30 years since the Srebrenica genocide, when more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were massacred by Serb forces in Bosnia. In today’s episode, Irish Times Eastern Europe Correspondent Daniel McLaughlin joins Hugh to reflect on his recent visit to eastern Bosnia. They discuss the enduring legacy of the atrocity, how the town is preparing to commemorate the 30th anniversary and the political deadlock that still grips the country.
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It is just over a year since Keir Starmer’s Labour Party won a huge majority and took power in London, but Starmer’s political capital is already at a low ebb.
It hasn’t all been bad: most noticeably here, he has managed to repair the UK’s relationship with Ireland after the fractious Brexit years. But he has also handled the Trump administration and the EU with skill.
It’s at home where he hasn’t done so well. Some notable successes - on reducing NHS waiting times - have been overshadowed by a series of u-turns, mishaps and political miscalculations.
So what does the electorate make of him, and where does he go from here? London correspondent Mark Paul talks to Hugh.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The drive to inject some impetus into the Irish presidential race has not yielded anything of note just yet with the starter pistol not expected to sound until Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Sinn Féin nominate their candidates.
· The Coalition remains divided over Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless’s recent assertion that the student contribution could increase by as much as €1,000 next year for third-level students.
· The pause on Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs is almost up – is there a plan in place to keep Ireland’s pain to a minimum?
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The puffins of Rathlin Island, the digital revolution that didn’t turn out as expected, and how the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez destroyed quiet luxury.
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Money always matters in politics. Just ask UK prime minister Keir Starmer, whose attempt to cut UK welfare payments is on the rocks thanks to Labour party rebels, leaving a multibillion pound hole in his economic plan.
Over here, the various departments are currently working out how much money they need to operate in advance of the Summer Economic Statement, the report that outlines the parameters for what is likely to be a tighter Budget than those of recent years.
The Government is also trying to get to grips with an urgent need for investment in infrastructure. And it’s all happening against a backdrop of growing economic uncertainty.
This week the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council accused the Government of lacking a coherent spending plan. So how well fixed is our system to navigate all this?Pat Leahy joins Hugh to discuss it.
They also discuss the inter-Coalition row over third level fees.
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Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn join Jack Horgan-Jones to look back on the week in politics:
· US President Donald Trump was the main attraction at a landmark Nato summit on Wednesday with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte calling him ‘Daddy’ during their press conference. Trump got what he came for with Nato member states agreeing to an increase of 5 per cent of GDP in defence spending.
· Over at the EU leaders summit on Thursday, defence spending was also high on the agenda with Ireland backing the EU’s €150bn defence plan. The war in Gaza was highlighted too with Taoiseach Micheál Martin unable to comprehend how Europe doesn’t seem capable of putting any pressure on Israel to stop it. And with Trump’s tariffs pause set to end on July 9th, Ireland and other EU countries will be forgiven for looking at India and China as greater trading partners.
· Do policy interventions like reviewing RPZs compensate for the delayed release of the Government’s housing plan? The document won’t be published until after the summer.
· Presidential candidates are still pretty thin on the ground with Fine Gael’s Seán Kelly saying he “could do a lot” as president but stopped short of declaring he actually will enter the race.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The endurance test that Irish concert-goers have to go through is worth it, Democratic mayoral primary Zohran Mamdani shocks as New York swelters, and Jaws and its Irish connection.
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Europe correspondent Jack Power joins Pat and Jack Horgan-Jones to discuss monumental events in the Middle East, with the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities being followed by a ceasefire that may or may not be holding as you listen to this podcast.
They also discuss the EU's struggle to assert influence on the global stage as it heads into a summit, and bring it back home to the Irish government's awkward stance on the Occupied Territories Bill.
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Sally Hayden and Harry McGee join Jack Horgan-Jones to look back on the week in politics:
· Sally Hayden joins the pod on the line from Beirut where missiles flying overhead have become a fact of daily life despite the ceasefire agreement Lebanon signed with Israel last November. With Israel’s attention now firmly on Iran, the rising death toll and continuing aerial attacks from both sides show no signs of abating. And is the US on the verge of joining Israel’s attack on Iran? What could that mean for stability in the Middle East?
· Children’s Health Ireland appeared before the Oireachtas Health Committee this week with politicians eager to tear strips off the embattled group responsible for running children’s hospital services in Dublin. After so many controversies since its inception in 2018, can CHI be trusted to run the new national children’s hospital when it opens? And how will this all be handled by Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill given her short time as a first-time senior Minister?
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· How AIB came back from the brink, and a misguided viral appeal following the death of an Irish emigrant in London.
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Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Harry McGee to talk about the ongoing fallout from the Government's proposed changes to the rights of tenants and landlords. They look at growing criticism of the finer points of the policy. Will the delay in rolling out RPZs to the whole country incentivise landlords to raise rents while they can? Do the new rules effectively prohibit short-term lets in tourism areas?
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You can tell an awful lot about a society by who it labels a genius. You can also learn from who it excludes from that category, who it enables and what it is prepared to tolerate from them. The tortured poet, the rebellious scientist, the monstrous artist, or indeed the tech disruptor.
All of these archetypes feature in The Genius Myth, the new book by the journalist, author and podcaster Helen Lewis. She joins Hugh to talk about so-called geniuses, from Elon Musk to The Beatles, the modern influence of concepts like IQ, and what it takes to be a political genius.
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Pat Leahy and Ellen Coyne join Hugh Linehan to look back at the week in politics:
- Rent reform: the announcement of Minister for Housing James Browne’s plans to change the rules around rent pressure zones dominated the week. But why was the rollout so haphazard?
- Adjustments to residential property tax received less attention but the changes also carry political risk
- Israel’s attacks on Iran add further uncertainty to a fraught geopolitical moment
- Anti-immigrant riots in Northern Ireland: was the violence exacerbated by political interventions?
Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week on topics including the dull ache brought on by remembering Ireland’s past attitudes to women, a critique of Irish media’s coverage of gender issues and how social media firms used the ‘like’ button to turbocharge their business models.
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US president Donald Trump's response to protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles - to send in troops - is in keeping with a broader theme of his second presidency so far - extending executive power and challenging institutional norms. But how far is Trump willing to go? TCD's Daniel Geary joins Hugh to talk about the events in LA and the pressure Trump 2.0 is putting on the American system.
Daniel Geary is Mark Pigott Professor of U.S. History at Trinity College Dublin.
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Where does Europe fit into the 21st century? Political scientist Professor Helen Thompson returns to the podcast to talk about the big picture for the global economy and international relations in the age of Trump's second term, China's rise and Europe's relative decline.
She talks to Hugh about the real significance of America's debt pile, Silicon Valley's shift to Trump, the future of NATO, the growing interest in controlling the Arctic and China's economic and technological rise. And she argues that Europe needs to realise just how different a place America is - and always has been.
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Joining Hugh and Cormac McQuinn on today's podcast is Ellen Coyne, the newest member of The Irish Times political team. Together they look back on the week in politics in Ireland and beyond:
- The crisis at Children's Hospital Ireland deepens
- Growing international disquiet over Israel's conduct in Gaza
- Planning exemptions for "granny flats" - can such tinkering make a real difference to the housing crisis?
- The spectacular breakup of Donald Trump and Elon Musk
Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles on the week, including the impact of Airbnb in rural towns, the dreaded one-star review and a disappearing rainbow crossing.
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With the election of Lee Jae-myung as president of South Korea, a period of political turmoil there may be over - for now at least. But Lee, leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, faces many challenges, including a political system in disarray, the threat of tariffs and a looming demographic disaster. Denis Staunton reports.
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Poland is facing political deadlock after pro-Trump candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the country’s right-wing opposition, won Sunday’s presidential by less than two percentage points. The result also has major implications for European politics. On today's podcast Hugh discusses the outcome with Berlin correspondent Derek Scally.
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Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· Committees of the Oireachtas are indeed back, but rigor and insight seem to be missing in some of the questions posed by politicians during RTÉ’s appearance in front of the Oireachtas media committee on Wednesday.
· Independent TDs Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole, who support the Government, put a dent in the Coalition’s majority by voting in favour of a Sinn Féin Bill in support of Palestine.
· Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams was awarded €100,000 after a jury found he was defamed by a 2016 BBC TV programme and related article that falsely accused him of sanctioning the murder of a British agent.
· And is it time to disband Children’s Health Ireland? Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill is considering subsuming the statutory body into the HSE following several controversies during its six years in existence.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The tight Polish presidential race, looming climate fines, the rise of the campervan, and the wonderful Cáit O’Riordan.
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In her book Left Is Not Woke today's guest Susan Neiman argues that the left has taken a wrong turn and must differentiate itself from "wokism".
She talks to Hugh about what she means by "woke" and why its appeal to traditional left-wing tendencies, like solidarity and supporting the underdog, helps disguise its more reactionary elements.
They also talk about Germany's relationship with Israel and how its own history influences German views on what is happening in Gaza.
Susan Neiman is an American moral philosopher, commentator and author known for her work on ethics, the Enlightenment and contemporary politics. She is the director of The Einstein Forum, a think-tank based in Potsdam, Germany,
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Leinster House is more than a place of work - it's a way of life for the politicians and other professionals who spend their days there. Journalist and broadcaster Gavan Reilly has written a book about the inner-workings of our parliament building and its inhabitants.
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Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· Ireland’s decision to participate in a European-wide initiative celebrating Norman heritage and influence has drawn the ire of Sinn Féin. The initiative is called ’2027 The Year of the Normans – People of Europe’, and Cabinet approved plans to mark 1000 years since the birth of England’s first Norman king William the Conqueror have been labelled “offensive” by the Opposition party.
· In a move to start the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza after Israel’s near three-month blockade, a majority of EU states have backed a proposal to review the union’s agreement governing relations with Israel.
· The HSE estimates that the number of children on waiting lists for disability or autism services will grow from 15,000 now to 25,000 by the end of the year, something disability rights campaigner Cara Darmody (14) highlighted with a 50-hour protest outside Leinster House this week.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Joe Biden’s cognitive and physical decline, hurling at its most biblical, and the four distinct categories that leaders fall into.
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The unprecedented increase in the numbers of people coming to Ireland seeking International Protection due to war or oppression in their homeland put serious pressure on State resources since 2023. The new Government has signalled a tougher approach to the issue, and has claimed some success. Are their reforms working, and is the tougher messaging appropriate? Hugh is joined by Colm Brophy TD, Minister of State for Migration, Madeleine Allen, policy and advocacy officer with the Irish Refugee Council, and Irish Times political correspondent Harry McGee.
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The tenth anniversary of the marriage equality referendum has prompted some reminiscing about how the vote was the first of two pinnacles for progressivism in Ireland, the other being the abortion referendum three years later. For women and members of the LGBT community, the successful campaigns were pivotal moments for an Ireland escaping its oppressive past. But what about those on the losing side? Senator Ronán Mullen, who campaigned for a no vote, joins Hugh and Pat to talk about how those defeats shaped social conservatism in Ireland in the years since.
Click here for our podcast on the legacy of the marriage equality referendum with Gerard Howlin and Ivana Bacik.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The Public Accounts Committee returned on Thursday and already it was making headlines with revelations about former Children’s Health Ireland boss Eilish Hardiman’s salary. PAC is apt at generating headlines with leaked opening statements and TDs eager to make their name a staple for the Dáil committee.
· A move towards fiscal caution as Fine Gael's Neale Richmond signals planned tax cuts may have to be abandoned unless a trade deal with the US can be agreed. Will one-off cost-of-living payments be absent from Budget 2026?
· The plan to introduce mandatory alcohol warning labels could be reconsidered amid the potential impact of US tariffs on the sector. And a ban on the sale of energy drinks to under 18s won’t be a reality until the “necessary evidence-gathering, research and examination of appropriate policy options and stakeholder engagement” is achieved.
· Plus, Minister for Housing James Browne backed out of meeting with Dublin Lord Mayor Emma Blain to discuss issues relating to the tenant-in-situ scheme.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· What can Dublin learn from San Francisco’s regeneration? Collapsing cottages, dereliction and land hoarding, and should people in Northern Ireland get to vote in Irish presidential elections?
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It is ten years since the country voted to legalise same-sex marriage. This victory for progressive politics was followed by another when abortion rights were won in 2018. But what is sometimes called "the progressive agenda" has since had setbacks, including last year's defeated referendums on family and care.
So how relevant is progressivism to Irish politics now, and where does it go next? Labour leader Ivana Bacik, columnist Gerard Howlin and political editor Pat Leahy join Hugh to look back at the 2015 referendum campaign and assess its legacy.
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Simon Harris had a difficult general election campaign as Fine Gael leader and has since faced criticism that he has not learned from mistakes in his new roles as Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs. On today's podcast he tells Jack Horgan-Jones and Hugh Linehan that his style of politics won't change. He also answers questions about policy issues including housing, the Occupied Territories Bill, a proposed levy on streamers like Netflix and more.
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Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· On the same day that the US agreed a trade deal with the UK, the European Commission unveiled a second, larger package of retaliatory tariffs – this was in response to the absence of negotiation from the US on what they actually want. Thankfully for Ireland, our biggest export to the US, pharmaceuticals, remained untouched, this is welcome news given the warnings from the Department of Finance this week.
· The procrastination around the Occupied Territories Bill has been going on for years. Tánaiste Simon Harris has indicated that there may be some movement as he will seek approval from the Government to begin the process of drafting the legislation, but it likely wouldn’t be discussed in the Dáil before autumn.
· The Catholic Church have a new leader, confirmed on Thursday evening, Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost was an outside bet to succeed Pope Francis and is the first pope from the United States. Another 69-year-old taking up a prominent position is Germany’s new federal chancellor Freidrich Merz.
· And the panel give their reaction to the decision by People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger to refuse to answer a question posed by a Gript journalist at the Dáil plinth on Wednesday.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The continued inertia fueling the housing crisis, the misery of Prince Harry, and the story of The Irish Times’ most famous front page.
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The death of Pope Francis has set in train one of the most unique contests in world politics: the Papal conclave. Cardinals will vote again and again until one name achieves a two-thirds majority and becomes pope.
Voting is not the conclave's only similarity to secular politics. The prospects of victory for frontrunners Antonio Tagle from the Philippines and current Vatican secretary of state Pietro Parolin have declined in recent days, thanks to the emergence of negative stories about the two cardinals.
But how do the 133 cardinals, many of whom do not know each other, align behind a particular candidate?
Venezuelan journalist Edgar Beltrán is Rome Correspondent for The Pillar, a US-based Catholic news organisation. He joins Hugh to explain the behind-the-scenes politics, friendships and rivalries that play a big role in the selection of the next pope, why it is possible this conclave of cardinals may struggle to reach a conclusion and what happens if the votes remain tied.
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On today’s Inside Politics podcast Irish Times London Correspondent Mark Paul joins Hugh Linehan to discuss what Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is already calling “the beginning of the end of the Conservative Party" as Tories lost council seats all over England.
And to add icing to Farage’s cake, Reform Party candidate Sarah Pochin dramatically won the Runcorn and Helsby byelection by just six votes, the narrowest margin of victory in a byelection since 1944.
Labour didn’t fare well in Thursday’s local elections either - will they now view Reform as a legitimate challenger? And is the clock already ticking for Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch?
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Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· Nama chief executive Brendan McDonagh almost became housing ‘tsar’ until Fine Gael blocked his appointment this week. It seems communication between the two main parties was not at its strongest when it came to Fianna Fáil’s push to have McDonagh head up the new Housing Activation Office.
· Both the Government of the 34th Dáil and Donald Trump reach the milestone of 100 days this week, although it feels like night and day in terms of activity with the Government’s executive functions here barely getting off the ground.
· But nobody could accuse Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan of inactivity as he has taken that portfolio and ran with it. Building strongly on the work of his predecessor Helen McEntee, could Fianna Fáil be looking at a potential future party leader?
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Has the EPP become a cold house for Fine Gael? Recollection of a soirée in Beijing, and Westminster’s long memory for its murdered MPs.
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Canadian journalist Jen Gerson joins Hugh to talk about the results of Monday's federal election, which confirmed the once-unlikely comeback of the Liberal party led by former central banker Mark Carney. Gerson explains the unique challenges facing this vast, dispersed country whose relationship with its closest ally - the USA - has collapsed since the election of Donald Trump.
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Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88. Thoughts now turn to the election of his successor and whether they will be viewed to be as tolerant and progressive as the late pontiff.
· Minister for Education Helen McEntee has her work cut out for her to keep secondary school teachers onside with both the Teacher’s Union of Ireland and the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland voting to ballot on industrial action if plans to reform the Leaving Certificate from this September are not paused.
· And the Government has told RTÉ that State funding of more than €60 million for its redundancy plan will hinge on the broadcaster hitting yearly targets as it reduces its headcount.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Bill Clinton on a polarized America 30 years on from the Oklahoma bombing, Ireland needs to tread carefully with the EU on tariffs, and have we reached an empathy crisis?
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Cork-based author Pádraig Óg O'Ruairc joins Hugh Linehan to discuss his new book 'Burn Them Out; a history of fascism and the far right in Ireland’. He argues a line can be drawn directly between the far-right and, in the case of the Blueshirts, openly fascist movements of the 1920s and 1930s and the Dublin riots of 2023. Ó'Ruairc objects to the Irish exceptionalism many feel in having largely escaped the xenophobic populism seen elsewhere in Europe, arguing we have a long history of 'looking the other way' when it comes to confronting a pervasive and enduring fascist undercurrent.
'Burn Them Out' is available now.
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This episode was first published in October 2023.
Naomi Klein shot to fame with her first book, No Logo, which offered an acute critique of how powerful corporations in the 1990s had profited off exploitation in a globalising world.
Her later books have examined a range of subjects including crisis capitalism, militarism, and climate change.
Klein is also commonly confused online for a very different writer, Naomi Wolf, who has called Covid-19 vaccine programmes ‘mass murder’.
In Klein's latest book Doppelganger she draws on this unwanted comparison to explore themes like online identity, conspiracy theories and the 21st Century supremacy of the ‘personal brand’.
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Pat Leahy and Harry McGee analyse the latest Irish Times / Ipsos B&A poll results, which show that Sinn Féin has regained its position as the most popular party in the Republic while Fine Gael has slumped to a record low in the series. The new data also show voters have little enthusiasm for the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael-Independent Coalition.
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Cliff Taylor joins Pat Leahy to assess the latest developments in the trade war initiated by US president Donald Trump that threatens to upend the global economy.
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As the head of an organisation called Labour Together, which despite its name '"was all about dividing the Labour party and defeating the left", Irishman Morgan McSweeney handpicked Keir Starmer as the leadership candidate to take on Jeremy Corbyn and the party's left wing in 2020. That is according to Patrick Maguire, co-author of Get In, an entertaining book about Starmer's road to Number 10 and McSweeney's accumulation of power behind the scenes. He talks to Hugh about McSweeney's talent, Starmer's leadership and why the Labour government is struggling to get its message across.
Get In by Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund is available now.
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On Friday afternoon Taoiseach Micheál Martin talked to Hugh and Pat about a range of issues:
- On tariffs, the Taoiseach says he "suspects" a US decision on pharmaceuticals may be incorporated into overall trade negotiations, to Ireland’s advantage.
- He says that Ireland will resist any move by the EU to apply new taxes to US tech firms and supports the pharmaceutical industry's call for more favourable EU regulations.
- With the Government not on course to meet its goal of 300,000 new homes built by 2030, Mr Martin insists that figure is still the target and says a more aggressive social housing program is needed, criticising Dublin City Council for not building social housing "to any appreciable degree".
- On working with Michael Lowry and the Regional Independents, he insists no individual deals were made with independent TDs to secure their support and that he dealt with Mr Lowry only to enable the formation of a stable Government.
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Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The ‘Golden Age of America’ came and went over the course of a week as US President Donald Trump decided on Wednesday to pause his reciprocal tariffs for most countries for the next 90 days.
· The status of suspended Social Democrat TD Eoin Hayes was up for debate this week with the party successfully pushing for representation based on election result rather than current Dáil numbers in order to secure two Oireachtas committee chairperson roles. So, is Hayes a Soc Dem TD or not? Some are making understandable comparisons with the recent speaking rights row.
· And Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has signalled a new Billto overhaul the asylum system here with the latest data showing a surge in deportation orders and a substantial fall in applications in early 2025, both attributable to O’Callaghan’s predecessor Helen McEntee.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· The best way to resurrect a graveyard, humanitarian efforts in Chad, and Richard Boyd Barrett’s cancer diagnosis.
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The podcasters turn away from the heavy news agenda of tariffs and economic upheaval to examine a lighter, more enjoyable but still important topic: the 2025 Irish presidential election.
What makes a good president? What makes a good presidential candidate? And who are the candidates in the running at this late stage?
From big party nominees like Fine Gael's Mairead McGuinness to left unity candidates like Senator Frances Black and celebrity candidates like Conor McGregor, the list is long.
Cormac McQuinn and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh for the first of many episodes dedicated to the presidency this year.
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Why does it take so long to build infrastructure in Ireland? If you consider the amount of red tape needed to secure approval for something relatively simple like the upgrade of Dublin's bus lanes, it is hardly surprising, says Barra Roantree, Assistant Professor in Economics at Trinity College Dublin. He talks to Hugh Linehan about the costly bottlenecks in Ireland's planning and implementation of key projects, how we compare internationally and whether reform is possible.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh to look back on the week in politics:
- It may have been one of the most consequential weeks for Irish politics in years, if US president Donald Trump’s tariffs have the expected impact on the Irish and global economy.
- The speaking rights row came to an end, at least for now this week following votes on the future of Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy and the emergence of tariffs as a far more significant issue.
Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including pieces on the conviction of Marine Le Pen, the disillusionment of tech workers and the colourful history of Dáil insults.
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Cliff Taylor and Pat Leahy are with Hugh to discuss the tariffs announced yesterday by US president Donald Trump.
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As the Irish political system awaits tariff news from Washington, political editor Pat Leahy joins Hugh to look at how the day might unfold.
But first they assess the outcome of yesterday’s Dáil vote on the future of Verona Murphy as Ceann Comhairle. Murphy survived the vote - but there will be longer-term consequences from the controversy.
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Wednesday April 2nd is when US president Donald Trump is expected to announce tariffs on a wide range of imports from several countries, probably including the European Union. But what can the EU do in response? Cliff Taylor and Jack Power join Hugh.
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Pat Leahy and Sarah Burns join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
· The Dáil will enter uncharted territory next Tuesday as a motion of no confidence in Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy will be debated in the Dáil. Mary Lou McDonald and Labour leader Ivan Bacik are united in their insistence that Murphy’s position is no longer tenable with new speaking time slots for coalition-supporting Independents and Government backbenchers on Dáil schedule.
· Donald Trump has pledged to unveil his new tariffs on April 2nd, dubbing the event “liberation day”, but how will they impact new investment here and the spectacular corporate tax receipts that have been rolling in for the last few years?
· And the ‘desperate state’ of the State’s water systemwas highlighted by Uisce Éireann this week with “extraordinary complacency” and “passive indifference” around investment to blame. They also explained the clear link between future housing growth and good water services.
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Top US officials sharing military strike details in group chat with a journalist, the Web Summit case and the friendships ruined, and five years on – where did the Covid virus originate?
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Sally Hayden talks to Hugh Linehan about her experiences reporting from Syria and Lebanon.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
- Jack reports from Brussels where EU leaders have been meeting to discuss issues including defence and rearmament.
- Paschal Donohoe used the sidelines of an EU summit to deliver a stark warning on the impact of tariffs on the economy.
- Conor McGregor’s appearance at the White House on St Patrick’s Day has heightened anticipation of a presidential run of his own.
- This week also saw more bad news on the issue the Government can’t get away from.
Plus the panelists pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including Miriam Lord on Web Summit, Gerry Thornley on Ireland’s Six Nations and Newton Emerson on Unionism discovering its Irish identity.
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The idea that a country can't increase the size of its territory by taking it over another has been a principle of Western foreign policy for decades. If that changes it will be a profound shift. "Once that genie's out of the bottle, it will be very hard to put back in", says Tom Wright, the Irishman who was a member of Joe Biden's National Security Council and is now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a foreign policy think-tank. He talks to Hugh about foreign policy under Biden and Trump.
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Cormac McQuinn and Sarah Burns join Jack Horgan Jones to look back on the week in politics:
· Most analysis of the Taoiseach’s extraordinary meeting with US president Donald Trump this week has called it a success - but the underlying economic threat remains.
· A brief intrusion by three members of the Burke family at a gala dinner attended by the Taoiseach in Washington DC made headlines. But how did they get in? Pat Leahy was there.
· This week marked five years since Covid lockdowns began. Has the pandemic had any lasting impact on politics? And where is Ireland’s long-awaited inquiry?
Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week.
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Pat Leahy reports from Washington where Taoiseach Micheal Martin met US president Donald Trump this afternoon. How did the Taoiseach do?
In part two, Harry McGee talks to political scientist Dr Kevin Cunningham about the evolution of polling and what data reveals about Irish political trends.
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A report last week made a stark forecast: Ireland will be subject to EU fines and costs ranging from from €8 billion to €26 billion for failing to meet its 2030 climate goals. So why are we not taking more action, more swiftly to avoid this fiscal calamity - or indeed to avoid the underlying catastrophe of climate change? Hugh talks to Hannah Daly, Professor of Sustainable Energy at University College Cork, and former Green Party leader Eamon Ryan.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to look back on the week in politics:
· Did Simon Harris put his foot in his mouth when he contradicted the US account of a phone call between him and Donald Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio? The comments added to jitters over the Taoiseach’s visit to Trump’s White House next week.
· Security and Ireland’s defence have roared onto the political agenda. Is our political system ready for the debate about how to respond?
· This week left wing parties including Sinn Fein, Labour, Social Democrats, People Before Profit and Greens held talks to explore running a joint candidate in this year’s presidential election. But will the idea fly?
Plus, the panellists pick their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week, including Ireland’s unintelligent intelligence services, the fight back against Ireland’s Covid grade inflation and hope for Ireland at next year’s Oscar winners.
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US president Donald Trump's hard line with allies and his overtures to Russia have upended assumptions about the transatlantic security alliance. So where does it leave Europe and Ireland? Hugh talks to Edward Burke from UCD's Centre for War Studies and Irish Times security correspondent Conor Gallagher. They discuss Ukraine's ability to fight on without US assistance, the future of European security architecture and what these changes mean for Ireland's defence policy.
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How ready are citizens of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for a border poll? What role would economics play in the debate? And what impact has Brexit had? The Irish Question, a new documentary by Alan Gilsenan and John Walsh, considers these questions through interviews with key players including former US president Bill Clinton. Alan and John talked to Hugh about their documentary and what they learned while making it.
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Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan on today’s Inside Politics podcast to discuss the week in politics:
· Micheál Martin will likely have taken notes following the visits of Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer to the White House this week, each having enjoyed positive relations with US President Donald Trump. Trump congratulated the Taoiseach on his recent appointment as he issued an invitation for March 12th to mark St Patrick’s Day.
· The row over additional speaking rights for Independent TDs who back the Government rumbled on this week with Opposition unhappy with the decision by Government to use its majority on the Dáil Reform Committee to push through proposals tochange Dáil rules.
· An X-ray scanning machine purchased by the National Gallery of Ireland eight years ago, and valued at €124,805, was never actually used. Instead it laid idle because no suitable room to house it has been found. Arts minister Patrick O’Donovan questioned the rationale behind the National Gallery’s decision to buy the scanner if they had nowhere to put it.
· And will Irish neutrality become an issue in Brussels after suggestions from the Trump administration that it will no longer honour European security commitments? Is Irish military spending about to soar?
Plus, the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including the secret behind far-right AfD’s growth in Germany, the funeral of former senior IRA member Brendan ‘Bik’ McFarlane, and Donald Trump revives Canada’s Liberals.
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Hugh talks to Berlin correspondent Derek Scally to find out about the weekend's Bundestag elections, described as the most significant in decades.
The centre-right CDU will lead a new coalition, with far-right AfD becoming the main opposition party. Friedrich Merz, the CDU leader and incoming chancellor, faces huge challenges, not least addressing Germany's deepening economic and security concerns. AfD leader Alice Weidel insists the new coalition that is likely to emerge will not last.
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There’s been lots of noise, threats and bluster. But what has Donald Trump really achieved in his first five weeks in office? And could the non-stop drama of his leadership already be wearing thin among voters who welcomed his return?
Meanwhile, the pace and aggression of Trump’s leadership means his Democratic Party opponents have plenty of material to work with - but the party still lacks coherent leadership to deliver its message.
Washington correspondent Keith Duggan joins Hugh to discuss the impact of Trump’s executive orders, atmospheric shifts in Washington and the faltering response of the Democrats.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to look back on the week in politics:
- Sinn Féin announced it would not send representatives to Washington for St Patrick's Day, in protest over the proposed "mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from their homes and the permanent seizure of Palestinian lands".
- Should the Government provide tax breaks for developers to encourage homebuilding? Within Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, there are opposing views.
- The speaking rights row is not over. Is there a solution?
Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times stories of the week.
And finally, an announcement.
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The recent election and appointments to cabinet were a step backwards for gender representation in Irish politics. On today's podcast Hugh and Jennifer are joined by Aldagh McDonogh, chairperson of Women for Election, to talk about why Ireland has among the lowest proportion of female elected politicians in Europe. The conversation covers the history of female representation in Ireland, the impact of gender quotas, and the systemic and cultural barriers preventing more women from entering politics. They also look at the significance of incumbency, the need for support at local levels, and the potential future landscape of Irish politics with more balanced gender representation.
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Micheál Martin's recent signalling of a possible policy shift regarding Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) has put housing policy back in the spotlight. On today's podcast Hugh discusses the evolving housing policy landscape with Michael Byrne, a housing researcher at UCD.
Michael explains the limitations and impacts of RPZs on affordability and supply, and alternative systems of rent control that might replace it.
They also discuss the growing role of institutional landlords and the complex tradeoffs involved in addressing supply, affordability, and rates of homeownership.
Michael Byrne is a lecturer in political economy at UCD's School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice and the author of The Week in Housing blog on Substack.
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Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray join Hugh for our weekly Irish politics wrap:
- Did Taoiseach Micheál Martin call Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald a liar, in breach of arcane Dáil rules? Our panel of lapsed Gaeilgeoirí struggle to analyse the linguistic nuances of what Martin said, but identify an underlying political attitude.
- Minister for the Arts Patrick O'Donovan this week kitchen-sinked the news that the Arts Council wasted millions on an IT system that didn't work. The story adds to a perception of wastefulness in public spending, but could be an opportunity for the new Minister to prove himself.
- Housing became the other big issue of the week when the Taoiseach hinted at changes to the system of rent pressure zones. The pressure is on Martin to deliver on housing before he hands back over to Simon Harris - can he make a dent?
Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, on P.G. Wodehouse, the art of mingling and what happens when power goes to a leader's head.
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Support for Irish unity has grown significantly in the past three years in Northern Ireland, though a clear majority remains in favour of remaining part of the United Kingdom, according to the latest opinion poll for The Irish Times and the ARINS Project.
On today’s Inside Politics podcast Hugh Linehan is joined by political editor Pat Leahy and Brendan O’Leary from the University of Pennsylvania to discuss the latest findings from the project, a study that explores attitudes to a possible future united Ireland.
They discuss recent trends in public opinion regarding Irish reunification, the demographic shifts influencing the movement, and the prospects for planning and compromise in the face of potential unity.
The conversation also covers the varying attitudes between the North and the Republic on issues like preparedness for a future United Ireland and whether NATO and Commonwealth membership should be adopted in the event of reunification.
The North and South series is a collaboration between The Irish Times and ARINS (Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South), a joint research project of the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) and the Keough-Naughton Centre for Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
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It is just three weeks since Donald Trump was inaugurated but his impact has been huge. A flurry of executive orders and aggressive actions is already reshaping American life.
On today's podcast Hugh discusses the Trump presidency with conservative commentator Michael Brendan Dougherty.
The conversation covers Dougherty's evolving views on Trump, the impact of Trump's executive orders, and the ideological shifts within American conservatism.
They explore Trump's unpredictable political strategies, the tension within the Republican Party and the challenges facing the Democratic Party in regaining lost constituencies.
Michael Brendan Dougherty is a writer for National Review and the author of My Father Left Me Ireland.
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Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan on today’s Inside Politics podcast to discuss the week in politics:
· Letters from Independent TDs to to Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy stating they will support the Government on a “case-by-case” basis has brough the true size of the coalition’s majority into question.
· The speculation around picks for the last 11 Seanad seats suggests Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris will opt for greater gender balance.
· Incoming Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, like the raft of other new senior ministers, will look to hit the ground running in his new role. Addressing dwindling Garda numbers and restoring a sense of safety to Dublin’s city streets will be high on his priority list.
· Although the contest to succeed President Michael D Higgins is not happening until late autumn, there are already some eye-catching, if unlikely, potential candidates, not least the Irish Times’ own Fintan O’Toole.
Plus, the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including the defunding of USAID and peace process absurdities, radical right momentum in Europe, and a Chitty-averse arts minister.
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Hugh Linehan and guests discuss domestic political issues and European defence challenges.
In part one, Pat Leahy talks about the resolution of the Dáil speaking rights row and the damage it has done to the Government.
In part two, Jack Power joins from Brussels to discuss the EU's defence strategy in light of recent geopolitical shifts. They discuss Ireland's military neutrality, potential defence spending, and the EU's broader strategy against emerging threats. The conversation also touches on challenges facing the EU with the Trump administration's threat of tariffs and the upcoming German elections.
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Hugh speaks with Berlin correspondent Derek Scally about major political shifts happening in Germany ahead of the federal election later this month. Germany’s history has meant any cooperation between mainstream parties and the far-right has been an unbreakable taboo. Could that finally change?
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Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan on today’s Inside Politics podcast to discuss the week in politics:
· As the count continues to fillseats in the Upper House, and high-profile candidates lose out, the panel looks at whether the Seanad is a ‘creche for future TDs and a retirement home for others’.
· Ireland’s 23 new junior Ministers have been decided, but how many of them are real jobs, and who is likely to use their new position as a springboard to a senior ministry in the future?
· And the proposal to give the Regional Independent Group 10 minutes of speaking on Opposition time that caused uproar in the Dáil last week looks far from over with no resolution forthcoming.
Plus, the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including Bertie for president? The place of small farms in modern Ireland, Latin America reacts to Trump’s aggression, and restriction on immigration in Germany.
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Are super-junior ministers allowed under the terms of the constitution? Sinn Fein TD Pa Daly this week launched a legal challenge against their use, just days after former taoiseach Leo Varadkar wrote a frank newspaper column about the necessity for these appointments.
The panel also examines Sinn Féin's recent minor cabinet reshuffle and the party's strategic shift towards a more aggressive form of opposition.
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China correspondent Denis Staunton sits down with Hugh Linehan to talk about the impact of Donald Trump's reelection on the geopolitical landscape. Then he gives an overview of China's internal dynamics and its role on the international stage, at a moment in time when both are in flux.
Topics include the rise and influence of tech billionaires in Trump's administration, contrasts between his first and second terms, and the preparedness of global powers for Trump's aggressive policies.
Denis also talks about China’s socio-economic landscape, highlighting the country's economic challenges, the evolution of societal and familial norms due to the one-child policy, and the Chinese government's efforts to combat corruption.
The discussion transitions to China's international strategy, particularly its investment in African relationships and its positioning in global diplomacy amidst changing Western attitudes.
Finally, the potential for conflict over Taiwan is analysed, with Denis suggesting that despite tensions, China's current economic prioritisation makes armed conflict unlikely.
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Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan on today’s Inside Politics podcast to discuss the week in politics:
- It came a day later than expected, and along predictable lines, but we have a new Government. Only Fine Gael’s Peter Burke has retained his ministry, with Fianna Fáil’s James Browne taking on the seemingly impossible job of Minister for Housing. But will voters punish this Government if it fails, like the last one, to adequately address the housing crisis?
- Cabinet appointments have been criticised with only three women becoming Ministers. Fianna Fáil’s decision to appoint one woman, Norma Foley taking over as Minister for Children and Disability, is particularly noticeable. Did Micheál Martin foresee the criticism and choose to ignore it?
- And the first two days of the 34th Dáil couldn’t have been more different. Thursday’s sedate and predictable sitting was preceded by chaos on Wednesday as the vote for a new taoiseach was suspended amid loud protests from Opposition parties over the decision to grant Opposition speaking time to four Independent TDs who are supporting the Government. Does this point to closer Opposition cooperation during the lifetime of this government?
Plus, the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including the end of liberalism in the US, Miriam Lord on Wednesday’s fireworks in the Dáil, and how does the show go on for Hollywood?
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Instead of the expected election of a taoiseach and appointment of ministers, today Leinster House was the scene of chaos and an unprecedented disruption of Dáil tradition, with the Opposition saying it will not back down from its demands in a standoff over speaking time.
Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy were there. They tell Hugh Linehan what happened and why.
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Later today the Dáil will return to elect Michéal Martin as taoiseach, after which new government ministers will be appointed. But who are the TDs in the running for each ministerial post, and how will they day unfold? Pat and Hugh discuss what we know and what we think we know.
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On the day Donald Trump returns to office as president of the United States, Hugh and Pat are joined by journalists Paul Colgan and Liz Carolan and Pat Leahy to look at what his administration might mean for Ireland's politics and economy. How should the incoming government handle Trump 2.0?
Paul Colgan is a journalist and broadcaster. Liz Carolan works on democracy and technology issues, and writes at TheBriefing.ie
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Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan on today’s Inside Politics podcast to discuss the week in politics:
· As the process of ratifying the Programme for Government continues, will the wheels of power slow down or will much-needed infrastructure projects get going while climate targets remain a priority?
· With Fianna Fáil set to have 8 Cabinet seats and 7 going to Fine Gael with Micheal Martin becoming next Taoiseach, which TDs are being tipped as the most likely for promotion and will outgoing senior ministers stay in Cabinet?
· Cormac breaks down some minor controversy around the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann, involving Independent TD Michael Lowry and new Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy.
· And journalist Ken Foxe’s Freedom of Information request shows an email containing questions in advance of Taoiseach Simon Harris’s appearance on the 2 Johnnies podcast ahead of the November general election.
Plus, the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including the passing of lauded film-maker David Lynch, Joe Biden’s tarnished presidential legacy, and DEI programmes in universities.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to talk about the composition of the new Government and what we now know about the policies that will form the Programme for Government. They also discuss the decision by the Healy-Raes to demand a junior ministry. Will it dilute the essence of what the dynasty offers to the people of Kerry?
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Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan on today’s Inside Politics podcast to discuss the week in politics:
· The panel started by teasing out the convoluted and somewhat undemocratic Seanad election process. Is it better to be on the inside or the outside panel? And how important is it for nominees to possess sufficient qualifications?
· Does Sinn Féin need to change its message and personnel after so long in opposition? Could it be time for a reshuffle despite the party’s strength in areas like housing and finance?
· The decision on who will be the third leg of the next government edges ever closer, with Independent Ireland, the Regional Independent Group and the Healy-Rae brothers all still in contention. But what kind of ministries are in the offing?
· And speaking at the BT Young Scientist Exhibition, President Michael D Higgins described Nato’s call for increased military spending as ‘appalling’. Will his frequent comments on international affairs set a precedent for his successor?
Plus, the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, on Elon Musk and the AfD, Justin Trudeau’s legacy, and planning refusal for 900 apartments in Dundrum.
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Government formation talks have ramped up since Christmas. What are the key points being discussed between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail? And what demands are Independent TDs making for their cooperation? Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan on today's Inside Politics podcast to talk through everything that has happened so far in the process that will determine much of the politics of the next five years.
In part two the panellists forecast some of the issues that will impact politics in 2025, from law and order to the presidency of Donald Trump.
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In case you missed it: in 2023 Hugh spoke to American historian Gary Gerstle about his book The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order. Neoliberalism means different things to different people. As a set of economic policies it is mainly associated with reducing state intervention in commerce and society. In the course of its late 20th century heyday, neoliberalism transformed the world - for better or worse. But now its dominance is challenged by different models, such as the authoritarian capitalism of China.
In his book Gary looks at how neoliberalism took hold, how it shaped society in the United States and beyond, and what its decline means.
Gary Gerstle is Paul Mellon Professor of American History Emeritus and Paul Mellon Director of Research at the University of Cambridge.
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In case you missed it: back in March 2021 Hugh talked to Irish Times Berlin correspondent Derek Scally about his book The Best Catholics in the World. In the book Derek embarks on a quest to unravel the tight hold the Catholic Church has had on Ireland. In this conversation, Hugh and Derek discussed the origins of the book, the intersection of church, state and people and the strands of religion still intertwined in Irish society.
This is the second of three back catalogue episodes this week. Inside Politics will return to its regular episodes from January 6th.
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In case you missed it: back in August 2023 Hugh talked to New Yorker magazine writer Clare Malone about the US presidential election, still then in its early stages. They also discussed the role of legacy media and new media in American politics.
This is the first of three back catalogue episodes to come. Inside Politics will return to its regular episodes from January 6th.
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In December the Inside Politics team discussed the year in politics and the aftermath of the general election in front of an audience at the Laughter Lounge in Dublin city centre. Joining Hugh, Pat, Jen and Harry for part of the show was Irish Times soccer columnist and Second Captains podcaster Ken Early, who gave his take on the election, what motivates people to vote the way they do, why Sinn Féin's support declined relative to 2020 and what he learned when a pollster called to his door.
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Jack Horgan-Jones, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh for part two of our annual "ask me anything" to consider many excellent questions submitted by listeners. Thanks to everyone who sent in their questions. Thanks also to all who listened to the podcast this year. From everyone on the Inside Politics team, we wish you a happy 2025.
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Jack Horgan-Jones, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh for part one of our annual "ask me anything" session. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. Thanks also to all who listened to the podcast in 2024. Happy Christmas from everyone on the Inside Politics team.
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It's our final Friday wrap of the year and Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to discuss the week in politics:
- The large influx of fresh TDs has brought a welcome joy and lack of cynicism to Leinster House. But the main event of the week was the election of Verona Murphy as Ceann Comhairle after some old-fashioned back-room dealing. Just how and why did it come about?
- The Regional Group of Independents, that clan of geographically diverse TDs that includes the new Ceann Comhairle, are now set to support Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil as a partner in the next government. With Murphy out of the picture, the remaining members have begun jockeying for ministerial posts.
- This incoming coalition faces big challenges in the years ahead, from fiscal threats to climate action and handling the Occupied Territories Bill. How will the new government function and can it hold together?
Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, on TikTok, the €20 billion iceberg right ahead, and the sad decline of kissing under the mistletoe.
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Hugh talks to former Minister for Housing and Fine Gael TD for Dublin Bay South Eoghan Murphy, whose recent memoir Running From Office explores how his once-promising political career went off the rails, how he struggled to get to grips with the housing crisis and what being a member of a cabinet and of Fine Gael looks like from the inside.
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Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy to look back on the week in politics:
· With Labour set to exit coalition talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the likelihood of Independents making up the small number of TDs needed to form the next government increases. Could consensus be harder to find on issues like climate change if the next government leans more to the right?
· The question of who will be the next ceann comhairle has become harder to answer with some looking for Seán Ó Fearghaíl to continue in the role, Regional Independents putting Verona Murphy forward, and Sinn Féin also expected to put a name forward for the speaker’s position in the 34th Dáil.
· An awful week for the Social Democrats with newly elected TD Eoin Hayes being suspended on Tuesday for divesting shares in a company supplying military tech to Israel in July of this year, after being elected as a member of Dublin City Council in June.
Plus, the panel pick their Irish Times stories of the week including:
· Patrick Freyne on the Christmas stuff the MSM don’t want you to know.
· Declan Walsh writes about the gold rush in war-torn Sudan.
· Finn McRedmond cringes at Paul Mescal on SNL.
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British journalist Lewis Goodall is cohost of the UK's most popular news podcast, The News Agents. Today he talks to Hugh about the year in UK politics: why Keir Starmer has struggled to get a grip on governing, the lingering impact of Brexit and how Labour's numerical victory has hidden the fragmentation of political support across the spectrum.
Then Lewis tells Hugh how the Irish general election looks from his point of view and wonders how history will look back on this period in UK and Irish politics.
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Post-election negotiations - or “government formation speed dating” as such discussions are now also known - have been happening throughout the week, and on today’s Inside Politics podcast Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Pat Leahy to discuss the main moves:
- On Friday the Social Democrats said they would not form a negotiating pact with Labour, closing the door to an idea floated by Labour leader Ivana Bacik before and during the campaign. Where does that leave Labour as it debates internally over whether to go in or stay out?
- The most important negotiations - between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil - are yet to begin. But already there are signs of tension, with Fianna Fáil niggling Fine Gael over its superior seat tally and Simon Harris saying on Friday that Fine Gael “should not be taken for granted”.
- Independent TDs are the other crucial cohort in this post-election dance. What will they want, individually and collectively, in exchange for propping up the next government?
Plus the panel pick their Irish Times stories of the week including pieces on female leaders in the next Dáil, Conor McGregor’s career in America and a letter accusing our columnist Fintan O’Toole of “reheating the old Marxist argument of false consciousness”.
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When it came to picking an alternative government, it felt to many like there was little real choice in the election just held. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil always looked likely to return to government, with only the details to be ironed out. And so it proved.
So where does that leave Irish politics? Is there any prospect of a change in the landscape before the next general election that presents voters with another option?
Theresa Reidy and Gerard Howlin join Hugh and Pat to discuss this question and others thrown up by the election.
Dr Theresa Reidy is a political scientist at University College Cork. Gerard Howlin is a public affairs consultant, political commentator and former senior government adviser who writes a regular politics column for The Irish Times.
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The general election is over and talk has turned to the aftermath. For that some means government formation, for others it means new roles in opposition or the painful process of party rebuilding. We'll be covering all that on our regular episodes of Inside Politics but, for now, it's goodbye from Election Daily. Thanks to all our listeners over the past four weeks.
On this final episode, Pat Leahy joins Hugh to answer some of your questions, submitted by email. Are we stuck in a permanent cycle of winter elections? Did increased gender quotas have any bearing on the composition of the new Dáil Éireann? Is there now any imaginable alternative to FF-FG in government? And were Bertie Ahern’s "stupid aul pencils" a factor in Gerry "The Monk" Hutch’s failure to get elected?
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Cormac McQuinn and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to talk about what has been happening in count centres around the country as the final seats are filled.
Plus, Jack brings to life in audio what he is calling the greatest every count centre video, featuring Fianna Fáil's Andrias Moynihan and Michael Moynihan being hoisted aloft upon winning seats in Cork North West. You can watch that video here.
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INSIDE POLITICS LIVE SHOW WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11TH - DUBLIN. TICKETS HERE
Harry McGee, Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about a dramatic day in count centres across the country:
- Gangland figure Gerard Hutch began the day looking like he would take a seat in Dublin Central - but was overtaken in dramatic fashion by Labour’s Marie Sherlock.
- The Greens have lost all their seats but one: that of party leader Roderic O’Gorman. But it has also not been a great election for Sinn Féin, if the party’s 2020 vote share is the benchmark. Where does the party go from here?
- Fianna Fáil will be the biggest party in the next Dáil. Part of the party’s success is an unlikely resurgence in Dublin.
- The Social Democrats and Labour have also done well - but now both parties will be under scrutiny when attention turns to the question of government formation. How will Holly Cairns and Ivana Bacik weigh up the pros and cons of supporting Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.
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Jack Horgan-Jones joins Hugh Linehan to analyse the latest news from count centres across the country.
- First count results are starting to trickle in with Fine Gael’s Jennifer Carroll MacNeill the first TD to be elected after meeting the quota in Dún Laoghaire.
- Tallies indicate that Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty will romp home in Donegal.
- Controversial Senator John McGahon unlikely to win a seat in Louth
- With 8,820 first preference votes, first time candidate Brian Brennan, a hotelier, has topped the poll as Fine Gael’s sole candidate in this new, three-seat constituency.
- A year ago, it looked like immigration was going to be a defining issue for this election – but it’s not looking hopeful for a slew of candidates who ran primarily on that issue, including Philip Dwyer who has bombed in Wicklow, securing less than 1 per cent of the vote.
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Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to look at the early indications from count centres and think about what sort of coalitions might emerge.
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INSIDE POLITICS LIVE SHOW WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11TH - DUBLIN. TICKETS HERE
Pat Leahy joins Hugh Linehan to share the results of The Irish Times exit poll for the 2024 general election.
The three largest parties of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin are on course for a tight finish in their share of the vote in general election 2024, according to the results of an exit poll tonight.
The results of the poll, conducted by Ipsos B&A today for The Irish Times/RTÉ/TG4/TCD, and released just after polls closed, are as follows: Sinn Féin 21.1 per cent, Fianna Fáil 19.5 per cent, Fine Gael 21 per cent, the Green Party 4 per cent, Labour 5 per cent, the Social Democrats 5.8 per cent, Solidarity-People Before Profit 3.1 per cent, Aontú 3.6 per cent, Independents/others 14.6 per cent and Independent Ireland 2.2 per cent.
If the findings of the exit poll are borne out when the votes are counted tomorrow, it suggests that a return of a coalition based around Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael is likely.
If the results of the counts taking place around the country tomorrow bear out the exit poll findings, it will be the second time in a row that Sinn Fein has won the largest share of the vote – but is left without an obvious path to government.
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INSIDE POLITICS LIVE SHOW WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11TH - DUBLIN. TICKETS HERE!
Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to discuss today on trail of the 2024 general election:
It's the last day of campaigning and the leaders of the three largest parties have been communicating their final messages to the electorate:
- Mary Lou McDonald seemed at ease as she asked voters to give their second preferences to parties like the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and Labour.
- Together with his frequent wingman Paschal Donohoe, Simon Harris sounded the alarm for Ireland's economic and political stability and borrowed Sinn Féin's language of asking voters to 'lend' Fine Gael their support.
- Micheal Martin was asked again and insisted again that Fianna Fáil would not go into government with Sinn Féin.
Pat, Jen, Cormac and Hugh discuss all that, and then pick their favourite, most pivotal and most consequential moments of the campaign. Finally Hugh answers some listener questions.
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INSIDE POLITICS LIVE SHOW WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11TH - DUBLIN. TICKETS HERE
Harry McGee and Jennifer Bray join Hugh for a look at today's events on the campaign trail.
- Sinn Féin's leasehold policy has been criticised by other parties, at times with little concrete justification. But has the party itself done enough to clarify how workable the scheme is?
- In the closing stages of this campaign, plenty of focus remains on the question of what parties say they would do in the event of an economic downturn.
- Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty asked voters to consider lending his party their vote, arguing that Sinn Féin TDs stood a better chance of changing the country than independents.
- Roderic O'Gorman engaged in his own version of Project Fear by invoking the spectre of Minister for the Environment Mattie McGrath. Could these anti-independent messages make an impact before Friday?
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INSIDE POLITICS LIVE SHOW WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11TH - DUBLIN. TICKETS HERE
Housing will be one of the issues foremost in voters' minds when they go to the polls on Friday. But after an election campaign low on genuine debate, they'll be forgiven for some confusion over the detail of which party has promised what to whom.
So what exactly are the different parties promising to do on housing? When it comes to specifics like how how much financial support to give buyers, how much social housing to build, and how much to intervene in rent control or tenants' rights, there are some key points of difference.
Michael Byrne is a housing researcher and a lecturer in political economy at University College Dublin's School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice. He produces The Week in Housing newsletter.
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What were the most important moments in tonight's debate between Mary Lou McDonald, Micheál Martin and Simon Harris - and who came out on top? Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones were watching.
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Bringing you all today's news from the campaign trail, Sarah Burns and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to discuss:
- A story about a Fine Gael staffer trying to influence how RTÉ reported on Simon Harris's disastrous interaction with disability care worker Charlotte Fallon is dragging the story through another news cycle. With just days until voting day, it is not what the party needs right now.
- Candidates like Sinn Féin's Mark Ward, who is seeking reelection In Dublin West, are insisting the momentum is now very much in their favour. Dublin West is a constituency worth watching - especially for the potential return of former Green TD and now independent candidate Paul Gogarty.
- All eyes will now turn to tonight's three-way leader's debate. How consequential will it be?
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Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to discuss today's news from the campaign trail:
- Reaction from Mary Lou McDonald (delight) and Simon Harris (dismay) to this morning's Ipsos B&A poll from The Irish Times that put Fine Gael in third place behind Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil.
- Also today, Simon Harris offered very limited support to the embattled candidacy of Senator John McGahon.
- Meanwhile in the battle of the small parties, Friends of the Earth ranked all parties according to the environmental friendliness of their policies. And the Greens did not come first, or even second. Will it matter?
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The final Irish Times Ipsos B&A poll of the campaign reveals a stark reversal of fortunes for Fine Gael and Taoiseach Simon Harris, with the party dropping by six points back to third place, just behind Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin. The results put even more pressure on Harris to perform well and win over voters in Tuesday night's televised debate with Micheal Martin and Mary Lou McDonald.
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In the second in our AMA series with leaders of the three largest parties, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin answers listener questions on a range of issues including looming threats to Ireland's economic model and what he would prioritise in the event of a downturn, why Fianna Fáil won't go as far as some other parties say they will to strengthen tenant's rights, red lines in coalition negotiations, why voters concerned about Gaza should trust him to follow through on the Occupied Territories bill, and more.
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Social affairs correspondent Kitty Holland and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh for our latest election podcast:
- Kitty interviewed independent candidate for Dublin North West and city councillor Gavin Pepper, who insists he's neither far right nor anti-immigrant. Rather, he is against "illegal immigration". But the slogan "Ireland is full" is open to interpretation. What do Pepper's supporters really want from him or other candidates with his views - and does Pepper have a chance of winning a seat?
- Taoiseach Simon Harris told this podcast that he wasn't open to the idea of a coalition involving an multi-party alliance, a possibility suggested by Labour and the Greens. Today Labour and also the Social Democrats hit out at Harris over the remarks.
- Independent candidates as a group have been the most clear winners in recent polls. Jack went canvassing with one of them.
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In the first of a series with the leaders of the three largest political parties, Taoiseach Simon Harris sat down with Hugh Linehan to answer questions submitted by Inside Politics podcast listeners on issues including taxation, housing, threats to Ireland’s economy, why Ireland does not facilitate overseas voting, and more.
He revealed that he is not in favour of forming a coalition with a left-wing alliance of more than one party, a concept proposed by Labour leader Ivana Bacik, and sees a coalition of four parties or more as unstable.
He also shared the qualities he admires in political opponents Mary Lou McDonald, Micheál Martin, Holly Cairns and Ivana Bacik.
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Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee join Hugh for a look at today's events on the campaign trail:
- Mary Lou McDonald showed how effective a campaigner and political communicator she can be while meeting students at DCU.
- Aontú launched its manifesto, but at first there was one thing missing - the manifesto itself.
- Fianna Fáil launched its plan for Dublin city, a place it has struggled to recover seats in since its 2011 nadir. Can the party make inroads in the capital?
- Plus Harry reminisces on that fraught 2011 election campaign.
Over on irishtimes.com there are excellent resources for following the election:
- Constituencies - every candidate listed, every constituency analysed with a 'prediction / possible outcome'.
- Party Promises - compare the manifestos using this handy tool.
- Who should I vote for? Compare your views with parties and candidates.
- The Irish Times poll, current and archive.
- Election Daily podcast - all the episodes.
- Meet the Voters - our correspondents have been out and about meeting real people and discussing real issues, including taking the temperature with The Irish Times voter panel.
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Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to discuss the day's political action from the campaign:
- As discussed in this morning's regular podcast, there is growing uncertainty over Ireland's economic model thanks to the reelection of Donald Trump. At a Cabinet meeting this morning, there were warnings over what the future could hold.
- Sinn Féin's manifesto included the suggestion that RTÉ's coverage of Gaza and other international conflicts should be subjected to a "peer review" of its editorial standards. But where is the idea coming from?
- Yesterday's podcast featured discussion of Labour leader Ivana Bacik's plan to negotiate with the big parties on government formation only in conjunction with other small parties of the left. Labour got in touch with the podcast about the item to take issue with something Hugh said...
- Green leader Roderic O'Gorman provided a cutting response when asked why voters should pick his party over Labour.
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Thanks largely to corporation tax receipts from multinationals, the Irish state has plenty of money. And so far this election campaign has been largely about how to spend it - on capital investment, on tax cuts and on new spending on all sorts of programmes and projects.
But with the threats to Ireland's economic model growing, will such spending be sustainable?
Hugh is joined by Professor John McHale, Shana Cohen and Cliff Taylor to discuss Ireland's economic position and whether election spending promises could lead to yet more boom and bust.
Shana Cohen is Director at Tasc, a progressive think-tank.
John McHale is Professor of Economics at University of Galway's J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics and a former chair of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council.
Cliff Taylor is an economics columnist with The Irish Times.
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Harry McGee and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to talk about all today’s news on the election campaign trail:
Standing side by side during last night’s leaders debate on RTÉ, Micheal Martin and Simon Harris countered Mary Lou McDonald’s criticisms, sometimes aggressively. The optics favoured the Sinn Féin leader.
On the subject of government formation, Labour leader Ivana Bacik spoke of her intention to only negotiate with the big parties in conjunction with other parties on the left, including the Greens and Social Democrats. But will the other parties play ball?
Sinn Féin has released its manifesto and, while most of the content had been trailed, there were some surprises.
And Harry McGee reveals his major role in the history of this election’s most notorious candidate.
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Sarah Burns and Pat Leahy join Hugh to discuss the day’s politics on the campaign trail:
- Today saw party leaders give their views on the behaviour of Fine Gael candidate for Louth John McGahon, who was acquitted of assault in 2022. Is he now a problem candidate for the party?
- Labour’s weekend manifesto launch revealed a big commitment to expanded state intervention in housing construction.
- The Social Democrats likewise have ambitious plans for housing, also announced at the weekend. Are differing approaches to housing becoming the major policy fault line in this campaign?
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh for our daily discussion of the election campaign:
· With the first week of the general election campaign coming to a close, Fine Gael are making a strong pitch for the law-and-order vote with their campaign promises. Policing and justice seem to be a key area for both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, but will it mobilise voters?
· Is the cost-of-living crisis being underpriced in this general election campaign? There are plans like phasing out third level fees and the double child benefit payment, but high prices are bad news for politicians, so is enough noise being made about addressing it in the next government?
· Mick Wallace has confirmed that he will run for a seat in a Wexford constituency that will be hard to predict.
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Political stability is indicated by the latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll, with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil looking set to lead the next government, possibly in alliance with a smaller party or a group of Independents. Indeed, the rise in support for independent candidates is one of the most striking aspects of the poll, and some may well play a role in the formation of the next government.
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Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy join Hugh for our daily discussion of the election campaign:
Simon Harris says Fine Gael would remove the means test for recipients of the carer's allowance. It is a move already supported by many opposition parties. But it would be expensive - potentially much more so than the €600 million per year figure mentioned by the Taoiseach.
Sinn Fein launched their immigration policy. It's much like the one published by the party in the summer - with some interesting additions.
Calls for an end to the sniping between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil
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Today's panelists are Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray, who join Hugh Linehan to discuss:
Housing is the issue of the campaign so far - we recap how the debate has evolved
Mary Lou McDonald spoke about how Sinn Féin is unfairly questioned about the past. Does she have a point?
Former Fine Gael Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy's frank account of how his party 'didn't make housing a priority' could be one of the talking points of this campaign.
The gloves are off between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Could their increasingly bad-tempered debates turn off voters?
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Fears that the use of AI deepfakes would disrupt the flow of accurate information in a general election campaign have not come true. Instead we have been treated to a digital manifestation of someone who barely resembles Taylor Swift endorsing the Healy-Raes: welcome to the cheapfake era.
On today's Inside Politics podcast Hugh Linehan is joined by Liz Carolan to discuss the influence of digital media in the 2024 general election, current trends in digital campaigning and the changing role of platforms like X and TikTok.
Hugh and Liz compare the different strategies of political parties, the significance of viral moments and the real challenges posed misinformation and AI.
Liz Carolan is the executive director of Digital Action, which works to counter digital threats to democracy. During the 2024 general election she is writing about the intersection of politics and digital media for irishtimes.com.
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Harry McGee and Sarah Burns, who have accompanied politicians from several parties as they have canvassed for votes in the past week, join Hugh to talk about the issues that are coming up on doorsteps.
In Dublin South Central and Dublin West, Sarah has noticed a less negative sentiment towards Sinn Féin. That's good news for the party as it seeks to add second seats in constituencies where it dominated in 2020 but lost support in local elections and opinion polls.
Sinn Féin will also be happy to hear that housing is the issue coming up most often, with immigration a less prominent concern than during the summer.
In Dun Laoghaire, Harry was on the canvas with Green Party TD Ossian Smyth, who faces a challenge to hold onto his seat in a constituency that could tell us a lot about which way the 2024 general election is going for the coalition parties.
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Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn to discuss today’s events in the 2024 general election campaign:
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary’s comments about teachers at a Fine Gael TD’s campaign launch event have got the party off to a bad start.
Fine Gael’s proposal to change a VAT rate in order to help the hospitality industry has some downsides, not least for the other industries who will actually come out of the change taxed more heavily.
Another Fine Gael proposal, to use some of the Apple tax bonaza to boost Help to Buy, a scheme aimed at first-time buyers, also has its critics.
And the confirmation that Gerry Hutch will be a candidate means Dublin Central looks set to be 2024′s most colourful constituency. But does he have a chance?
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The Dáil has been dissolved and the 2024 general election is officially underway. Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy join Hugh to discuss day one of the campaign:
- How Taoiseach Simon Harris addressed the country
- Poster wars had begun prematurely on lampposts all across Ireland
- Mary Lou McDonald spoke about Sinn Féin's strategy for this campaign, to a soundtrack of Damien Dempsey
Plus: Tickets are now available for Inside Politics live in Dublin on Wednesday, November 20th at 6.30pm.
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November 29th is now confirmed as the date of General Election 2024. Election Daily from The Irish Times Inside Politics podcast will update you on the campaign every weekday between now and then.
Hugh Linehan and Jack Horgan-Jones are here to briefly update listeners on what to expect from the show, when to listen out for episodes and what the opening stages of the campaign will look like.
Plus: Tickets are now available for Inside Politics live in Dublin on Wednesday, November 20th at 6.30pm.
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Live from Palm Beach Florida, where Donald Trump is celebrating his historic victory in the 2024 US presidential race, Steven Carroll joins Hugh, Fintan O'Toole and Jennifer Bray to discuss what went wrong for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, why so many categories of American supported Trump and what his win means for politics and the wider world.
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When will Simon Harris dissolve the Dáil and go to the Áras? Could he pull a surprise, or are there any final banana skins that could disrupt his plans?
Jennifer Bray joins Hugh to talk about the choreography of the week. Plus they look at some pre-campaign skirmishes between Micheal Martin and his Fine Gael colleagues and Sinn Féin's bullish candidate selection decisions.
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Economist, podcaster and Irish Times columnist David McWilliams joins Hugh to talk about his new book Money: A Story of Humanity. They talk about the meaning of money and how it should be used to improve lives and societies.
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Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee join Hugh to discuss the week in politics:
- The Government is completing what it can of its unfinished legislative programme before the general election, and that means the 'guillotine' - a procedure that shortens the time needed to debate bills as they pass through the Oireachtas - is getting heavy use this week. Which bills are getting chopped - and which are getting dropped?
- Clare Daly's decision to run in Dublin Central adds another colourful and effective political character to the mix in that constituency. But with so many independents in contention around the country, the 34th Dáil is likely to be diverse.
- Jennifer calls out Hugh's obsession with Seanad reform. Is there some Seanad-related trauma deep in Hugh's past?
Plus they pick their Irish Times articles of the week:
On-the-ground coverage from the US by Keith Duggan and Steven Carroll who are meeting voters and surveying swing states as the historically close US election draws near
Patrick Freyne's review of a steamy Jilly Cooper TV adaptation
Justine McCarthy warns the coalition parties not to gloat over Sinn Féin's failures - their own records are far from perfect
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Now that it is confirmed there will be a general election this year, the Irish Times politics team can finally unleash their predictions - or should that be possible future outcomes - of which candidates and parties will emerge victorious from some of the most competitive constituencies in the State. Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Pat Leahy tackle Dublin Central, Dublin Bay South, Carlow-Kilkenny, Mayo, Cavan-Monaghan and both Tipperarys.
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Trump or Harris? We'll know America's answer in just two weeks, but until then the race is too close to call. With the margins so tight, Democrats and Republicans are desperately seeking advantage in the key swing states, spending millions of dollars on TV ads. But it is the Republicans feeling happiest, with polls tightening in Donald Trump's favour in places like Wisconsin. That's where Washington correspondent Keith Duggan talks to Hugh from today. They discuss the last-minute attacks each candidate is directing at their opponent, Donald Trump's declining rhetoric and the shifting landscape of class- and race-based political loyalties that makes American politics so unpredictable.
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Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn to look back on the week in politics:
· With a general election now likely a matter of weeks away, it is the main opposition party, and not government parties, who continue to dominate the headlines. And they are unwanted headlines relating to former TD Brian Stanley, former senator Niall Ó Donnghaile and former press officer Michael McMonagle.
· And with all those controversies piling up for Sinn Féin, are the Government in danger of overreach should they seek to force a vote on Brian Stanley’s replacement as PAC chair?
· And could former Fine Gael TDs Alan Shatter and Kate O’Connell’s decisions to run as independents give their old party cause for concern in Dublin-Rathdown and Dublin Bay South respectively come election time?
Plus, the panellists pick their favourite IT reads of the week:
· Newton Emerson on Britain’s anti-obesity jab plan.
· Kathy Sheridan urges us not to write off celebrity candidates.
· Keith Duggan writes about why a small Democratic stronghold in Detroit is deserting Kamala Harris for Donald Trump.
Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.
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Tánaiste Micheál Martin sits down with Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy to talk about the timing of the next general election. For the first time he states clearly that he is open to the vote taking place before Christmas - but with some caveats.
Martin also talks about his attitude to Sinn Féin as a potential future partner in government and whether Ireland could take unilateral action
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The resignation from Sinn Féin of Laois TD Brian Stanley on Saturday, and the party's referral to the Gardaí of information it gathered during an internal inquiry into an unspecified allegation made against Stanley, has triggered a fresh crisis for Mary Lou McDonald.
The Sinn Féin leader is now struggling on multiple fronts as the party faces demands for an explanation as to why the Gardaí were not involved at an earlier stage.
McDonald must also be worried that this latest bad news story will combine with other crises of recent weeks to set in voters's minds an image of a party in disarray.
With a general election looming, this latest distraction from Sinn Féin's favoured issues of housing and health has come at the worst possible time.
Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to set out what we know about this fast-developing story and what it means for Sinn Féin.
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Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn to look back on the week in politics:
· With the giveaway budget done, will this government conclude in time for an early general election? Timing is vital, but can the Coalition arrive at a consensus given their advanced preparation for an election campaign?
· Sinn Féin’s difficulties are the Government’s opportunities with the Michael McMonagle scandal rumbling on, and now TD Patricia Ryan’s resignation from the party after hitting out at its leadership for “not listening” to members and TDs.
· US actor and activist Mark Ruffalo was heavily critical of the Green Party in a social media post pointing to the Government’s planning legislation allowing for use of ‘strategic’ liquefied natural gas reserves.
Plus, the panellists pick their favourite IT reads of the week:
· Miriam Lord’s report from Mary O’Rourke’s funeral on Monday.
· Trinity’s Berkeley Library is now the Eavan Boland library.
· A twist in the Tory leadership race suits PM Keir Starmer.
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As the US presidential election nears, Hugh talks to American journalist Ben Smith about the intertwining of media and politics in the United States:
- how political campaigns operate like media companies
- the decline in trust toward mainstream media
- the impact of digital platforms on political discourse
They assess Kamala Harris and Donald Trump's use of the media as a campaign tool in this election cycle and look at how the media landscape is changing, with references to Ben's experiences at Politico, BuzzFeed News, and his current role at Semafor.
Ben also reflects on the consequences of publishing the notorious Steele dossier on Donald Trump's alleged links to Russia during his time at BuzzFeed News.
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Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee to look back on the week in politics:
· The panel paid tribute to former Fianna Fáil minister Mary O’Rourke after her death this week at the age of 87. She was involved in Irish politics for almost a half-century.
· The expectation is that Sinn Féin will run with 65-70 candidates in the forthcoming general election – are they being overly cautious? And there was surprise too at the news that party leader Mary Lou McDonald will run alongside Cllr Janice Boylan in Dublin Central, with Boylan having expressed her dissatisfaction with Sinn Féin in 2022, writing in a letter to party members that she didn’t feel “supported, valued or even really respected”.
· Also, Minister for Finance Jack Chambers and Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe had misgivings around some measures contained in Budget 2025.
Plus, the panellists pick their favourite IT reads of the week:
· Ella McSweeney’s piece on the dire condition of nearly half of our rivers, lakes and estuaries.
· Kevin Courtney on 10 of the best new shows to watch in October – Jen attests to the genius of The Diplomat.
· Keith Duggan wrote of Republican JD Vance getting the better of Democrat Tim Walz in Tuesday’s vice-presidential debate.
Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.
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Budget 2025, reminiscent of the bonanza Celtic Tiger years, was leaked almost entirely before Ministers Jack Chambers and Paschal Donohoe took to the floor of the Dáil yesterday to deliver it. Political editor, Pat Leahy, believes that's down to the reality of coalition parties needing to publicise their particular wins ahead of an impending election. The 2.2 billion euro spending package is widely viewed as an attempt to curry favour with voters instead of addressing more long-term systemic changes that fall outside the electoral cycle. And he warns that a 'giveaway' budget does not automatically guarantee electoral success. Former senior government advisor, Gerard Howlin, says it will be extremely painful to rein in spending now that the precedent has been set. Political correspondent Jennifer Bray, analyses how the opposition is framing the budget to successfully land political blows to the government's fiscal credibility.
Presented by Hugh Linehan. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.
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Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones to look back on the week in politics:
· The budget was somewhat overshadowed this week by stories with far less cost involved, but no shortage of outrage – not least the final cost of Government Buildings security hut hitting €1.4 million and the row over the announcement of new sports capital grant funding for local clubs.
· Sinn Féin’s alternative budget has many worthy pledges but is ultimately futile without the party’s hands actually being on the levers of power.
· And the controversy around a letter of congratulations President Michael D Higgins sent in July to Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian was reignited at a United Nations event in New York last Sunday.
Plus, the panellists pick their favourite IT reads of the week:
· Michael McDowell on the Government’s advanced administrative sclerosis.
· Mark Hennesy wrote of former taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s contention that immigration numbers have risen too quickly here.
· And Mary Carolan’s piece on the use of ‘inappropriate’ slang and cultural references in a judgment concerning a Co Clare wind farm.
Produced by John Casey.
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It's not that long ago that a Sinn Féin-led government after the next election was seen as something of a sure bet. Now, with polls showing the party losing almost half its support in the past year, the party's future seems much more uncertain.
So what happened to Sinn Féin's support, can it regain ground and where should it target its resources in the forthcoming campaign? Political scientists Theresa Reidy and Aidan Regan join Hugh to discuss.
Aidan Regan is an associate professor of political economy at the school of politics and international relations at University College Dublin. Dr Theresa Reidy is a senior lecturer in the department of government and politics at University College Cork.
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Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn to look back on the week in politics:
· Political parties are eagerly pitching eye-catching measures ahead of Budget 2025 with 50 per cent of respondents in the latest Irish Times / Ipsos poll saying they want the Government to prioritise ‘immediate help’ with the cost of living.
· Has Simon Harris reached peak popularity? The Taoiseach’s surging personal approval ratings mirrors that of his predecessor Leo Varadkar who enjoyed similar peaks, but endured troughs not long after - could Harris be in for similar?
· The Dáil resumed this week with Sinn Féin going on the attack during leader’s questions, highlighting children with scoliosis and spina bifida awaiting surgery, and the “gold-plated” pension pots of the well-heeled that are set to get a boost.
Plus, the panellists pick their favourite IT reads of the week:
· Miriam Lord on the extremely expensive bijou bike shed on Leinster lawn.
· Carl O’Brien wrote about new research from Maynooth University that showed the benefits of much shorter homework tasks.
· And Emer McLysaght swapped tales of air fryers and steam mops on a group holiday to Spain.
Produced by John Casey.
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Support for Fine Gael has increased, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll, with approval ratings for Taoiseach Simon Harris surging since the last poll in early summer.
Support for Sinn Fein has fallen since the last poll, while the personal rating for party leader Mary Lou McDonald also declining sharply.
Pat and Hugh analyse all the findings of the poll.
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Jack Power and Derek Scally join Hugh Linehan to discuss developments in European politics:
Michael McGrath was handed the EU Commission's justice portfolio when commission president Ursula von der Leyen assigned roles this week. How did Ireland end up with this particular job?
Von der Leyen's consolidation of power at the centre of the commission may be good for reaching consensus. But as Europe faces an uncertain future in a range of areas from the economy to technology and security, does this approach help?
Another feature of the new commission is the presence of a far right politician for the first time, Italy's Raffaele Fitto. Meanwhile in Austria an imminent general election looks likely to return a far right-led government. As Europe's politics evolves, is the EU capable of evolving with it?
Jack Power is Europe Correspondent. Derek Scally is an Irish Times journalist based in Berlin.
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This week’s host Pat Leahy is joined by Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones to look back on the week in politics:
· The fallout from Apple’s tax case continues with what to with decision on what to do with the €13bn plus interest expected within three weeks. The windfall won’t be available to the State until next March, but some sources in Government are saying there is already a consensus among Coalition parties that pressing infrastructure requirements and housing are at the top of the shopping list.
· Speaking at Fine Gael’s think-in in Tullamore Taoiseach Simon Harris backed a public childcare model, moving away from a reliance on private sector care. But would this potential restructuring result in a raft of new State employees?Sinn Féin stopped short of a public childcare model, instead pledging to reduce the financial burden on parents with the introduction of €10-a-day childcare from 2025 if it is in power after general election.
· And Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald reflected this week on a trauma-filled year for her and her family, a year in which she and her husband Martin Lanigan dealt with serious issues.
Plus, the panellists pick their favourite IT reads of the week:
· Corinna Hardgrave pulled no punches with her one-star review of a new eatery in Donnybrook.
· Ken Early on the gulf in class as Ireland were dismissed by England in a one-sided game at the Aviva stadium last Saturday.
· Harry McGee picked his own article looking at the farcical infighting at the National Party.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn join Pat Leahy to talk about three big political stories of the day.
First they analyse last night's debate between US presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. It was a battle Harris is widely considered to have won, but will it make an impact?
Next the final judgement on the €13 billion plus interest of Apple tax that Ireland can, indeed must now collect. What will the Government do with this bounty?
Finally, today is day one of the Fine Gael think-in. The party has enjoyed the benefit of political momentum since Varadkar departed and Simon Harris took the reins - but is it ready for a general election?
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This week’s host, Pat Leahy, is joined on the line by Irish Times Europe Correspondent Jack Power to discuss Taoiseach Simon Harris’s visit to Ukraine earlier this week.
Taoiseach Simon Harris met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday to pledge €36 million in funding to humanitarian organisations operating in Ukraine, funding of a non-lethal character and therefore would not contravene Ireland’s neutrality.
Simon Harris also signed an agreement of understanding with Ukraine, a document reaffirming Ireland’s long-term support for the eastern European country that is now 2½-years into its conflict with Russia.
The Taoiseach met Zelenskiy in the capital Kyiv which, like several other cities there, continues to experience heavy Russian bombardment. The city now operates on a much-reduced energy supply, with households only having power for four hours per day, a result of strategic Russian strikes on power plants and other energy sources. Jack notes a palpable sense of fatigue in Kyiv, etched in the faces of Zelenskiy and people going about their day there.
Also on this episode, Pat and Jack discuss the likelihood of Michael McGrath landing a prestigious portfolio under European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. Could von der Leyen’s preference for gender balance scupper McGrath’s prospects?
Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.
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This week’s host, Pat Leahy, is joined by Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee to discuss the big political stories of the week.
Following Tuesday’s publication of the scoping report into sexual abuse at religious-run schools, the panel discusses the next steps for the Government on the issue. When will a Commission of Investigation be established, how long will it take, and with no commitment given to setting up a redress scheme for survivors, how much will it cost the State?
This week also saw the publication of Sinn Féin’s long-awaited housing plan. If elected to Government, the party plans to spend €39 billion on housing over the next five years to deliver 300,000 homes. But will it be enough to swing votes in their direction?
And finally, the first of the Autumn think-ins begins tomorrow, as the Labour Party descends upon Malahide. What can be expected from the meeting, and where will they position themselves in the lead-up to the next election?
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What was it about Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s that a man like Charles Haughey could become its leader? Did he improve the country, despite the corruption? And how did Garrett FitzGerald make such a mess of the abortion question?
Following our recent podcast series on the era-defining rivalry between Charlie Haughey and Garrett FitzGerald, Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy return to the subject one last time, taking on listener questions they received via email and social media. They also unashamedly wallow in listener praise for their depth of knowledge, skilful storytelling and Pat's uncanny impersonations.
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Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray to take stock as the political system cranks back into gear. With frequent political signals being sent about what should be in the upcoming budget, tensions within the coalition are growing.
And it wouldn't be the Inside Politics podcast without some speculation on the timing of the next general election. Whenever it comes, this election will see many new faces fighting for seats. The panel talks about some of them.
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In an interview with the Irish Times Taoiseach Simon Harris offered some major clues as to what he would offer voters ahead of the general election. Pat and Hugh listen back to snippets from the interview and analyse the Taoiseach's comments on tax, spending, infrastructure, his leadership and more.
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Covering pivotal events from the two elections in 1982 to the fall of a scandal-ridden government, part three of Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan's exploration of the political rivalry between Charles Haughey and Garret Fitzgerald explores the stark differences and surprising similarities between these men, the two foremost political leaders of their era. This episode also looks at how their legacy shaped modern Ireland.
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Pat Leahy continues the story of the rivalry between Fine Gael's Garret FitzGerald and Fianna Fáil's Charles Haughey, the defining politicians of their era. This episode traces their dominance within their parties and the electoral battles they fought as they drove Ireland's politics from the late 1970s into the early 1980s. The story weaves together the efforts to fix Ireland's waning economy, Haughey's controversial leadership style and methods, Fitzgerald's reformist agenda, and the socio-political climate of the time, marked by significant events including the Troubles, the Stardust Fire and the Falklands War.
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Throughout the 1980s, two men dominated the Irish political landscape. Charles Haughey and Garret FitzGerald embodied and articulated very different visions of Ireland and its future. Born a year apart, one a Northsider, one a Southsider, both sons of Civil War veterans, divided by social class, personality and beliefs, they came to epitomise their two respective parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. In the first instalment of a special three-part Inside Politics podcast series, Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan trace their stories from childhood to the early stages of their political careers until the end of the 1970s when they each rise to become party leader.
Produced by Declan Conlon.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to tie up political loose ends as the summer finally arrives.
With a General Election around the corner, Sinn Féin and Fine Gael have tricky tasks. Mary Lou McDonald must reset the party's message after disappointing results in June, while Fine Gael must select candidates to replace the 15 TDs who will not stand again.
The panel also looks at the prospects of the proposed defamation reform bill progressing in the lifetime of this Government, Paschal Donohoe's future plans and how the outcome of the US presidential election may impact politics here in Ireland.
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Can Kamala Harris win against Donald Trump? Former Irish Times Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch covered Harris's unsuccessful 2020 primary and the early part of her vice-presidency. She joins Hugh Linehan and Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole to look at who Harris is and how her White House experience has changed her, and at the shape of the race for the presidency after an extraordinary period in US politics.
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The Republican National Convention is taking place this week in Milwaukee, just days after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
Irish Times Washington Correspondent Keith Duggan is attending the four-day event and talks to Hugh Linehan about the “celebratory spirit” among Republicans who believe “the election is over in many ways”.
The pair also discuss the appointment of Trump’s new running mate J.D Vance, who was once one of the former president’s fiercest critics.
Later on, Hugh is joined by Irish Times Europe Correspondent Jack Power who reports ahead of tomorrow’s vote on the EU Commission President.
Ursula von der Leyen will be hoping for a second term, but will she secure the European Parliament's vote?
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Hugh Linehan is joined by Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn to look back on the week in politics. They discuss the end of the Dáil term, the timing of the next general election (of course) and the Government's outstanding legislative agenda.
In part two we hear some of Harry's conversation with newly-elected leader of the Green party Roderic O'Gorman. He talks about his attitude to electoral pact with parties like Labour and the Social Democrats, the use of focus groups to hone his party's message to voters and the abuse he has sometimes experienced in politics.
They also talk about the release of Tori Towey, the Irish woman detained in Dubai, and George Clooney's intervention in the debate over Joe Biden's fitness to run for reelection.
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After depicting the musical culture of Dublin's northside in his acclaimed documentary North Circular, director Luke McManus is now looking at the area's politics.
His new documentary The Locals follows a range of candidates in the run-up to the June 2024 local elections, painting a picture of a diverse area and an equally diverse group of politicians.
Luke talks to Hugh Linehan about making the documentary, the people it portrays and the issues they care about.
The Locals is on RTÉ One on Monday, July 15th at 9:35pm and will also be available on the RTÉ player.
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Labour has won the 2024 UK general election with a massive landslide. Beyond that, huge shifts have taken place across the political map of Britain and Northern Ireland.
To take a look at what has happened and what comes next, Hugh talks to London correspondent Mark Paul, Northern editor Freya McClements and Denis Staunton.
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Political commentator with The Guardian Rafael Behr returns to the podcast to talk about the UK general election. By Friday we will know if the widely-expected Tory implosion and Labour majority have materialised. But what comes next?
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Washington correspondent Keith Duggan joins this week's wrap to discuss what could turn out to be one of the year's most consequential political developments: US president Joe Biden's disastrous performance at Thursday's debate with former president and Republican candidate Donald Trump. In a debate format that accentuated Biden's weaknesses, he handed the momentum to his rival and prompted intense debate about whether he should remain the Democratic candidate.
After that Jennifer Bray looks at the big Irish political stories of the week, including the outcome of a mini Fianna Fáil reshuffle that saw junior ministries assigned, the latest from the Green party leadership contest and the fallout from the Cathal Crotty sentencing controversy.
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Hugh Linehan is joined by Irish Times columnist Gerard Howlin and political editor Pat Leahy to discuss the appointment of Jack Chambers as Minister of Finance and other political news.
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Pat Leahy is joined by Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn to look back at the week in politics:
- The latest in the race to succeed Eamon Ryan as Green party leader.
- What is behind Micheal Martin's decision to name Jack Chambers deputy leader of Fianna Fail?
- Industrial action at Aer Lingus means holidaymakers face a summer of discontent. Will it bounce back on the Government?
Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
- Jack Power's profile of the young leader of France's far-right
- What should be an unnecessary warning: do not feed fizzy drinks to deer
- A piece by Diane Ihirwe highlighting the importance of inclusion.
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First we focus on political upheaval following the announcement that Eamon Ryan is stepping down as leader of the Greens. Political correspondent Cormac McQuinn provides updates on the frontrunners to succeed him, including Minister for Children Roderic O'Gorman and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Pippa Hackett.
Then we turn to Northern Ireland, where voters will select their 18 Westminster MPs next month. Can the DUP hold onto its seats in the aftermath of the crisis surrounding Jeffrey Donaldson? Mark Hennessy and Freya McClements look at what really matters to voters in these elections and whether the issue of Irish unity is on the radar.
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Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Harry McGee to look back at the week in politics. With our recent obsession on the local and European elections winding down, today we take a look at the week's Dáil debates and at the "guillotining through" of the huge piece of legislation that is the Planning Bill into its final stage. The panel also discuss whether Dáil vacancies arising as a result of TDs becoming MEPs will ever be filled in the lifetime of this Government. The panel also pick their Irish Times articles of the week.
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With some European seats still to be filled but the overall picture of these elections now fairly clear, Pat Leahy joins Hugh for a final episode of Election Daily to answer some outstanding questions. How did small parties including the Greens, the Social Democrats and Labour do in the end? And with counts dragging on, is it too easy for unserious candidates to get on the European ballot?
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Citizens of the EU used their votes in last week's elections to maintain centre-right control of the European Parliament, while shifting the overall makeup of the legislature a little further to the right.
Brussels correspondent Jack Power joins Hugh to explore how the EU parliament has just changed, whether the new right will be able to form a voting bloc, and what the new Parliament means for EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen's hope's of a second term.
And Berlin correspondent Derek Scally looks at the success of formerly fringe parties like the far-right AfD in Germany's European election. Could the taboo of far-right involvement in German national governance be nearing an end?
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Hugh Linehan is joined by Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn on day four of the count.
Only a handful of seats remain unfilled in the local elections with Fianna Fáil slightly ahead of Fine Gael for the majority of seats.
Sinn Féin now has 100 seats which is an improvement on its disastrous 2019 election, however Jennifer Bray has reported on the growing unease within the party over Mary Lou McDonald’s leadership after their poor election results.
The Dublin count is nearing its moment of truth with Barry Andrews and Regina Doherty looking comfortably in, and the final two seats still to play for.
The team discuss the latest results, the possibility of an autumn election and they answer some listener questions.
Minutes after recording the podcast, it was announced that outgoing MEP Clare Daly was eliminated following the 17th count of votes in the Dublin constituency.
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Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn to discuss the latest developments:
It is day three of the local and European election count and seats in all four MEP constituencies are still in play. In Dublin, much will depend on where votes from soon-to-be-eliminated candidates end up. Will Independent Ireland's Niall Boylan be able to capitalise, or will Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan fare better?
There is no shortage of analysis of Sinn Féin's disappointing election and what it means. Fintan O'Toole thinks the era of the party acting as a buffer against right wing politics is over.
Meanwhile many other EU member states are experiencing a surge in support for far-right parties and candidates, but not enough to displace the centrist coalition from control of the European Parliament.
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As the count continues on this busy election weekend, it is delight for Taoiseach Simon Harris and Fine Gael as the local election picture becomes clearer, but the final results, particularly in the European contest, won’t be known for several more days.
The Taoiseach had a pep in his step as he entered the count centre at the RDS today. Speaking to Inside Politics podcast host Hugh Linehan, he explained that while there is no “transfer pact” among government parties, he thinks voters believe “Government is doing an okay job, and are transferring amongst parties”, something which will inform the election results.
“That the Government will do its full term is important and I look forward to continuing that,” he said.
Meanwhile, the volatility of the Sinn Féin vote caught Mary Lou McDonald by surprise. While there is no denying that the going has not been great for them so far, could total disaster be averted if the party make modest gains in some local election constituencies?
And what of the Green Party? It will be a real challenge for them to hold on to their MEPs, and it also looks as though there have been significant losses at local level.
Hugh Linehan is joined by Jack-Horgan Jones, Harry McGee and Taoiseach Simon Harris (briefly) on the Inside Politics Election Daily podcast as we get a clearer picture from count centres around the country.
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It is Saturday afternoon of a busy election weekend and while it is still far too early to draw conclusions about many aspects of the local and European contests, some trends are beginning to emerge.
One of those trends is that Sinn Féin’s recent drop in opinion polls is being confirmed at the ballot box, the party’s support at these elections lower now than six months ago.
Meanwhile the Coalition parties are cautiously optimistic that losses will be less than feared, while independent candidates look set to make gains.
Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray to assess what we are learning from tallies and the first results from count centres around the country.
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As voters go to the polls, Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy, and Jack Horgan-Jones make some final predictions about how the weekend will play out. Which European candidates should be safe in their constituencies, and who is at risk of being sucked into a days-long transfer battle to seize a third, fourth or fifth seat?
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Hugh Linehan is joined by Jennifer Bray and Sarah Burns to discuss Thursday on the campaign trail:
With polling day almost upon us, some running in the European elections have been engaging in a ‘war of words’, with members of Fine Gael and the Green Party butting heads on the campaign trail. Is all this ‘clawing at each other’ simply a final bid for cut through before votes are cast, or a taste of what a general election could look like?
And is the broadcasting moratorium relevant or wise anymore given the amount of stories that seem to break right before polls open? Even the Minister for Housing is sceptical.
Plus: Jen’s how-to guide will arm you with all the necessary knowledge as you set off with your polling card on Friday.
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Hugh Linehan is joined by Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy to discuss Wednesday on the campaign trail:
Independent candidates are “wolves in sheep’s clothing”, warned People Before Profit at a campaign event today. What does that mean, and why are the small parties so worried about the impact of this rag-tag category of opponent on election day?
The Nitrates Derogation is something that matters hugely to rural Ireland, so in election week you don’t want to wade into controversy over whether it should be retained, as Fianna Fáil’s Chris Andrews discovered today.
Plus: An element of Pat’s analysis of the Dublin European election came in for sharp criticism from Social Democrats candidate Sinéad Gibney when she was asked about it by RTE’s Sarah McInerney during a televised debate.
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The run-in to Friday's local, European and Limerick mayoral elections is now underway and so is the daily elections podcast from The Irish Times. Hugh Linehan is joined by Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee to look at the stories from the campaign trail:
As Aontú launches its campaign, party leader Peader Toibin is bullish about the party's prospects in local elections.
More polls showing disappointing levels of support for Sinn Féin. Can the party pick up momentum in the final days?
The same polls show surging support for independent candidates. Some of them will be fighting for the final European seat in Dublin.
But with many voters yet to make up their minds, the panel agree there is a lot left to fight for in these elections. To help you keep up with the latest from the campaign, new episodes of Election Daily from Inside Politics will be in your feed every day this week after 5pm.
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Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn to look back on the week in politics:
- The conviction of former US president Donald Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to an alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels is unprecedented in American political history. But will it make any difference on election day?
- More evidence emerged this week that Ireland is failing to meet legally-binding climate change targets.
- Will a scandal that engulfed Fine Gael local election candidate Marian Agrios dent the party outside of Louth, or even her Drogheda constituency?
Plus, the panelists pick their favourite IT reads of the week:
- Our new columnist Mark O’Connell on why students keep schtum when asked why they are protesting.
- Revelations that the Irish State is in the pocket of Big Smoky Bacon.
- Ireland’s Chief Rabbi Yoni Wieder criticises President Higgins.
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Hugh Linehan is joined by Harry McGee, Cormac McQuinn and Jennifer Bray who, after weeks travelling the highways and byways of Ireland in the company of hopeful local and European election candidates, are here to answer questions about what is happening on the ground. Do rural voters really blame the Greens for everything? Are Sinn Féin really struggling? Will the migration issue really help candidates like Niall Boylan? And what is the incredible new technique for reaching voters who aren't at home?
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Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn to discuss the week in politics:
· Rishi Sunak’s decision on Wednesday to announce a snap election for July 4th, four months earlier than predicted, caught everyone off guard. Will it prove to be a gamble worth taking?
· Cormac was present at Fianna Fáil’s European election launch this morning where tensions boiled over as Senator Niall Blaney got into a public disagreement with Fianna Fáil leader, Tánaiste Micheál Martin, over the level of support he was getting from the party amid their three-candidate strategy in the Midlands North-West constituency.
· And on Friday, June 7th – the same day voters across the country will elect representatives to local councils and the European Parliament – the people of Limerick will decide who will be the country’s first directly elected mayor. But what powers will the successful candidate have to go with their €154,000 salary?
And the panel pick their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Laura Slattery writes about “king of the airwaves” Pat Kenny.
· The passing of Ireland’s first business superstar, Tony O’Reilly.
· Pedestrians best be on their guard against the quiet threat of electric vehicles as outlined by Shauna Bowers.
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The upcoming US election will see a presidential rematch for the first time since Eisenhower and Stevenson in 1956. That contest is between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the two most unpopular candidates in living memory. But who is likely to prevail once the votes are finally counted?
In a special live event last week, Head of Polling at Ipsos US, Cliff Young, joined Hugh Linehan to dig into some of the big questions that have defined the presidential race thus far.
Why is Joe Biden performing so poorly in the polls? Why have so many minority voters who would traditionally have voted Democrat, decided to make the move towards the Republican party? And despite his legal woes, does Trump’s anti-establishment stance still retain its potency?
And in terms of what issues are front and centre for US voters, Cliff explains why it’s the economy, more specifically inflation, that is having a ‘nasty effect on the political calculus’. But can that be changed in any significant way before election day?
Produced by Declan Conlon.
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Hugh Linehan is joined by Cormac McQuinn and Jennifer Bray to discuss the week in politics:
· The last fortnight has seen several incidents of councillors being verbally and physically attacked while out canvassing for the forthcoming local elections. A disturbing trend that hasn’t been a feature of previous elections.
· The panel dig into what the Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll results say about the volatility of public opinion right now.
· And neither current First Minister of Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill, or former First Minister of Northern Ireland, Arlene Foster, came away from the UK Covid-19 inquiry unscathed.
And the panel pick their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
· Ronan McGreevey writing 50 years on from the Dublin-Monaghan bombings.
· Laura Kennedy does the arithmetic of emigration.
· Stephen Collins writes of Micheál Martin’s political enemies postponing their big move.
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The latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll shows Sinn Féin support has slumped again while there has been a recovery for Fine Gael. The poll also shows that Micheál Martin is the most popular party leader, while support for independents remains at a high level. But what lies behind these trends? Hugh was joined by Cliff Young from Ipsos as well as podcast regulars Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray to discuss the poll results before a live audience in Dublin city centre.
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Disinformation is a concern in the run-up to the local and European elections. And the combination of new AI technology and complex social media networks make it easier than ever to spread misleading information to a global audience. But who polices disinformation, and is the term sometimes misused or abused for political ends? To debate this, Hugh talks to Eileen Culloty of DCU, Freddie Sayers, editor of UK news and opinion website Unherd, and Jack Horgan-Jones from The Irish Times politics team.
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Hugh is joined by Harry McGee and Jennifer Bray to discuss the week in politics:
This week saw a rare and notable victory for student politics at Trinity College Dublin, where protestors secured a victory in their campaign for the college to divest from companies linked to Israel.
Meanwhile the Government’s moves towards recognising Palestinian statehood are still underway.
The asylum seeker accommodation crisis trundles on.
It is a month out from the European elections and Jennifer and Harry have their ear to the ground. Could high-profile first-timers like Ciaran Mullooly and Niall Boylan claim seats in Strasbourg at the expense of more established politicians?
And the panel pick their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
Patrick Freyne reviewing Jennifer’s favourite TV show.
Laura Slattery’s excellent live coverage of Bambi Thug’s quest for Eurovision glory.
Barry Roche on the many outstanding mysteries surrounding American passport fraudster Randolph Kirk Parker, who was arrested in Cork last year.
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Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin is in studio to talk with Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy about his party's apparent decline in support in the past year, his views on housing and how to handle high numbers of asylum seekers, and the political landscape ahead of forthcoming local and European elections.
Eoin also denies the suggestion, recently made by Davy Stockbrokers, that Sinn Féin has more in common with the New Labour of Tony Blair than the socialism of Jeremy Corbyn.
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Host Pat Leahy and political correspondents Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee discuss the week in politics:
The critical shortage of accommodation for people arriving in Ireland to apply for International Protection was everywhere in the news this week, as was the row between the UK and Ireland over returning migrants. The Government desperately needs to build a system that can process asylum seekers quickly and efficiently, and provide accommodation in the meantime.
The outcome of local elections in the UK points to a potentially catastrophic general election for the Tories
In Scotland, the SNP's diminished status means independence seems further away than any point since before the 2015 referendum
They also pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week.
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Political Editor Pat Leahy sits in Hugh Linehan’s chair as podcast host this week for an Inside Politics election special as our politics team analyses the upcoming local and European elections. Jennifer Bray reminds us of the political landscape influencing the 2019 local elections which led to the ‘Green wave’ and Sinn Féin’s running aground. Jack Horgan-Jones analyses the impact a pandemic, a cost of living crisis and the war in Europe have had on voters and the resulting trends that have become embedded. Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn take a deep dive into the issues, candidates and political groupings in the sprawling European election constituencies. There is also an intriguing electoral race taking part on the 7th of June when voters in Limerick city and county will go to the polls to choose Ireland’s first directly-elected mayor. If the elections haven’t yet been top of mind for you, don’t miss this thorough look at the forthcoming ballots.
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Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Harry McGee to look back on the week in politics:
- Taoiseach Simon Harris’s sure-footed performance as he delivered an apology to the Stardust tragedy victims.
- Less good was Minister for Justice Helen McEntee’s appearance at an Oireachtas committee, where she struggled to answer a question about the State’s handling of international protection applicants.
- Discussions about budget spending are starting early this year, a sign of the auction politics to come in the run-up to the general election.
Plus the panel pick their Irish Times articles of the week:
- Justine McCarthy on the growing number of journalists becoming Government advisors.
- Finn McRedmond in defence of snobbery.
- And coverage of the dysfunction in University Hospital Limerick, as revealed by a coroner’s report on the tragic death of teenager Aoife Johnston.
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London Correspondent Mark Paul joins Hugh Linehan to talk about the issues making an impact on British politics right now. The issues include upcoming local elections, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's drive to pass his Rwanda Bill, which will allow Britain to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda while their claims are processed, and the contrasting fortunes of the Conservative and Labour parties.
In part two they look north to Scotland, where the Scottish National Party is showing signs of fatigue after a prolonged period in power. It is a weariness that shows in party leader Humza Yousaf's struggle to handle a wide range of controversies, from green policies to corruption, rape trial reforms and trans rights.
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On today’s Inside Politics podcast, Hugh Linehan, Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray look back on the week in politics:
Two weeks in, Simon Harris has already experienced some minor controversies as Taoiseach. But how is he doing overall?
As the Greens head into their National Conference this weekend, will the party be happy with their standing as an election draws near?
The EU Migration pact has the potential to be a significant political flashpoint and raises the question: Do European matters receive enough scrutiny in the Oireachtas?
Plus the panel pick their Irish Times articles of the week:
Derek Scally on a German Luthern priest’s successful ploy to attract a younger congregation with help from Taylor Swift.
Patrick Freyne’s unflattering review of a new RTE comedy sketch show.
And Conor Pope’s reporting on the egregiousness of Eir.
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With its fast-growing economy and increasing significance as a player in European security, Poland’s political direction will have a major bearing on the future of Europe. But the centrist coalition led by Donald Tusk is grappling with how to unwind some of the oppressive legacy of its predecessors, the right nationalist Law and Justice party.
Meanwhile, Poland’s neighbour to the West faces a different set of problems. An unpopular government, an economic recession and growing divisions over wars in Ukraine and Israel mean Germany is experiencing a crisis of confidence.
Hugh Linehan explores these political and social pressures in Poland and Germany with Irish Times Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally.
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Alex Kane, Lisa Whitten, Freya McClements and Pat Leahy joined Hugh Linehan in Northern Ireland for a live show at the MAC in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter. The panel discussed the shocking departure of Jeffrey Donaldson from the pinnacle of NI politics, how the political system has responded since, and what it all means for the future of unionism and the power-sharing institutions. They also discuss the importance of the "neither" voters, the price of reunification and the economic benefits of Northern Ireland's post-Brexit position.
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Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about Simon Harris's appointment as Taoiseach and the details of his minimal Cabinet reshuffle. Did he go far enough to satisfy Fine Gaelers, or voters looking for change?
They also talk about the new Taoiseach's speech delivery and Mary Lou McDonald's forceful criticism of his track record.
But first they discuss the news that the reconstituted Government's first act will be to recognise the statehood of Palestine.
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Ahead of Simon Harris’s first Fine Gael Ard Fheis as party leader, Cormac McQuinn and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to discuss the potential quick wins and policy departures Harris can look to implement when his expected tenure as taoiseach begins next Tuesday.
And while we were denied the excitement of hustings and voting, there is still much speculation as to the potential make-up of Simon Harris’s Cabinet. How does he find the balance between merit and geography? And will some Fine Gael party departees have their arms twisted to stay?
Also on the podcast: the other recent earthquake in Irish politics was the unexpected resignation of DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, following his charging for historical sexual offences. Just a few short weeks after the Assembly was reconstituted, the revelation has been received with a certain level of calm by the political establishment, with interim DUP leader Gavin Robinson coming from the more moderate tradition within the party.
But could the deal struck for power-sharing be tested in the months ahead? And will the looming Westminster election give rise to turmoil within a deeply divided DUP party?
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On today’s Inside Politics podcast, Hugh is joined by David Rieff. David is the author of many books, including In Praise of Forgetting. He reported on war in Bosnia in the 1990s, and has written on everything from the political and ethical complexities of humanitarian aid and international intervention in sub-Saharan Africa to political developments in Central and south America. He also has a Substack newsletter in which he reflects on the progress of the current culture wars and their implications for intellectual life. He currently spends half his time in Kyiv where he is observing and reflecting on the ongoing war against Russian aggression.
He talks to Hugh about the idea of a just war and its relevance to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, the remilitarisation of Europe and the decline of Pax Americana, as well as the rise of anti-establishment populism and why he believes contemporary trends in technology, capitalism and politics will inevitably lead to the end of high culture and the triumph of kitsch.
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What sort of a politician is Simon Harris? What can we learn from his record? And what sort of a Taoiseach is he going to be? Columnist Fintan O'Toole joins Hugh Linehan and Jennifer Bray to dig into the presumptive taoiseach's record and the state of the Fine Gael party.
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Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy and Harry McGee to talk about the swift emergence of Simon Harris as Fine Gael leader and taoiseach-in-waiting. They look back at his career to date and identify a potential strategy to lead Fine Gael out of its current predicament.
But first, more on the unexpected resignation of Leo Varadkar.
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Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to discuss today's unexpected announcement by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that he is stepping down.
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British political pundit, broadcaster and podcaster Ian Dale joins Hugh to discuss the upcoming UK general election and the state of British politics. A Conservative supporter, Iain explains why he may not be able to vote for the party for the first time in his life.
Iain and his co-host, the former Labour Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, are bringing their politics podcast For the Many to Dublin for a live show on Sunday, March 24th. Find out more here.
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Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to discuss the week in politics, including the annual migration of Ministers to foreign lands for St Patrick's Day. But with the crisis in Gaza on many Irish voters' minds, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has a balancing act in how he raises the issue with President Joe Biden.
Also on the agenda: More fallout from the recent referendums, and how housing asylum seekers will be an issue in local election campaigns.
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Last weekend's referendum defeats have jolted the political establishment. How could all major parties and many other players have got it so badly wrong - and does the failure reveal something deeper going on?
To discuss this, Hugh is joined by Jack Horgan Jones, Theresa Reidy and Jane Suiter.
They discuss the the impact of the results on Irish politics, the role and effectiveness of citizens assemblies, and whether opposition to 'wokeness' is a genuine force in Irish politics.
Dr Theresa Reidy is a senior lecturer and head of department at the Department of Government and Politics, University College Cork.
Jane Suiter is Professor in DCU's School of Communications and director of DCU's Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society.
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Although counting is still underway in the family and care referendums, the Government has already admitted defeat, with a No-No result looking like the only outcome.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described the result as two wallops for Government, while Tánaiste Micheál Martin, said there is “no single reason” why the proposals were rejected, and a time for reflection will ensue.
As the political blame game now begins, what will be the fallout from the defeat? Hugh Linehan talks to Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray.
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Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
There were some interesting developments during the European People's Party (EPP) congress in Bucharest this week – Ursula von der Leyen was roundly endorsed for another five years as European Commission President, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told delegates that Europe was no longer in a ‘post-war epoch’ and that borders had to be defended. The panel discussed whether Ireland’s military spending will soon reflect this new sense of urgency.
Also on the podcast: Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe’s refusal to meet demands on how to spend the continuing surge in corporate tax receipts has left some Cabinet members less than happy after a call to significantly boost the National Development Plan fell on deaf ears.
And the panel compare the approaches of the Government and Sinn Féin when it comes to improving the lot of Northern Ireland. During his speech at the Alliance Party conference this week, Tánaiste Micheál Martin pushed the positives to be gained from the Shared Island initiative, whereas Sinn Féin’s line has consistently been improvement through a united Ireland.
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Farmer protest movements are becoming an increasingly important part of the political landscape across Europe, from Poland, where they have been spurred by the lifting of tariffs on Ukrainian agricultural produce, to the Netherlands, where Government plans to cut nitrogen emissions have led to the rise of a significant new party, and most recently to Germany, where a threat to cut agricultural fuel subsidies has caused a furious reaction.
It appears that European farmers believe they are being ignored, their needs set aside. The ripples of all this are being felt at across the EU in advance of June's Parliament elections. So what is exactly happening and how likely is it that farmers unhappiness could lead to new political parties in Ireland as well as in Europe? Hugh Linehan talks to Naomi O'Leary and Jack Horgan-Jones.
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Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
One week out from the care and family referendums taking place on March 8th and campaigning on both sides is finally in full swing, the panel debates whether the Government will be hurt by a failure to get both proposed constitutional amendments over the line considering how muddled their Yes message has been thus far.
Also on the podcast: Sinn Féin’s unclear position on climate change was evident again this week after their sole MEP Chris McManus voted against the Nature Restoration Law, a landmark piece of EU environmental legislation, while Sinn Féin senator Lynn Boylan wholeheartedly welcomed it.
And with her three-hour Oireachtas Committee grilling over the resignation of former chair of the RTÉ board, Siún Ní Raghallaigh, now behind her the panel discuss whether Minister for Media Catherine Martin, and indeed the wider public, can now move on from the RTÉ saga.
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Political scientist Theresa Reidy and political correspondent Harry McGee join Hugh to look ahead to June's European elections, when voters in Ireland and across the EU will pick their Members of the European Parliament. Since the last election in 2019, the electoral map has changed, as has much else in Irish and European politics. There are a plethora of independent and small party candidates, but do the circumstances favour those put forward by the big parties, this time around? The panel pick over the candidates, constituencies, EU political dynamics, and more.
Dr Theresa Reidy is a senior lecturer and head of department at the Department of Government and Politics, University College Cork.
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The latest scandal engulfing RTÉ and Minister for Media Catherine Martin may be more cock-up than conspiracy, but it is no less damaging for that.
The fallout from the dispute over who knew what, when about retirement payments to outgoing executives has already resulted in the departure of RTÉ board chair Siún Ní Raghallaigh. Just how much damage the affair will do to the Minister remains to be seen.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has complained that €19 million of funding allocated to reduce waiting times for children in need of spinal surgery may not have been used as intended. Delays in the treatment of childhood Spina Bifida and scoliosis have been one of the worst features of our healthcare system, resulting in much pain and suffering.
And we remember our colleague, former political correspondent and regular Inside Politics panelist Michael O’Regan, who died last week.
Plus the panel pick their Irish Times pieces of the week:
Finn McRedmond on the drinking habits of the young
An expert weighs in on whether a snail could outpace the development of Dublin’s Metro
And Miriam Lord ’s dissection of a frustrating Dáil squabble
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As the second anniversary of Russia's invasion approaches, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy is still a very popular figure among voters. But with no elections having been held since 2019, and with martial law applying in the country, is democracy being undermined? Dan McLaughlin talks to Hugh Linehan about Ukraine's politics, the recent progress of the war, how critics of Zelenskiy are growing louder and whether there are any mainstream voices calling for compromise or negotiations with Russia.
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An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent electoral commission, has taken over the functions previously held by the Referendum Commission in relation to referendums. That means it is responsible for explaining the forthcoming referendums on care and the family.
Chair of An Coimisiún Ms Justice Marie Baker and Chief Executive Art O'Leary join Hugh to talk about about what exactly is being asked of voters and the legal implications of yes or no votes on March 8th.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to discuss the week in politics:
- In another awful week for RTÉ before an Oireachtas committee, was it a mistake for Sinn Féin to raise the idea of an amnesty for those refusing to pay their licence fee? And is is sustainable for prominent ex-RTÉ figures like Dee Forbes, Rory Coveney and Breda O'Keeffe to avoid appearing at the committee?
- The spiralling cost of the National Children's Hospital means renewed analysis of the Government's ability to plan and deliver big projects.
- And as the Social Democrats get ready for their conference this weekend, the panel takes stock of the party's fortunes.
Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
- What's in and what's out of the new CSO consumer basket.
- Replacing Ireland's small embassy building in Washington
- And has Trump awoken Europe's sleeping beast?
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At this point we are definitively into the campaign for the two referendums on family and care due to take place on March 8th. The data from the recent Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll showed substantial majorities in favour of both proposed amendments to the Constitution, but also showed a majority of voters that felt they knew very little about the issues that are involved, which might mean that the debates that take place over the course of the campaign itself could possibly change a lot of people’s minds.
The opinion pages of the Irish Times have already played host to a range of differing views on the subject, but two weekly columnists have been particularly forthright – Justine McCarthy has argued strongly in favour of the changes and Michael McDowell has been equally forceful against them. They joined host Hugh Linehan to give their thoughts ahead of March 8th.
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Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
The latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll shows support for Sinn Féin took a significant dent, down six points – its lowest level in three years. As Pat explains, a lack of clarity around immigration and the misstep that was the ill-judged motion of no confidence in Justice Minister Helen McEntee last December are just two reasons why the party are losing ground to smaller parties and Independents.
And data from the poll also threw up some interesting insights into what way voters will vote in both proposals in the upcoming referendums recognising non-marital families and care in the Constitution, and how much they know actually about what they are voting for.
Former taoiseach John Bruton passed away this week, the panel discuss the profound consequences of his time leading government, not least the beginning of runaway economic success and the road to the Good Friday Agreement.
Plus, they pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, on diverse topics: Ukraine war updates, Dublin traffic transformation and Dee Forbes.
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Washington Correspondent Keith Duggan talks to Hugh Linehan about the seemingly inevitable rematch between US President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump. What issues will dominate the campaign? It's early days, but the flow of immigrants at the southern border seems certain to play to former president Trump's advantage. On the other hand, voters are not yet listening to President Biden's warnings of a threat to democracy should Trump win.
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In the past decade relationships between the different parts of the UK and Ireland have changed. The push for Scottish independence, growing support for Irish reunification and the Brexit process have all challenged the status quo. But what comes next?
Common Ground is a new initiative by The Irish Times that will seek to elevate debate around the future of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom.
On today’s podcast Common Ground editor Mark Hennessy talks to Hugh about the big questions the residents of these islands will grapple with in the years ahead.
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Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to look back on the week in politics:
Pat is in Brussels where the EU has agreed on a €50 billion package for Kyiv. He reports on how Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán was finally cajoled into supporting the move.
Ahead of the March referendums on care and the family, Jennifer has been looking at who's who in the Yes and No campaigns.
And the panel discuss a significant shift in Government's tone on immigration which became apparent this week.
Plus they look at their favourite Irish Times articles of the week on diverse topics: St Patrick's Day, The National Mood and kebabs.
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Pat Leahy, Freya McClements and Mark Paul join Hugh to discuss the DUP's acceptance of a historic deal that allows power-sharing in Northern Ireland to resume.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to discuss the week in politics:
Gaza is proving a persistent issue in Irish politics, and today’s ruling at the International Court of Justice could place more pressure on the Government to support South Africa’s case and intensify its criticism of Israel. Meanwhile Sinn Féin has faced its own criticism for Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill’s decision to visit the White House on St Patrick’s Day, given the military support provided to Israel by the United States.
Minister Catherine Martin struggled to satisfactorily answer questions in a radio interview about the Grant Thornton report that laid bare RTÉ’s failures in the planning and conception of Toy Show: The Musical. Will there ever be accountability for the board’s failures to control the loss-making project?
In the US presidential election, the primary season seems to coming to a premature end, as opposition to Donald Trump dries up and Democrats show no sign of replacing President Biden on their ticket. But what will that re-run race look like?
Plus the panel pick their Irish Times pieces of the week:
My article of the week is this, which goes some way to (politely) calling out some of the terrible bullshit in the whole mental health discourse: Social media and mental health: The glorification of illness is becoming a real problem
- Naomi O'Leary on a strange and tragic story involving a restaurant, a review and an online backlash.
- Martin Wolf on the bitter lessons of Brexit for Britain
- Geraldine Walsh on the downsides to a growing openness around mental illness
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Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman is the man at the centre of one of the most severe and contentious problems facing the State: how to handle the huge increase in people arriving to seek International Protection.
The war in Ukraine exacerbated the trend and helped scupper the Green Minister’s plan to end the system of direct provision within the lifetime of this Government, instead leaving it in perpetual crisis-management mode as it struggles to accommodate tens of thousands of refugees.
On today’s Inside Politics podcast Minister O’Gorman talks to Hugh Linehan and Jack Horgan-Jones about his handling of the crisis.
Ireland should support Ukrainians to return home by rebuilding infrastructure and possibly paying for travel back there, he says.
The European Union needs to soon decide whether to extend additional rights enjoyed by Ukrainian refugees beyond their expiry date of March 2025, he adds.
The Minister also says he expects between 13,000 and 15,000 asylum seekers to arrive in the country annually from now on.
They discuss the struggle to accommodate such unprecedented numbers of arrivals and why local communities have not always been informed in advance when International Protection Applicants are to be housed in their midst.
Plus, Minister O’Gorman makes the arguments in favour of a Yes vote in the two upcoming referendums on care and the definition of the family.
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Host Hugh Linehan is joined Cormac McQuinn and Jennifer Bray on this week’s wrap with housing for refugees and asylum seekers, and the lack of alternative accommodation, now a perennial talking point, especially in this year of elections. But has a certain tension developed between Minister Roderic O’Gorman’s department of Children, Equality, Integration, Disability and Youth and the Department of Housing? And have asylum seeker protests gradually started to impact political decision-making here?
A somewhat comical exchange in the Dáil on its first day back after the Christmas recess saw Roderic O’Gorman and Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara engage in a debate on the upcoming referendums and the proposal to amend the Constitutional definition of a family. The durability of ‘throuple’ relationships saw a complete breakdown in communication after the Clare TD misheard the minister.
And are Government putting off big decisions with that general election creeping into view later in the year? Jennifer Bray describes a certain mania she witnessed firsthand at Leinster House as TDs can’t seem to think about anything other than the date for GE 2024.
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British broadcaster and author James O'Brien returns to Inside Politics to talk about his most recent book, How They Broke Britain.
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There are two referendums around the corner on March 8th, but are they too complex and less immediately understandable than other referendums in recent times? Hugh is joined by Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray and on the podcast, with Jennifer spelling out exactly what changes we will be voting on.
Protests against the influx of male asylum seekers have been a fixture on the front pages since the start of year, with Ballinrobe and Roscrea making headlines in recent days. But are the Government running out of road in terms of policy or are they simply responding to an unfolding humanitarian crisis?
And with numbers in emergency accommodation at record levels, the panel teases out the political impact of ill health and death on the street and how the public expect more from those in power when it comes to protecting people forced to sleep rough.
Plus, could Leo Varadkar or Micheál Martin be in line for a top job in Brussels after Charles Michel’s surprise decision to step down as European Council president? While both have distanced themselves from the role, Jennifer explains why Micheál is the more likely candidate of the two.
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In the first half of 2024 highly consequential elections will take place in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, South Africa and Mexico among others. Things get closer to home later in the year with European parliament elections, local elections and possibly a general election in Ireland. And the UK and US both go to the polls in November.
On today’s Inside Politics podcast, Irish Times China Correspondent Denis Staunton joins us from Taipei to discuss this week’s Taiwanese election with presenter Hugh Linehan and Political Editor Pat Leahy.
Denis, who has reported for The Irish Times on the election victories of Angela Merkel, Barack Obama and Boris Johnson, gives his perspective on what’s at stake in elections across the Global South, as well as in Europe and the US.
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Still less than a year in existence, the Electoral Commission is set for a packed 2024 with local and European elections in June, a referendum in March and strong odds of a general election too before the year is out. Art O’Leary is Chief executive of the Electoral Commission, and he sat down with Hugh Linehan to discuss the logistics and preparation for the year ahead, balancing geography versus maths for the boundary review and why E-voting is unlikely to make a comeback any time soon.
Art also goes through a few items on his wish list – a revamp of the electoral register, getting more young people out voting, and developing a system where Irish people can vote from anywhere in the world. Plus, with so many upcoming elections, what can the Electoral Commission do to combat the likely deluge of online misinformation?
Produced by Declan Conlon. JJ Vernon on sound.
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It's part two of the traditional Inside Politics end-of-year Ask Us Anything podcast. Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn are in celebratory mood as they answer your questions about elections, policies and politicians.
Wishing a Happy New Year to all our listeners.
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It's part one of the traditional Inside Politics end-of-year Ask Us Anything podcast. Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn hit play on a range of listener queries and even help one to settle a bet.
Part two will be out on Friday December 29th. Thanks to all our listeners in 2023.
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North and South, how open are citizens to constitutional changes in order to make a United Ireland work? How much economic pain would they be willing to bear? What level of short-term pain would be felt worth any long-term gains?
Understanding such attitudes is one of the goals of North and South, a collaboration between The The Irish Times and ARINS, itself a joint research project of the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) and the Keough-Naughton Centre for Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
The continuing collaboration also makes it possible to track changing attitudes to reunification over time - and there have already been some significant changes.
To discuss the findings of the latest series of polls in the North and South project, Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy are joined by Professor Brendan O’Leary.
Brendan O’Leary is a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania and chair of the Public Opinion Committee of ARINS.
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Sinn Féin party leader and Dublin Central TD Mary Lou McDonald sat down with Pat Leahy to talk about a range of policy areas, from housing to migration and reunification. They also discussed the practice of some Sinn Féin members to take legal proceedings against media outlets and journalists. Pat and Hugh Linehan listen back and analyse the potential taoiseach's answers.
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Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan for the final weekly politics wrap of 2023.
Jennifer Bray is dialling in from Brussels, where the EU Council summit has been taking place, with national leaders meeting to discuss difficult issues including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
And Pat fails miserably to tell the political story of 2023 in 60 seconds.
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An agreement has been reached at Cop 28 that includes a commitment to phasing out the use of fossil fuels, with some hailing it as an historic moment in the struggle to mitigate climate change.
But an agreement is not a substitute for action and the actions required to achieve Net Zero by 2050 amount to one of the most fundamental changes in all human history. The effort is going to have repercussions for how we live, how states interact with each other and for domestic politics.
To discuss all this Hugh is joined by Helen Thompson, professor of political economy at Cambridge and cohost of These Times podcast.
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On today’s Inside Politics podcast, Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:
There’s been a lukewarm reception to Cabinet-approved plans for referendums to amend the Constitution when it comes to removing the reference to the role of women in the home; and expanding the concept of the family within the constitution. The wording is not inspiring Key civil society groups.
With Paschal Donohoe not ruling himself out of the running for the top job at the International Monetary Fund, what could the potential impact be if he took the role with a general election looming next year?
And following the recent Dublin riots, was Sinn Féin’s inevitable motion of no confidence in Justice Minister Helen McEntee a misstep?
Plus, the ‘rap of the week’ on the wrap of the week comes from Conor McGregor. Has the UFC star developed political aspirations?
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In his new book, The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time, political scientist Yascha Mounk has written the most comprehensive and detailed account yet of how a new form of progressive thinking has taken over the politics of the left. Mounk chronicles the rise of a set of ideas which are “centrally concerned with the role that identity categories like race, gender, and sexual orientation play in the world.” This fixation on identity, rejecting “universal values and neutral rules like free speech and equal opportunity as mere distractions,” draws its strength, Mounk argues, from the way it took over cultural institutions, although it has not convinced more than a small number of people. These ideas are not just frequently wrong but inimical to a functioning society, he tells Hugh Linhan in today’s Inside Politics podcast.
Produced by Declan Conlon. JJ Vernon on sound.
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Hugh Linehan and podcast regulars Pat Leahy, Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray got together on Wednesday to look back on all the major (and some not-so-major) developments in Irish politics in 2023. And they did so in front of a live audience in Dublin.
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Is it time for the political system to grapple more explicitly with how immigration is changing Ireland and what sort of model - integration? multiculturalism? - we as a state wish to pursue?
Or is such a conversation only ever destined to be hijacked by hateful voices and to result in a normalisation of the sort of prejudice that was on display in Dublin last week?
To discuss and debate this and other related issues, Hugh talks to Kevin Cunningham, Una Mullally and Ronan McCrea.
Kevin Cunningham is a lecturer in politics at TU Dublin. Ronan McCrea is a professor of European and constitutional law at University College Dublin. Una Mullally is a writer, an Irish Times columnist and the author of In the Name of Love: The Movement for Marriage Equality in Ireland.
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This week the Friday wrap panellists are joined by Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher to talk about how Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and the entire State apparatus will respond to unprecedented violence on Dublin's streets, encouraged by far-right activists, following the stabbing of several children outside a school on Thursday afternoon.
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"With economic signals flashing amber, the next Irish general election might be sooner than we thought", argues Cliff Taylor in an analysis piece for The Irish Times. But does Cliff's economic reasoning survive contact with political logic? Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy let him know.
Plus: Senator Malcolm Byrne is warning about the role AI technology and deepfakes could play in the next general election. What are the issues and how could they be tackled?
And Jennifer has the details of how an Oireachtas committee has agreed our abortion laws should be changed to remove barriers to women accessing abortions in certain circumstances. The ball is now in the Government's court.
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LIVE SHOW: Inside Politics will record live on Wednesday, November 29th in Dublin city centre. For details and to secure your ticket, follow this link: https://events.irishtimes.com/events/59159
Hugh Linehan is joined in studio by Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones. First up for discussion is Fine Gael’s special conference taking place in Kildare this weekend. The conference comes just before a year that may see the party contest three elections, a year that could come to define the trajectory of Fine Gael and its leadership. But are Fine Gael generating enough momentum to meet the challenges that await them in 2024?
Also in part one, the latest twist in the RTÉ saga as director general Kevin Bakhurst unveiled his strategic plan for the future of the broadcaster this week. Separate to that came confirmation from the Government that an additional €56 million in funding would be made available, but as the panel points out, there is still the sticky issue of the license fee problem that has yet to be confronted.
And in part two, the value of diplomacy as Micheál Martin tours the Middle East this week, during which he met with his Israeli counterpart in Jerusalem before meeting representatives of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. And also happening this week, opposition motions to remove the Israeli ambassador and ICC referral were defeated in the Dáil.
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It is almost four months now since Spain went to the polls to elect a new parliament. This week it looks as if Socialist Party leader Pedro Sánchez is finally about to be confirmed for a new term as Prime Minister.
But the political road to that outcome has been complex and highly contentious, bringing to the fore all the divisions over ideology and identity which characterise the contemporary political scene in Spain, the EU's fourth largest country.
On today's podcast Hugh Linehan digs into what is happening in Spain with author Paddy Woodworth, who wrote two books about the Basque region, and Madrid-based reporter Guy Hedgecoe.
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Housing, housing, housing and Palestine. Anyone hoping to hear much about anything else at this weekend’s Sinn Féin Ard Fheis will have left Athlone disappointed.
Pat Leahy was there and he joins Hugh Linehan to discuss what happened at the conference, including the warm welcome given to Palestinian ambassador to Ireland, Dr Jilan Abdalmajid.
They also look at how party leader Mary Lou McDonald handled questions about members of her party taking legal action against journalists and media organisations.
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Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh to look back on the week in politics:
- The dire situation in Israel and Palestine continues to dominate Irish political discourse.
- UK home secretary Suella Braverman's controversial opinion piece may cost her her job.
- Sinn Féin's annual conference or Ard Fheis takes place this weekend.
- A new Irish political party was born this week - Harry McGee has the details.
And the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week:
- A brilliant piece about displacement of Bedouins in the West Bank by Hannah McCarthy
- Martin Wall's coverage of Donald Trump's legal woes contrasts with the former president's growing chances of winning a second term
- Should religion get out of the classroom? A debate in our pages set out both sides.
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Will they or won't they? DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson must soon decide whether to lead his party back into power-sharing or to let devolution die and direct rule return. The decision he makes will be defining for Northern Ireland, for Unionism and for Donaldson himself. To discuss the forces at play, unionist commentator Alex Kane and Northern Editor Freya McClements join Pat and Hugh.
Alex Kane is a commentator based in Belfast. He was formerly director of communications for the Ulster Unionist Party.
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The Dail is in recess, and that means no Friday wrap today. Instead, we’re going to bring you a conversation that was originally published on the feed of our sister podcast In the News, hosted by Bernice Harrison, all about a story that gripped 1980s Ireland. You can subscribe to In the News for free here.
On December 16th, 1983, after 23 days in captivity, kidnapped supermarket executive Don Tidey was rescued. He had been taken by members of the Provisional IRA posing as gardaí while driving his daughter to school in Dublin. With the whole country transfixed by the kidnapping, Garda intelligence tracked the culprits and their victim down to Derrada Wood outside Ballinamore in Co Leitrim.
And while the release of Tidey safe and well was a success, the day was shrouded in tragedy because during the rescue his captors shot dead Private Patrick Kelly and recruit Garda Gary Sheehan.
The murders shocked the country and no one has been brought to justice for them. Most of the kidnappers got clean away. While the event has been the subject of much media attention over the years, Tidey has never spoken about it until now. This year he talked to Tommy Conlon and Ronan McGreevy for their new book, The Kidnapping, A Hostage, a Desperate Manhunt and a Bloody Rescue. They talk to In the News about the events in 1983 and the aftermath. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
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The response to the Hamas terror attack on October 7th has been fierce. In the weeks since then, Israel has unleashed a war against Hamas but in which thousands of civilians in Gaza have lost their lives. Where will that war lead, and who will rule Gaza if Israel achieves its goal of eliminating Hamas? Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole talks to Hugh Linehan about why the only viable process is a peace process - and why Israel's current government is not able to envisage one.
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Hugh Linehan is joined in studio by Jennifer Bray, while Pat Leahy is on the line from Brussels where he is covering the EU leaders’ summit. As Pat explains in part one of today’s Inside Politics podcast, the Israel-Hamas conflict has been top of the agenda there, with hours of negotiation going into the European Union’s call for “pauses” in the conflict in Gaza.
Also in part one, Jennifer highlights a Cabinet disagreement over future plans for housing Ukrainian refugees here, and the proposal for a 90-day time limit on State accommodation given our lack of capacity.
And in part two, the pod discusses the novel suggestion by Minister of State for Northern Ireland and former Chair of the European Research Group, Steve Baker, that a united Ireland referendum should need a ‘super majority’ of 60 per cent in the North and the Republic to carry. Something he now feels the UK Brexit vote of 2016 should have required.
Plus the panel pick their favourite articles of the week from irishtimes.com:
· Gerry Thornley celebrates Johnny Sexton’s remarkable rugby career
· Our corporation tax policies attracting unwanted international attention writes Cliff Taylor
· Karlin Lillington on the massive contradictions of Paddy Cosgrave and Web Summit
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Former MP, Tory leadership candidate, author and now host of the UK's biggest politics podcast The Rest is Politics, Rory Stewart is today's guest on Inside Politics. His gripping memoir Politics on the Edge (now available in paperback) is the jumping off point for a wide-ranging discussion:
- How the West blundered in Iraq and Afghanistan
- Why answering a call for new blood in politics led him to become a Tory MP
- His difficult relationship with David Cameron
- His disillusionment with the fundamental ‘unseriousness’ of UK politics
- Minister of State for Northern Ireland Steve Baker’s statement that a border poll should need a supermajority to pass
- The nature of constitutional politics and referendums
- His disbelief and disappointment when Boris Johnson became his party’s leader and UK prime minister
- Liz Truss as a Margaret Thatcher tribute act
- Why Keir Starmer will be the next prime minister - and the two things he lacks for the job.
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Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look at the week in Irish politics:
- Foreign policy came to Dáil Éireann as Government and opposition tried and failed to agree a motion on the crisis in Israel and Palestine.
- Dismay at the Department of Health and the HSE over a shortfall in funding for next year spills out into the open.
- The political response to devastating flooding in Cork and the reality that climate mitigation will be among the State's biggest problems for - at least - decades to come.
Plus the panel pick their Irish Times stories of the week:
Does President Michael D. Higgins see Russia as a colonial power - and why should we care?
A weary response to Time Out's claim that Smithfield is the second-coolest place on on the planet.
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From Banbridge, County Down, Irish Times Books Editor Martin Doyle grew up in the heart of the 'Linen Triangle', home of Northern Ireland's biggest industry, and also within the 'Murder Triangle', a region blighted by sectarian violence during The Troubles. Martin has written a book, Dirty Linen, that explores that time through the stories of the people he grew up amongst. He talks to Hugh Linehan.
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Having already amassed a $26 billion fortune at 28, cryptocurrency entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was the world's richest person under 30. He was also the most prominent advocate of the 'effective altruism' movement, pledging to donate millions of dollars to charities he judged would make the greatest positive difference.
Then, it all came crashing down. Bankman-Fried is currently on trial in New York for fraud, after the collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange exposed the misuse of customer funds.
But he is no ordinary greedy billionaire, says best-selling author Michael Lewis, who had already chosen Bankman-Fried as the subject of his next book before his fortunes changed.
Lewis, whose previous books include Moneyball, The Big Short and Flash Boys, returns to the Inside Politics podcast to talk to Hugh Linehan about the highly unusual personality, methods and motivations of Sam Bankman-Fried. He also addresses the criticisms he himself has faced for his relatively favourable depiction of a man charged with conspiracy, money laundering and fraud.
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The horrific events this week in Israel and the Gaza Strip are the subject of part one of today's podcast. Harry McGee has been watching the conflict, and Ireland's political response to it, unfold.
In part two Jack Horgan-Jones talks about ongoing reaction to this week's Budget. With Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael working together in harmony as they control the State's finances, how can the parties differentiate themselves at the next election?
Plus the panel pick their favourite articles of the week from irishtimes.com:
- Gordon Manning on the unlikely childhood GAA experience of a family of All Black rugby stars
- Mark Paul on signs that next year's UK election could be nasty
- Remembering a legendary Irish philanthropist
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Budget 2024 was a missed opportunity to invest more in housing and tackle chronic problems in our health system, says Sinn Féin spokesperson for finance Pearse Doherty. Pearse joins Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Hugh to talk about Budget 2024 in detail and spell out what Sinn Féin would do differently.
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Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look at the week in politics:
- If past years are anything to go by, most of the Budget 2024 measures will have been leaked by next Tuesday. The fact they haven't yet been shows how difficult negotiations are this year, with Ministers competing for cash to spend on pet projects.
- Labour TD for Wexford Brendan Howlin announced he will retire at the next election. We look back on the former party leader and minister for public expenditure's long career.
- UK Labour leader Keir Starmer cast doubt on the prospect of a vote on reunification, should he succeed in becoming Prime Minister.
Plus our panellists pick their favourite Irish Times journalism from this week:
- Finn McRedmond isn’t into a proposed National Women’s Museum.
- Martin Wall reports from Washington on the dramatic ouster of Kevin McCarthy.
- Mark Paul on Rishi Sunak’ attempt to portray himself as a change-maker after his party’s 13-year reign.
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On today's podcast:
Jack Horgan-Jones on the darkening economic backdrop to next week's delivery of Budget 2024.
Mark Paul reports from the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester where Prime Minister Rushi Sunak delivered some headline-grabbing 'common sense' pledges. But throughout the week he was overshadowed by those with an eye on replacing him.
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Today’s guest is Canadian academic and author Naomi Klein. Klein shot to fame with her first book, No Logo, which offered an acute critique of how powerful corporations in the 1990s had profited off exploitation in a globalizing world.
Her later books have examined a range of subjects including crisis capitalism, militarism, and the climate crisis.
In her new book Doppelganger Klein uses the fact that she is commonly confused online for a very different writer, Naomi Wolf, who has called Covid-19 vaccine programmes ‘mass murder’, as a device to explore modern themes including online identity, conspiracy theories and the 21st Century supremacy of the ‘personal brand’.
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Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to discuss the week in politics:
- The latest Irish Times / Ipsos opinion poll shows Sinn Féin continuing to gain. Other poll results foreshadow the potential for difficult negotiations if the party needs to form a coalition with Fianna Fáil.
- Beyond the next election, the poll shows long term problems for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael when it comes to attracting young voters.
- Budget 2024 is just over a week away and for now the message is that this will not be a pre-election giveaway - but will that hold?
- Taoiseach Leo Varadkar dropped an unusual and somewhat controversial reference this week, prompting our panel to speculate about his TV viewing habits.
Plus the panel select their favourite reads of the week:
- Without even mentioning the song, Diarmaid Ferriter has (hopefully) the last work on Zombiegate.
- Michael McDowell calls for a new agency to reverse Dublin's decline
- And Pat commends our reporters' wide coverage of this week's historic drugs bust.
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A constitutional stopwatch is now ticking for the way in which some senators are elected. And it’s finally time for the Seanad reform which successive governments have promised but failed to deliver. That’s according to Tomás Heneghan, the University of Limerick graduate who won a landmark Supreme Court case earlier this year over being denied the right to vote for the upper houses’s university seats. On today's podcast he talks to Hugh and Pat about his historic case and how complying with it could cause problems for the coalition.
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Our Friday wrap of the week returns with the start of the new political season. Jennifer Bray, Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh to discuss the week in politics:
- What should we call the ugly scenes outside Dáil Éireann this week - and what sort of response should there be?
- As politicians gear up for a period with lots of elections, is Taoiseach Leo Varadkar creating friction with his coalition partners?
- The concerns of farmers were in focus at the Ploughing Championships this week - as was their dislike of the Greens.
Plus the panel nominate their favourite IT articles of the week, including:
- Justine McCarthy on a growing healthcare controversy
- Naomi O'Leary on Ireland's risky exposure to the Chinese economy
- and Roísín Ingle's paean to the joys of day-drinking.
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Peter Foster tells today’s Irish Times Inside Politics podcast that, while polls show a majority of British voters now think it was a mistake to leave the European Union, it is unlikely any UK government in the foreseeable future will seek to rejoin.
What is needed instead, the Financial Times journalist says, is greater honesty on the subject from political leaders, in particular from Keir Starmer’s Labour party, which currently looks set to win next year’s general election.
In his new book What Went Wrong With Brexit and What To Do About It, Peter argues the UK is facing a future of stagnation and decline unless its political leaders start to confront the challenges posed by Brexit.
What Went Wrong With Brexit and What To Do About It is published by Canongate.
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How hard it is it to write a tell-all book about Sinn Féin, a political party known among journalists for its secrecy and its on-message discipline? Aoife Moore, author of The Long Game, a new book on the party, was expecting at least some cooperation - but it didn't really work out that way. Of those few who were willing to talk, she says, many had their own motives.
In the Mindfield area at this year's Electric Picnic festival, Aoife sat down with Pat Leahy and Harry McGee to talk about the book, the party and its leaders, past and present.
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October 10th is Budget Day, so it is the time of the year for politicians and lobbyists to make their cases for extra spending and tax cuts in 2024.
It will be a year when Ireland is forecast to run a surplus of over €10 billion, leaving lots of room to manoeuvre, and plenty of decisions in the hands of Minister for Finance Michael McGrath and Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe.
On today's podcast Mr Donohoe joins Hugh and Pat to talk about Budget 2024.
Of specific measures, the Minister gives little away. But he does provide an insight into his thinking about the balancing act that must be struck.
They also discuss the risk posed to stability by unpredictable corporate tax receipts, the future for RTÉ and whether Fine Gael still has something to offer in government beyond the next election.
And Mr Donohoe takes the opportunity to criticise Pat's argument that the Government is short on ideas.
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Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Pat Leahy to talk about the big political stories of the week:
News that RTÉ licence fee receipts have continued to plummet will be of concern when the Cabinet meets this week
A spike in road deaths is another issue for the coalition to grapple with
Political party think-in season is about to commence, but the annual events are not what they used to be, lament our correspondents.
Plus: Northern Editor Freya McClements on the waning prospects of a restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly, and the attrition a lack of leadership is causing to day-to-day lives of citizens. What is in the mind of DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, in whose hands powersharing lies?
The Electoral Commission has published its highly anticipated constituency review which, as expected, recommends an increase in the number of Dáil seats to let representation keep pace with population growth.
The review, which is expected to be approved by the Dáil, also recommends the creation of new constituencies and the adjustment of others.
But what does it all mean for voters and politicians? Cormac McQuinn and Harry McGee join Pat Leahy to dig into the review.
Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to discuss the big stories of the past few weeks:
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Is Minister for Media Catherine Martin at risk of seeming too passive in her handling of the RTÉ payments controversy?
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The Electoral Commission will shortly reveal new constituency boundaries, amounting to a new political landscape for voters and politicians to get to grips with. And politicians are extremely keen to see what it will mean for them.
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The issue of crime on city streets is a difficult one for politicians like Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to handle - especially when there is little agreement on what exactly, or how severe, the problem really is.
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An Irish Times report revealed that Ireland will provide weapons training to Ukrainian soldiers. The news has prompted questions about whether the plan violates military neutrality. Could the policy cause strife between the coalition partners?
Thanks to everyone who got in touch about The Bertie Years. Tell us what political history you would like Inside Politics to cover next by emailing us at politicspodcast@irishtimes.com.
The final episode of the series ends with a bang, or rather a crash, as Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy detail how Bertie’s own finances are under the microscope as he faces into his last general election as leader of Fianna Fáil, while the global financial earthquake comes into view.
This is part four of The Ahern Years. Parts one, two and three are also available.
In this episode Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy pore over what comes after Fianna Fáil's successful 2002 general election amid the ongoing boom. The defeats in local and European elections in 2004, the twin debacles of e-voting and decentralisation, and Charlie McCreevy exiting stage right, all raise questions about Bertie's decision-making.
This is part three of The Ahern Years. Parts one and two are also available.
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In this episode Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy delve into Bertie Ahern's first government as Taoiseach, a government which oversees unprecedented economic growth as the Celtic Tiger years begin. And Bertie writes his name into the history books for his role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland.
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His legacy is debated, but there's no denying that Bertie Ahern is one of the most significant figures in Irish political history.
Over the next few episodes Pat Leahy tells the story of the life and political career of the former Taoiseach and assesses his impact on modern Ireland.
In the first instalment Pat examines Ahern's rise to prominence within Fianna Fáil, how he first came close to power before having it snatched away by a political ally turned foe, and the smart general election campaign that saw him assume the office of Taoiseach on June 26th, 1997.
There’s never a dull moment when it comes to US politics, as proved again today with the announcement of fresh criminal charges against former president Donald Trump. In this episode, Staff writer at the New Yorker Clare Malone joins Hugh to take a look at the state of US politics through the lens of current media trends, what we can expect from the year ahead and how an election paralleled with multiple criminal trials might play out.
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Who are Sinn Féin and what really makes the party different, if anything? Who holds real sway within the party? What role do activists play, and who are its up-and-coming stars? Freya McClements and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to talk about Ireland's most popular party.
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The Dáil summer recess has arrived and our political experts Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn have convened to look back on the political season:
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The relative political fortunes of Micheál Martin and Leo Varadkar.
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Do polls suggest Sinn Féin has hit a ceiling of support?
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Did the Government get a handle on the migrant accommodation crisis? Or can it claim real progress on broader issue of a lack of housing?
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How has the huge budget surplus perturbed politics?
Plus, Jennifer reveals what the Leinster House gossip is saying about the timing of the next election.
In a summer heatwave gripping countries including Spain, Italy, France and Greece, Europeans are experiencing temperatures more commonly found in the Sahara desert. The consequences for human health, agriculture and the environment are expected to be severe. How are European political institutions responding to what seems to be a troubling new reality? Naomi O'Leary reports from Brussels.
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Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics including hopefully the final week of RTÉ Oireachtas committee mania and the spiralling cost of delivering the National Children's Hospital.
Plus they select the finest Irish Times articles from throughout the week, including what happens when you send a grumpy sportswriter to report on politics.
It's The Twelfth and to mark Unionism's day of celebration Hugh talks to Dr Aaron Edwards, author of A People Under Siege: The Unionists of Northern Ireland from Partition to Brexit and Beyond.
On today’s Inside Politics podcast Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray to discuss the week in politics:
- The crisis at RTÉ is entering its third week but, with appearances by Ryan Tubridy and Noel Kelly before an Oireachtas committee and the takeover by Kevin Bakhurst as Director General all happening next week, the story is not going away, much as weary RTÉ executives and politicians might want it to.
- The Summer Economic Statement prompted some criticism from economists opposed to excessive spending - but little from opposition politicians. Why?
- Opposition to hate speech legislation currently making its way through the Seanad is filling up the inboxes of politicians like Fianna Fail’s Lisa Chambers. But do people’s concerns have much to do with what’s actually in the bill?
Plus the panel recommend their Irish Times articles of the week:
- Newton Emerson on the complexities of talking about how a United Ireland would actually work
- John Fitzgerald on whether the IDA’s current strategy is right for an Ireland of inflation, full employment and overstretched services.
- Patrick Freyne’s guide to the year’s best TV
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Under the leadership of Holly Cairns, the Cork South-West TD who took over from Catherine Murphy and Roisin Shortall in March, the Social Democrats are riding high among the smaller political parties in Dail Eireann - according to opinion polls at least.
But what is the party all about? How is it different from Sinn Fein, the biggest party on the left? And if the Soc Dems were to combine with other political parties in a coalition of compromise after the next election, where would its policy red lines be?
Holly Cairns sat down with Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy to discuss leadership, politics and policy. But first, they talk about the latest revelations in the crisis at RTE over secret payments to Ryan Tubridy and the future of the national public service broadcaster.
In a wide-ranging interview in today's Irish Times, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee talks about remarks critical of her taking maternity leave while in office, the stint by Cabinet colleague Simon Harris in her job and her future ambitions. And on today's podcast Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray listen back to excerpts from the interview and apply some political analysis.
But first, Jack and Jen threaten to establish a new world order in the absence of Hugh Linehan and the rest of the politics team, before settling down into a discussion of RTE's terrible week, as the broadcaster's top brass endured grillings in front of two Oireachtas committees over secret payments to Ryan Tubridy. Has the management team been irreparably damaged by its association with the week's events?
Hosting Inside Politics in Hugh Linehan’s absence, Pat Leahy is joined by Current Affairs Editor of The Irish Times, Arthur Beesley and Professor Jane Suiter from DCU’s School of Communications to discuss where we are now after yesterday's statement from RTÉ on Ryan Tubridy’s controversial pay deal.
Are we likely to get satisfactory answers from today’s Oireachtas committee or the Public Accounts committee on Thursday?
And the panel tease out how those running RTÉ can possibly re-establish trust when its own employees are protesting, as well as where its often-complicated relationship with politics goes from here.
Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to talk about the week in politics, including:
The fiasco unfolding at RTÉ over Ryan Tubridy's unusual pay deal and its potential ramifications
The Labour Party's confidential review that examines where it all went wrong while they were in government
Plus, they share their favourite Irish Times piece of the week:
Séamas O’Reilly on not mentioning the war while living in Dublin
Miriam Lord's amusing take on the political reaction to the hate speech Bill
Una Mullally and Patrick Freyne look back on 40 years since Ireland's first Pride parade
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Columnist and former Fianna Fáil advisor Gerard Howlin joins Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray to talk about two controversial topics: recent comments by President Michael D Higgins and the Hate Speech bill that is making its way through the Oireachtas.
The latest Irish Times/ Ipsos opinion poll shows support for both Fine Gael and Sinn Féin has dropped, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also seeing a sharp decline in his personal rating. Fianna Fáil and the Social Democrats however, can breathe a sigh of relief after both experiencing an increase in support. Pat, Harry and Hugh analyse the results. Plus they share their favourite Irish Times piece of the week:Olivia Kelly follows in Bloom’s sticky footsteps around the capitalMark Paul on Boris Johnson’s adventures in parliamentSally Hayden on the normalisation of mass drownings in the Mediterranean
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Conor Gallagher, Irish Times Crime and Security Correspondent, has a new book out Is Ireland Neutral? The Many Myths of Irish Neutrality. He sat down with Hugh Linehan to discuss what has been an accepted position since the foundation of the Free State but doesn’t actually stand up to scrutiny.
Whether an attempt to form a military alliance with France at the end of the first world war through to the part Shannon Airport plays in US military operations, the definition of neutrality here is loose at best.
Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh to talk about the week in politics, including:
Ifac cautions coalition on expenditure and its potential consequences
Sinn Féin defend IRA commemoration in South Armagh
Is James O'Connor a Jekyll & Hyde figure within Fianna Fáil?
Plus, they share their favourite Irish Times piece of the week:
Kiss rocker Gene Simmons visits House of Commons as Ian Paisley's guest
FAI request huge investment commitment from government
Gerard Howlin highlights parties on the wrong side of history for climate change
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The podcast takes a look at the concept of ‘middle Ireland’, a concept that has been around for a long time in political discourse here, and one that has proved to be quite potent politically when comes to getting votes - but who exactly falls into the category of ‘middle Ireland’?
Do Fine Gael alone speak for this cohort? Or perhaps each party, much like the CSO or Grant Thornton, has their own definition of who the ‘squeezed middle’ is.
And could introducing some income tax reform lighten the load for middle earners here?
Political Correspondent with The Irish Times, Jennifer Bray, and Political Economist Aidan Regan from UCD, join Hugh Linehan to give their thoughts.
Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to talk about the week in politics, including:
- Ireland is on course to miss its 2030 carbon emission targets by some distance
- Some interesting takeaways from Census 2022, including lowering home ownership and fewer Catholics
- Helen McEntee taking back the reigns as Minister for Justice
Plus they share their favourite Irish Times piece of the week:
- Malachy Clerkin on why he misses the office
- Justine McCarthy on new frontiers in the hatred wars
- Dáil suspension over 'organic farmer' remark
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In his new book Public Morality and The Culture Wars, academic Bryan Fanning analyses what he calls the ‘triple divide’ between conservative, liberal and progressive viewpoints, how the moral views of those three groups differ and how they clash with growing intensity in what we call the culture wars.
He talks to Hugh Linehan about public morality, the debate over the limits of freedom of speech and why liberal and progressive thinking has diverged.
Bryan Fanning is Professor of Migration and Social Policy at University College Dublin.
The coalition Government still has plenty of time to run but, if the past week is anything to go by, the remaining months could be characterised by less cooperation and more shaping up for the electoral battles to come.
On today's podcast Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan take a listen back to an interview Pat conducted with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on Thursday in which a picture emerges of how Fine Gael will differentiate itself come election time.
In the interview the Taoiseach talks about a controversy over three Fine Gael junior ministers' decision to publicly call for a tax cut in the next budget, why Fine Gael supports lowering taxes for those on middle and upper incomes, why boosting the numbers of homes available to purchase is Fine Gael's housing priority, and how a decision will be made on the timing of the next general election.
Mr Varadkar spoke about other subjects - you can read the full article here.
The Electoral Commission is a newly established state body set up to oversee elections in Ireland. Taking on a range of existing electoral functions, it will also be responsible for deciding on the number of TDs in the Dáil and the boundaries and size of each constituency and local election area. The first report from the Commission on constituency boundaries is due out at the end of August. So what can we expect from it? To talk through the changes coming down the tracks for the electoral system and the wider impact on political parties, Hugh is joined by Cormac McQuinn, political scientist and lecturer with UCC Dr Theresa Reidy and Maynooth University lecturer Dr Adrian Kavanagh.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about the week in politics, including:
- Government reaction to the agonising migrant accommodation shortage crisis. Will voters react too when they get a chance?
- Matt Barrett's apology for making jokes about King Charles III's coronation while there as the Taoiseach's +1
- At the time of recording, local elections in Northern Ireland are looking good for Sinn Féin
Plus they share their favourite Irish Times piece of the week:
- Alex Kane on the need for Unionism to broaden its appeal
- Justine McCarthy on the political motivations of news organisations
- Joe Humphreys on the schism between liberalism and progressivism
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The ongoing crisis over a shortage of accommodation for International Protection applicants is an acute problem that risks becoming a chronic one for the State. After a week of violent clashes, arson and blockades taking place at accommodation sites, the podcast panel looks again at what's been happening, how bad the problem is and how the political system is reacting.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh to discuss the big political stories of the week.
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Political columnist and podcaster Rafael Behr returns to the podcast to talk about his new book Politics: A Survivor's Guide.
One theme of Behr’s book is denial about how toxic and dysfunctional politics has become, which he compares to his own failure to notice how his own health declined while covering the most divisive and frustrating years of Brexit.
“I'm sure these obstructions will clear themselves and I'm sure this difficulty we've all got breathing the air of politics might just pass and it's just a phase. And having yes, what I believe is clinically known as a massive bloody heart attack, certainly forced me to confront the possibility that I had underestimated the scale of the challenge.
“Now, I should be clear. The book is not one enormous extended metaphor that turns my cardiovascular system into the body politic. That would be weirdly self-aggrandizing”.
He talks to Hugh Linehan about the hope and despair of modern politics.
After the umpteenth ECB rates rise, we could potentially see the reintroduction of mortgage interest relief to take some of the pressure off homeowners - that was the first point of discussion on the Inside Politics podcast round-up this week.
The panel also gave their two cents on President Higgins’ recent speech at a reception for think tank Tasc, in which he condemned the “obsession” with achieving economic growth at the expense of ‘ecology and ethics’.
There was also a noted lack of enthusiasm at the prospect of sitting through live coverage of King Charles the III’s coronation.
And the team talk about some of the best Irish Times content of the week, including:
Fintan O’Toole’s brilliant piece on the fanatical racism of John Mitchell
Jack Horgan-Jones’s account of Donald Trump’s Doonbeg visit
Pat Leahy writing about Ireland’s approach to relations with China
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Fiona Hill returns to the podcast to talk to Hugh Linehan about how global attitudes to the war in Ukraine have shifted in the year since Russia’s invasion, the roots of widespread global apathy towards the Ukrainian cause and whether the conflict has become in some sense a ‘proxy war’ between the West and the rest, as well as a fight for Ukrainian independence and sovereignty.
They also discuss how politics in Washington, Moscow and Berlin might affect the course of the war.
Fiona Hill is a former White House official who advised presidents Bush, Obama and Trump on European and Russian affairs, and who is perhaps best known for her testimony in President Trump's impeachment hearings.
She has written a book, There Is Nothing For You Here, about her life, her path to the White House and the declining politics of the US, Britain and Russia.
She is a Senior Fellow at Brookings, a Washington-based think-tank.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin's rant in the Dáil was the first point of discussion on the podcast's round-up this week. The rant was aimed at the brand of investigative journalism being carried out by The Ditch, journalism that Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy agree, 'stands on its own'.
And while the Tánaiste's outburst was uncharacteristic, Pat felt it 'shouldn't distract from the questions' Fianna Fail TD Niall Collins had to be asked relating to the purchase of a vacant site in Co Limerick by his wife in 2008, even if the story isn't exactly 'Watergate'.
Jennifer explains how the provision of abortion care in this country is 'not serving women as the law stipulated', and getting an opinion from senior politicians on barrister Marie O'Shea's independent report has proved to be challenging to say the least.
Plus, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar played ‘one of his greatest hits’ this week when promising to cut taxes for those earners who are simply paying too much of it.
And the team talk about some of the best Irish Times content of the week, including:
- Newton Emerson on how we could potentially contribute to the subvention scheme in Northern Ireland
- Diarmaid Ferriter gives a potted history of farmer parties in Ireland
- Miriam Lord explains the Kit-Kat apology and Niall Collins
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Minister for Transport and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan talks to Hugh Linehan and Harry McGee about policies and politics.
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Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to discuss the week in politics:
- How should the Government use this year's forecast €10 billion budget surplus?
- TDs are obsessed with what the new Electoral Commission will do to constituency boundaries. History shows they have good reason.
- Secretary general at the Department of Health Robert Watt's appearance at the Oireachtas finance committee did the opposite of putting the story about Dr Tony Holohan's botched appointment to bed.
Plus the panel pick their IT stories of the week:
- Ciara O'Brien on a big week in the world of Elon Musk
- Naomi O'Leary writing about free public transport in Luxembourg. It is popular but are people in their cars less? Find out here.
- Harry McGee on Eamon Ryan's strong opposition to Dublin Port's development plans.
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On today’s Inside Politics podcast Hugh Linehan is joined by Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones from our political team to discuss this week’s stories, including:
- Focus on Sinn Féin’s link to discredited witness Jonathan Dowdall since the conclusion of the Regency trial this week. Will the connection harm the party at election time?
- Fine Gael TD John Paul Phelan’s intention to stand down at the next election is on the grounds of ill health. But there is also a broader trend of politicians leaving politics behind.
- A report into the botched appointment of Dr Tony Holohan to a state-funded position at Trinity College Dublin showed how surprisingly sloppy the process had been and revealed a major dispute among senior civil servants over who knew what, when.
- Will independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice really launch a new political party catering to farmers fed up with the Green agenda?
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Irish Times Washington Correspondents past and present, Simon Carswell and Martin Wall, have both been covering US president Joe Biden's visit to Ireland this week.
They join Pat Leahy to talk about what the visit has been like and how it has gone down at home in the US, here in Ireland and elsewhere.
They look at Mr Biden's comments here and ask how well he's balanced the various diplomatic, political and emotional aspects of his presence.
And they discuss some surprising comments Mr Biden made in Dáil Éireann that may give ammunition to those arguing the 81 year old is too old to run again in 2024.
Gerard Howlin and Freya McClements join Pat Leahy to talk about all the politics surrounding US President Joe Biden's visit to Ireland. The four-day tour gets going in earnest today with an address at Ulster University in Belfast.
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The whole world is a series of collective action problems, says Professor Ben Ansell. We want action taken to solve problems, but we want most of the benefits of those actions for ourselves while wanting others to bear the costs. These conflicts are at the heart of the failure of politics to solve many pressing problems, from housing to climate change.
In his new book Why Politics Fails: The Five Traps of the Modern World & How to Escape Them, he looks in detail at these conflicts and why modern politics leaves us so disappointed.
On today's podcast Ben talks to Hugh Linehan about how politics works on a human level, why trust in politics has declined, the importance of institutions, the evolution of political parties, and why housing is the defining issue of the age.
Ben Ansell is Professor of Comparative Democratic Institutions at Oxford University. Why Politics Fails is his fourth book.
Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh to look back at the week in politics:
- Bad-tempered Dáil debates on confidence motions this week
- Defence Forces in crisis following the Women of Honour report
- US president Joe Biden's Ireland visit schedule confirmed
And the team talk about some of the best Irish Times content of the week, including:
- Mark Paul on the outcome of the SNP leadership race and the opportunity for the Labour Party in Scotland.
- Are private cars a bad thing or a good thing? Both views appeared in the opinion pages of The Irish Times this week.
- Forbes magazine's ongoing failure to make amends with Limerick city
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April marks 25 years since the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement was reached, ending the Troubles and establishing a new political arrangement on the island of Ireland.
But today the institutions that were set up back in 1998 are in crisis.
Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole talks to Hugh Linehan about the significance of the Agreement:
- The events that led up to the deal and the role of John Hume
- The impact of the Agreement on the evolution of Sinn Féin
- How Brexit trampled on the ideas underpinning the Agreement
- The future of the powersharing institutions and how Northern Ireland has moved on
Despite the government's comfortable defeat of a motion of no confidence this week, the fallout continues as it reacts to the forthcoming lifting of the eviction ban. "They've made a hames of it," according to Pat Leahy. Jack Horgan Jones analyses how Green support is slipping among young voters and the number of WhatsApp leaks is indicative of a very unhappy party. Plus, the attitude to the Windsor Framework in Brussels and is Leo Varadkar in the make-or-break phase of his political career?
Hugh's article of the week is Finn McRedmond's opinion piece on whether this generation is worse off than its parents.
Pat particularly enjoyed Fintan O'Toole' grudging admission that he's finally fallen in love with rugby.
Jack Horgan Jones recommends Mark Paul's London Letter, after attending the annual Press and Political Reception at the Irish embassy in Belgravia.
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The contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon has been heating up over the last number of weeks, as the three candidates vying for the position, have clashed over policy issues and the future of the party. The first leadership contest in 20 years; it’s generally believed to be a two-horse race between current Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, with former Minister for Community Safety Ash Regan, trailing behind in popularity.
So what can we expect from the final days of the contest, will the next leader unite or divide the SNP and how will the emerging cracks be covered over?
To discuss all this and more, Hugh is joined by Scotland Editor of The Spectator Alex Massie and London Correspondent Mark Paul who is following the contest from Edinburgh.
It's St Patrick's Day week and ministers are flying off to press the flesh around the world. Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to talk about everything that's going on back home in politics including:
- Joe Biden will visit Ireland next month. How will he be received North and South?
- Tanaiste Micheal Martin says Ireland has 'turned a corner' on housing. Is he right?
- An errant tweet has landed the Green Party's communications director in hot water and put the spotlight on divisions within the party.
One issue has dominated the agenda on what was an already busy week for politics. The decision to lift the eviction ban was a shock reversal of what was expected from Tuesday's cabinet meeting, according to Jack Horgan-Jones. The maelstrom of personal stories from worried renters gives the opposition an easily-understood attack line from now until the next election. Coalition tensions are also mounting over plans to reduce private car usage, with Green ambitions to introduce congestion charges. Cormac McQuinn also highlights the potential minefield for the government if it opts for holding three referendums relating to gender equality in November. Plus the panel choose their Irish Times article of the week:
Kitty Holland's explainer on referendums relating to the constitution's article on 'women in the home'
Fiona Reddan's deep dive into why Ireland has Europe's most expensive housing market
Conor Capplis' passionate article in favour of Paul Mescal taking the Oscar for Best Actor at this weekend's Academy Awards
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People Before Profit TD for Dún Laoghaire Richard Boyd Barrett talks to Hugh and Jen about a pamphlet recently published by his party that set out its unashamedly radical politics and questioned how far the electorate could trust Sinn Fein to implement left-wing policies if in government.
They also discuss Richard's views on the need to nationalise industries, how to tackle the housing crisis and when it is appropriate to object to housing in a politician's constituency.
Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about the week in politics:
- Minister of state Niall Collins fails to put questions over a planning application to bed
- People Before Profit publish a remarkable document
- Where new Soc Dems leader Holly Cairns can find votes for her party
Plus the panel talk about their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:
- Matt Hancock's leaked Whatsapp messages
- Harry McGee talks to a Louth councillor who was targeted online for her stance on refugees
- Denis Staunton paints a picture of springtime in Beijing
The Government and the European Union expect British prime minister Rishi Sunak to proceed with the new deal on the Northern Ireland protocol even if the DUP ultimately rejects it, according to sources in Dublin and Brussels.
But where would that leave politics in Northern Ireland?
To talk about the deal and how it is going down in Dublin, London and Belfast, Hugh talks to Pat Leahy, Mark Paul and Sarah Creighton.
Holly Cairns is seen as the most likely contender to succeed Roisin Shorthall and Catherine Murphy, who announced they’re to step down as co-leaders of the Social Democrats this week. Harry McGee observes the party’s younger generation of TDs and councillors may better reflect the profile of the party’s membership. The first Irish Times poll of 2023 is reassuring for Fine Gael and Sinn Fein while perhaps offering a jolt for Fianna Fail, which has seen a slight drop in support since Micheál Martin departed the role of Taoiseach. Pat Leahy says the poll is also noteworthy for the number of undecideds, suggesting there’s a large group of voters still to be won over before the next election. We were expecting a deal on the NI Protocol this week but it appears the British PM’s biggest stumbling block may be overcoming the objections of his own backbenchers. And there was embarrassment for Fine Gael in the Dáil this week after Minister of State, Kieran O’Donnell, forgot to oppose a PBP bill which allowed it to pass to the next stage.
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How the war in Ukraine is seen in Europe and around the world is complex and always changing, but there's no doubt that global perceptions. and motivations will play a role in how the conflict plays out and ultimately comes to an end.
To discuss the global aspect of the war, Hugh is joined by China correspondent Denis Staunton, Brussels correspondent Naomi O'Leary and Berlin correspondent Derek Scally.
Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to talk through some of the biggest political stories of the week including Nicola Sturgeon’s shock resignation and what it might mean for Scottish independence. They also discuss the latest Mick Wallace controversy which surfaced following a viral TikTok video. But first, progress continues on the protocol talks, but how close are we to a deal and what hurdles still remain?
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The political debate around the impact of Brexit on the United Kingdom and its future economic relationship with Europe is 'just on hold at the moment' according to one of the UK's leading political scientists, Professor David Runciman.
He talks to Hugh about UK politics today, including Keir Starmer's cautious leadership of the Labour Party, Rishi Sunak's unpopularity, and what he calls a 'phoney war' as populist and Brexit issues lie dormant - but haven't gone away.
He also talks about his lecture at UCC last week, where he argued that it is states and corporations, not individuals, that must adapt to avert the existential crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.
David Runciman is Professor of Politics at Cambridge University. He delivered the annual Philip Monahan lecture at University College Cork. Thanks to UCC for helping to facilitate this episode.
Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to talk about the readmission to Fianna Fáil of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who led the party for 13 years before leaving under a shadow.
How is Ahern's return being received within the party, and what are his ambitions?
Then they discuss the imminent lapsing of various cost-of-living measures introduced by Government last year to help hard-hit citizens. But living in Ireland remains too expensive for many. Could payments like the energy credit be repeated? Could mortgage interest relief make a comeback?
Today we answer listener questions about the North and South project, with help from Professor Brendan O’Leary of the University of Pennsylvania and Professor John Garry of Queen’s University Belfast.
The North and South research project – a collaboration between The Irish Times and ARINS [Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South], which is a joint research project of the Royal Irish Academy and the Keough-Naughton Centre for Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame - sought to examine attitudes about the future of the island, and the likely outcomes of any Border polls.
Listeners submitted questions about the nature of a border poll, reform of institutions in different jurisdictions and how much the Republic should be willing to change to make a United Ireland a reality.
Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to talk about the week in politics:
- A letter from Minister Roderic O'Gorman to cabinet colleagues asking for help in securing “sports centres… conference facilities, arts centres, student leisure centres [and] any other large buildings that are deemed safe” in order to house refugees shows just how bad this crisis has become.
- The Government is increasingly worried about the protests against the housing of refugees and asylum seekers around the country.
- A report this week that a deal between the UK and the EU over the Northern Ireland protocol was done turned out to be premature - but a deal may be imminent.
- The story about a legal strategy to discourage claims against the state by citizens overcharged for nursing home care shows again how the system favours the well-resourced when disputes arise
With any subscription you'll get unlimited access to the very best in unique quality journalism from The Irish Times. Subscribe today.
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Labour leader Ivana Bacik talks to Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy about her efforts to revive the party's fortunes since taking over early last year.
In a political landscape where most parties are promising similar things, how can Labour cut through?
And how much of Sinn Féin's agenda would Labour be willing to support if a coalition agreement were on the cards after the next election?
Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to look back on the week in politics.
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Claims of electoral expense irregularities expand to ensnare Sinn Fein
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Female politicians speak out about threats and aggression
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Home building figures are not transformative enough to solve housing crisis
With any subscription you'll get unlimited access to the very best in unique quality journalism from The Irish Times. Subscribe today.
No elections take place this year. But 2024 could see local, European and general elections all taking place in Ireland. And these looming political battles will shape what political parties do this year
UCC's Theresa Reidy joins Hugh, Pat and Jack to get ahead of the curve and discuss next year's elections.
How important are next year's local elections in setting the scene for what's to come after?
Will the "vote left transfer left" pact be repeated?
How do the government parties compete with one another while fighting a surging Sinn Fein?
Will the general election be called early? And will Micheal Martin still be Fianna Fail party leader heading into it?
Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe has cultivated a reputation for being a safe pair of political hands, so it has been surprising to watch him fumble his response to revelations over donations-in-kind made to his reelection efforts in 2016 by businessman Michael Stone.
You can read about the details of what has been alleged and how Mr Donohoe has responded here.
On the podcast Harry McGee and Pat Leahy look at just how bad this is for Mr Donohoe.
Plus: The asylum seeker accommodation crisis is now verging on catastrophe.
"If we push honest views below ground, we simply push those views into the hands of real racists".
That statement, referring to the hot-button issue of migration, is typical of Meath West TD and Aontú party leader Peadar Tóibín, who likes to portray Aontú as neither left nor right but a party of "common sense".
Will that approach win Aontú many votes?
It's now exactly four years since the party's foundation and, while it has had few electoral successes so far, polling suggests it enjoys similar support to some of the longer-established small parties.
Peadar Tóibín talks to Hugh Linehan and Jack Horgan-Jones about what electoral success looks like for his party, the importance of "culture war" versus "bread-and-butter" issues and some reflections on his former party Sinn Fein.
This episode is the first in a series looking at small parties. We'll be back on Friday with a round-up of the week's political news.
With any subscription you'll get unlimited access to the very best in unique quality journalism from The Irish Times. Subscribe today.
Struggling in your job, your attitude, your relationships? There are a growing number of self-declared online experts who have all the answers.
Author and journalist Helen Lewis returns to the podcast to talk about her new podcast series The New Gurus, which takes a close look at the phenomenon of these online sages who have a major impact on the outlook and often the political views of millions of people worldwide.
They talk about magnetic online personalities, from Russel Brand to Jordan Peterson. How much of it is a grift? And how much influence do the new gurus really have?
You can listen to The New Gurus on BBC Sounds.
Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to discuss the fallout from a report on The Ditch news website that Meath West Fine Gael TD Damien English made a false claim on a planning application which allowed him to build a second house.
The news forced Deputy English to resign his post as a junior minister.
On today's podcast:
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The crisis in Emergency Departments this winter reveals a lack of accountability in the upper echelons of the system, among other issues.
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Was an attack on TDs with bags of excrement at a public meeting indicative of “a creeping sinister aggression” against politicians, as Ciaran Cannon claimed?
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Pat explains what is going on behind the scenes in the negotiations over the Northern Ireland Protocol. How would the DUP react to a deal that left even a much-changed Protocol in place?
With any subscription you'll get unlimited access to the very best in unique quality journalism from The Irish Times. Subscribe today.
New year, new Taoiseach, but the same headwinds facing the Government in areas like housing, refugee accommodation and a struggling healthcare system.
Jack Horgan-Jones and columnist Gerard Howlin join Pat to talk about political goings-on in the first week of 2023 and whether Leo Varadkar's second stint as Taoiseach will be any different than his first.
It's part two of our annual Ask Us Anything, featuring questions on journalism, politics and a podcasting rivalry.
Taking your questions in studio are Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones, with a cameo from Cormac McQuinn.
Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our listeners.
You asked, we answered. It's part one of our annual Ask Us Anything, featuring questions on journalism, politics and a podcasting rivalry.
Taking your questions in studio are Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones, with additional help from Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary.
What happened in the Cabinet reshuffle? Not a lot, is one reasonable answer - there were no surprises, most ministers stayed where there were and any moves had been well flagged in advance.
But the day’s events still raised interesting questions for our politics team Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones to answer on this episode of the Inside Politics podcast.
Is the unchanged Cabinet a sign of stability - or a sign of stagnation and a death of new talent?
How did Stephen Donnelly win the right to retain his position in Health?
Why was Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers, moved sideways from chief whip to super junior in the Department of Transport, denied a bigger promotion?
How can Micheál Martin lead his party while travelling the world as Minister for Foreign Affairs?
Naomi O'Leary is on the line from Brussels where a money-for-influence corruption scandal has rocked the European Parliament.
But first, Jack Horgan-Jones and Cliff Taylor on the significance a proposal to overhaul planning laws and potential opposition to the bill from within government.
Current affairs editor Arthur Beesley joins Hugh and Pat to talk about his report on what happened inside the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) when its members considered whether to proceed with an investigation into the leaking of a document to a friend by Tanaiste Leo Varadkar.
The five Sipo commissioners were split 3:2 in favour of not investigating, the first time in the commission's history a decision was not unanimous.
The documents reveal the dissenting views of the two members, who voted to proceed with a preliminary investigation of Varadkar's behaviour in the matter and who expressed dissatisfaction with his rationalisation of events.
That the two votes were those of Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) Seamus McCarthy and Ombudsman Ger Deering, two of the most senior independent watchdogs in the State, is an uncomfortable fact for soon-to-be Taoiseach Varadkar and Fine Gael.
Plus: Pat talks about today's instalment in the North and South series on attitudes to Irish reunification.
The latest poll shows that voters in both Northern Ireland and the Republic would want the model of a future united Ireland to be clear before they voted on the issue in any referendum - but the two jurisdictions differ in which model they prefer.
North and South is a collaboration between The Irish Times and ARINS, which is a joint research project of the Royal Irish Academy and the Keough-Naughton Centre for Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
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"Loser's consent" could be a critical concept in the event of a referendum on Irish reunification. Will the losing side accept the results? We got some idea of attitudes from new poll results published by The Irish Times this week as a part of our North and South series.
Professor John Garry of Queens University Belfast and Northern Editor Freya McClements join Hugh and Pat to discuss the levels of willingness that exist on the island to compromise and accommodate the other side in the event of a united Ireland.
Plus: How should we read the large number of "don't knows" in the poll on support for reunification? Could enough undecideds swing towards unity within the ten-year timeframe talked about by Sinn Féın?
North and South is a collaboration between The Irish Times and ARINS, which is a joint research project of the Royal Irish Academy and the Keough-Naughton Centre for Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
John Garry is professor of political behaviour, and director of the Democracy Unit, at Queen’s University Belfast. He has published widely on public opinion, voting behaviour, and deliberation in Ireland, North and South. He wrote Consociation and Voting in Northern Ireland: Party Competition and Electoral Behaviour (University of Pennsylvania Press) and co-authored The Irish Voter (Manchester University Press). He is currently leading the Northern Ireland Assembly Election Study, 2022, funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council.
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When should a referendum on Irish unity be held, and how would citizens north and south vote? The answer to those questions are the subject of the first instalment of a series on Irish reunification, North and South, published today in The Irish Times.
Professor Brendan O'Leary and Irish Times features editor Mary Minihan join Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy to discuss the findings of the poll.
They also discuss what was learned from focus groups held north and south on the same issues, with factors including security, the economy and identity playing major roles in shaping attitudes.
North and South is a collaboration between The Irish Times and ARINS, which is a joint research project of the Royal Irish Academy and the Keough-Naughton Centre for Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
Brendan O’Leary is Lauder professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, and honorary professor of political science at Queen’s University Belfast – and a member of its Democracy Unit. An honorary member of the Royal Irish Academy, his recent books include A Treatise on Northern Ireland (Oxford University Press) and Making Sense of a United Ireland (Penguin Ireland). He chairs the public opinion committee of ARINS, a joint initiative of the Royal Irish Academy and the University of Notre Dame.
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Next month Fianna Fáil's Micheal Martin will hand over the office of Taoiseach to Fine Gael's Leo Varadkar.
The switch will necessitate a big reshuffle of cabinet positions. Or will it? Our political team has the latest Leinster House chat about how extensive the December reshuffle will be and which positions might be in the mix.
Plus: Roderick O'Gorman struggles with migration challenges, a report from the Green Party convention and a decisive victory for Fine Gael in the battle to save Christmas.
On the podcast today:
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How much of the East Wall refugee protest story is really an outworking of the housing shortage? With Russia's targeting of energy infrastructure in Ukraine likely to accelerate the flow of migrants, the shortage of space for refugees this winter looks increasingly like a major crisis.
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Evidence heard at the trial of Gerard Hutch for the murder of David Byrne has been embarrassing for Sinn Féin and party leader Mary Lou McDonald.
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As the Green Party hold their conference this week Harry assesses their place and performance in the government coalition so far.
Political correspondents Harry McGee and Jennifer Bray join Pat Leahy to discuss how the Government is grappling with some disquiet over immigration, as evidenced by protests against the arrival of refugees in the East Wall area of Dublin this week.
Plus: Housing is never far from the agenda and this week a Private Members bill was introduced calling for the housing situation to be declared an emergency.
Non-political stories have dominated the news agenda this week, but each has a political dimension. Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh to discuss the week's events.
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"After months of rising tensions between Washington and Beijing amid talk of economic decoupling and a new cold war, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping sought in Bali to turn down the heat" wrote Irish Times China Correspondent Denis Staunton about this week's G20 summit. Denis joins Hugh to talk about how the relationship between China and the West is evolving.
But first Denis gives his early impressions of life in China, having taken up the role of China Correspondent this autumn.
The world’s most powerful media and technology companies use their market power to lock their customers into a relationship they can’t escape, while immiserating the creative people whose work the customers are paying for.
Companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook, Spotify, Clear Channel, Live Nation and Ticketmaster have generated enormous revenues for their shareholders while slashing the incomes of writers, journalists and musicians.
But it doesn’t have to be this way, say Cory Doctorow and Rebecca Giblin, who argue, as they explain in their new book, Chokepoint Capitalism, that it’s time to fight back against the power of big tech and big media.
Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh to look at the week's politics:
- A Supreme Court ruling creates a headache for Government
- How a stricken tech sector could change the political landscape
- Still searching for that Brexit / Protocol "landing spot"
- Do US midterm results spell the end for Trumpism?
In the run up to the US midterm elections, polls and political spectators forecast a landslide for the Republicans, but as the results continue to pour in, a different picture is beginning to emerge. The red wave that was expected on the back of the cost of living crisis, failed to materialise, with the Democrats performing far better than anticipated. To go through the winners and losers so far and to discuss what the results will mean for the Biden administration, Hugh is joined by Washington Correspondent Martin Wall.
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New legislation will give extra protection to members of groups affected by crimes motivated by hatred.
But critics say the law will be an unacceptable infringement on freedom of speech.
To dig into a thorny subject Hugh talks to speech rights expert Eoin O'Dell, a Fellow and Associate Professor at Trinity College Dublin's School of Law.
The latest Irish Times/Ipsos opinion poll shows that despite a strong desire to support Ukraine, 61 per cent of voters are concerned that “too many refugees” are coming here. And more than half of voters also disagree that Ireland should continue to accept refugees from Ukraine “no matter how many arrive”. To discuss this and more of the findings from the poll, including an unexpected rebound in support for the government and a slightly more optimistic outlook for the country in terms of the cost of living crisis, Hugh is joined by Political Editor Pat Leahy.
“Time to look at the big picture; what does it mean for me?”
Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan on this week’s Inside Politics to discuss Rishi Sunak’s elevation to PM, his appointments to cabinet and what the changes might mean for relations with Ireland.
This week saw another heated row between Sinn Fein’s Mary Lou McDonald and the Taoiseach in the Dáil; this time over the Ukrainian accommodation crisis.
Plus, after McDonald’s husband, Martin Lanigan, threatened legal proceedings against Shane Ross over his new book, we ask how far should the scrutiny of politicians’ assets extend?
The debacle of Liz Truss's short premiership has cast the entire UK political system into crisis. Not least the system used by the Tory party leadership to select its leader, which is now being accelerated to wrap up within a week. Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to talk about an extraordinary week and what comes next.
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Many Irish Times readers were talking this week about Fintan O'Toole's column on the subject of the IRA and the appropriateness of chanting "Up the 'Ra'.
Hugh talks to Fintan about his column, the debate around the chant and how the history of the Troubles is understood today.
Plus, a look at what's happening in Westminster following an extremely turbulent week for prime minister Liz Truss.
"A grim agenda" of recession, UK bond crisis and global energy crisis awaits later in today's podcast, so first the team enjoy a relatively light topic: The mini-controversy over Shane Ross's axing from RTÉ radio. The former minister had been due on air to discuss his new biography of Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald. Censorship, or run-of-the-mill editorial decision?
Plus: Is a u-turn on the controversial concrete block levy imminent?
The European Political Community, a new forum for European leaders including wannabe EU members and Brexit Britain, met for the first time yesterday at a summit in Prague.
The brainchild of French president Emmanuel Macron, the EPC seems to be going well so far, says political editor Pat Leahy - but what is it actually doing?
Plus, how far is the UK really willing to go to secure agreement with the EU on the Northern Ireland protocol?
Gerard Howlin, Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to talk about this week's politics:
- Who is satisfied or dissatisfied with last week's budget
- Irish politics and the generational divide
- The complications that will come with the imminent swapping of jobs between coalition partners
- Steve Baker's unexpected apology
Follow-up analysis of Budget 2023 including childcare measures and the concrete levy, plus a look at the difficult political choices facing UK prime minister Liz Truss after a week of turmoil on the markets. Pat Leahy talks to Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn.
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Now that the dust is beginning to settle on Budget 2023, it’s time to pick it all apart. With €11 billion to dish out, it was by all means “a budget day bonanza”, but will it go far enough? Will it work economically or politically and is there more to come? To discuss this and more, this week’s host Pat Leahy is joined by director of TASC Shana Cohen, economics columnist Cliff Taylor and political reporter Jack Horgan-Jones.
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For a quick catchup on the political news of the week, Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan. Topics include:
- Sinn Féin holds a pre-budget press conference
- Census in Northern Ireland shows Catholics outnumber Protestants for the first time
- Government announced its plan for pensions
- Our panel's favourite reads from the week
Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary talks to Hugh about forthcoming elections in Italy that look likely to return a government led by the far-right. What will that mean for the rest of Europe?
They also discuss the recent victory of the far-right Sweden Democrats and the EU's ongoing dispute with Hungarian PM Viktor Orban.
In a new book Kevin Rafter explores how art and artists have been treated by our taoisigh, from W.T. Cosgrave to Micheál Martin, and how those men have been portrayed by artists in turn.
The book is a history of the relationships between well-known artists and the taoisigh of their day, such as that between Brendan Behan and Sean Lemass.
Kevin Rafter is a professor of political communications at DCU and currently serves as chair of the Arts Council.
Party think-ins have been happening, a cost of living crisis is raging and the Dáil is back today - so there is lots to discuss. Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about Sinn Féin's positioning, the cost of living package being prepared by the government, failing to meet climate commitments and the opportunity for Liz Truss to take control presented by the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
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London editor Denis Staunton and political editor Pat Leahy join Hugh to discuss the dawning UK premiership of Liz Truss. How will she govern, and what approach is will she take on the Northern Ireland protocol?
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Professor Brendan O'Leary returns to the show to talk about his new book Making Sense of a United Ireland, in which he explores the issues around a possible future reunification in an accessible way.
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This winter, thousands of Irish households will be pushed into energy poverty, as the price of oil and gas continues to skyrocket. So, what options do politicians have to protect consumers and what trade-offs will have to be made along the way?
On today’s Inside Politics Podcast, Cormac McQuinn and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to discuss how the government will mitigate the energy crisis over the coming months. They also tackle the other political stories making waves this week including the public sector pay talks, a new report by the State’s commission on tax and welfare which recommends an increase on wealth, property and inheritance taxes, plus Dara Calleary’s new gig.
On Wednesday Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy stepped down from his role as Minister of State after weeks of controversy over his failure to properly declare business interests, including rental properties and company directorships.
To discuss the affair and what's been learned from it, Hugh is joined by Fintan O'Toole, Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy.
Religious belief has declined in Europe, but the strength of people's political views is stronger than ever - or at least, it often seems so online.
Has political identity replaced religion in people's lives?
British journalist and Atlantic magazine staff writer Helen Lewis explores this question in The Church of Social Justice, a new radio documentary for the BBC.
She talks to Hugh about where political identity and religion overlap, the value and limitations of each, and the influence of American culture wars on discourse this side of the Atlantic.
You can listen to The Church of Social Justice by Helen Lewis here.
Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray emerge from the misty miasma of August political coverage to tell Hugh what's going on in a number of stories: controversies over Fianna Fáil TD and Minister of State Robert Troy's declaration of property interests, problems at An Bord Pleanála, early speculation about potential budget measures and coping with the growing number of Ukrainian refugees in need of accommodation.
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Patrick Radden Keefe is an American writer and investigative journalist. His book Empire of Pain is a detailed history of the Sackler dynasty and their role in the American opioid epidemic. Known for their dedication to cultural philanthropy, the family built their wealth on pharmaceuticals, starting with tranquillisers like Librium and Valium, before eventually moving on to the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin. In this episode, the award-winning author talks to Hugh about the origins of the addiction crisis, the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy trial and the mark the family left on the world.
First published in August 2021. Inside Politics will return with a new episode next week.
"It is not a question of whether, but when and how Ireland will be united", is the provocative opening argument made by author and journalist Frank Connolly in his recent book United Nation: The Case for Integrating Ireland. But he concedes it won't be easy.
The book explores the steps that would be necessary in advance of a border poll and the changes that unity would bring, North and South. He talked to Hugh Linehan about his book recently.
Jack Horgan Jones, Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan, back after a two-month absence, to talk about the week's politics including tension within the the Government coalition over climate measures.
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The Government this week moved swiftly to tighten Ireland's immigration and asylum regime, when it revoked automatic permission to enter Ireland for people granted asylum in other European countries.
It comes as the system struggles to deal with the number of refugees arriving each week from Ukraine.
Will it make a difference to a system that is in danger of toppling over? And, is it a sign of a greater shake up of Ireland’s immigration policy to come?
Also in this episode of The Irish Times Inside Politics podcast, Pat Leahy is joined by Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones to discuss the political challenges facing the coalition as the Greens seek to secure the agreement of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture sector.
Pat Leahy talks to guest host Mary Minihan about the results of this week's series of Ipsos opinion poll results.
Read about the poll here: https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/poll/
Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn join Pat Leahy to discuss the confidence debate and vote that the Government handily won yesterday.
Plus, a look ahead to the autumn and beyond when Leo Vaaradkar's return to the Taoiseach's office will coincide with a winter of discontent over the cost of living.
Crucial midterm elections for the US Congress will take place in the autumn, with the Democratic Party predicted to lose one or both houses to a resurgent Republican Party. But the recent overturning of the Roe v Wade case by the US Supreme Court, ending the constitutional right to abortion, has angered Democratic pro-choice activists and spurred them into action. Can that translate into a reversal of fortunes for Democrats at the ballot box? Washington correspondent Martin Wall reports.
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With Boris Johnson on his way, however slowly, out the door, the Conservatives face a challenge to find a leader who can unite the party and retain its electoral support. Who will it be? And how will that person handle the issue of most importance to Ireland: The Northern Ireland Protocol?
Host Pat Leahy and London editor Denis Staunton are joined today by Patrick Maguire, a political journalist with The Times.
It seems to be a question of when, not if, for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose mishandling of sexual misconduct allegations against an MP has turned his party against him. But how can the party get rid of the stubborn PM? Denis Staunton reports.
But first: To talk about this week's summer economic statement and the choices that Ministers Donohoe and McGrath must make to alleviate the pain of the cost of living crisis, Pat Leahy is joined by Labour Senator Marie Sherlock and political correspondent Cormac McQuinn.
Fine Gael under leader Leo Varadkar are hopelessly out of touch with young voters, says Irish Times columnist Una Mullally. Her criticisms are unfounded and unnecessarily personal, says Fine Gael TD for Dublin Rathdown Neale Richmond. They talk to Pat Leahy about whether Fine Gael get it and what "it" is.
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Jennifer Bray, Jack Horgan-Jones and Irish Times Economics Correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy join Pat Leahy to discuss the long wait until October's budget and the mounting pressure on political leaders to ease the cost of living for Irish households. The group also discuss the proposed pay rises for top earning public servants, which is expected to provoke a strong backlash from Opposition politicians and the public.
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The rising cost of living is the most immediate issue facing governments all over the world. The Central Statistics Office reports Inflation at a 40-year high, but is the worst yet to come? UCC Economist Seamus Coffey and Irish Times Political Correspondent Jennifer Bray join Pat Leahy to discuss what to expect economically and politically over the coming months.
But first, Pat is joined by London Editor Denis Staunton and David O’Sullivan, Director General of the International Institute of International and European affairs to talk about the Northern Ireland Protocol bill which was introduced by the UK government earlier this week.
Jack Horgan-Jones is one of many parents paying through the nose for childcare. The Government wants to take some of the financial pain out of early years education and care - will its plan work?
Harry McGee plugs his new podcast GUBU, a seven-part thriller about a series of grisly murders in the 1980s and how they impacted the government of Charles Haughey.
And Denis Staunton has the latest from London where PM Boris Johnson lives to fight another day after winning a confidence vote.
Not without difficulty, EU member states reached an agreement on new sanctions against Russia, this time banning most oil imports. Pat Leahy and Naomi O'Leary were at the summit.
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Celebrated author and podcaster Jon Ronson talks to Hugh about his recent BBC podcast series Things Fell Apart which explores the origins of the culture wars through several unique stories.
Jon Ronson will be bringing his live show about Things Fell Apart to Liberty Hall Theatre, on 10th June. You can buy tickets here.
Jon will also be appearing at the Festival of Writing & Ideas, Borris House on the 11th & 12th of June.
If Sinn Féin fulfils its ambition to be the first party other than Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil to form a government in the Republic, what challenges will it face to implement its ambitious agenda?
That question is the subject of this week’s opinion piece by former political advisor Gerard Howlin.
He joins Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn on today’s Inside Politics podcast.
Plus: a new study shows trust in politics here is at an all-time low.
Part one: Following two weeks of intense debate and discussion on the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital, the plan has finally been approved by Cabinet. But at what political cost? Pat and Jen join Hugh to discuss.
In part two, London Editor Denis Staunton and Northern Editor Freya McClements assess the Stormont stalemate and the latest on the Protocol.
Pandemonium: Power, Politics and Ireland’s Pandemic, is the new book by Irish Times political reporter Jack Horgan-Jones and Hugh O’Connell, political correspondent for the Irish Independent. It examines the government handling of the coronavirus pandemic, revealing the moves, power-plays and tactics of those in charge. The co-authors join Pat Leahy, to discuss the extensive work and research that went into the book, the pivotal moments along the way and what lessons can be learned by the state’s response.
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Freya McClements, Mary Minihan and Pat Leahy join Hugh to analyse the results of last week's Northern Ireland Assembly elections.
The major talking point is Sinn Féin taking the largest number of seats for the first time, while the Alliance Party's unprecedented success signals the importance of the middle ground in Northern Ireland.
Tomorrow Northern Ireland goes to the polls, in what’s been dubbed the most important vote in a generation. For the first time in more than a century, there is the prospect of a nationalist being elected to the top job in government. What could that mean for power sharing?
In the rest of the United Kingdom, local elections are taking place. Will disgruntled Tory backbenchers use the results as an excuse to get rid of Boris Johnson?
Hugh talks to our London Editor Denis Staunton and Mick Fealty, editor of the Slugger O’Toole political news and opinion website.
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Pat and Jen join Hugh to talk about all the political stories of the past week including tension within the coalition over a proposed ban on the sale of turf, the prospect of an increased number of TDs due to a growing population and what that will mean for politics, and an argument in the Seanad over remarks by one Senator during a debate on surrogacy legislation.
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Next weekend, French voters decide whether Emmanuel Macron should remain president or Marine Le Pen should replace him. The latter result would transform France and Europe.
Next month, Northern Irish voters elect their MLAs in a vote that could see a Sinn Féin First Minister appointed for the first time.
Freya McClements and Lara Marlowe report on these two consequential campaigns.
There is overwhelming support for a retention of Ireland’s current model of military neutrality, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos poll.
Two- thirds of voters do not want to see any change in neutrality, with less than a quarter (24 per cent) saying they wanted to see a change.
Pat Leahy explains the poll results in detail.
Part one: The political controversy over the appointment of Dr Tony Holohan to a position in Trinity College has raised some awkward questions for Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and his departmental Secretary General extraordinaire Robert Watt.
Part two: The Dáil is in recess this week - time to run the rule over the performance of the various political parties and the challenges that lie before them in the rest of 2022.
Guests: Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn
Neoliberalism means different things to different people. As a set of economic policies it is mainly associated with reducing state intervention in commerce and society. In the course of its late 20th century heyday, neoliberalism transformed the world - for better or worse. But now its dominance is challenged by different models, such as the authoritarian capitalism of China.
In his new book The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order, Gary Gerstle looks at how neoliberalism took hold, how it shaped society in the United States and beyond, and what its decline means.
Gary Gerstleis Paul Mellon Professor of American History Emeritus and Paul Mellon Director of Research at the University of Cambridge.
Hugh is joined by Jennifer Bray, Cormac McQuinn and Harry McGee to discuss the big political stories of the week, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s historic address to a joint sitting of the Oireachtas earlier this morning, the debate surrounding the impending carbon tax increase and the result of the recent Seanad by-election.
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Ivana Bacik’s uncontested election as Labour Party leader came after the swift removal of Alan Kelly from the role and her own relatively recent appointment as a TD in the Dublin Bay South by-election. She talks to Hugh and Pat about her recent elevation, her vision for the future of the Labour Party and the challenges it faces in re-establishing itself as a medium-sized force in national politics.
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Hugh catches up with Pat Leahy, fresh from his trip to Washington for Micheál Martin’s ill-fated St Patrick’s Day visit. They’re also joined by Jennifer Bray to discuss the future of the coalition and the big political challenges it faces, including the resurgence of Covid, the war in Ukraine and inflation.
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As Russia’s brutal assault on Ukraine enters its fourth week, with little sign of an outcome, the question of what an endgame of this war might look like is increasingly the subject of international debate. Former editor of the Financial Times, Lionel Barber, is one of the few Western journalists to have conducted an in-depth interview with Vladimir Putin. He talks to Hugh about Putin’s motivations, how this war could end and what the geopolitical consequences of it may be.
In her new book Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century, Helen Thompson, a professor of political economy at Cambridge University, gets to grips with the overlapping geopolitical, economic, and political crises faced by Western democratic societies in the 2020s. She talks to Hugh about some of these moments and the disorder that emerged from them.
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Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty joins Hugh and Pat to discuss what his party's priorities and policies would be, if they were to lead the next government. They also discuss Ireland’s neutrality and security into the future, in light of the war in Ukraine, and whether cuts to excise duties on fuel, announced by the Government today, go far enough.
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Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought about enormous changes in European policy in an incredibly short space of time. To discuss how it happened, what it means and what happens next, Hugh is joined by Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary and Berlin correspondent Derek Scally.
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Businessman-turned-campaigner Bill Browder returns to the podcast to talk to Hugh about Russian president Vladimir Putin's actions and motivations, the impact of sanctions and other measures on him and his inner circle as well as the outlook for Ukraine as it fights back against invasion.
Browder has spearheaded a campaign against Putin and other Russian officials whom he blames for the death in 2009 of his lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow prison.
Professor Jane Suiter and political correspondent Harry McGee join Hugh to talk about the week's political stories.
- The National Women's Council of Ireland annoyed some government politicians by failing to invite them to an International Women's Day event. The row raised interesting questions about the role of civic bodies like the NCWI and their relationship with politics.
- Citizens' Assemblies were designed to help the political system digest divisive societal issues. But are they working as well as they could?
- Sinn Féin's opposition to carbon taxes sets it apart among the big parties. What's their alternative?
Academic and author Lea Ypi talks to Hugh about her unique and insightful memoir Free, in which she recalls her youth in Albania under communism, the regime's economic and political downfall and the disappointment of what came after.
Lea Ypi is professor of political theory at the London School of Economics. Free is published by Penguin.
Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about how a relaxation of the remaining Covid restrictions might play out, the merits of Ireland’s Defence Forces and the new statutory agency for domestic and gender-based violence. They also discuss Helen McEntee’s ministerial performance and how government policy is preventing local authorities from limiting Buy To Rent.
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The pandemic is not over but the emergency phase of the State's response to it is. So, how did we do? What lessons can be learned from the state's response and what's the best way to find out what those lessons are?
To discuss Hugh is joined by Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole and by political reporter Jack Horgan-Jones, who is the co-author with Hugh O'Connell of a new book, Pandemonium, about the pandemic in Ireland and the State's response.
Pandemonium will be available in April and you can preorder it now at the link below.
https://www.bookstation.ie/product/pandemonium/
Fiona Hill is a former White House official who advised presidents Bush, Obama and Trump on European and Russian affairs, and who is perhaps best known for her testimony in President Trump's impeachment hearings.
Now she has written a book, There Is Nothing For You Here, about her life, her path to the White House and the declining politics of the US, Britain and Russia.
She talks to Hugh Linehan about the book and the current tensions in Eastern Europe.
The Government is still under pressure over the so-called “champagne party” in the Department of Foreign Affairs on the night Ireland was elected to the UN Security Council two years ago, but will the incident have any lasting political impact? One issue that is certain to trouble the coalition in the coming months is inflation, as more of us begin to feel the effects of an increase in the cost of living. So, when Covid begins to fade from the headlines, what else will creep up the political agenda? Hugh talks to Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee of The Irish Times political team.
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To understand the strategy and politics behind Russian president Vladimir Putin's buildup of military might on Ukraine's border and how Ukraine, the United States, Europe and Nato are responding, Hugh talks to foreign policy expert Tom Wright.
Tom Wright is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, a Washington-based foreign policy think tank, and the director of its Centre on the United States and Europe.
He’s the author of two books: Aftershocks: Pandemic Politics and the End of the Old International Order (with co-author Colin Kahl) and All Measures Short of War: The Contest For the 21st Century and the Future of American Power.
Pressure continues to build on UK prime minister Boris Johnson. Denis Staunton has the latest from London.
But first Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray talk about Minister for Justice Helen McEntee's plan to tackle gender-based violence and the growing optimism that Covid-19 rules can be relaxed and ultimately dismantled.
Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee join Hugh to talk about the latest Covid-19 moves being considered by Government, an eye-catching ruling by the Standards in Public Office Commission and what we learned from the State papers released over Christmas.
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Pat is joined by Kevin Cunnimgham and Ed Brophy to talk about the major trends that could shape politics in 2022. Will the pandemic continue to dominate everything? How will the return of Leo Varadkar to the office of Taoiseach work in practice? If the cost of living continues its rise as a major issue of concern for voters, who will benefit politically?
Dr Kevin Cunningham is a lecturer in Politics and Chair of the MA in Journalism course at TU Dublin.
Ed Brophy is former chief advisor to Fine Gael minister for finance Paschal Donohoe and former chief of staff to Labour tánaiste Joan Burton. He is also senior associate with climate change think tank E3G.
Once again you asked and once again we will answer. Jen, Pat and Jack join Hugh to respond to listener queries on everything from the possibility of a far-right swing in one major political party's future to the role of expert advisors in the age of Covid-19 and the festive magic of Seanad reform.
Thanks to everyone who sent in questions and apologies to those whose question we didn't get to this time.
From everyone on the Inside Politics team, thanks for listening in 2021. We wish you a happy and safe 2022.
The resignation of Lord David Frost has introduced a new uncertainty to slowly-progressing talks on the Northern Ireland protocol. EU negotiators would be foolish to think Frost's departure is necessarily a good thing, says London editor Denis Staunton.
But first, public affairs editor Simon Carswell on the uncertain situation faced by the country as we head into Christmas with the Omicron variant spreading.
A rebellion by Tory MPs against Boris Johnson's "Plan B" to suppress the Omicron variant left the PM in the embarrassing position of needing Labour support. Is Johnson on borrowed time?
On the Brexit front, the UK government rowed back on its demand for European court supremacy over the Northern Ireland protocol, the Brexit agreement covering trade in Northern Ireland. Is the way now paved for a deal in the new year?
In Northern Ireland, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is "a mouse dodging under the feet of two elephants" when it comes to the protocol negotiations. Where will a deal leave the DUP with some of its more anti-protocol supporters?
Plus: recent polls have added some interesting data points to the ongoing debate about the Irish reunification. The fiery politics of recent years may have hardened positions on all three - yes, three - sides.
Today's guests are Denis Staunton and Newton Emerson.
According to our latest Ipsos MRBI poll, there's a desire for a United Ireland. But when we asked what changes to their lives people would be willing to accept to get it, the picture became more complicated.
Political editor Pat Leahy shares the poll results with Hugh.
We assess the political fallout from the decisions taken over the past few weeks to introduce new Covid-19 restrictions covering international travel, masking children in primary school and the hospitality sector. Are more measures on the way before Christmas? Could school closures be back on the menu after Christmas? Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray from the politics team and Irish Times feature writer and columnist Jennifer O’Connell.
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Depending on who you ask, Charles J. Haughey is either the great villain of Irish political life or the benevolent and forward-thinking saviour of a benighted nation. Professor of politics at Dublin City University, Gary Murphy, has written a biography of the former Taoiseach based on Haughey’s personal archives, as well as extensive interviews with his peers, rivals, confidantes and relatives. He talks to Hugh about writing about the man whose presence still looms large over Irish politics today.
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Years of being on the opposite side of difficult Brexit negotiations have unarguably damaged Irish-British relations. But how bad is the damage? To find out, this week's host Pat Leahy talks to former Irish ambassador to the UK Bobby McDonagh and our London editor Denis Staunton. They also discuss the latest developments in the standoff over the Northern Ireland protocol.
But first it's Covid-19 and the rising tide of the fourth wave that is scaring governments across Europe. Pat gets the latest from Derek Scally in Berlin, where a newly-formed coalition must grapple with Germany's worst stage of the pandemic so far, and Jack Horgan-Jones in Dublin, where we're not ready to talk about new restrictions just yet.
Once again, too many people are getting sick, and there aren't enough hospital beds. The Government is struggling to come up with a convincing plan to turn the Covid-19 situation around.
Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray tell Hugh what the thinking is about how to tackle the crisis and how the latest reimposition of restrictions on nightlife and extension of the use of vaccine certs came about.
Plus: the Mother and baby homes redress scheme is facing sharp criticism from activists and survivors.
For days now politicians in Ireland and the EU have been expecting UK Brexit negotiator David Frost to trigger Article 16, pausing the Northern Ireland protocol and creating a fresh crisis for EU-UK relations. But today Lord Frost made more diplomatic noises, saying negotiations had made some progress and still have longer to run. But if the threat was real, why the sudden reversal? Denis Staunton gives his analysis of UK government behaviour, and Pat Leahy explains how its being viewed here and in Brussels.
Plus, the latest from Cop26 in Glasgow and Boris Johnson's sleaze crisis.
At Sinn Féin’s ardfheis in Dublin last weekend, a motion in support of the non-jury Special Criminal Court was passed, representing a considerable shift in position and removing a significant hurdle to the party’s ambitions to lead the next government. Banners declaring it’s “time for change” adorned the walls of the Helix in Dublin City University, as party leader Mary Lou McDonald made clear her wishes to become the next Taoiseach. Hugh talks to Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray about how those ambitions might be realised.
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Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary talks to Hugh about the rising Covid numbers in many EU member states, the rising energy prices that are dominating the news and the row between Brussels and Poland over the rule of law.
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Ed Brophy is a former chief of staff to finance minister Paschal Donohoe and to Labour’s Joan Burton when she was Tánaiste. Recently he stepped away from politics after ten years in the corridors of power. He talks to Hugh and Pat about the crises Ireland faced during his time as a government advisor, the challenges of governing under the watchful eyes of the Troika and what the future holds for Ireland’s economy.
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Author and academic Noam Chomksy talks to Hugh about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the morality of Ireland’s tax regime and whether the human race can avoid the twin catastrophes of global warming and nuclear war.
With thanks to the Institute of International and European Affairs for facilitating this interview.
Pat Leahy talks to Seamus Coffey, Jack Horgan-Jones and Cliff Taylor about yesterday's budget and how the last-minute news that our economy has recovered more than expected played into spending decisions.
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The Government’s 10-year National Development Plan announced this week has been greeted with scepticism in some quarters and criticised by the opposition as more of a wish-list than a to-do list. The ambitious plan sets out to meet the needs of a growing population up to 2030. Can its goals be achieved? Hugh talks to The Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy and Dr Brian Caulfield of Trinity College Dublin’s Centre for Transport Research.
Presenter: Hugh Linehan
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Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones from the Irish Times politics team join Hugh to discuss the major considerations for the government ahead of Budget day on October 12th. They also look at the divisive politics of the public service pandemic bonus and the latest on the Mica redress scheme.
Berlin correspondent Derek Scally joins Hugh for a deep dive into the most interesting German federal election in decades, which takes place on Sunday. How did Angela Merkel's centre-right CDU, now under the leadership of Armin Laschet, blow its lead in the election race? And who are the other leaders and parties in contention?
After a turbulent summer break for the coalition, the country’s political parties hunkered down for their respective think-in meetings over the last two weeks, before the return of the Dáil. Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones of The Irish Times political team report back to Hugh on the dominant narratives to emerge from the Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin gatherings.
Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin’s latest book, Defects: Living with the legacy of the Celtic Tiger, tells the stories of some of the thousands of people living in dangerous homes with serious fire safety and structural defects in different parts of Ireland. The book also explains how decades of light touch building regulation and the decisions of successive governments allowed this crisis to happen. Ó Broin talks to Hugh and Jack Horgan-Jones about the book in today’s episode.
Plus: Jack has the latest in the ongoing saga of the UN envoy appointment of Katherine Zappone and Simon Coveney’s appearance before an Oireachtas committee on the issue on Tuesday.
Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn from the Irish Times politics team to discuss the Government's roadmap for the easing of pandemic restrictions, as revealed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin yesterday. They also look ahead to Minister Daragh O'Brien's much vaunted 'Housing for All' plan, the hurdles the Government is likely to face with October's budget and the welcome return of Leinster House.
Patrick Radden Keefe is an American writer and investigative journalist. His new book, Empire of Pain is a detailed history of the Sackler dynasty and their role in the American opioid epidemic. Known for their dedication to cultural philanthropy, the family built their wealth on pharmaceuticals, starting with tranquillisers like Librium and Valium, before eventually moving on to the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin. In this episode, the award winning author talks to Hugh about the origins of the addiction crisis, the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy trial and the mark the family left on the world.
As one of the world's most respected newspaper editors, Lionel Barber spent over a decade at the helm of The Financial Times. His tenure coincided with some of the biggest events to shape the early part of the 21st century including the rise of China, Brexit, the tech boom and the crisis of western liberal democracy. Barber has documented his time in charge of the FT in his book, The Powerful and the Damned. In this episode, he talks to Hugh about the book, about how he transformed the FT for the digital era, the media's role in the financial crisis, why he got Brexit wrong and lots more.
Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to assess the damage done by the recent Zappone controversy. Now that the dust has settled, what will it mean for Coveney, Varadkar and the future of the government. The team also discuss the easing of Covid restrictions and the recent UN Climate Change report, which signals a ‘code red’ for humanity.
Suzanne Lynch arrived in the US to take up her new role as Irish Times Washington correspondent ten days after Donald Trump's inauguration. As she prepares to leave the US capital this week for a new role in Brussels, she talks to Hugh about what it was like to report on the most extraordinary presidency in US history.
This week, London Editor Denis Staunton engaged in a brief, yet courteous Twitter exchange with former Downing Street advisor Dominic Cummings. Here he tells Hugh the details behind their interaction and about Cummings’ latest musings on Brexit and the Northern Ireland protocol.
But first, Hugh is joined by Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones to discuss the last Cabinet meeting of the Summer, the next stage of the vaccine rollout, Katherine Zappone’s new gig and the recent stirrings within the Social Democrats.
With the Dáil term drawn to a close, Pat, Harry and Jen join Hugh to answer our listener's questions about politics. But first, Pat recalls the influential political career of former minister and founder of the Progressive Democrats Des O'Malley, who has died aged 82.
The 2020 election marked the end of an era in Irish politics, with Sinn Féin winning the most votes for the first time ever and the previously dominant parties reduced to a fraction of their former strengths. In today’s episode Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy and UCC’s Dr Theresa Reidy to look back at the last general election and how it broke the mould.
You can read the full story of the 2020 election in the 9th edition of the ‘How Ireland Voted’ series of books, edited by Theresa Reidy, Michael Gallagher and Michael Marsh, out now.
Labour’s Ivana Bacik looked on course to top the poll in the Dublin Bay South byelection since tally figures on Friday morning put her on 30%. She went on to top the first count more than 1,000 votes ahead of Fine Gael’s James Geoghegan. Bacik’s win gives her party its first moment of electoral good news in a decade and leaves the government parties licking their wounds.
Hugh gets the analysis from The Irish Times political team at the count centre: Pat Leahy, Cormac McQuinn and Harry McGee.
The Government is coming under increasing pressure from all angles, as it wrestles with the toughest decisions for months on how to manage the pandemic. The hospitality sector desperately wants indoor dining to resume on July 19th, but there is growing concern among public health advisers at the prospect of a surge in cases driven by the Delta variant. Meanwhile, all eyes are on England as Boris Johnson ploughs ahead with his country's reopening. Hugh is joined by Paul Cullen, Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn to discuss the difficult decisions facing the Government in the coming days.
Plus: The final analysis of the runners and riders in the Dublin Bay South byelection, before polls open on Thursday morning.
On Thursday July 8th, voters in Dublin Bay South will cast their votes in a byelection, triggered by the resignation of former Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy. What might the results tell us about the wider political picture here in Ireland and will this be an early indicator for the next general election? To take a look back through some pivotal byelections and their impact over the years, Harry McGee is joined by Gary Murphy, Professor of Politics at DCU and author of the forthcoming Charles Haughey biography.
The DUP will have its third leader in the space of two months when Jeffrey Donaldson is officially appointed on Saturday. Can he lead the party out of crisis? Pat Leahy talks to editor of the Slugger O’Toole website, Mick Fealty, about the challenges he faces.
But first, Pat is joined by Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones to discuss the threat posed to the July 5th reopening by the rise in Delta variant cases here and the latest in the ongoing saga over who owns, and who governs, the National Maternity Hospital.
21 years on from her book Northern Protestants: An Unsettled People, Susan McKay revisits the lives of that community in her new book Northern Protestants: On Shifting Ground. She talks to Hugh about the strong forces now acting on northern Protestants, Unionists and Loyalists.
Five months on from the final report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation, controversy still surrounds the methodology used by the three inquiry members, the treatment of witness statements and the conclusions reached regarding the culpability of church and state. Members of the commission have not replied to calls to appear before an Oireachtas committee, despite the appearance of Prof Mary Daly at an online Oxford seminar last week. In today’s episode, Hugh is joined by Pat, Jen and archivist Catriona Crowe to talk about the shortcomings of the investigation and what needs to happen next.
Historian Niall Ferguson’s new book 'Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe' offers a sweeping compendium of the many appalling catastrophes that have befallen mankind, and how we have dealt with their aftermath. He talks to Hugh about his book, Covid and the possibility of a war between China and the US.
With the Dublin Bay South byelection looking likely to take place in early July, Harry McGee and Jennifer Bray join Hugh for a deep-dive on the competitive constituency, as parties vie for the seat left vacant by the former housing minister Eoghan Murphy.
Today the team take a look at what role Sinn Féin will play in forming the next government. Although there is a widespread assumption in political circles and elsewhere that Mary Lou McDonald’s party will take the majority, will their path to power be that straightforward? And if there is a Sinn Féin led government, what will it look like and how will they tackle issues on their change agenda? Joining Hugh to discuss this is Jen, Pat and Aidan Regan, Associate Professor of Political Economy at UCD.
Jennifer Bray, Pat Leahy and Kevin Cunningham join Hugh to talk about how the government is struggling to come up with a coherent response to the housing crisis.
British broadcaster and writer James O’Brien has built a loyal listenership on his LBC radio programme, dissecting the opinions of callers live on air every day. In his 2018 book, How To Be Right... in a World gone Wrong, he set out his opinions on Islam, Brexit, political correctness, LGBT issues, feminism, Trump and other flash points. Now his latest book, How Not To Be Wrong, is a personal account about the importance of being able to change your mind. In today’s podcast, O’Brien talks to Hugh about some of the things he’s been wrong about.
The political focus has shifted from the pandemic to the housing crisis, with Taoiseach Micheal Martin this week declaring it the Government’s “number one priority”. Jack Horgan Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh to discuss the political decisions and policy failures that have led to the crisis and the resulting generational divide.
But first, not escaping Covid entirely, the team take a look at the debate surrounding the role and reliability of antigen testing, the possibility of accelerating certain reopening plans and the progress of the vaccination rollout.
Denis Staunton talks to Hugh about the results of last Friday's local and regional elections in England, Scotland and Wales. The results have thrown up many stories, including how Labour's leader Keir Starmer contrived to turn a setback into a leadership crisis, and how pro-independence politicians increase their dominance of the Scottish parliament.
For decades, Ireland has used a low corporation tax rate to attract foreign direct investment. That is now threatened by a major tax reform plan announced by US president Joe Biden, which proposes to tax the overseas earnings of US corporations at 21 per cent. Talks are also taking place at the OECD on a global minimum level of corporate tax, which is expected to be higher than the 12.5 per cent rate defended by successive Irish governments. To discuss the changing face of global tax and what the implications will be for Ireland, Hugh is joined by Feargal O’Rourke, tax expert and managing partner at PwC Ireland, and John Christensen, a co-founder and director of the Tax Justice Network.
What led to Arlene Foster's ouster this week, who will succeed her and what will it mean for politics on the island? To find out we talk to Sam McBride of the Belfast Newsletter.
Then Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray look at the other big political news of the week: the major moves towards reopening the country, and the surprise resignation of Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy. The former housing minister's departure means an intriguing byelection will happen later this year.
For much of the pandemic, the Independent Scientific Advocacy Group (ISAG) has recommended that Ireland should aggressively suppress virus transmission as part of a zero-Covid policy. That strategy has, however, failed to find favour with either the Government or health officials. As we prepare for the next phase of reopening in May, ISAG spokesperson, professor Aoife McLysaght, talks to Hugh about what the group would do differently, why one wrong step now could quickly lead to disaster again and why ISAG's zero-Covid campaign has been worth it, even if it fails.
To what extent can political beliefs and behaviour be understood through the science of psychology and the study of human cognition? In today’s episode, Hugh talks to award-winning political columnist and host of the excellent Politics on the Couch podcast, Rafael Behr, about the way our minds respond to politics and how psychology drives everyone’s political thought and behaviour.
Since coronavirus, governments around the globe have abandoned traditional concerns about deficits and enacted emergency measures in the interest of saving countries from the devastating effects of lockdowns. But in a post-pandemic Ireland, what should the role of the state be? Will the Covid crisis help bring to an end the old economic orthodoxies, or will there be return to a smaller state, balanced budgets and deficit reduction? Economist and The Irish Times columnist David McWilliams joins Hugh and political editor Pat Leahy to discuss.
CBS News political reporter, Slate Political Gabfest panelist and proud Irish-American John Dickerson talks to Hugh about the office of President of the United States, which is the subject of his book "The Hardest Job in the World".
He explains how the role has evolved in complexity and now places impossible demands on whoever holds it.
They also discuss how the Trump presidency warped political journalism, and the significance of President Biden's Irish-American identity.
The Government's Covid-19 policy was dealt a double blow this week, as it was forced to pause the mandatory hotel quarantine system and issues with two vaccines threw the planned inoculation programme into doubt. Hugh is joined by Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones from The Irish Times political team to discuss the latest hurdles the coalition must overcome to keep its coronavirus plan on track. Also on today's show: what does the future hold for the Fianna Fáil party?
It's not just Brexit, or the Bobby Storey funeral, or the constant talk of a border poll. Many factors fed into this week's violence and rioting on the streets of Belfast. The violent clashes involved youths from loyalist and nationalist areas, but today's conversation with Newton Emerson focuses on the roots of the anger and disillusionment felt by the working-class loyalist community, and the role of criminal gangs in fomenting violence against the PSNI.
The debate surrounding mandatory hotel quarantine rumbles on between government departments, but what are the logistical, legal and diplomatic issues at stake? Will the introduction of a vaccine passport or a digital green certificate be enough to smooth over the cracks? And with the long promised ramp up in vaccinations now on the horizon, will the government be able to keep up with their ambitious targets? Our political team made up of Jen, Pat and Cormac join Hugh to discuss.
Behavioral economist Pete Lunn and political correspondent Jennifer Bray join Hugh to talk about the government's major moves in the Covid-19 fight this week: the easing of some restrictions, particularly around outdoor activities, and the simplification of the vaccine rollout, favouring older people over particular groups such as teachers, Gardaí or carers. Pete, who advises Nphet on how the population might respond to Covid-19 regulations, explains why the hope is the relaxing of particular rules could actually lead to a reduction in risky indoor behaviour, while Jennifer takes us inside the political discussions around these controversial changes.
Last week was a very good one for the Green Party, but you could be forgiven for getting the opposite impression. Today, Hugh and guests spend a little time on the party's dangerous internal divisions (as demonstrated by the spat over party member and Lord Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu's unsanctioned run for a Seanad seat) and more time on the significance of the Climate Action Bill, the piece of legislation published last week that is a major achievement for the party and its leader Eamon Ryan.
Guests: political editor Pat Leahy and Sadhbh O'Neill, policy coordinator of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition.
In his new book Free Speech and Why it Matters, Andrew Doyle questions a new form of social justice activism, which as he puts it, casually disregards the principle of free speech for the sake of what is perceived to be a higher social priority. In today’s episode, the author and podcaster joins Hugh for a discussion on 'wokeness' and cancel culture, self-censorship and where the limitations of acceptable speech should be drawn.
The EU is set to tighten export controls in a bid to prevent Covid-19 vaccines leaving the bloc. It comes as Europe looks destined for a showdown with the UK over a stockpile of AstraZeneca vaccines, said to number up to 30 million doses, and coveted by both sides to shore up inoculation campaigns. As shortfalls and supply issues hold back the rollout in many European countries, including Ireland, can we expect any relaxation of the rules here on April 5th? Hugh is joined by Jack Horgan-Jones from our political staff and Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary.
In today’s episode Irish Times Berlin correspondent Derek Scally joins Hugh to speak about his brand new book: The Best Catholics in the World. Having spent the last twenty years living and working in Germany, Scally has witnessed a nation engaging earnestly with their past, and asks why the same cannot be said for his native Ireland and the legacy left over by the Catholic Church. Speaking to campaigners, survivors, writers, and historians, Scally embarks on a quest to unravel the tight hold the Catholic Church has had on the Irish. In this conversation, they discuss the origins of the book, the intersection of church, state and people and the strands of religion still intertwined in Irish society.
In today’s episode, Pat and Jen join Hugh for a special edition of “ask me anything”. From the zero Covid strategy to concerns around global vaccine supply, the team tackle your questions on the politics of the pandemic.
Thanks to everyone who sent their questions in. Happy St Patrick's Day.
Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan dominated the news headlines all this week. The most watched programme on RTE so far this year, it shone a light on the inner workings of the long standing British monarchy. Allegations of racism and maltreatment now lead to bigger questions surrounding the legitimacy of the monarchy in a diverse and multicultural Britain. Joining Hugh to take a look back at the history of the royals from an Irish perspective, the potential fallout from the interview and how monarchies adapt to modernity are Irish Times London Editor Denis Staunton and John Gibney, Assistant Editor with the Royal Irish Academy’s Documents on Irish Foreign Policy and the editor of Ireland and the Monarchy.
Next week, we’ll be recording another Ask Me Anything episode, which will take a look back at a pandemic year in politics. If you would like to put your question to the team, send it in by voice note to politicspodcast@irishtimes.com before Tuesday, March 16th. The episode will be released on St Patrick’s Day.
It's just over a week since the Central Bank fined Davy stockbrokers €4.1 million for breaching market rules. On today’s show, Hugh talks to Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn from the Irish Times politics team about the political impact of the scandal. Also on the agenda today: continued delays in vaccine deliveries, progress on mandatory hotel quarantine and another dark chapter in Irish history, in the shape of the review of historical illegal adoptions.
President Michael D Higgins sparked a debate recently with his sharp critique of British imperialism. In a piece for the Guardian, he accused some academics and journalists of a "feigned amnesia" and a failure to address Britain's imperialist legacy, especially when compared to Ireland's reflections on nationalism, the war of independence and partition a century ago. In today's podcast, Hugh talks to Erasmus Smyth professor of modern history at Trinity College Dublin, Jane Ohlmeyer, about what exactly imperialism is and what its contemporary legacy might be.
In January, the Affordable Housing Bill was published by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien. The Bill introduces a shared equity scheme and a cost rental scheme, both designed to tackle the housing affordability crisis in Ireland. However, with the supply of houses under extreme pressure, due in part to the construction sector shutdown, will a shared equity scheme only lead to higher house prices? When can we expect to see any positive effects on the market and what are the risks involved? Joining Hugh to discuss the plan is Minister O’Brien and Irish Times business journalist Eoin Burke-Kennedy.
Political editor Pat Leahy joins Hugh to look at the results of this week's Irish Times / Ipsos MRBI poll on Irish people's attitudes to relaxing Covid-19 restrictions, as well as the level of support for parties and political leaders.
This week Harry and Hugh talk to MEP Clare Daly, who since her election as an MEP for Dublin in 2019 has been an outspoken voice in Brussels on the issues she champions, such as her opposition to defence spending and the imprisonment of Julian Assange.
They talk about Clare's controversial comments on jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Covid-19 restrictions and the challenge to get people back home to pay attention to what goes on in the parliament.
But first Harry explains what went so badly wrong with the government's Covid-19 communications in the past week.
Following last week's podcast with professor Brendan O’Leary on the creation of Northern Ireland, today’s show looks at this year’s centenary in respect of the politics and culture of the region. Hugh is joined by unionist political commentator Sarah Creighton to discuss the future of Northern Ireland, its changing relationship with both the UK and the Republic, and her views on the prospect of a united Ireland. In the second part of the show, Hugh talks to Northern Irish writers Jan Carson and Rosemary Jenkinson about the centenary in terms of culture and identity.
Education is top of the agenda this week, as talks continue regarding the reopening of schools and the scheduling of state exams. In today’s episode, Hugh is joined by The Irish Times education editor Carl O’Brien, health editor Paul Cullen, and by political correspondent Jennifer Bray. The team also take a look at the national vaccine rollout and a gloomy report by the ECDC.
This year marks the centenary of partition on the island of Ireland. The official commemoration takes place in May, but what were the key political and legislative events that led to the establishment of Northern Ireland? On today's podcast, Hugh speaks to Brendan O'Leary, a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, who last appeared on this podcast to discuss his three-volume A Treatise on Northern Ireland. He talks to Hugh about the creation of Northern Ireland, how its structures have changed in the past 100 years and what preparations for a referendum on Irish unity should look like, if there is to be one.
It may feel like a lifetime ago, but this week marks one year since the 2020 general election. And what an eventful twelve months it’s been. In today’s episode, we take a look back at the historic election result and the Sinn Féin surge which swept across the country. What important lessons have been learned by the political parties since then and how will their strategies change next time around? Joining Hugh to discuss this and more is Jennifer Bray, Pat Leahy and UCC political scientist and co-editor of How Ireland Voted, Theresa Reidy.
The concept of universal basic income (UBI) - paying everyone a regular, fixed amount of money to ensure a basic standard of living - has moved to the mainstream in recent years, driven by concerns over economic inequality and the erosion of traditional employment bases. More recently, the vast level of state support for workers in Covid-19-hit industries has shown that mass payments are feasible, if only for a limited time period.
The Green Party supports UBI and won a commitment for a pilot UBI scheme in the programme for government. Late last year it was announced this trial would be aimed at artists, a group often not rewarded for their work with sustainable incomes.
So is UBI a good idea, and how will this pilot work? To find out Hugh talks to Neasa Hourigan, Green Party TD for Dublin Central and co-author of the party's policy on UBI, Angela Dorgan, chair of the National Campaign for the Arts, and Ian Goldin, professor of globalisation and development at Oxford University.
Naomi O'Leary on how the EU commission made its biggest blunder in years, combining two incredibly sensitive issues - the vaccine rollout and the Northern Ireland protocol - in one embarrassing and consequential controversy.
Denis Staunton on how the commission's cock-up is being used in London and Belfast to leverage concessions on the operation of rules governing trade into Northern Ireland.
And Jack Horgan-Jones on the domestic politics of our own vaccine rollout. Who will we blame if Ireland lags behind?
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe is presiding over a massive expansion of national debt to meet society's needs during this pandemic. Prevailing economic wisdom says he's right to do so. But when the Covid-19 crisis passes, the old questions of how much to spend and how high to set taxes will return. To talk about the political and economic choices ahead, Pat Leahy talks to Labour Senator and former trade union economist Marie Sherlock, and our economics columnist Cliff Taylor.
What to do about the risk of international travel bringing the virus into the country has been a problem for the Irish government since the pandemic began, one we've never really got on top of. New measures aim to tighten things up, but do they go far enough? And how do we compare to our neighbours? Naomi O'Leary, Jennifer Bray and Jack-Horgan Jones join Harry McGee to discuss. Plus, what's going on with the Astrazeneca vaccine?
This week the spotlight has been well and truly on Tánaiste Leo Varadkar following the release of internal Department of Health emails, which provide fresh insight into the controversial leaking of a GP contract back in April 2019. Following immense political and media criticism last November, Varadkar apologised in the Dáil for his actions. Now once again, he finds himself in the eye of the storm. Political editor Pat Leahy joins Hugh to discuss.
With levels of Covid-19 infection still at an all-time high, the Government failed to get teaching unions on side for a return to school this week for students with additional needs. On today’s podcast Hugh is joined by Jennifer Bray, Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee from The Irish Times politics team to discuss how this happened. We also look at the vaccine rollout, the controversy over how it has been handled by some hospitals and why the next phase is likely to be even more politically difficult. And, one week on from the publication of the report by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, what is the Government going to do about it?
Earlier this week the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes published its long-anticipated report. It investigated decades of abuse at fourteen mother and baby homes and four county homes across Ireland between 1922 and 1998. In today’s episode, Hugh and Pat are joined by Caelainn Hogan, journalist and author of Republic of Shame and by mother and baby home survivor Elizabeth Coppin to discuss the findings within the report, the public apologies and what more needs to be done.
First, Simon Carswell on the wave of Covid-19 patients hitting our hospitals. When will the wave reach its peak, and will the system be able to handle it? And how are our nursing homes doing this time?
Then Peter Foster, public policy editor at the Financial Times, joins Hugh and Simon to look at the difficulties bedevilling traders and hauliers since Brexit took effect on January 1st, and some of their surprising consequences.
In our first podcast of the year, Hugh talks to The Irish Times health and political editors, Paul Cullen and Pat Leahy, and political analyst and statistician Kevin Cunningham about the social and political ramifications of the recent dramatic rise in Covid-19 cases. How has the government responded to the latest crisis and what level of public support is there for the restrictions?
It's the second and final instalment of our annual "ask me anything" podcast! Hugh puts your questions, mainly about politics and the media, to Harry, Pat, Jen and Jack.
Thanks to everyone who submitted a question and sorry to those whose questions we didn't get around to this time.
Wishing all our listeners a safe and happy 2021.
It's the first instalment of our annual "ask me anything" podcast. Recorded on December 18th. Hugh puts your questions, mainly about politics and the media, to Harry, Pat, Jen and Jack.
Part two will be published next week.
Thanks to everyone who submitted a question and sorry if we didn't get around to yours this time.
Wishing all our listeners a safe and happy Christmas.
Cabinet has agreed to reimpose Level 5 restrictions, with some modifications, due to the rising numbers of Covid-19 cases. Pat Leahy joins Hugh to take us through what that means.
This week the Irish Government announced details of their national Covid-19 vaccination plan. Vaccines will be rolled out in three phases: an initial roll out followed by a mass ramp-up and finally, open access.
It’s an extraordinary undertaking, which is sure to throw up plenty of challenges for Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and his department. In today's episode, Jen and Harry join Hugh to talk through the key points of the plan. The team also discuss yet another political apology, this time delivered by Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley and they take a look at the CETA trade agreement diving the Greens.
But first, with time running out for a Brexit trade agreement, tensions are running high in European Parliament. Joining us from Brussels to discuss the ‘narrow path’ which guides the final stretch of negotiations is Europe Correspondent Naomi O’Leary.
Following a meeting over dinner this week between Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, it’s clear that very large gaps still remain between the two sides. Negotiators have been given until this Sunday to figure out a path forward, but will this be yet another deadline ignored?
The sticking points remain the same: fisheries; the level playing field; and governance, however the focus has narrowed onto a specific element of the level playing field – the so-called ratchet clause. Joining Hugh to discuss the likelihood of an agreement by Sunday and all the contentious issues at hand is London Editor Denis Staunton.
There's been a lot of commentary about the deepening rivalry between Sinn Féin on the left and Fine Gael on the right. Is this dynamic slowly replacing the old two-party struggle between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil?
Some argue no, it's not, or not yet at least: Fianna Fáil are currently the biggest party in the Dáil. Fine Gael has not performed well in subsequent elections, while Sinn Fein's new-found support may yet turn out to be fleeting.
But exit poll data from the last general election suggest that Sinn Féin and Fine Gael are indeed becoming the new poles of our political system. And interactions between the two parties - in the Dáil, on the airwaves and on social media - have become increasingly bitter.
To discuss this phenomenon, Hugh and Pat are joined by Dr Theresa Reidy, a political scientist at University College Cork's Department of Government.
Live event: Join Hugh, Jennifer Bray, Jennifer O’Connell, Fintan O'Toole and Pat Leahy as they look back on this remarkable year in a live Irish Times Inside Politics event at 7pm on Thursday, December 10th.
Get tickets to ‘A Year Like No Other’ here: https://www.irishtimes.com/virtual-events/a-year-like-no-other
With just four weeks until the official end of the Brexit transition period on December 31st, we still don’t know if an agreement will be reached.
Fishing is one of the few issues still dividing EU and UK negotiators. Just how serious a matter is it? Are Irish companies prepared for trade with Britain on January 1st? And, if a deal is struck, will Boris Johnson get it past his party?
To discuss what stands in the way of a Brexit deal before the end of the year, Hugh is joined by Europe correspondent Naomi O’Leary, London editor Denis Staunton and Public Affairs editor Simon Carswell.
Live event: Join Hugh, Jennifer Bray, Jennifer O’Connell, Fintan O'Toole and Pat Leahy as they look back on this remarkable year in a live Irish Times Inside Politics event at 7pm on Thursday, December 10th.
Get tickets to ‘A Year Like No Other’ here: https://www.irishtimes.com/virtual-events/a-year-like-no-other
The potential for a future referendum on Irish unity is explicit in the Good Friday Agreement, if certain circumstances are met. But how would an Irish unity referendum work in practice?
A new report by a group of academics called "The Working Group on Unification Referendums on the Island of Ireland" says that planning by the Irish and British governments for a possible future referendum, or referendums, on Irish unification would be an essential condition of their legitimacy and stability.
Hugh and Pat talk to Dr. Etain Tannam, one of the authors of the report and an Associate Professor of International Peace Studies at Trinity College Dublin, and Mick Fealty, a political commentator and editor of the NI politics website Slugger O'Toole.
The 221-plus group, which represents those affected by the CervicalCheck scandal, has walked away from talks with the Government on a tribunal aimed at providing the women affected with a quicker and less adversarial alternative to lengthy and confrontational court cases.
Little over a year since then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar apologised on behalf of the state to the more than 1,000 women affected by the cervical cancer controversy, how has it come to this?
Advocate Vicky Phelan talks to Hugh and our political correspondent Jennifer Bray, about what has led to the disintegration of relations between the sides.
Later, Pat Leahy joins to discuss the Government’s highly-anticipated plans to re-open the economy for Christmas and the Dáil business committee row.
President-elect Joe Biden represents a traditional approach to US foreign policy that was rejected by a majority of American voters in 2016. Now Biden is back, but the world has changed: China has emerged as a genuine competitor to the US. Can Biden adapt and respond? Are we facing into a new Cold War?
Professor John Mearsheimer is a political scientist and geopolitical analyst.
Today Hugh is joined by Pat, Harry and Jen to discuss another not-so-great week for the Government. We hear the latest on the Seamus Woulfe saga, the takeaway pints fiasco and get a look at the wrangling going on behind the scenes between cabinet and Nphet.
This week Pfizer announced positive early results from its coronavirus vaccine trial, but how optimistic should we be about this breakthrough and how will it affect the decisions taken by government in the weeks and months ahead? Joining Hugh and Pat to discuss the latest developments is Irish Times health editor Paul Cullen.
The story of Supreme Court Justice Séamus Woulfe's attendance at the infamous Oireachtas Golf Society dinner has already taken many twists and turns.
This week the crisis deepened with the release of an exchange of letters between Woulfe and Chief Justice Frank Clarke, in which Clarke calls on Woulfe to resign.
Woulfe has refused, and the ball is now in the court of politicians who must consider whether to try to remove him.
It's a complicated story so, with the help of actors portraying Woulfe and retired justice Susan Denham, who carried out a review of his actions, Ruadhán Mac Cormaic talks us through it from start to finish, and looks at where the story may be headed next.
Plus, Pat Leahy on how the politics of impeaching a judge might play out in Leinster House.
Irish Times columnist Stephen Collins and historian Ciara Meehan have written a book about the history of Fine Gael. "Saving the State" recounts the party's story, from the foundation of the state to this year's decision to go into coalition with its nemesis Fianna Fáil, and the party's periods in power as well as in the political wilderness. They talk to Hugh.
Fintan O'Toole and Simon Carswell join Hugh to talk over the results - so far - of the US presidential election. Right now Donald Trump seems on course to lose the presidency to Joe Biden. But those who have seen his presidency as a dangerous aberration and hoped for a repudiation of Trumpism at the ballot box will be disappointed. Trump expanded his base and his party look to have held the Senate. Meanwhile, Democrats must face the fact that changing demographics alone will not deliver them power.
Recorded at 5.30 am. Hugh talks to Suzanne Lynch about the night's events in the US presidential election. The Democratic Party's hoped-for landslide has not materialised and their candidate Joe Biden's paths to victory are now fewer - but still clearer than those for President Donald Trump.
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Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Pat Leahy to talk about the day's events in the Dáil, where Taoisea... Tanaiste Leo Varadkar answered questions about his passing on of a confidential document to a friend of his back in 2019. For background information on the story go to irishtimes.com.
"I made no bones about the fact I was going to write a book", says former Independent Alliance TD Shane Ross, whose previous job as a feisty newspaper columnist marked him for suspicion when he joined Enda Kenny's Cabinet as Minister for Transport.
He has now written that book, an entertaining inside-the-room account of recent events in Irish politics.
He talks to Pat about his transition from enemy within to Cabinet colleague, his difficult relationships with Enda Kenny, Francis Fitzgerald and Charlie Flanagan ("I like him..he's probably quite angry about stuff in the book") and the controversial policies he pursued in judicial reform, drink driving penalties and the reopening of his local Garda station in Stepaside.
LIVE US ELECTION SHOW: New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd joins Hugh and our Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch for a special live online edition of Inside Politics, on Thursday October 29th at 7pm.
If you're a subscriber, check your email to find out how to avail of a half-price ticket for just €10. Non-subscribers can buy a ticket for €20.
To buy tickets, go here: www.irishtimes.com/inside-politics-live
There's been a big political controversy over the government's legislation to deal with the archive created by the Commission of Investigation into mother and baby homes.
Part one: Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray take turns to outline both sides of the controversy - what the government says it was trying to do, and what opposition politicians, angry survivors of the institutions and activists say they have done wrong.
Part two: Much of the political pressure came down on the head of Green Minister for Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O'Gorman who introduced the legislation. In the wake of his botched handling of the crisis, Green Cork city councillor Lorna Bogue announced she would leave the party.
Lorna talks to Pat about her reasons for leaving and why she thinks the Greens in government are failing to resist the influence of the powerful institutions of the state.
Part three: Finally, Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary on the worsening Covid-19 situation across the continent.
Jack Horgan-Jones, Suzanne Lynch and Denis Staunton join Pat to talk about an eventful week in Ireland's Covid-19 response, the Brexit process and Donald Trump and Joe Biden's race to the White House.
LIVE US ELECTION SHOW: New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd joins Hugh and our Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch for a special live online edition of Inside Politics, on Thursday October 29th at 7pm.
If you're a subscriber, check your email to find out how to avail of a half-price ticket for just €10. Non-subscribers can buy a ticket for €20.
To buy tickets, go here: www.irishtimes.com/inside-politics-live
So what is the national Covid-19 policy now? It seems to be: lockdown now, enjoy Christmas, lockdown again. But even that fairly bleak prospect is contingent on a lot of things going according to plan.
To talk about the politics that led us to Level 5, the exclusively male composition of the Covid-19 decision makers and the rollercoaster we're facing over the winter months, today's host Harry McGee is joined by Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray.
LIVE US ELECTION SHOW: New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd joins Hugh and our Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch for a special live online edition of Inside Politics, on Thursday October 29th at 7pm.
If you're a subscriber, check your email to find out how to avail of a half-price ticket for just €10. Non-subscribers can buy a ticket for €20.
To buy tickets, go here: https://www.irishtimes.com/inside-politics-live
Hugh talks to economist and Irish Times columnist David McWilliams about the massive increase in spending announced in yesterday's budget and why this approach, the correct one as David sees it, won out against more conservative voices, or "economic jihadis".
But first: the budget is an annual set piece of political theatre, but the stage of the National Convention Centre proved a poor one. Political editor Pat Leahy has a sketch of yesterday's events and analysis of the budget measures.
Once both sides in a two-party system start playing hardball - as we see in the battle over the US Supreme Court, for example - it's very difficult for either to stop, with potentially dangerous consequences.
So can America's hyper-partisan politics deescalate a notch or two? Not easily, according to Steven Levitsky, a Harvard professor and co-author of How Democracies Die, a book about how healthy political systems can be destroyed if voters become extremely polarised.
A short episode with analysis of the latest Irish Times / IpsosMRBI poll, which shows that public approval of the coalition Government and its party leaders has fallen, but support has remained relatively steady for the big three parties of Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil. The biggest losers: Eamon Ryan and the Greens.
In today’s roundup, the team look ahead to next week’s budget. What has Paschal planned for the next twelve months? How can we live with Covid and keep the economy going? Which sectors will be prioritised? One thing is certain, this will be a budget like no other. Also on the agenda is the Climate Action Bill which was launched today and the aftermath of the Covid controversy. Pat, Cliff and Jen join Hugh to discuss.
It's been a significant few days in Ireland's Covid-19 response, with controversy erupting on Sunday over Nphet's recommendation that the country move to Level5 restrictions, much to the Government's annoyance. Pat tells Hugh how it all went down and what the deterioration in relations between our elected officials and health experts means.
President Trump and his wife Melania have tested positive for coronavirus. This opens up a range of questions about how the next four weeks leading up to the election will unfold. If Covid-19 proves serious for Trump, what then? To discuss the latest developments from the US, Hugh is joined by Eric S. Heberlig, Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. But first, London Editor Denis Staunton is here to discuss the latest Brexit negotiations.
Following a disappointing election result and worrying trends in recent opinion polls, a huge challenge now lies ahead for Fianna Fail. Can this once all-powerful organisation ever hope to regain its popularity in a changed and newly fractured political landscape?
Joining Hugh and Pat to discuss the past, present and future of the party is Professor of Modern Irish History at UCD Diarmaid Ferriter and Fianna Fail Senator Lisa Chambers.
"Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism" is the new book by Atlantic magazine journalist Anne Applebaum. In it she writes about the "unbridgeable political chasm" that has opened between her and her former liberal and centre-right friends as they embraced populism and authoritarianism, and the personal motivations that drive people to adopt extreme politics.
If you enjoy the podcast, you can also hear Anne participating in an online discussion with Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe as a part of The Dublin Festival of History, on Saturday October 3rd. The festival is a Dublin City Council event and runs online until Sunday, 4th October. All events are free and booking is available at dublinfestivalofhistory.ie.
It’s been another eventful week in politics with the reduction of the pandemic unemployment payment coinciding with the announcement of ten new advisors for junior ministers. All the while, four ministers are under restricted measures after coming into contact with a positive case of Covid-19. How will they get past this very ill-timed decision? Pat and Jen join Hugh to discuss.
Ireland has long been notable for its lack of a successful "far right" political movement.
But the lack of political success has not been for the want of trying by a small number of activist groups.
Now in the age of Covid-19, some such groups are exploiting divisions over the pandemic to reach a wider audience with their anti-establishment and anti-immigrant message, as well as racist conspiracy theories, such as "the great replacement" theory.
Hugh talks to Conor Gallagher about the far right movement, its tactics and its leaders. Can they turn a growing online presence into electoral success?
Health editor Paul Cullen and columnist Una Mullally join Hugh and Harry this week to talk about a Tuesday of drama, and occasional slapstick, with the Government introducing its five-stage plan for society to live with Covid-19 in the months ahead. The messaging on the day was universally panned, but beyond that, does the plan make sense?
What is Boris Johnson's game? As the House of Commons debates Prime Minister Johnson's controversial Internal Markets bill, Pat and Hugh are joined by The Spectator's James Forsyth to discuss the levels of opposition and support the bill now enjoys, the strategy behind it and the impact it will have on negotiations with the EU.
This week in The Irish Times has featured a series of articles on the theme of "A Shared Island", with our journalists talking to people of different political persuasions north and south, looking at the future of the island and trying to answer questions, including:
How advanced is the drive for border poll? What might a shared island actually look like? Is there any way to include Unionism in a discussion that usually alienates unionists?
To talk about some of those points, Mary Minihan, editor of the series, talks to Pat Leahy, Freya McClements and Naomi O'Leary.
The UK government will intentionally break international law with new legislation designed to let it off the hook for certain aspects of the Northern Ireland protocol, a part of last year's Brexit deal.
It's a move that would have been unthinkable not long ago, but it shows just how much the Conservative party has changed under Boris Johnson, says Denis Staunton.
From Brussels, it looks as though the UK abruptly decided to stop playing chess and begin wrestling, says Naomi O'Leary.
Plus, the appointment of Mairead McGuinness as EU commissioner and the worsening Covid-19 news.
It's one of the defining relationships of the western world, but it is largely misunderstood - the special relationship between the UK and the US is not built on shared language, foreign policy goals, culture or ideals. It's built on money; specifically the global financial system that the two nations created together. So argues Jeremy Green, a political economist at Cambridge University, in his new book "The Political Economy of the Special Relationship". The book tells the story of the interaction of American economic power and British capitalism in the 20th Century, and how that interaction has damaged economies and weakened the foundation of healthy societies.
The Dáil returns today, earlier than scheduled due to the Golfgate scandal. Can the fractiousness of the Government's first few months be put behind it? It will need to be if ministers are to handle the challenges of reopening schools, agreeing a budget and forming a long-overdue plan of detail for living alongside Covid-19. Harry, Jennifer and Pat join Hugh to discuss.
Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist, women’s rights advocate and political theorist. In her new book, How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division, Shafak reflects on the anger and anxieties of contemporary society and the divisions of modern politics. In this episode, the author speaks to Hugh about the importance of listening to each side of the debate and her hopes for a more empathetic post-Covid world.
Will he stay or will he go? While we wait for EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to decide Phil Hogan's fate, Naomi O'Leary joins Pat and Hugh to discuss the factors at play in her decision.
In part two: Carl O'Brien on the thorny problems faced by Education Minister Norma Foley, as schools reopen and the moment fo truth for 2020's Leaving Cert students draws near.
Naomi O'Leary is Europe Correspondent. Carl O'Brien is Education Editor. Subscribe to The Irish Times: https://www.irishtimes.com/subscribe/
Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan Jones discuss the latest, and so far the worst, scandal to hit the Government: the attendance of Minister for Agriculture Dara Calleary and other politicians at a golf society dinner that breached public health guidelines. A weary nation feels disrespected and anger is red hot. Is the Government's authority fatally undermined?
In today’s episode, Hugh talks to Pete Lunn, a behavioural economist with the Economic and Social Research Institute. Lunn is also part of the behavioural change sub group of NPHET, which provides vital insights and evidence to support their communications strategy and wider work. They discuss the role behavioural science plays in the official response to the pandemic, the notion of lockdown fatigue and how the public will react to the reintroduction of restrictions. But first, Pat is here to talk us through ‘the most fractious cabinet meeting of the current government” which took place last night.
Today Hugh speaks to Michael Brendan Dougherty, a senior writer with New York-based conservative magazine National Review. Dougherty is also the author of the 2019 memoir, My Father Left Me Ireland. In this episode, they discuss the ongoing realignment of the American electorate, the recent appointment of Kamala Harris as Joe Biden’s running mate and how the Republicans will contend with Trump’s legacy after the upcoming election.
Health editor Paul Cullen joins Hugh, Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones to talk about an eventful week in Ireland's Covid-19 battle.
Does the outbreak in the Midlands signal a major problem and a failure of governance, or is it a blip in an otherwise effective response?
What is the thinking behind the proposed new colour-code system?
And will the Leaving Cert blow up as a political issue, as adjusted exam results have in Scotland?
Hugh talks to journalist Peter Geoghegan about the murky world of political think-tanks and pressure groups that he writes about in a new book, Democracy for Sale.
SDLP MP for South Belfast Claire Hanna joins Hugh to look back on the life and legacy of John Hume, who died on Sunday.
It's been another extraordinary week for the new government and a very uncomfortable one for Micheal Martin and some of his ministers, as stumbles over Pandemic Unemployment Payments and ministerial pay have undermined more positive messages on the reopening of schools and measures to stimulate the economy. Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee join Hugh to discuss the week in politics as we stumble toward the Dail's delayed summer recess.
Author Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Big Short, The Undoing Project)talks to Hugh about his new book 'The Fifth Risk'. The book concerns the Trump Administration and what Lewis says are astounding levels of cronyism and corruption in the appointments it has made in key government organisations with responsibility for everything from nuclear weapons to weather forecasting.
In today’s episode Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy and the newest member of the politics team, Jack Horgan-Jones to dissect the events of this week, including the mixed messages surrounding the newly published green list, the EU recovery deal and the eagerly awaited July stimulus package.
This week The Irish Times ran its "Summer Nights" online festival, featuring conversations with guests like Samantha Power, Anne Enright, Imelda May, Paul O'Connell, Dermot Bannon and David McWilliams.
As part of the festival, the politics team got together to discuss, well a lot of things really. They started with what's been another horrible week for new Taoiseach Micheál Martin. How much harm has the Barry Cowen controversy done to his leadership?
The Irish Times Summer Nights festival is sponsored by Peugeot.
President Donald Trump is clearly behind in the polls, but is it too late for him to claw it back? What kind of campaigns will he and his rival Joe Biden need to run to secure victory? To talk about the 2020 race Hugh is joined by columnist Fintan O'Toole and Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch.
Micheál Martin took hist first leaders' questions as Taoiseach this week, however much of the focus was on Agriculture Minister Barry Cowen and his drink driving apology. Jen Bray has the latest developments from the Dáil.
Economics columnist Cliff Taylor and Europe correspondent Naomi O’Leary join Pat Leahy to discuss the EU’s path to economic recovery from the impact of Covid-19. Plus, a potential new position this week for Paschal Donohue?
Brexit is still going and is still as infuriating as ever. With Britain now locked into a complete and final exit from the EU at the end of the year, London editor Denis Staunton updates us on the slow progress being made in negotiations on the future trade relationship, and helps us understand Boris Johnson's position.
But first, Jennifer Bray recaps a fairly miserable week for the new leadership of both the Government and the opposition.
Academic and political analyst Kevin Cunningham joins Pat and Fiach to talk about the first week of the new coalition, new analysis of the source of Sinn Féin's support in #GE2020 and the difficult next stage in dealing with Covid-19.
Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party have voted overwhelmingly to enter into government together . Pat Leahy is joined by Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Fiach Kelly to discuss this historic three-party coalition.
Masha Gessen is a Russian-American author, activist and journalist. In their new book, Surviving Autocracy, Gessen provides a punchy and persuasive analysis of the destruction the Trump administration has waged on US institutions, culture and sense of identity. In this episode, the author speaks to Hugh Linehan about the parallels between the US and Russia under Putin.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan joins Hugh Linehan and Irish Times political correspondent Harry McGee to discuss yesterday’s marathon Green Party convention, the divisions amongst party members and the outlook for the new programme for government.
What's in the FF-FG-Green programme for government, how is it going down with the grassroots, and what about that Irish Times / Ipsos-MRBI poll? Discussing it all are Pat, Fiach and Jen with host Hugh Linehan.
First Harry McGee and Mary Minihan talk about the sticking points in negotiations between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party to form a government, and a bit of Green Party history that casts light on the awkward phase it is going through.
In part two, academic Liam Thornton joins in to discuss the fate of Direct Provision. The ending of the controversial system for dealing with those applying for asylum now seems all but certain. How did it come to this, and what comes next?
Ireland is about to enter the next phase of the roadmap out of lockdown. 'Phase two plus' as coined by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar earlier today. Pat Leahy and Fiach Kelly speak to Hugh Linehan about the accelerated lifting of restrictions and discuss where we stand on this long and winding road to government formation.
The size of the #BlackLivesMatter demonstration in Dublin at the weekend took some by surprise, but it shouldn't have. Musician Sallay Garnett, also known as Loah, who has recently spoken out about her experience of racism in Ireland on social media, joins Irish Times journalists Fintan O'Toole and Sorcha Pollak to talk about the source of the energy behind the protest and whether Ireland is embarking on a reckoning with its own racism.
After that: Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch on the political gamble Donald Trump is taking with his hardline approach to protests over the killing by police of unarmed black man George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Robert Reich is an economist, professor, author, and political commentator who served as Secretary of Labour in the Clinton administration. Hugh talks to Robert about American society today, his contention that the US has become an oligarchy serving a select few, and how Donald Trump is a symptom of this decline.
His latest book "The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix" It is out now.
London editor Denis Staunton joins Hugh, Fiach and Jennifer to talk about the gripping story that has dominated UK politics for many straight days: Dominic Cummings' road trip (20.34). But first on today's podcast the team look at our own lockdown etiquette mini-scandal involving Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, revelations at the Covid committee hearings on the state's assistance to nursing homes at the start of the outbreak and those slow-moving government formation talks.
"Once taboos are broken, it's quite hard to reinstate them".
A German court ruling challenging the primacy of European Court of Justice in EU matters poses a threat to the EU that even it can't fudge.
The case hinged on the right of the European Central Bank to engage in bond-buying to support the EU economy. The top German court has ruled that the ECB hasn't sufficiently explained why the measures are necessary.
But more importantly, it also ruled that its view is supreme over the ruling of the top European court, the ECJ.
Among other problems, this could undermine attempts to rein in member states like Poland and Hungary that are challenging the EU's political norms.
To explain how the ruling does this and why it matters, Hugh talks to Ronan McCrea, professor of constitutional and European law at University College London.
A move to challenge Eamon Ryan as Green leader is under way among a cohort within the party, with deputy leader Catherine Martin being urged to stand against him. That's the first topic on today's podcast with Irish Times politics team Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee which also takes in government formation talks, a strange spat between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, the first hearing of the Covid-19 committee and how politics will handle the pressure to return public life to normality.
It's been a difficult path for Eamon Ryan and the Green Party since the dark period following 2011, when the party lost all its seats and state funding. His stewardship of the party has earned him respect, particularly among the old guard. But do the fast-growing Greens' new recruits give him the same credit?
Fiach Kelly writes about Ryan in this weekend's edition of The Irish Times and here he talks to Hugh about Ryan's leadership style and his party's difficult return to the government negotiating table.
They also talk about how a relationship between the Greens, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael might work.
This weekend's edition of The Irish Times features a series of articles about Green politics. You can read them all on irishtimes.com - or pick up a copy of the paper in your local newsagent.
Different countries are taking different approaches at different speeds as they move to reopen their economies. London Editor Denis Staunton and Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally talk to Hugh Linehan about the politics of pandemic in the UK and Germany respectively.
As Ireland moves into the next, more complex phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, how can we hold the authorities to account? Is the current government being transparent enough about the decisions it is making and the rationale which underpins them? What happens when a new government is finally formed? And how well is the media covering the crisis? Hugh Linehan talks to columnist Fintan O’Toole and political editor Pat Leahy.
The Green Party has demanded that any government it joins implements cuts of 7 per cent each year to our national carbon emissions. Where does that figure come from, and is it achievable? We ask climate researcher Hannah Daly. Then Fiach Kelly explains how the overtures from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are going down with the Greens, and what we know about plans to ease the Coronavirus lockdown.
Dr Hannah Daly lectures in energy systems modelling at University College Cork.
Phillipe Sands is a barrister, author and broadcaster. His new book The Ratline tells the story of Nazi war criminal and fugitive Otto Wachter, about whom Sands has already produced a popular podcast, also called The Ratline, for the BBC. Sands talks to Hugh about how he encountered Wachter's son, the nature of evil and the remembrance of the Holocaust.
This week the Government published the worst economic projections since the financial crisis of 2008-11. Finance minister, Paschal Donohue, issued a bleak warning that Ireland is now in “severe recession”. How will the next government deal with the economic and fiscal challenges that lie ahead? Is there anything in the joint framework from Fine Gael and Fine Fail that can weather the storm? Michael Taft, a researcher for SIPTU and the man behind the blog ‘Notes on the Front’ joins Hugh and Pat to discuss the structural reforms and measures needed to grow the economy and control the national debt.
This week, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael's historic agreement to form a government together didn't make much of a splash among the distracted public. There are difficult decisions ahead, but no sign of them in the joint framework document that accompanied the agreement. Will a smaller party bet on going into government with FF and FG in a time of unprecedented uncertainty? And can Sinn Féin be ignored for much longer?
Today Hugh talks to American journalist Clare Malone about the upending of US politics in an election year by the outbreak of Covid-19. Clare is senior political writer with FiveThirtyEight, a data-driven politics and sports website. She is also a regular on the popular FiveThirtyEight politics podcast.
They talk about the response of the Trump administration to the outbreak, the potential impact of the virus on voting in November, rampant gerrymandering in some American states, and the strengths of presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary joins Hugh and Pat to talk about the EU response to the coronavirus crisis and how differing national memories of anther crisis, the financial crash of a decade ago, are driving dissonance among member states. Plus, Pat digs into the government formation talks once again.
As we approach a sunny bank holiday weekend, and with several weeks of social distancing already under our belts, Hugh talks to Jennifer O'Connell and Patrick Freyne about how we are collectively handling the deprivations of life in lockdown. And we wonder some more about what permanent changes might come about as a result of Covid-19.
Politics is still going on, so Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee talk to Hugh about the latest goings-on: government formation, Seanad elections and the Labour leadership. But first they reflect on the nature of work and politics in the age of isolation.
Fiach joins to Hugh to talk about the caretaker government's response to the Covid-19 outbreak, and how the intervention of a civil servant has brought focus back onto the creation of a new government.
What will come in the wake of Covid-19? The end of the office and the transformation of cities? A new age of hedonism? A long-term increase of the role of the state in the economy? To talk about that and more, Hugh virtually sits down with Fintan O'Toole.
What a week it has been since our last podcast. Hugh and Pat talk about Leo Varadkar's national address, what the Coronavirus outbreak means for politics now and in the future, and the dilemma facing our system of how to form a new government under such novel and trying circumstances.
Jennifer and Pat join Hugh to talk about the Coronavirus outbreak. How ready is Ireland? They also discuss the accelerated government formation now taking place. As the situation worsens, all parties will come under even more pressure to bring a new government into existence.
Like many of you, the Inside Politics team is making changes to how it does things in light of the Coronavirus outbreak. Today's episode was recorded remotely. You may notice a slight change in audio quality. Thanks for your continued support.
irishtimes.com
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar lambasted Sinn Féin this week for “burning a Tricolour before our eyes” by referring to the Republic of Ireland as "the Southern State". He's wasting his time if he expects Sinn Féin to change in this respect, but he's also missing a more important point, says Irish Times columnist Newton Emerson. Southern politicians should learn from the peace process in Northern Ireland that Sinn Féin can be encouraged to respect democratic and political norms when brought into the fold.
Hugh and Newton also discuss the DUP's "evolving" position on the Northern Ireland protocol (the agreement between the UK and the EU that Northern Ireland will remain more closely aligned with the EU post-Brexit, requiring checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea). Having missed a chance to support Theresa May's "best of all worlds" deal, are they now getting ready to spin their satisfaction with Boris Johnson's "worst of all worlds" compromise, having no other choice?
As government formation talks rumble on behind the scenes, Fiach Kelly and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan in studio to discuss the first of the Labour hustings which took place in Cork on Monday night. Labour have struggled to win the youth vote and provide a clear party message, so how can they stay relevant to an electorate who are moving further away from them?
Also, Irish Times parliamentary correspondent Marie O’Halloran joined Hugh and Fiach in studio to talk through the fundamentals of the 'bonkers' Seanad Election.
With Brexit negotiations due to take place on Monday between Britain and the European Union, each side is accusing the other of bad faith. Britain’s negotiating mandate is at odds with the European Union’s on a number of issues. So what are these key points of contention and will there also be issues surrounding the Northern Irish Protocol? London Editor Denis Staunton and Europe Correspondent Naomi O’Leary join Hugh and Pat to discuss each side’s differing perspectives.
Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Fingal and party health spokesperson Louise O'Reilly joins Hugh and Pat to talk about the party's reasons for holding public events this week and its ambition to be a part of the next government. What would it take for Fianna Fáil's stance to shift in favour of a deal? They also discuss the governmental response to the global Coronavirus outbreak.
Who was Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin really speaking to when he attacked Sinn Féin last night in Leinster House? Fiach Kelly joins Hugh to discuss a fraught first meeting of the 33rd Dáil.
On today's podcast: Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are both spinning that Sinn Féin must step up and try to form a left-wing government - hoping that Mary Lou McDonald will fail, of course.
Michéal Martin and Fianna Fáil arrive at a major inflection point: should they try to court younger working class voters or older middle class voters? The future of the party may be at stake.
And the Labour Party faces its own dilemma. Which section of the party's traditional support base should its new leader represent?
Hugh is joined by Fiach Kelly and Jennifer Bray.
Now that the dust has finally settled on the Irish general election, Hugh is joined in studio by Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee to answer any of your lingering questions.
Sinn Féin is poised to take power in the next Dáil after winning a strong mandate in #GE2020, but for many people questions remain over its relationship to the Provisional IRA. Today we attempt to sort through what we know and what we don't know on this question. Does the IRA Army Council still remain at the top of the republican political movement? If so, does it pose a threat to security or has it become toothless? And to what extent does it influence modern Sinn Féin? Simon Carswell is here to help. Plus, Sam McBride on unionist reaction to Sinn Féin's political success down south.
Election 2020 is over and so is Election Daily. On this final episode, Fiach and Pat join Hugh to talk about what happens next. Leo Varadkar could remain as Taoiseach longer than people may realise, says Pat. There's a split in opinion as to whether Sinn Fein really wants to be in government, and agreement that Fianna Fail are in the most difficult position of all.
Thanks to everyone who listened to Election Daily. Inside Politics will be back tomorrow. Email the podcast: politicspodcast@irishtimes.com
Jennifer Bray joins Hugh Linehan from the RDS as the count rattles on into the evening there. Jennifer O'Connell was at the count centre in Waterford yesterday as Sinn Fein's David Cullinane won his seat with twice the required quota of first preference votes. It's been a dismal day for Fianna Fáil as the party continue to lose seats. Where are the transfers going & who is benefiting from the SF surge?
Pat Leahy is here to assess the results of #GE2020. How did Sinn Fein turn its fortunes at the ballot box around so spectacularly in a few short months? And can Micheal Martin really do a u-turn on governing with Sinn Fein?
But first we relive the weekend as it played out in The Irish Times newsroom.
The Sinn Fein surge is real and it's playing out in constituencies all across the country today. Harry McGee and Jennifer Bray are here to discuss the story of the election so far.
Fiach Kelly and Pat Leahy are here with analysis of the Ipsos / MRBI poll that projects a tie between Sinn Fein, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael and a new realignment of the Irish political landscape.
Pat, Jennifer and Fiach join Hugh to look back on the campaign as it draws to a close. Plus, what happens if Met Eireann tell people to stay home? And we hear a clip of Paschal Donohoe's reflections earlier today on what made this campaign a different and difficult one.
If you're enjoying the podcast, please take our survey:
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Damian Cullen, The Irish Times's self-described "go-to guy" for general election numerology, joins Hugh and Harry to bravely call the results of a few of the more interesting constituencies in tomorrow's general election, from Dublin Central to Tipperary and from Galway West to Wicklow.
As we reach the final stages of the election campaign, how are the political parties holding up? Is there a sense of panic within Fine Gael & are the Greens failing to get their message through? Harry & Fiach are here to discuss.
Plus if you're enjoying the podcast, please take our survey on https://www.irishtimes.com/podcastsurvey it should only take a few minutes.
To mark Election 2020 last night we put on a live show in Trinity College, Dublin for subscribers to The Irish Times. Regulars Hugh, Jennifer and Pat were joined by Mary Minihan, Jennifer O'Connell and Fintan O'Toole to talk about the big picture of this campaign: Fine Gael's negative campaign, Sinn Fein's rise, and the effort to understand exactly what kind of change the people of Ireland want. The discussion went on for two hours; in this podcast you can hear some of the highlights.
Fianna Fail party leader Micheal Martin talked to Pat Leahy earlier today. On the agenda: the murder of Paul Quinn and why he thinks Sinn Fein is a party unfit for government, his justification for excluding Mary Lou McDonald from a future coalition, and what the potential path to power is for Fianna Fail in this election.
What were the high and low points for Micheal Martin, Leo Varadkar and Mary Lou McDonald on tonight's RTE debate? And can it move the dial for voters? Jennifer Bray talks to Hugh.
Fiach Kelly chatted to Leo Varadkar at Fine Gael HQ earlier on, and he's here with the audio. The Taoiseach is asked about polls, says Micheál Martin can't be trusted not to break his pledge on partnership with Sinn Fein and gives some clear indications what his party's strategy will be over the final days of the campaign.
It's a first for the long-running Ipsos MRBI / Irish Times politics poll. Sinn Féin have overtaken Fine Gael and Fianna Fail and now enjoy the most support of any political party. The result is certain to make waves in this election campaign. Pat Leahy is here with analysis. For more on the poll, go to www.irishtimes.com.
Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee are here to talk about Mary Lou McDonald's addition to tomorrow night's leaders debate on RTE and Fine Gael's tanking campaign. How bad could it get for them on a bad day? Harry crunches some numbers.
It was supposed to be the climate change election. It hasn't turned out that way so far, even if it is a sign of progress that all the parties have detailed climate proposals in their manifestos, says Joseph Curtin, a climate change expert working in the NGO sector and a member of the Climate Change Advisory Council. But that doesn't mean you should take the figures in the manifestos too seriously. Joe talks to Hugh and Harry McGee about some of those proposed policies, which parties are most ambitious, and the best way to implement carbon tax.
In a special, slightly extended episode of Election Daily, Denis Staunton joins us from London to talk about the momentous but strangely muted occasion of Brexit Day. But first Fiach Kelly and Pat Leahy are here with news from the campaign including insights from an Irish Times / Ipsos MRBI focus group and some of the tactics allegedly used when constituency partnerships go bad.
Jennifer Bray is in Mayo following the campaign of Fianna Fail deputy leader Dara Calleary, who is confident local issues can deliver two seats again despite the Saoirse McHugh factor, while Simon Carswell is in Louth with Gerry Adams who is canvassing with Sinn Fein's candidates there. Can Councillor Ruairí Ó Murchú take the seat Adams is vacating?
We're focusing on the Green Party today with Irish Times journalist Harry McGee who attended their briefing on transport earlier & Assistant News Editor Mary Minihan who has literally written the book on the Greens. Up for discussion is Saoirse McHugh's carbon tax comments and the perception of the party in rural Ireland.
Sinn Féin has carved out a space for itself as the main party of left-wing opposition, and its manifesto proposes radical change. Polls show it has gained support in recent months, and it is the most popular party among those under 35. It has made the housing issue its own. Will its strategy work on February 8th?
To understand the party's appeal, with its unique characteristics in Irish and even European politics, and to examine some parts of its generous manifesto, Hugh and Pat are joined by Jane Suiter, Associate Professor at DCU's School of Communications, and Aidan Regan, Associate Professor of Political Economy at UCD.
Following on from the leaders debate in NUIG last night, Fiach Kelly was in Galway early this morning on the canvas trail with Leo Varadkar. But how did the Taoiseach respond to the controversial autism comments & subsequent apology made by Fine Gael's Catherine Noone? Plus Jennifer Bray attended the Labour manifesto launch earlier today and talks us through their promise of a living wage, a three year rent freeze and the potential for an 'omnibus referendum'.
Fiach joins Hugh to assess the second debate of #GE20, this time with seven party leaders. Who impressed, who failed to make their mark, which issues dominated, and which were ignored?
Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray are here with your daily update on the events of the general election campaign. It's a critical week for all the parties and candidates as the large block of undecided voters - over 20% according to polls - should begin to make up their minds. Which message is winning out? Plus, what to watch for in tonight's seven-way debate.
As the political parties begin to launch their manifestos, and to coincide with a major series in The Irish Times on the causes and potential solutions to the housing crisis, we talk to three of our journalists:
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Political reporter Jennifer Bray on the key policies being proposed by the political parties and the major differences between them;
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Business reporter Eoin Burke-Kennedy on the problems with measures designed to help buyers, like the SSIA scheme proposed by Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael's expanded Help-To-Buy programme;
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Dublin Editor Olivia Kelly on the role of the Land Development Agency, a key component in Fine Gael's Rebuilding Ireland strategy, and its uncertain future after GE20.
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil both released their party manifestos today, but what are the real differences between them? As we reach the end of the first full week of GE2020, Pat Leahy and pollster Kevin Cunningham dissect the party promises and also take a look at what lies in store for the remainder of the campaign.
Harry McGee and Mary Minihan join Hugh to dig into last night's debate some more, including the fallout from Leo Varadkar's awkward answer about his past use of drugs, and analyse what Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have been saying about potential coalition partners like the Greens. Plus Harry explains what is going on within the Solidarity / People Before Profit group, who risk splitting the left wing vote in Dublin South-West.
Fiach, Jennifer and Hugh react to the first debate of the general election between Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar.
Over the last week, Irish Times journalist Jennifer O’Connell has been travelling across the country speaking to people and learning about their thoughts on #GE2020. From a book club in Míchael Martin’s constituency of Cork South Central, to a livestock mart in Ennis Co. Clare, Jennifer came across disillusioned voters who want for change, but feel nothing can be done. Pat Leahy takes a look at whether the latest Irish Times Poll reflects Jennifer’s findings amongst the electorate and why Irish people are choosing policy over personality.
As Sinn Féin perform well in the polls, Mary Lou McDonald continues to fight for her place in the televised leaders debate. Fiach Kelly spoke to the SF leader at the candidates launch in Dublin today about the possibility of becoming the next Taoiseach. Also Pat Leahy discusses the most important policy issues for voters according to the latest Irish Times poll.
The latest Irish Times / Ipsos MRBI poll, conducted in the days after the calling of the general election, shows Fianna Fáil edging ahead of Fine Gael and Sinn Fein gaining significant support. Pat Leahy is here with all the numbers and analysis.
For Fine Gael, week two of #GE2020 opens under the shadow of a poll in a Sunday newspaper that put them 12 points behind Fianna Fail. The Irish Times will publish our own poll soon. Meanwhile, Harry McGee and Mary Minihan join Hugh to talk about the eruption of pensions as an election issue, Sinn Fein's strength on the housing issue and the head to head debate between Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar.
How has Fine Gael performed in government since 2016? We ask four of our specialist journalists - Paul Cullen on health, Kitty Holland on social housing and homelessness, Carl O'Brien on education and Cliff Taylor on the economy - to compare what was promised to what was delivered.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar & Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan met with senior Garda in Drogheda today as gang wars escalate in the town. Simon Carswell was following the action and spoke to Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy about how locals reacted to the political presence. Plus Labour were also in Drogheda for the launch of their campaign 'Getting Ireland Moving'.
On day three of the election campaign Jennifer Bray spent the afternoon aboard the Fine Gael 'battle bus' as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visited Longford, shook some hands and avoided some bolshy locals. Fiach Kelly attended the launch of Fianna Fail's economic strategy, an event light on detail but which confirmed that public spending would be a key part of its campaign. Plus, a mini-controversy over a Sinn Fein councillor's remarks about Leo Varadkar that put his party on the back foot.
Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan in studio to dissect day two of #GE2020. As campaign launches took place across the country, the homeless crisis became the main issue facing the parties following an accident along the canal in Dublin.
Is there potential for real change emerging from the results of this general election? Fintan O'Toole joins Hugh and Pat to talk about the politics of patronage, how politicians respond to what they perceive voters want and why we need to talk about Sinn Fein's legitimacy as a partner in government.
Election Daily is our new podcast series covering #GE2020 in under 15 minutes. We'll publish a new episode every weekday evening.
Fiach Kelly and Jennifer Bray run through the events of day one of the campaign including the big reveal of February 8th, a Saturday, as election day, the unveiling of campaign slogans and a slew of announcements by sitting TDs that they won't run this time.
The election hasn't been called yet but the political attacks have already begun. What kind of election campaign is in store? With a real head-to-head clash between Varadkar and Martin for the job of Taoiseach, the political stakes are higher than in recent years. Pat Leahy is here to discuss the early manoeuvres in the campaign.
Attention listeners: we will be publishing a short daily election podcast five days per week throughout the campaign . You don't need to do anything; "Election Daily" will show up in your Inside Politics feed every evening. And don't worry, we'll still publish our regular shows with the more in-depth stuff.
Claire Fox stands out in the UK political landscape as a Brexit Party MEP with a background in far-left politics. In Dublin to deliver a talk about the reasons behind Brexit at the pro-EU Institute of International and European Affairs, she visits the Irish Times to argue that the loss of national sovereignty that comes with EU membership is intrinsically harmful to democracy.
With its clout in Westminister dead and buried, the stakes couldn't be higher for unionism in the current negotiations to restore power-sharing in Stormont. Why then is the DUP unwilling to make some compromises? To explain what's happening up north, Newton Emerson joins Hugh and Fiach.
But first they discuss the row over a centenary commemoration that has backfired on the Government down south, exposing the durability of the very divisions it was designed to help heal.
And finally Fiach has the latest on the timing of a general election.
Hugh is joined by Jennifer Bray, Fiach Kelly and Pat Leahy to answer some more of your questions on diverse topics, from the rough and tumble of political reporting to the success of the Tories in UK politics and their own podcast listening habits.
Inside Politics will return on Wednesday, January 7th. Thanks for listening in 2019.
Hugh is joined by Jennifer Bray, Fiach Kelly, Pat Leahy and Harry McGee to answer some of your questions about politics, politicians, political reporting and more.
This is part one of the 2019 edition of Ask Us Anything. We'll publish part two next week. Happy Christmas to all our listeners!
As the 2010s dawned, it seemed the economic turmoil of the great recession would bring about social and political change. It did, but in unexpected ways, and increasingly under the warping influence of Big Tech. Hugh is joined by Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole to look back on a troubling decade.
What lessons will political parties in Northern Ireland take from the results of last week's election? Hugh and Pat talk to Dr Katy Hayward, a political sociologist at Queens University Belfast and a senior fellow in the UK in a Changing Europe initiative, and a trusted voice on Brexit and its implications for Northern Ireland.
The results are in. Boris Johnson has secured a historic victory in the UK general election, with the Conservative Party winning a majority of 364 seats to Labour's measly 203. With Britain’s departure from the EU securely on the horizon for January 31st 2020, Boris has succeeded in his mission to ‘Get Brexit Done’. Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, is on the way out. In Northern Ireland, it was a bad night for the DUP.
Up bright and early to discuss the results and ramifications with Hugh Linehan is London editor Denis Staunton, academic and former Uk Labour pollster Dr Kevin Cunningham and political editor Pat Leahy.
The current Dáil is living on borrowed time, but how will its final act play out? To talk about confidence votes, party strategising and, yes, the timing of the next general election, Hugh is joined by podcast stalwarts Pat, Fiach and Jennifer. They also reflect on the closing days of a UK election campaign characterised by misinformation and mistrust.
At a Labour press conference this morning, Jeremy Corbyn revealed a confidential Northern Ireland Brexit report, which drives a ‘coach and horses’ through Boris Johnson’s promise of no border in the Irish Sea. London Editor Denis Staunton joins Hugh to discuss the implications, if any, this might have for the Conservatives. They also examine how the parties are shaping up as the election campaign enters the home stretch.
Also, Finn McRedmond joins us from London to discuss how political parties are using micro-targeting, poor quality ‘boomer memes’ and celebrity endorsements to enhance their online election campaigns.
In recent months Irish Times journalists Patrick Freyne and Jennifer O'Connell have spent time meeting people across the UK and learning about their thoughts on Brexit, their opinions of their political leaders and their fears about the direction of UK society. They've found a confused, disillusioned and, at times, hopeful electorate.
Fiach Kelly and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to look at the results of four byelections in Wexford, Cork North-Central, Dublin Mid-West and Dublin Fingal. How good a day was Saturday for Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein and the Greens? How bad for Fine Gael? And will the ugliness of some of the debate persist into the general election campaign to come?
What makes the DUP tick? The big beast of unionism has played an outside role in politics across Ireland and the UK over the past few years, yet understanding of the party south of the border or on the other side of the Irish sea is often lacking. To find out a bit more about the party and its view of the world, Hugh and Pat were joined by Sam McBride live on stage at the Dublin Podcast Festival last week. Sam is political editor with the Belfast Newsletter and author of Burned, a book about the "cash for ash" scandal that has plighted the party.
Four constituencies, four battles for four seats in Dáil Éireann. On Friday (which is the same day as the Toy Show, as Leo Varadkar pointed out while canvassing with Verona Murphy in Wexford) voters go to the polls in Dublin Mid West, Dublin Fingal, Wexford and Cork North Central. The team talks through the constituencies one by one, with a few digressions along the way, and finally make some predictions.
First-past-the-post, tactical voting, Labour leavers, Tory remainers... it all ads up to a a formidable task for pollsters to call the outcome of GE19. But the numbers we have so far strongly suggest Boris Johnson is on course for a majority. Pollster and politics lecturer Dr Kevin Cunningham joins Hugh and Pat to look at those polls and ask is there any scope for Labour and other parties to stop Johnson, or is it too late?
Dublin Editor, Olivia Kelly gives us the low down on what's happening with O'Devaney Gardens. Last week City Councillors approved a deal which would see more than 800 new homes developed on the site, so why is Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy questioning it's approval now?
Fine Gael's Verona Murphy was forced to apologise this week for her comments concerning asylum seekers in Ireland. Political reporter Jennifer Bray was canvassing with the by-election candidate last week and joins us to discuss the disparaging remarks that were made on the canvas trail.
Plus, Ros Taylor from Remainiacs Podcast gives her take on last night’s Leaders Debate on ITV and gives us a remainer’s perspective on the British General Election.
Hugh and Pat are joined by London editor Denis Staunton to talk about the first full week of the UK election campaign.
Are the big two parties starting to squeeze the smaller groups out? Are tactical voting considerations having an impact? Is it a Brexit election so far? And could flooding and the government's slow response cost Boris Johnson the election?
Northern correspondent Freya McClements on the party plans and pacts that are turning Northern Ireland's Westminster election into one of the most interesting in years. Is it remain versus leave, green versus orange or a mixture of both?
Plus Fiach Kelly and Pat Leahy have an early look at the by-elections taking place in four constituencies in a few weeks' time. Derogatory social media posts about Travellers and others made by Fianna Fail's Senator Lorraine Clifford Lee are threatening her campaign in Dublin Fingal. Will the party stick by her?
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin gave an interview to our deputy political editor Fiach Kelly last week, covering the veteran politician's approach to the next general election, rebuilding trust in his party, his plan for bringing to an end the confidence and supply deal that props up Leo Varadkar's government, and more. Fiach plays back some clips of the interview and discusses them with Hugh Linehan.
Yesterday was a good day for the Democratic Party, winning control of the legislature in Virginia and the governorship of Kentucky, while President Trump's impeachment problems deepened again. But with one year until the presidential election, there are some worrying signs that the party could struggle to select a candidate who can compete with Trump in the places that matter. To look at the state of that campaign Hugh talks to our Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch.
But first, deputy political editor Fiach Kelly is here to talk about last week's general election wobble, the row over "money messages" and the intricacies of Fobgate. Are the rules for TD's expenses being abused?
The UK general election campaign is, among other things, a battle for what kind of Brexit will ultimately happen. Our Europe editor Patrick Smyth sets out five possible election outcomes and the sort of Brexit the EU expects from each, from No Deal to a new deal - or no Brexit at all.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves: the campaign is just beginning. To understand the dynamics and tactics at play in these early stages we talk first to Patrick Maguire, a political correspondent with New Statesman magazine.
Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny's car was torched a few days after he spoke out against rising anti-immigrant sentiment in the Dáil. Kenny, who has supported the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers in the town of Ballinamore in his constituency, talks to Fiach Kelly and Harry McGee about his fears that real issues are being twisted to win support for extreme views.
And Irish Times journalist Jennifer O'Connell talks about why two towns, Borrisokane and Ballinamore, have reacted differently to the arrival of direct provision centres. How can the government better engage with communities?
But first, London editor Denis Staunton on the forthcoming UK general election. Could this election throw up a worse Brexit than Boris Johnson's deal from an Irish point of view? And can Jeremy Corbyn repeat the trick of 2017 and outperform expectations?
Leaving the European Union will have consequences for politics in the United Kingdom. What are they, and is the UK ready for them? To chat about that and other Brexit-related themse, Hugh is joined again by Helen Thompson, professor of political economy at Cambridge University, and by Ruadhán Mac Cormaic, assistant editor with The Irish Times.
Hugh is joined by Denis Staunton, Pat Leahy, Harry McGee and Jennifer Bray. What will UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson try to do first: win a general election, or pass his Withdrawal Agreement Bill through the House of Commons? Last night was the first time any Brexit deal was approved in a vote, but Johnson's joy was short-lived when a procedural vote denied him a rapid debate stage. This complicates things in various fiendish ways, as keen Brexit watchers won't be at all surprised to hear. Denis explains.
After that, our political team discuss the tit-for-tat row over errant votes in Dáil Éireann. Is it significant or simply a pre-election proxy war?
London Editor Denis Staunton on where Boris Johnson might find - or lose - support in tomorrow's House of Commons vote on the Brexit deal.
Fintan O'Toole on how the strategies of the different parties to Brexit played out in the extraordinary week that led to Johnson abandoning the DUP and striking a deal with Ireland and the EU.
Pat Leahy and Denis Staunton are on the line to discuss the Brexit deal agreed today and the reaction here, in Northern Ireland and in Westminster. Can Johnson's deal pass? And what are the implications of the consent mechanism for Northern Ireland?
At this moment in time there is still optimism that a deal may be struck in Brexit talks between the EU and the UK ahead of tomorrow’s European Council meeting, though the outstanding issues may see it go right down to the wire. The elements of the deal are set to be a customs border in the Irish Sea - rebranded and sweetened for the DUP - as well as a hefty financial package for Northern Ireland. Details of the other key issue - that of consent, and how Northern Ireland agrees to whatever special treatment it is given - have yet to emerge.
Hugh is joined by Peter Foster, Europe Editor of the Daily Telegraph, and by our own Fiach Kelly and Denis Staunton to analyse the state of play.
Political Editor Pat Leahy is here with the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll which shows Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are in pretty much a dead heat, while the Green Party is enjoying a steady upward trend in support. Significantly, there has been an 15 point increase in Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s personal satisfaction rating, ending an 18-month long period of decline.
When remembering the Troubles, we tend to focus on the acts of perpetrators. But a new book focusses on the 186 children who died in the Troubles, some of whose deaths have, up to now, appeared nowhere on any list of victims. 'Children of the Troubles' is written by RTÉ's Joe Duffy and The Irish Times Northern correspondent Freya McClements. In this interview, Freya and Joe tell Hugh that, for many of the parents and loved ones left behind, time has not moved on - their losses are not "legacy issues".
Our columnist, economist David McWilliams joins Hugh and Pat. Their discussion weaves together the significant events of the past 24 hours and the longer term economic and social impacts of Brexit on Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The Spectator's political editor James Forsyth had the biggest Brexit scoop of the week on Monday when he reported that, per a Downing Street source, Brexit negotiations were breaking down. The reason? As Downing Street sees it, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has gone back on a promise to soften his negotiating position if the UK made the first move, a promise he made to Boris Johnson when the latter visited Dublin last month. But is this all spin or a genuine belief? And what does it mean for next week's EU Council summit? Hugh and Pat talk to James about that first.
Then they are joined by UCC's Dr. Theresa Reidy and economist John Fitzgerald about yesterday's budget. What political messages were Paschal Donohoe and Leo Varadkar trying to send?
In agreeing to regulatory checks in the Irish Sea, the DUP have made a major Brexit concession, a "massive shift", says the Belfast Newsletter's political editor Sam McBride, the importance of which has not yet been grasped outside Northern Ireland. Hugh and Pat talk to Sam about the thinking behind the move and the significance of the proposed Stormont veto.
Then they talk to our Europe editor Patrick Smyth about the specific problems Brussels has with Boris Johnson's new Brexit proposals. Is there is any sign of negotiators reentering "the tunnel"?
It might not feel like it, but there is a small matter of a budget to think about next week. Hugh is joined by Harry McGee, Jennifer Bray and Fiach Kelly to discuss what Paschal Donohoe is likely to do with what should be a tight budget dominated by Brexit.
Speaking of Brexit, Boris Johnson set out his ‘final’ Brexit offer to the EU at the Tory conference in Manchester today. We look at the leaks overnight about that offer and the political reaction to it in Dublin.
Plus: Paul Murphy's new political grouping 'Rise' and Eamon Ryan's calls for the reintroduction of wolves to the Irish countryside.
The Brexit week began with Lady Hale delivering a famous judgement against Prime Minister Boris Johnson. That might have been expected to dominate the news for days, but Johnson, prematurely returned to Westminster, produced another 'dead cat', whipping his parliamentary opponents into a frenzy with his use of what they called dangerous language. Looking on from Brussels, the European negotiators believed they were watching hopes of any deal passing the Commons evaporate. To discuss the week that was, political editor Pat Leahy is joined by public affairs editor Simon Carswell and Nick Gutteridge, a Brussels-based journalist with The Sun,.
Boris Johnson faces an uncertain future and narrowing options after yesterday’s brutal supreme court ruling that his prorogation of parliament was unlawful. London editor Denis Staunton talks to Pat Leahy about the prospects facing the under-fire British prime minister.
Also today: Green Party councillor Hazel Chu and our own Cliff Taylor join Pat to discuss the carbon tax, green washing and the Green Party’s ambitions for the next general election.
Plus: In an op-ed on press freedom by New York Times publisher A G Sulzberger this week, we learned of the story of how the paper’s Cairo bureau chief, Irishman Declan Walsh, had to be spirited out of Egypt by Irish diplomats because of a threat of arrest after Trump administration officials refused to intervene. Declan talks to Pat about how that came about and what the episode says about the US government’s role in protecting journalists working abroad.
Canadian journalist and social activist Naomi Klein is best known for her 1999 book No Logo which exposed corporate malpractice. Two decades on, her focus has shifted towards climate change. In her new book On Fire she argues the case for a "Green New Deal" to stymie global warming and tackle climate injustice.
The dawning political season in Leinster House is overshadowed by the prospect of a general election and still by the uncertainty over Brexit. Fiach Kelly and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about factors that will decide the timing of an election, and what the Taoiseach has been saying about a post-election deal with Fianna Fáil. They also discuss the "informal talks' that have been taking place between Tánaiste Simon Coveney and his UK counterparts about post-Brexit border arrangements. But there is little optimism in the studio that a deal before October 31st is looking more likely.
The DUP has publicly rejected proposals for a Northern Ireland-only backstop amid speculation at Westminster that Boris Johnson is considering an all-Ireland solution for the Border after Brexit. But with different shades of opinion within Arlene Foster’s party behind the scenes, is there room for manoeuvre? Could the DUP sell the idea of a ‘soft’ backstop to its supporters? Belfast-based political commentator and former UUP director of communications, Alex Kane, and Irish Times northern correspondent Freya McClements, join Hugh and political editor Pat Leahy to discuss.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has visited Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for a "positive, constructive" meeting. But has the Irish government's view of the Brexit stalemate changed at all? Pat Leahy is here to discuss.
Fintan O'Toole pops in to review the incredible week that has unfolded in Westminster and what we can expect from the election that seems inevitable now. Will it be the dirtiest political campaign we've ever seen?
After a day of drama and political upheaval in Westminster, Hugh is joined by our own Pat Leahy and Denis Staunton, and by Katy Balls, deputy political editor with The Spectator magazine, to ask:
- What have we learned from the past 24 hours?
- For how long will Jeremy Corbyn withhold his support for an election?
- What impact will the dramatic expulsion of Tory rebels from their party have on UK politics?
- Does Boris Johnson have a plan?
- Is a possible post-election path to an alternative deal emerging?
Brendan O'Leary, a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, has written a three-book treatise on the entity we call Northern Ireland that is both accessible and erudite. He talks to Hugh about the past, present and uncertain future of Northern Ireland.
The dust is beginning to settle after British prime minister Boris Johnson’s surprise announcement on Wednesday, that he is to prorogue parliament for five weeks in order to bring forward his Government’s new legislative agenda. The move has been attacked as anti-democratic, but what happens next? Is a general election now more likely to be called before the October 31st Brexit date that Johnson has long since promised to honour? Or, can opposition MPs manage to coalesce around an alternative PM to form a government of national unity and halt Johnson in his tracks? Hugh is joined by The Guardian’s Brexit correspondent Lisa O’Carroll and Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy to discuss how this could all play out in the weeks ahead.
Is it possible to run a capitalist economy and also address climate change? Or, is the greed-driven system destined to destroy itself? Hugh is joined by Green Party leader Eamon Ryan and People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd-Barrett to discuss what role socialism and left-wing green politics can play in helping to bring about real democratic change to fight climate change.
New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd is the undisputed queen of the Washington commentariat. President George W Bush called her 'the Cobra' and in 1999 she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for a series of columns on the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Clinton administration.
In today's podcast, she tells Hugh that journalists in Washington are in a strange position because while Donald Trump's presidency is "the most incredible thing that’s ever happened in politics", it has seen journalism thrive. She also talks about the Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the party's prospects in 2020 and why President Obama must shoulder some of the blame for Trump's election.
Maureen Dowd will take part in a public conversation at the Kennedy Summer School on Saturday, September 7th. kennedysummerschool.ie. Her column appears every Monday in The Irish Times
Almost a month after becoming British prime minister, Boris Johnson has restated his opposition to the backstop in a four-page letter to European Council president Donald Tusk, in which he failed to put forward a single idea for replacing it. As the Brexit stalemate continues, there is a sense that we have reached the phoney war phase, with apathy growing among many EU nations who just want to bring the matter to a close, whatever that might mean.
Is Johnson serious about finding a solution to the backstop? What happens when the House of Commons returns from its summer break? What role can Jeremy Corbyn play in preventing a 'no-deal' crash out on October 31st? And, where do the negotiations between the EU and Britain go from here?
Guests: Professor of Constitutional and European law at University College London, Ronan McCrea, and Irish Times political editor, Pat Leahy.
In today's podcast we look at issues around radicalisation, disinformation and the amplification, sometimes unwittingly, of extremism online. What role do the big tech companies play and what, if anything, can be done about it all?
Guests: Director of FuJo and the PROVENANCE project at DCU, Jane Suiter, and Liz Carolan of Transparent Referendum and Digital Action.
Do independent politicians get their fair share of coverage in the Irish media? Independent TD and Minister of State for Disability Issues, Finian McGrath, talks to Hugh and Fiach about the place of independents in Irish politics, why he thinks they are ignored by the media and what impact Brexit is going to have on the government's budgetary decisions over the next few months.
He also brought his guitar into studio, so listen right to the end to hear why.
Is it time for the state to build much more social housing? Sinn Fein TD Eoin O Broin feels that it is and he has written a book about how that can be achieved. But first Eoin debates with Fintan O'Toole about Fintan's controversial column. In the column Fintan argued that Sinn Féin should give up its Westminster seats and allow for the election anti-Brexit replacements in time to thwart Boris Johnson's drive towards No Deal.
Best known as a unique musician with a political edge in the tradition of Woody Guthrie and The Clash, Billy Bragg is a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn and an outspoken opponent of Brexit. He's written a book about how to fix the problems he sees in modern democracy, called "The Three Dimensions of Freedom". He talks to Hugh about Labour's approach to Brexit, Corbyn's leasdership, the diminished role of music in politics today, and more.
Britain’s MPs are now on holidays but Boris Johnson and his cabinet are working away on their preparations for a No Deal Brexit in October. Will this have an effect on the political calculations in Dublin, in Brussels and across Europe, where EU member states' own domestic politics may soon add further complications into the mix? And if it does, will it be enough to force any workable compromise?
To discuss this Hugh is joined by professor of political economy at the University of Cambridge Helen Thompson, London editor Denis Staunton and deputy political editor Fiach Kelly.
With Brexit tensions hitting new highs, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar answers Pat Leahy's questions about how he views Prime Minister Boris Johnson's hardline approach, what No Deal could mean for Northern Ireland and what measures are being taken to protect the domestic economy. The interview was recorded live at the MacGill Summer School.
Buckle up: it's going to be a bumpy ride between now and the end of October. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's cabinet purge and appointment of hard Brexiteers to key positions looks to be setting the UK up for a no-deal Brexit. To understand yesterday's unprecedented events in Westminster and what they mean for Ireland, Hugh talks to London editor Denis Staunton, The Guardian's Brexit correspondent Lisa O'Carroll in London and here in Dublin by Deputy Political Editor Fiach Kelly.
The front pages are dominated by two stories today: Boris Johnson’s Tory leadership and Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey’s punishment for her claim against Dublin’s Dean Hotel for falling off a swing. Pat Leahy is joined by Harry McGee and Jennifer Bray to discuss what the mood is like around Dublin as Boris Johnson prepares to assume the role of British prime minister and whether the Taoiseach bottled it by not removing the party whip from Bailey.
Also in today’s show, the team run the rule over the highs and lows of the Dáil term, as Cabinet meets for the last time at Glenties on Thursday.
Both contenders for the Tory leadership, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, mades news on the hustings the other day by stating that even a time-limit to the backstop would not be enough: the backstop simply must go. Assuming Boris Johnson becomes the next PM, as seems likely, how does he plan to get any kind of deal with the EU with such a hardline approach? What, in short, is his game? To find out, Hugh and Pat talk to political editor of The Spectator magazine, James Forsyth.
Later on, Una Mullally is here to look back on the life, achievements and allyship of the late Noel Whelan.
Everyone at Inside Politics was shocked and saddened to learn of the death this week of our colleague and friend, Noel Whelan. Our condolences to his wife Sinéad, his son Séamus and the rest of his family at this difficult time.
Inside Politics will pay tribute to Noel next week.
Today's podcast is an interview with Ailbhe Smyth, recorded live at the Body and Soul music festival in Westmeath last month.
Ailbhe was co-director of the Together for Yes campaign that helped secure the repeal of constitutional abortion restrictions in Ireland last year, talks to Hugh Linehan about her life, her politics and the origins of her activism.
"It is that way for so many women. Something happens in your life, it can be big or it can be small... the first thing is, this is hurting me, this is damaging me, and then there is that realisation: if this is hurting me, it's hurting others. That's the first step into the political arena".
Is a no-deal Brexit inevitable? What will happen at the border if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal? And how will our own political system deal with such a crisis? To discuss, Pat Leahy is joined by Lisa Chambers, Fianna Fail Brexit spokesperson, columnist Fintan O'Toole, Katy Hayward of Queens University Belfast and our own Fiach Kelly.
As Dáil term nears a close, the government is creaking a bit under the pressure of a growing number of fronts: agriculture, broadband, Brexit and hard budgetary choices to come. Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Gerard Howlin add up the problems and wonder if this government's race is run.
Who is Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen and why is she the new EU Commission president? Her appointment is a natural expression of the power struggle at the heart of the European Union, while her skill set will come in handy for challenges to come, explains Derek Scally.
Fianna Fáil MEP-in-waiting Barry Andrews says there is life in the Spitzencandidate approach yet, and criticises EU centre-right political group EPP (of which Fine Gael is a member) for allowing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban be kingmaker in the allocation of top jobs.
After several years of turmoil in the UK over Brexit, there is a feeling that the union is under strain like never before. But are we really any closer to a united Ireland? To talk about this, Hugh was joined by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, unionist writer Sophie Long and Simon Carswell from The Irish Times for a special live recording of the podcast at the Body & Soul festival last week.
An investigation by the Digital Forensic Research Laboratory at Washington-based think tank, the Atlantic Council, found that Ireland was one of several Western countries targeted by a Russian-based information operation which used fake accounts and dozens of online platforms to spread fake news. Ben Nimmo, a senior fellow for information defence at the DFRLab, joins Hugh and Irish Times public affairs editor Simon Carswell to discuss what the investigation uncovered, how the disinformation war operates and whether it can be policed.
But first - Tuesday saw the publication of the summer economic statement, with Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe saying a budget-day package of €2.8 billion - with €700 million for new spending - will be available to him on October 8th, deal or no-deal Brexit. Fiach Kelly and Jennifer Bray report on the ins and outs of it.
American journalist Michael Wolff has written a follow up to 'Fire and Fury', his infamous bestseller detailing the chaos of the Trump White House. He talks to Hugh about his work, the decline of the Trump presidency, the deficiencies of Donald Trump and the starring role of Steve Bannon in Wolff's new book 'Siege: Trump Under Fire'.
This week the Government published its much-anticipated plan to tackle climate change. It's an ambitious proposal, aiming to cut emissions and make Ireland carbon-neutral by 2050 through new climate legislation, budgets and targets which will ensure greater oversight. Sounds good on paper, but will it work in practice?
Plus - The Government will publish the summer economic statement next week, laying out what resources will be available under two Brexit scenarios: a no-deal Brexit or an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU later this year. Which option will make it in to the budget-day package?
Guests: UCD lecturer in environmental politics & green political theory, Sadhbh O'Neil, Harry McGee and Fiach Kelly.
Bestselling author, geographer and historian Jared Diamond's latest book, Upheaval, is about how countries come through turmoil while adopting selective changes - a coping mechanism more commonly associated with individuals recovering from personal crises. In today's podcast, he talks to Hugh about the book and about his broader views on how societies develop, survive or fail to sustain themselves.
First: No sooner than it had begun, our new national rivalry with Scotland seems at an end as territorial tensions over Rockall abate. But why did the spat happen, and what does it tell us about Scotland's place in this period of political upheaval? Hugh talks to Glasgow-based journalist Peter Geoghegan about the political scene in Scotland as Brexit, the Tory leadership race and the SNP's ambition for another independence referendum intersect in interesting ways.
Then: 'Fiscal' Cliff Taylor and 'Political' Pat Leahy bring their respective perspectives to bear on the Fiscal Advisory Council’s warnings this week over irresponsible government spending.
British broadcaster and outspoken Remainer James O'Brien has become widely known for the exasperated monologues and heated debates that feature on his daily LBC radio call-in show.
He’ll be appearing next week at the Dalkey Book Festival to discuss his book, How to be Right... In a World Gone Wrong.
He talks to Hugh about his unique broadcasting style, the British media landscape, the nature of disagreement and the prospects for Britain.
As the Tory leadership hopefuls compete to succeed outgoing prime minister Theresa May, the party has tightened the rules for the contest amid concerns about the size of the field. Whoever wins, the task of delivering on Brexit remains and the stark choices facing the UK as it staggers towards the extension date of October 31st are unlikely to change. London editor Denis Staunton is on the line to discuss the various runners and riders with Hugh and Pat.
Plus: The National Women’s Council of Ireland has welcomed the increased number of women elected as councillors in the recent local elections but says it is very disappointed about the missed opportunity to break the critical barrier of 30% of women’s representation in local government. NWCI director, Orla O’Connor, explains why a poor showing by the larger parties in particular highlights the need for gender quotas.
Journalist Sophie Pedder is the Paris bureau chief of the Economist, writing about French politics and economics. The author of “Revolution Française: Emmanuel Macron and the Quest to Reinvent a Nation”, she talks to Hugh about who Macron really is and what it is that drives his politics.
Sophie will be at the Dalkey Book Festival June 15th and 16th to discuss Macron and the role of modern media in the era of fake news.
As the dust begins to settle on the local and European elections, we look at why, not for the first time, an exit poll was wide of the mark and whether that’s a cause for concern. We also look at the state of the left and whether disappointing results for Sinn Féin and People Before Profit are an indication that the politics of protest has dried up post-austerity. Plus - Nobody has ever said an electoral commission is a bad idea. So, why hasn’t it happened yet?
Guests: Fintan O’Toole joins Hugh, Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee.
Fiach Kelly, Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to talk about all the results we have so far from the weekend's local and European elections. What is behind Sinn Féin's slump? Could good news for Fianna Fáil in Dublin foretell a return to power for the party? Will anything come from talk of a Green-left alliance at the next general election?
As voters go to the polls in 28 countries this weekend to select the new European Parliament, the expectation is of a significant surge in support for populist parties, from La Lega in Italy to Alternative für Deutschland in Germany. But what do we mean when we describe a political party as populist? Hugh talks to Jan-Werner Müller, professor of politics at Princeton University and author of the 2016 book, What is Populism?
Jan-Werner was in Dublin to address the Institute of International and European Affairs on how modern democracies can combat what he sees as a threat to democratic norms and liberties.
A 'climate emergency' has been declared in Dáil Éireann, and green issues are coming up on the doorsteps in this election campaign, putting pressure on our politicians from below to take the problem seriously. But even if they do, and even if the predicted 'Green wave' materialises, is our system really capable of tackling a problem the size of climate change?
To discuss, Hugh and Fiach are joined by Gavin Daly of the European Spatial Planning Observatory Network and Sadhbh O'Neill, a former Green party councillor, PhD candidate in political philosophy and lecturer in environmental politics at the School of Politics and International Relations at UCD.
But first Hugh and Fiach discuss the latest news from the local and European election campaigns.
To talk about what has been a rather low-key EU election campaign so far, Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy, Fiach Kelly and Jennifer Bray.
They are powerless, frustrated, underpaid and too often reviled by their constituents. Many local councillors have spoken out about how unattractive the role has become. Today we talk to two young, promising sitting councillors, Fianna Fáil's Frank Kennedy of Dublin City Council and Labour's Grace Tallon of Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown, about why they are not running for reelection in #LE2019.
The Irish Times Dublin correspondent and council-watcher Olivia Kelly is also here with her analysis of what's going wrong in the DCC chamber.
At the age of 76, Bob Woodward has now covered nine different American presidents. That's 20% of all presidents from George Washington to Donald Trump.
Most famously he contributed to the downfall of one, Richard Nixon, with his reporting on the Watergate scandal.
Fear: Trump in the White House is published by Simon and Schuster. A public conversation with Bob Woodward on the state of the US presidency, moderated by Fintan O’Toole, will take place in the Olympia Theatre, Dublin, on Monday, June 10th
Today's Irish Times / Ipsos MRBI poll is actually three polls, with one conducted in each of our three European parliament constituencies: Dublin, Midlands-North-West and South.
It gives us the first look on a candidate-by-candidate basis at who is winning the battle for European Parliament seats. If the numbers are right, we're in for some extremely close races.
Political Editor Pat Leahy is here to explain the poll and its findings.
It's the topic none of you has been asking us to cover: the forthcoming plebiscites in Limerick, Cork and Waterford to see if those cities should have a directly-elected mayor. On the ground, journalist Patrick Freyne has found a total lack of knowledge of or engagement with the issue among voters. Has this process been designed to fail?
Hugh and Pat are also joined by DCU's Jane Suiter to discuss the presence of right-wing populist candidates on the European ballot papers. And finally the panel worries about the future take-up of budget-busting rural broadband in the mistiest corners of Ireland and questions the wisdom of deciding on €3bn project spends right before an election.
Our guest today is Irish-American writer Michael Brendan Dougherty, who is a journalist with the New York-based conservative magazine National Review. His new book 'My Father Left Me Ireland' examines his own relationship with his Irish roots, competing views of Irish history and Irish nationalism.
Nearly a fortnight on from the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Derry, local elections take place in Northern Ireland tomorrow. Will those who come out to vote decide to make an appeal for compromise and moderation following her death, or hold to the polarised status quo? Belfast-based reporter Amanda Ferguson joins Hugh, Pat and Harry to discuss the New IRA and the political situation in the North, ahead of the planned resumption of talks on powersharing next week.
In the second part of the show, Hugh, Pat and Harry also discuss the early rounds of campaigning in the local and European elections south of the border.
Bret Easton Ellis, best known as a fiction writer of novels including American Psycho and Less Than Zero, has just published his first non-fiction book, White. The collection of eight essays responding to contemporary culture has caused a stir due to the writer's views on US politics, the overreaction - as he sees it - of middle class liberals to the presidency of Donald Trump, the shortcomings of movements like #MeToo and the moral and intellectual failings of millennials.
Easton Ellis, who says he never votes, talks to Hugh about the book and about why the election of Trump has seen politics invade his otherwise apolitical life.
Bret Easton Ellis will tonight - April 25th - be in conversation with Nadine O’Regan at the O’Reilly Theatre, Belvedere College, Great Demark St at 7pm as part of the International Literature Festival, Dublin. Tickets from www.ilfdublin.com
Political scientist and polling expert Dr Kevin Cunningham joins Hugh, Pat and Fiach to discuss a report he co-authored for the think tank, the European Council on Foreign Relations, on the shape of the next European Parliament. The study found that anti-EU parties are likely to form the second largest bloc in the parliament after next month’s elections. How will their opposition to EU initiatives impact on how the other pro-EU parties work together?
They also talk about how the European elections will play out in Ireland, two wildly different opinion polls in Irish Sunday papers last weekend and what effect the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Derry will have on politics in the North.
Independents 4 Change TD Clare Daly joins Hugh and Fiach to discuss her decision to run for a seat in the European parliament. Why has the TD some see as one of our most accomplished parliamentarians decided to leave the Dáil?
They also discuss Garda reform, Francis Fitzgerald's ouster, the rise of far right politics and her own criticism of the media.
After that, there's time for Fiach's overview of the many runners and riders in the European parliament race.
The new October Brexit deadline impacts British politics in myriad ways, obvious and subtle. But it also has implications for politics here in Ireland and across Europe. First Denis Staunton and then Fintan O'Toole join Hugh and Pat to talk it through and take stock, as one Brexit chapter ends and another begins. Warning: this podcast contains major spoilers for Flann O'Brien's 'The Third Policeman'.
As Theresa May waits to find out what Brexit extension EU leaders will offer her, we ask what, if anything, Irish society can gain from Brexit. To do that Hugh is joined by economist David McWilliams, Dr Shana Cohen, director of think-tank Tasc, and columnist Cliff Taylor. They also discuss property tax and the Irish obsession with property ownership. Is a unique Irish mindset or government policy chiefly to blame?
As Theresa May sends a letter to Brussels seeking another extension, Hugh and London Editor Denis Staunton are joined again by Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge and co-host of the Talking Politics podcast, to assess the difficulties facing Prime Minister May and Jeremy Corbyn as they seek to strike a deal on Brexit that will pass muster with enough members of their own parties.
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg made a flying visit to Dublin this week, during which time he met with politicians including Green Party leader Eamon Ryan on the issue of fake news. On today’s podcast the Dublin Bay South TD joins Hugh and Pat to discuss what Zuckerberg said and what it really means. They also talk about why a greater focus on the issue of climate change hasn’t improved the Greens standing in the polls and how to prevent the carbon tax going the way of water charges.
It was meant to be the day when "church bells were rung, coins struck, stamps issued and bonfires lit to send beacons of freedom from hilltop to hilltop", to paraphrase Boris Johnson. Instead, UK PM Theresa May has suffered another defeat of her withdrawal agreement, albeit by a slimmer margin of only 58 votes. Our London Editor Denis Staunton and Ronan McCrea, Professor of Constitutional and European Law at University College London, talk about what comes next, and some longer term Brexit problems we haven't even begun to think about.
First: Later today in the UK House of Commons, 'indicative votes' - designed to show how much support different Brexit options enjoy - will be held, upending the normal, natural state of government-led parliamentary procedure. The various votes will encompass a range of options from revoking Article 50 entirely to a straight-up No-Deal Brexit. Denis Staunton in London and Pat Leahy on what it all means and how different factions might vote.
Then: Fiach Kelly and Jennifer Bray on the Fine Gael party conference, political ground clearance for a carbon tax in the next budget, and the efforts of Bill Browder to build support for a Magnitsky Act in Ireland.
Taking a break from the chaos of Brexit, we turn to a rather chaotic and already crowded field of candidates for the Democratic Party nomination to take on President Trump in next year's US presidential election. There are many factors at play and to help us understand them we talk to Suzanne Lynch, The Irish Times's Washington correspondent.
First: Patrick Smyth in Brussels joins Hugh and Pat to talk about the thinking behind the EU's stance on a potential Brexit delay.
Then: Jennifer Bray on why councillors in Donegal, using one of their few regulatory powers, have voted to legalise gaming machines despite the risks of addiction.
Western democracies are beset by a variety of problems: fractured legislative bodies, the rise of the far right, the erosion of norms and the dangers posed by technology. But we shouldn't confuse those with the problems of the past, according to David Runciman in his book How Democracy Ends. Ahead of his talk at the Mountains to Sea festival on Sunday March 31st, he talks to Hugh about his ideas. And about Brexit too, of course.
David Runciman is Professor of Politics at Cambridge University and host of Talking Politics podcast.
Prime Minister Theresa May has failed spectacularly in her bid to pass a Brexit deal through the House of Commons.
The Guardian's Brexit correspondent Lisa O'Carroll on the fallout in Westminster, the few paths forward and the 'atomisation' of conventional politics.
Fintan O'Toole on the characteristics that have brought Theresa May and the nation she leads to this point of political breakdown. How much blame for Brexit is hers?
The second set of results from the Irish Times / Ipsos MRBI poll reveals attitudes to Brexit and Irish unity across the island of Ireland, north and south. Among the most significant findings: respondents from all communities in Northern Ireland are heavily in favour of "the softest of soft Brexits". A majority of voters would choose to remain in the EU in a second referendum. And majorities of both Catholics and Protestants feel the DUP and its leader Arlene Foster are not representing Northern Ireland's interests well.
Pat Leahy is back with more analysis.
Political Editor Pat Leahy is here with the latest Ipsos / MRBI poll which brings bad news for most political groups but especially for Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, support for whom has dipped significantly.
First: Fiach Kelly explains what we've learned from a cache of documents featuring exchanges between Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, his party colleagues and an international umbrella organisation for socialist politics, while Jennifer Bray has the latest on internal divisions within the Social Democrats.
Then: Is there any version of the backstop that could be accepted by the EU, Ireland and Britain? In part two we're joined by Peter Foster, Europe Editor of British newspapers The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, who says the political realities of Brexit and the implications of the backstop mean the border issue still looks completely irreconcilable.
Finally it seems that meaningful moves are being made in Westminster toward some sort of conclusion to the Brexit saga. Denis Staunton and Pat Leahy analyse the public shifts in position made in recent days by Prime Minister Theresa May, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and hard Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, and the private strategising of the Irish government, the DUP and the European Union.
The EU-Arab League summit in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, today has been dominated by talk of Brexit. And it has turned out to be a more eventful day than promised, with expectations growing that UK Prime Minister Theresa May will take steps to avoid 'No Deal', reports our Deputy Political Editor Fiach Kelly.
At the Fianna Fáil ardfheis in City West, everyone, from the regular delegates on up to the party leader Micheál Martin, wants to take the fight to Fine Gael in a general election. But not right now, of course. As all are at pains to point out, the party must hold off in the national interest.
Harry McGee and Pat Leahy were there to assess the party mood. They were joined by the party's Brexit spokesperson Lisa Chambers and European candidate Barry Andrews to talk about the party's direction, the Brexit waiting game and working with the SDLP.
After that, Pat and Harry analyse the speech delivered on Saturday evening by Micheál Martin.
Jennifer Bray and Fiach Kelly join presenter Harry McGee to discuss the big political stories this week: the continuing National Children’s Hospital controversy, the government's Brexit omnibus, UK Labour resignations and Fianna Fáil's Ard Fheis this weekend.
Later: Historian Dr Marisa McGlinchey talks to Harry about her book, Unfinished Business - The Politics of 'Dissident' Republican Groups, for which she spoke to 90 members of paramilitary groups about their motives and ambitions.
As a professor of economic history at Oxford University, and an Irishman, Kevin O'Rourke is well placed to explain how the different economic experiences of the UK and Ireland have led both nations to very different views of the European Union. His book on the subject, A Short History of Brexit, holds plenty of surprises for Irish and British readers. And Professor O'Rourke has a message for Taoiseach Leo Varadkar when it comes to the issue of the border.
A Short History of Brexit is published by Pelican.
Amid apologies and ‘learnings’, the row over the massive overspend on the National Children’s Hospital rumbles on. Two big questions remain: What will the final bill be? And, which other projects will suffer as a result?
Hugh is joined by Fianna Fáil deputy leader Dara Calleary, Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray to discuss the controversy and how budgets on capital projects can be controlled better in the future.
Later: the new SDLP-Fianna Fáil alliance, the nurses’ strike and Brexit.
Simon Carswell has been investigating the potential impact of Brexit on people - their lives, their communities and their businesses. He talks to Hugh Linehan about what he has discovered, including the fear of the return of violence, the threat to trade and the concerns of children in border communities.
First: A subtle but deliberate shift was noted in Theresa May's position on the Brexit backstop during a trip to Belfast yesterday. As the two-day Northern Ireland visit draws to a close today, is her strategy any clearer and what are its chances of survival?
Plus: The blame game over the dramatic cost overrun on the proposed National Children's Hospital is lurching from controversy to full-blown crisis. What might it mean for the government?
Guests: Denis Staunton, Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee
Theresa May has united Tory MPs behind her plan to go to Brussels to seek legally binding changes to the Brexit withdrawal agreement, exploring 'alternative options' to the Irish backstop. The trouble is, the EU won’t reopen the deal and they’ve said so time and again.
The Guardian’s Brexit correspondent Lisa O’Carroll, Irish Times Europe editor Patrick Smyth and Irish Times deputy political editor Fiach Kelly join Hugh to cut through the spin to explain what happened in Westminster last night and what it all means.
Sunday is International Holocaust Remembrance Day and to mark it Hugh talks to academic and author Deborah Lipstadt about her new book Antisemitism Here and Now. They discuss the growth of antisemitism in Europe and the United State, what distinguishes antisemitism of the political left from the political right, and why she has a problem with an initiative in the Seanad to boycott goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Deborah Lipstadt is the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University. Her book Antisemitism Here and Now is available now from Scribe.
First: Pat Leahy on the comments yesterday by an EU Commission spokesperson suggesting that a hard border will appear in the case of a no deal Brexit, a suggestion flatly rejected by Simon Coveney. But what are our plans in the case of a no deal Brexit? Is a softening on the backstop being considered behind closed doors?
Then: The Irish Times's Fintan O'Toole and Children's Rights Alliance CEO Tanya Ward join Hugh to talk about No Child 2020, an initiative of the two organisations to draw attention to the issues of child poverty and deprivation that still afflict Ireland 100 years after the first democratically elected Irish parliament promised to serve children as its "first duty".
Public meetings to introduce pro-life TD Peadar Tóibín's new, as-yet unnamed political party have been drawing decent crowds around the country in recent weeks. Already 1,400 people have joined the party. Who are they, and what will the party stand for beyond opposition to abortion? Peadar sits down with Hugh and Pat to explain.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan joins Hugh and Pat to consider last night's historic House of Commons defeat for Theresa May's Brexit plan. Has the likelihood of a 'no deal' crash out increased? And, how prepared is the Irish government for such a scenario?
Also on the agenda: Fine Gael's "old-fashioned environmentalism", the carbon tax and the Green Party's ambitions for the local and European elections.
As nurses prepare for days of strike action, our politics team consider the problem it poses for Minister Paschal Donohoe and how he is likely to respond.
In part two the panel look ahead to the new political season and discuss the significance of upcoming European elections in an utterly changed European political landscape and the meagre legislative agenda. But as ever, it's all overshadowed by the B-word.
Today, for the benefit of those who recently discovered Inside Politics, we're reposting a podcast with one of our favourite interviewees: American author, historian and academic Timothy Snyder.
In November 2017 Hugh interviewed Timothy Snyder about his book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, in which he makes provocative and unsettling comparisons between today's politics and the rise of the Third Reich and suggests how we can avoid the terrible mistakes of the past.
Timothy Snyder is a professor of history at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. He has spent ten years in Europe, and speaks five and reads ten European languages. He has also written for The New York Review of Books, Foreign Affairs, The Times Literary Supplement, The Nation, and The New Republic as well as for The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, and other newspapers.
He is the author of several award-winning books including The Red Prince: The Secret Lives of a Habsburg Archduke, Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin, and Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning. His latest book is called The Road to Unfreedom.
The second of two AMA episodes of Inside Politics. Answering your questions about politics and more are Pat Leahy, Fiach Kelly, Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee with host Hugh Linehan.
We invited you to submit questions for our politics team and we received a lot of responses, so today is the first of two episodes dedicated to answering them. Thanks to everyone who sent in a question!
What did The Irish Times politics team expect to see happening in 2018 that failed to materialise? Which politicians impressed us? What disappointed us? Fiach Kelly, Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee join Hugh to look back on the year in politics.
This day 100 years ago, citizens (including, for the first time, women) across the entire island of Ireland voted together for the final time for a national parliament. To look back at that vote and its historic consequences, Hugh is joined by Diarmaid Ferriter, Irish Times columnist and Professor of Modern Irish History at UCD, and Dr Mary McAuliffe, a lecturer in Gender Studies who specialises in Irish women's history, also in UCD. But first Hugh shares some family history of his own.
Today's podcast focusses on Brexit and the Sinn Fein party's fortunes.
London Editor Denis Staunton explains why UK Prime Minister Theresa May is unlikely to lose a confidence vote called by her own backbenchers and what the process means for Brexit, for The Tories and parliamentary politics in Britain.
Sinn Féin's finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty is here to discuss his party's showing in the presidential election, the loss of TDs Peadar Tóibín and Carol Nolan over the abortion issue and why Fine Gael's budget arithmetic is "batsh*t crazy".
With Hugh to appraise all this week's political news (including high drama in Westminster, the personalised abortion legislation debate, Peadar Tóibín's new political movement and the Fiscal Advisory Council's reprimand of the Government's budgetary policies) are UCC political scientist Dr Theresa Reidy and Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray from our politics team.
"Putin and his regime are going to become more hostile, malicious and deadly to the rest fo the world, and we need to understand this".
Since the murder in Russia of his lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, Bill Browder has been on a mission to highlight and punish corruption and crime in that country and beyond. He is in Dublin this week to push for the introduction here of a law to mirror the US Magnitsky Act that penalises Russian officials by targeting their assets. He talks to Hugh about Vladimir Putin, the Russian regime and the decade-long campaign that he believes has placed his life at real risk.
As we wait for UK parliament to vote on Theresa May's deal, Hugh talks to two people with thought-provoking and divergent ideas about what brought about Brexit in the first place: Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole and Professor Helen Thompson of Cambridge University. The conversation touches on everything from the Norman invasion to the nature of the EU single market, and even a fictional EU prohibition on prawn cocktail-flavour crisps.
Concerns are growing that the Government’s proposed abortion legislation will not pass through the Oireachtas in time for its planned introduction date in January. Was Minister Simon Harris naive in setting the deadline? Irish Times politics team new recruit Jennifer Bray joins old timers Hugh, Pat and Harry to talk about this and other matters including Brexit, Leo's tax cuts promise, and the national broadband scheme.
On the floor at the Fine Gael National Conference, the Inside Politics team interviews Tanaiste Simon Coveney about Brexit, what happens if the deal is not approved by UK parliamentarians and the role of the DUP.
Plus: A major policy announcement has been made by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in his speech: a pledge to raise the threshold for the higher rate of income tax from €35,000 to €50,000 over five budgets. Huge if true. But is it wise? Fiach Kelly and Pat Leahy analyse the news.
With a Brexit deal agreed between Britain and the EU, now all eyes turn to Westminster. Will Prime Minister Theresa May be able to bounce her cabinet, the Commons and the EU into a deal that nobody likes and many despise? And ultimately could the markets scare the Commons into accepting anything to avoid No Deal? Meanwhile in Dublin, all focus is on whether the wording of the border backstop will be sufficiently resistant to 'interpretation' down the line.
Plus: Confidence and Supply negotiations continue in Brexit's shadow, and Fianna Fáil's forever delayed move into Northern Irish politics.
Today's guests: Fianna Fáil TD & Brexit spokesperson Lisa Chambers, our own Pat Leahy and Denis Staunton in London.
Author Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Big Short, The Undoing Project)talks to Hugh about his new book 'The Fifth Risk'. The book concerns the Trump Administration and what Lewis says are astounding levels of cronyism and corruption in the appointments it has made in key government organisations with responsibility for everything from nuclear weapons to weather forecasting.
New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe has written a book about the killing of mother-of-ten Jean McConville by the IRA in 1972. As well as uncovering new facts about the circumstances around McConville's killing, and making a new allegation about the identities of those who killed her, the book is a valuable outsider's view of the enduring legacy of The Troubles and the roles of republican leaders like Gerry Adams.
On today's podcast Patrick Redden Keefe talks to Public Affairs Editor Simon Carswell.
"Say Nothing: a true story of murder and memory in Northern Ireland" is out now.
First: Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch on a night of mixed results for both parties and President Trump in the US Midterms. What message will Democratic Party take from this when selecting a presidential challenger to Donald Trump for 2020?
Then: economist and Irish Times columnist David McWilliams joins Hugh and Fiach to talk about his new book Renaissance Nation, the success of political centrism in Ireland, what divides the generations and how the property problem ("the primacy of feudalism over creativity") threatens to undo our hard-won progress.
RTÉ political correspondent Martina Fitzgerald has written a book about the experiences of the small number of women - 10% of the total - who have sat at the cabinet table in Ireland. Madam Politician features interviews with all "the living members of this exclusive club". She's here to talk about what she found with Pat Leahy and Harry McGee. They are also joined by Labour councillor Rebecca Moynihan who shares her own experience at the local government level, and discusses what the Labour party should do to grow its support.
The official numbers are not yet in but the result is clear. Kitty Holland, Pat Leahy and Fiach Kelly are here to talk about the reelection of Michael D Higgins to the presidency, the surge in support for Peter Casey, who today denied the growth in his support was due to his comments about Travellers, and the disappointing showing from Sinn Féin's Liadh Ní Riada. Has this election exposed a flaw in the party's broader strategy?
There’s still one more live debate left to endure in this presidential campaign, but last night’s on RTÉ’s Prime Time was the final one to feature all six would-be presidents. Did we learn anything new about the candidates? Director of the Institute for Future Media and Journalism at DCU, Jane Suiter, joins Hugh and Pat to discuss their performances, whether there were too many contestants in the race and how the blasphemy referendum might play out.
In this bonus podcast, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald explains why her party is working “might and main” to ensure there is a Brexit backstop. She also speaks to Hugh and Fiach about her belief that a Border poll will happen in the next 5-10 years and why a hard Brexit would in fact speed that process up.
Asked whether she regretted criticising former Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald following her exoneration in the Charleton report, McDonald said it is her job to challenge the government, adding that she could play her violin and list how many times she has been criticised, but sometimes you just have to take your knocks in politics, even when you think it's wrong.
Also on the agenda: the presidency, the DUP and going into government.
Could Brexit be "one of those historic circumstances where you end up with something only a hardcore of loopers really wants", asks Fintan O'Toole?
Fintan joins regulars Hugh and Fiach to talk about the carnival of diabolical scheming, treacherous backsliding and barmy brinkmanship that is Brexit, as Theresa May meets EU leaders in Brussels.
After that they discuss the presidential election and what Fintan has called social housing snobbery in the pages of The Irish Times.
Pat Leahy joins Hugh to take a look at the latest poll from The Irish Times and Ipsos/MRBI showing Fine Gael enjoy a steady lead over nearest rivals Fianna Fáil, with an average 8 point advantage over the last 12 months. The results point towards a reasonably settled political landscape, so where do voters stand on the issue of a general election? And, how did Paschal Donohoe's Budget 2019 go down with the electorate?
Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy for a bonus Friday episode of Inside Politics. On the agenda:
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Denis Naughten’s shock resignation as Minister for Communications leaves the government with a fibre optic headache.
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Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin pens a 'Dear Leo' letter.
Leo Varadkar won the Fine Gael leadership on a promise of rewarding those who "get up early in the morning". 18 months later his government has delivered a budget in which spending increases dwarf the tax cuts those early risers might have expected.
To discuss the measures, the thinking behind them and the beginning of the endgame in the Varadkar-Martin deal, Fiach Kelly and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan for a late night podcast.
Hugh is joined by Fiach Kelly and Harry McGee for a bonus Friday episode of Inside Politics. On the agenda:
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It was another terrible week for Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy, with a well-attended protest outside the Dail followed by a harrowing RTE radio report featuring a teenage girl in emergency accommodation. It was the sort of interview that breaks through the noise and forces everyone to sit up and pay attention.
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Housing is also likely to dominate next Tuesday's budget. What else can we expect from Paschal Donohoe?
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Alone among presidential challengers, Peter Casey is dropping the motivational speaker approach and going straight for the jugular - Michael D's jugular, that is. Will Casey's pugilistic politics pay dividends?
The DUP's line on Brexit is "blood red", according to Arlene Foster. Her apocalyptic choice of words might reflect a deep-seated unionist fear of betrayal by London, says Pat Leahy. Meanwhile over at the Tory conference a more pragmatic attitude to Brexit prevails, says The Guardian's Lisa O'Carroll. Still: something, somewhere, has to give.
"Small Country, Big Nation", "Leading With Purpose", "Better Together" - just some of the inspirational slogans chosen by presidential hopefuls ahead of the election in a few short week's time. But the campaign so far has been dominated by much pettier matters. Harry McGee has been following.
Today's guest is Senator Lynn Ruane, the author of an excellent new memoir, who insists there is no such thing as 'reverse snobbery'. Or at least it's not something that a well-heeled person like (say for example) Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy needs to worry about, not in the way someone from Lynn's own neighbourhood needs to worry about the real, oppressive thing. With Political Editor Pat Leahy and Hugh, she discusses housing , educational opportunities and the lack of working class voices in the Oireachtas.
A group of housing activists have been occupying vacant properties in Dublin city centre since early August as part of a protest over the amount of vacant housing in the city. Last week the Take Back the City protesters drew national attention to their cause when men wearing black balaclavas repossessed 34 North Frederick Street, which the group had been occupying since mid-August. Two of the activists, Aisling Bruen of the Housing and Homeless Coaliation and Óisín Vince Coulter president of the Trinity College graduate students union, speak to Hugh and Pat about their campaign and what they hope to achieve.
Later: Hugh and Pat discuss the political impact of the housing movement, the presidential contest and what's topping the agenda as business resumes at the Dáil this week.
Harry McGee is back on the politics beat and back in the Inside Politics studio to tell us about the political problems created by the CervicalCheck report, beginning with a leak of details from the report to media outlets yesterday. Harry has also been watching the nationwide tour of presidential hopefuls as they seek to hoover up county council nominations. For an exciting October election campaign, the signs are inauspicious.
Later: Up North, the Cash for Ash scandal just gets more and more embarrassing for the DUP as the enquiry into how millions of pounds went almost literally up in smoke continues. But without any possibility of accountability, the worse it gets, the more the central question becomes: so what?
Guests: Newton Emerson and Amanda Ferguson
DCU's Jane Suiter joins Hugh and Pat to talk about the exchange of letters between and Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin on the topic of renewing their little arrangement. Martin rebuffed Varadkar's advance - what next for confidence and supply? Plus, Varadkar defends embattled Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy and criticises Sinn Fein and local government on housing, and Dublin readies itself for the arrival of Donald Trump.
Last week, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe gave a talk at the Collins Institute, a Fine Gael-associated think tank in Dublin. The talk was about the political centre, how it is weakening in other jurisdictions and how he sees Fine Gael's role as a party of the centre. Before delivering the address he talked to Hugh Linehan about his politics, including his rejection of the label conservative and Fine Gael's desire to position itself as the party of social change. Today's podcast features that interview, plus some analysis of Paschal's politics and how his words may or may not translate into actions from our political editor Pat Leahy.
You can watch and listen to Minister Donohoe's speech here:
http://www.collinsinstitute.ie/renewing-the-centre-collins-institute-lecture/
Ireland's housing crisis is complex and multifaceted, but one key element that the government must address in seeking a solution to it is the social housing sector.
Two-thirds of all social housing in Ireland is now privately owned, while funding for the sector was cut by 82% during the last recession.
Experts say the system is broken and reforming it needs to be prioritised by government.
Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy has said his policies aimed at tackling the housing crisis are working, but with homeless figures continuing to rise, his critics say otherwise and there are rumblings of a motion of no confidence from the opposition benches.
Joining Hugh on today's podcast: UCD professor and chair of the Housing Finance Agency Michelle Norris, head of policy at Clúid Simon Brooke and Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin.
Craig Unger's new book, House of Trump, House of Putin: The Untold Story of Donald Trump and the Russian Mafia, analyses links between the Russian mafia, Vladimir Putin and the Trump Organisation. On today's podcast Unger, a veteran journalist for The New Yorker, Esquire and Vanity Fair, talks to Hugh Linehan about why he believes that the current U.S. president is a Russian asset.
This week UCD professor Diarmaid Ferriter joins Hugh and Fiach to look at some of the issues currently on the civic and political agenda through the lens of history.
First it’s Fiach’s story that a Fianna Fáil takeover of the SDLP appears to be in the offing, with a merger being discussed at the highest levels of the parties.
What are the origins of this political alliance, and how would a merger work?
Also on the podcast: In seeking another seven years at the Áras, Michael D. Higgins becomes only the second sitting president in Ireland’s history to face a contest to do so.
In 1966 President Éamon de Valera chose not to run a campaign as he sought a second term, so Michael D. now finds himself in uncharted waters as he prepares to do battle in what could be a nasty contest.
And, as Ireland’s Catholics prepare to give Pope Francis a ‘céad mile failte’, how will his visit differ to that of John Paul II in 1979?
Cody Keenan has been a speechwriter for President Barack Obama for more than a decade, rising from a campaign intern in Chicago to Director of Speechwriting at the White House. Keenan has helped craft the president’s remarks on every topic for every audience, from backyards in Iowa, to State of the Union addresses. Now he is helping President Obama write a memoir of his time in the Oval Office. On today’s podcast Keenan speaks to Hugh Linehan about getting his start with Obama, what he believes the 44th president’s legacy will be, whether US politics is suffering irreparable damage under the Trump presidency, and more.
It’s a quiet week on the political front, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing happening. Brendan Howlin’s Labour leadership has come into question of late, with a number of councillors calling for him to stand aside. But as the party seeks to renew itself, who is likely to replace him?
Also today: As the impending presidential contest gains pace, who will win the nomination to do battle with Michael D. Higgins? And, what questions he will have to answer in the debates?
Guests: Sarah Bardon and Fiach Kelly
Former Northern Ireland first minister Peter Robinson was criticised for telling the MacGill Summer School last month that he did not think the North would vote to leave the UK in a Border poll but it was no reason not to prepare for the eventuality. As the Brexit deadline approaches, what is the feeling in Northern Ireland on the issue? Has the DUP's support for Brexit backfired? And, what would a road map for unification actually look like?
Also today, rumblings of a leadership heave at Labour and Shane Ross mishits with his granny grant and hockey funding.
Guests: Matthew O'Toole, Susan McKay and Fiach Kelly.
First we look at the news that broke yesterday that Amnesty International Ireland has won its challenge to an order made by the Standards in Public Office Commission, or Sipo. Sipo ordered Amnesty to return money to a foreign donor as it was given to be used 'for political purposes'.
The news raises questions about how Sipo came to its flawed decision but also about how we control the flow of money in our politics.
Hugh discusses these issues with Colm O'Gorman of Amnesty, Liz Carolan of the Transparent Referendum Initiative and our own Political Editor Pat Leahy.
Later on Colm, who is a survivor of clerical abuse, talks about his attitude to the visit of Pope Francis to Ireland next month.
Fintan O'Toole's recent column about the characteristics of the Trump Administration, entitled 'Trial runs for fascism are in full flow' has found a large international audience. He talks to Hugh Linehan about what he sees as Donald Trump's method for gradually pushing the United States further towards authoritarianism.
There's also time to consider whether W.B. Yeats foretold the ascendance of Donald Trump, and a novel use of his poetry in today's troubled world.
You can read the original article here (recommended before listening) https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole-trial-runs-for-fascism-are-in-full-flow-1.3543375
Last weekend in Rialto a new event took place: The Danielle Carroll Summer School. Named in honour of a woman who took her own life after her and her family become homeless, focussed on social issues and featuring all-female speakers, the event was quite different in theme and tone to this week's MacGill Summer School in Glenties, County Donegal.
Hugh talks to Kitty Holland, who was at the Rialto event, and Conor Gallagher, who is in Glenties this week, about the events and the place of such events in today's Ireland.
But first: A bewildering array of potential nominees for the presidency are popping in and out of contention. Fiach Kelly looks at some of the more likely ones.
This week: Turmoil at Westminster means Ireland’s plans for a ‘no deal’ Brexit have stepped up a gear. The Tories were supposed to unite behind Theresa May’s Chequers deal and Brexit white paper, but that plan unravelled spectacularly and instead the Prime Minister finds herself presiding over an increasingly divided government. Denis Staunton is on the line from London to talk to Hugh and Pat about what has happened in Westminster and what it might mean for the Border backstop, which has yet to be agreed.
Later: The blueprint for a reform of the health service was delivered by an all-party committee a year ago, but the government has yet to come up with a plan to implement Sláintecare. Health policy analyst at Trinity College, Sara Burke, who worked with the committee, and Irish Times industry correspondent Martin Wall join Hugh and Pat to discuss the outstanding issues and what happens next.
This week: Hot on the heels of the #8thRef, the government has scheduled a referendum for October 26th on Article 41.2 of the Constitution. It refers to a woman’s life in the home and is considered sexist and outmoded by many. The government is pushing for a straight deletion of the Article, but has there been enough discussion around what that actually means? The Oireachtas Women’s Caucus feels they weren’t consulted enough on the matter and there is an argument for the Article to be amended to be more inclusive, rather than removing it completely. Joining Pat and Sarah to debate the issue on today’s podcast is Dr Laura Cahillane from UL’s law department.
Later: Micheal D Higgins has announced he'd like to continue life within his home, Áras an Uachtaráin. Moves are afoot by some independent politicians to facilitate a challenger to President Higgins in an autumn election. Can they succeed? Pat asks Fiach Kelly and Noel Whelan.
The Taoiseach went off-script in New York yesterday, sympathising with Donald Trump’s views on the media and spoiling an otherwise unremarkable visit to make Ireland’s case for joining the UN Security Council. In a “freewheeling” discussion, Leo Varadkar surprised guests at a private lunch when he criticised the media, saying political journalists were more interested in gossip than the story. Now his Ministers say he was taken out of context. What really happened, and what does it tell us about Taoiseach Varadkar? First we hear from Simon Carswell who was among the Irish journalists present in New York. He joins Sarah, Pat and Fiach on the line.
Also today: Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s pre-election phony war.
The air’s been let out of this week’s EU Summit with no sign of the significant progress on Brexit negotiations that the Irish government had sought when they last convened. With October’s meeting now the next important date on the calendar, is the threat of talks grinding to a halt becoming more real? Will the much vaunted backstop ever materialise? Is the likelihood of a hard Brexit increasing? And, does the British government know what it wants?
The Guardian’s Brexit correspondent Lisa O’Carroll joins presenter Pat Leahy, Irish Times public affairs editor Simon Carswell and political reporter Sarah Bardon to discuss the myriad outstanding issues in the negotiations, as the March 2019 withdrawal deadline looms large on the horizon.
But first on the agenda: the appointment of the new Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Fianna Fáil’s declaration of support for a second run for the presidency by Michael D Higgins.
On June 22nd, the man Hillary Clinton blames for her 2016 presidential election defeat to Donald Trump, the former FBI director James Comey, was in Dublin to promote his book A Higher Loyalty. Coincidentally, less than a kilometre away, Clinton was also in town to receive an honorary degree from Trinity College. Comey was interviewed by Hugh Linehan at a live event at the Irish Film Institute in Temple Bar. They spoke about his book, the election and his interactions with Donald Trump before he was sensationally fired by the US president, as detailed in A Higher Loyalty. You can hear that interview in this podcast, with thanks to the IFI.
Sarah and Fiach join Hugh for a roundup of what has been happening in and around Leinster House this week, with preparations for the 2019 budget well underway. Will prudent Paschal Donohoe stick with his hitherto cautious mantra? Also, does Leo Varadkar’s tactic of standing back and letting his ministers do the talking impact on the public’s perception of him? And, there’s a bit of healthy disagreement in the ranks on a number of things, including the Taoiseach’s role in the recent referendum and gender balance in political debate.
As the country moves on from the resounding Yes vote in the referendum to repeal the Eighth amendment and with plans for another referendum on removing the offence of blasphemy from the Constitution in the autumn, Ireland is dramatically renegotiating the relationship between Church and State. As Irish Catholics look forward to the Papal visit at the end of the summer, what does the future of that relationship between the institutions of the State, the political establishment and Catholicism look like?
Joining Hugh on today's show: Irish Times religious affairs correspondent Patsy McGarry, professor Áine Hyland, who was a founder of the Dalkey School Project in the 1970s, and editor of the Irish Catholic newspaper Michael Kelly.
Thousands of women and young people mobilised for the referendum campaign, but will many remain politically active in its aftermath? Sinead Gibney, the new Dún Laoghaire candidate for the Social Democrats, joins Hugh, Pat and Harry to discuss what lasting impact of the campaign will have on the political process. Also, with a general election looming somewhere on the horizon, is the Left becoming too crowded?
One final Friday referendum podcast. Columnist Una Mullally and DCU political scientist Jane Suiter join Hugh, Pat and Sarah to debate what really happened. How did the media fulfil its role? What were the decisive factors in voters' minds, and can the success of the grassroots campaign for liberalisation be parlayed into electoral success for the politicians who supported the people?
It will take a few podcasts to digest the historic referendum results of last weekend. Today we begin by looking at what lies behind the divergence between opinion polls and the final result.
Then Michael O'Regan has the view from rural constituencies like Kerry where many TDs were left at odds with the majority.
And we turn to Fianna Fail and reports of an unhappy meeting last night as the party struggles to figure out what its position on abortion should be. Is the party at risk of a major rupture?
We talk to Niall Collins, the Limerick TD, FF spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Yes campaigner, who is blunt in his assessment of the motives and leadership of some of his colleagues. He demands the party now row in behind leader Micheal Martin on the issue as legislation works its way through the Oireachtas.
We'll be back with another podcast on Friday, with columnist and campaigner Una Mullally and political scientist Jane Suiter of DCU.
The count is underway but the result is not in doubt. Social Affairs correspondent Kitty Holland, columnist Fintan O'Toole and Sarah Bardon and Pat Leahy from our politics team talk to Hugh about the ramifications of the resounding vote to remove our constitutional ban on abortion.
The people have voted to repeal the 8th Amendment. But not only that. If the results of The Irish Times exit poll are borne out when the final vote is counted, the scale of the victory for Yes in this referendum points to a profound transformation in Irish attitudes to abortion.
"One of the most poisonous debates witnessed in twentieth century Ireland" is how historian Diarmaid Ferriter described the run-up to the passing of the 8th Amendment in 1983.
Against a backdrop of intense political division, moral outrage and conflicting understandings of how a rebalancing of the rights of a woman and an unborn child would play out in public courts and private lives, the referendum passed with a two to one majority.
When the Citizens' Assembly first met in October 2016 to once again examine the abortion question, Ruadhán Mac Cormaic took us back to the early eighties to understand how and why the controversial amendment came about and its legacy in politics and society.
This podcast was originally published in October 2016.
Which side won last night's referendum debate on RTÉ? Pat Leahy sees it as a tie, while Sarah Bardon calls it for Yes. The deciding vote is cast by our radio critic Mick Heaney, who also tells us about the how the referendum battle has played out on the airwaves. But first Sarah explains the strange goings-on that resulted in two male politicians going head to head over abortion.
Sarah, Pat and Harry return for another referendum roundup, including more poll analysis, a look at the nationwide canvass, the campaign activities of Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin and a welcome moment of levity provided by a popular rival podcast.
Fiach Kelly and Pat Leahy discuss the latest poll from The Irish Times and Ipsos/MRBI that shows a further decline in the number of those responding they will vote yes, and an increase in those saying they will vote no. With just over one week left until polling day, which side does the trend now favour?
To discuss the latest news from the 8th Amendment referendum campaign, the division of the Fianna Fáil party on that same issue, and the latest on British Prime Minister Theresa May's struggle to find a way through the Brexit-Customs-Irish-Border thicket, today's podcast features Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Brexit and Yes advocate Lisa Chambers, Fiach Kelly and Sarah Bardon from our politics team, and London Editor Denis Staunton.
Liz Carolan of the Transparent Referendum Initiative joins Hugh, Pat and Sarah to talk about the biggest story of the campaign this week: the pulling of the digital rug from under campaigners by Facebook and Google. It's clear which side is hurting most, with Google's move a particularly damaging blow to #Savethe8th. But will it be a decisive one? Plus, Sarah reports on another fraught week checking facts for an ungrateful public.
Transparency campaigner Gavin Sheridan joins Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy to discuss Facebook's announcement that it will no longer accept foreign advertisements relating to the upcoming referendum on the Eighth Amendment and the need for new legislation on political campaigning in the digital era. But first, Pat explains how the Dáil has failed to bring in mandatory reporting in the face of opposition from health professionals, as the controversy over failures in the State’s cervical screening service continues.
Referendum Day is drawing near, and over the next three weeks The Irish Times politics team will be bringing you extra podcasts on the campaign. What are campaigners hearing on the doors? What are the contentious points dominating discussion? And what role are our elected leaders playing in the fight to save or repeal the 8th Amendment? Pat Leahy, Harry McGee and Sarah Bardon join Hugh for the first in this series.
Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee talks to Hugh Linehan and Fiach Kelly about another critical period in Brexit negotiations and the contours of the ongoing referendum campaign. But first they look at the major scandal emerging over CervicalCheck that is taking its place alongside other historic State failures in its treatment of women.
Hugh talks to Harvard University lecturer and Slate columnist Yascha Mounk about his book "The People Vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom is in Danger and How to Save It", in which he shares his theories about why confidence in democracy is dwindling worldwide.
Labour leader and former Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin joins Hugh, Sarah and Harry on today's politics podcast. They talk about the referendum campaign, Labour's hopes in the face of poor poll numbers, how the question of public sector pay is framed and the challenges ahead for Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe.
As the referendum campaign intensifies, the latest Irish Times / IpsosMRBI poll is here. 47% of respondents to this poll support repeal of the 8th Amendment. It is a drop of 9 percentage points in support of repeal, down from 56% in February. But despite this downward trend, a close look at today's numbers suggests the referendum will pass, says Political Editor Pat Leahy.
Hugh Linehan and Sarah Bardon sit down with John McGuirk of the Save the 8th organisation to talk about some of the key issues, fundraising, conducting a civil campaign and Mr McGuirk's approach to social media.
Co-Director of Together For Yes Ailbhe Smyth joins Pat and Hugh to talk about the campaign so far, the intense fundraising activities of the past few days and to rebut the suggestion that #savetheeighth has been doing the early running.
But first Pat talks about a change for the worse in Anglo-Irish relations on the 20th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement.
Sarah Bardon, Fiach Kelly and Hugh Linehan discuss the increased likelihood of a general election in the short term, after comments by Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen suggesting his party is unlikely to renew its confidence and supply arrangement with Fine Gael.
Also, just who will contest the presidential election? And, what sort of impact could the allegations of a data breach at Independent News and Media have on journalism in general?
First up today, Hugh, Pat and Harry discuss Tánaiste Simon Coveney's difficult few days, and the disbandment of the ill-fated Strategic Communications Unit.
Then they take a close look at a recent story that revealed a lot about how Irish politics really works: the controversy over the allocation of a sports grant to a private Dublin school. UCC economist (and former All Ireland winning Cork hurler) John Considine explains how it really works.
The Inside Politics team look at the harvesting of Facebook user data to target citizens with news, of both the real and fake varieties, to manipulate their opinions and ultimately their votes. It seems that technology has raced ahead of democracy. Is now the time to rein tech in? Elaine Edwards is The Irish Times's data security expert and she joins Hugh, Pat and Fiach to talk about the story, and what it means for the political system here in Ireland.
After that Fiach tells us how the mood music around Leinster House suggests a general election is not far away.
Leo Varadkar meets Donald Trump for the annual St Patrick’s Day White House visit by an Irish leader tomorrow. How will the encounter differ to that of his predecessor Enda Kenny? Suzanne Lynch joins Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy on the line from Washington to discuss.
And, with just health minister Simon Harris staying behind to deal with the ongoing hospital overcrowding crisis, we look ahead to the return of the Dáil next week, when the referendum Bill and corporate tax will be topping the agenda.
The Supreme Court has cleared the way for the government to proceed with plans to hold a referendum on the Eighth Amendment, ruling that the unborn has no constitutional rights outside the right to life in Article 40.3.3. Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan discuss the landmark unanimous judgment by the seven-judge court. Later, political sociologist at Queens University Belfast, Dr Katy Hayward, on the possible solutions to the question of the border with Northern Ireland after Brexit.
The role of the Strategic Communications Unit has come under the spotlight thanks to this week's controversy over a series of 'advertorials' placed in regional and national newspapers, including The Irish Times, concerning the new national development plan, Project 2040.
To discuss this story, Hugh and Pat are joined by Gerard Howlin, a public affairs consultant, Irish Examiner columnist and former senior political adviser to the Ahern government who says the origins and characteristics of the SCU suggest an unwelcome blurring of lines between politics and the Civil Service.
Also on the podcast: cans last seen flying down the road towards Brexit are reappearing this week. The Irish Border question is back and is posing a major threat to UK-EU negotiations.
A special live episode of the podcast featuring Minister for Arts Josepha Madigan, Fianna Fáil TD Thomas Byrne and Sinn Féin TD Louise O'Reilly. They joined Hugh Linehan and Fiach Kelly to discuss the relationship between their three parties, and more.
Thanks to our guests and to everyone who attended the live recording on Thursday, February 22nd here in The Irish Times. For information on future events, subscribe to The Irish Times political digest email.
Michael D Higgins is going to run for a second term. The major parties do not want to put a candidate up against him - but might they have to, for the sake of appearances?
Pat Leahy and Sarah Bardon join Hugh Linehan to discuss the potential for an accidental race to the Áras. Will Michael D be challenged, and if so, who will the challengers be?
Then they turn to Fianna Fáil's determination to have a row about vulture funds, who Fianna Fáil say must be regulated before they can get their claws into billions of euros worth of non-performing Permanent TSB loans.
Lastly the panel look at two stories concerning the 8th Amendment: a Supreme Court case taking place this week that has the potential to upset Government's plans for an early summer referendum on the 8th, and the political reaction to polls showing a tightening of opinion on the 12 week proposal.
The government will unveil two key documents mapping out its plans for Ireland’s future this Friday - the €115bn 10-year Development Plan and the National Planning Framework.
Previous plans have proved ineffective in achieving their goals by spreading the wealth too thinly in an attempt to appease all sides and the initial drafts of the latest documents have seen the debate over the rural-urban divide reignited in recent weeks. On today’s podcast, former environment editor of the Irish Times Frank McDonald, who first warned of the ruination of Irish villages through a suburbanisation of the countryside 30 years ago, joins Harry McGee and Fiach Kelly to discuss the merits of the government’s latest plans.
In the second part of the show, Amanda Ferguson reports from Belfast, where talks on re-establishing power-sharing at Stormont appear to have come asunder once again, with the DUP leader Arlene Foster making clear her party’s opposition to proposals for an Irish Language Act.
"Enda didn't get a fair hop from the media".
Feargal Purcell served as Enda Kenny's press secretary for six years, and briefly as Leo Varadkar's after that. As government press secretary during the years of austerity, Purcell was no stranger to crisis. Among his responsibilities was find and brief TDs and ministers willing to bat for Enda Kenny's administration when the chips were down. Sometimes they were hard to find.
On this episode of Inside Politics, Feargal talked to Political Editor Pat Leahy about his time at the heart of government, the nature of the relationship between the politicians and the media, and the style and substance of the new Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. He also talks about his new role with Edelman, a global international public relations firm that this week published its annual Trust Barometer, a study examining public attitudes to institutions including government and the press.
'Gerry Adams: War, Peace and Politics', a new documentary by Vincent Browne, airs tonight and tomorrow night on TV3. The veteran broadcaster and journalist talks to Hugh about his personal view of Adams, the evolution of Sinn Féin and why he feels the media, including The Irish Times, failed in its coverage of Northern Ireland at the outset of the Troubles. Also on the panel today are Colm Keena, who wrote a biography of Adams, and political reporter Sarah Bardon.
The Taoiseach’s statement on Monday night that the Government will propose a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment and that he would personally back it, was a historic moment that will be recognised in hindsight as the official start of the abortion campaign.
With the Cabinet divided on the issue of legislating for abortion up to 12 weeks, that will prove to be a key part of the campaign as it progresses.
Pat Leahy and Sarah Bardon join Hugh Linehan to discuss the change in the framing of the debate in recent week to focus on women, rather than the unborn, and why the wording of Health Minister Simon Harris’s proposed legislation that would follow a repeal of the Eighth Amendment will be the next significant moment in the lead up to the referendum.
Pat Leahy talks to Hugh Linehan about the findings of the latest Irish Times Ipsos/MRBI poll that asked voters for their views on abortion, including the recommendation of the Dáil committee on abortion to allow unrestricted access up to the 12th week of pregnancy that is likely to form the basis of a referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment this summer.
Micheál Martin took his party by surprise with his statement of support on repealing the 8th Amendment last week. Is there now a risk of rebellion in the ranks?
Sarah Bardon and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to discuss this and why Leo Varadkar's 'lots of us did' comment about housebuyers borrowing from the 'bank of mum and dad' has rankled some.
On the question of the 8th Amendment, there remains in Leinster House a good number of fence sittters. The time for them to jump off is drawing near, say Sarah Bardon and Fiach Kelly.
For Sinn Fein TD Peader Tóibín, who supports the full retention of the 8th Amendment, concerns about "sex selection" abortions and abortions when the foetus has been screened for Down Syndrome will be key points on which the referendum campaign will be fought. He talks to Hugh, Fiach and Sarah about his views on abortion and opposing his own party's position.
Deputy Tóibín also answers questions about a difficult week for Sinn Féin, as the Barry McElduff affair raised questions over the party leadership and how Sinn Féin handles its own dark legacy.
Fianna Fáil Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee joins Hugh, Pat and Harry to discuss why, even after recent opinion polls show Fine Gael's support gathering pace at the expense of Fianna Fáil, Mícheál Martin's party isn't spooked by the numbers just yet. Also on on the agenda, the housing crisis, homelessness and how the property tax can be calculated more fairly.
As 2017 drew to a close political staff did the traditional round of Christmas interviews with senior politicians. Familiar themes emerged: the extremely thorny issue of housing, the popularity contest between the two major parties, and what a future coalition government involving Sinn Féin might look like.
Today Simon Carswell and Fiach Kelly talk to Hugh about the major political challenges in the year ahead:
Michael Martin - can his party recover ground lately lost to Fine Gael? Eoghan Murphy - can he define success in housing and then achieve that success? Mary Lou MacDonald - as leader, can she finally manoeuvre Sinn Féin into power?
Pat Leahy, Fiach Kelly and Michael O'Regan look back at some of the big events of 2017 and speculate about the forces at home and abroad that will shape Irish politics in 2018.
Senator Catherine Noone, chair of the abortion committee that today published its report, talks to Hugh and Pat about how a majority of the group came to the view that the 8th Amendment to the constitution should be removed outright.
The question of the post-Brexit status of the Border may be settled for now, but broader questions remain. What will Ireland's place in Europe be, once the UK, its traditional partner and ally, has departed? What is our European strategy and how will we achieve our goals? Podcast regulars Pat and Hugh talked to Ruadhan Mac Cormaic and Lucinda Creighton in front of an audience at the Institute of International and European Affairs on North Great Georges Street last night.
Apologies for the temporary sound quality deterioration as a street cleaner passed by an open window.
Thanks to our hosts the Young Professionals Network and the IIEA.
This week, there were three Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI opinion polls. This morning's asked respondents whether or not they would vote to change the constitution in relation to the Eighth Amendment. Earlier in the week, we took the temperature of the electorate and found a five point surge in support for Fine Gael, while yesterday's poll focused on Brexit. Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan provide an analysis of the results.
The Guardian’s Brexit correspondent Lisa O’Carroll joins Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy, deputy political editor Fiach Kelly and presenter Hugh Linehan to discuss what went wrong in the Brexit negotiations this week and how likely it is that the deadline for an agreement will be met.
The panel also assess the impact of tensions surrounding Brexit on Anglo-Irish relations and ask whether creative ambiguity is being used as a deliberate tactic by leaders on all sides.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar called the Department of Justice 'dysfunctional' yesterday, but it is worse than that, says Fintan O'Toole: the failure by the Department to give the infamous emails at the heart of Frances Fitzgerald's downfall to the Charleton Tribunal is an act of defiance of Irish democracy that requires a independent investigation with the power to question witnesses under caution and seize documents, phones and computers.
He talks to podcast regulars Hugh Linehan, Fiach Kelly and Sarah Bardon in part one of today's podcast.
In part two they hear from London Editor Denis Staunton about the persistent belief in London that Dublin's 'bloody difficult' position on Brexit is motivated by party politics, the rise of Sinn Féin, or even a forthcoming presidential election - anything really, except for what Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar are actually saying.
Pat Leahy and Harry McGee talk to Hugh about the dramatic events of the last week that were capped today with the resignation of Frances Fitzgerald, and the questions that remain. How could such important documents be missed - or was it more sinister than that? Is the Department of Justice facing a reckoning? Why did Leo Varadkar handle this situation as he did?
This week there proved to be at least one more political sting left in the tail of the McCabe controversy. This latest entanglement involves a dubious legal strategy, a curiously incurious former Minister for Justice, a poorly written email and a frustrated Taoiseach. It's confusing, but we hope this conversation between Sarah Bardon, Harry McGee and Hugh Linehan will leave listeners with as clear an understanding of the affair as possible.
Inside Politics returned to the RDS on Saturday for the final stop on our tour of party conferences in what has amounted to a festival season for Irish politics. Louise O'Reilly, TD for Dublin Fingal, and Conor Murphy, MLA for Newry and Armagh, joined Hugh, Sarah Bardon and Northern Editor Gerry Moriarty to discuss some of the thorny challenges facing Sinn Féin.
But first Fiach Kelly and Hugh discuss the news that, as expected, Gerry Adams will step down as Sinn Féin leader.
As the deadline for completing the first stage of Brexit negotiations draws near, and with the British political establishment in the midst of a nervous breakdown, our Government is fast approaching a critical point in how it handles this most intractable of situations. Divergent national interests - on trade, on EU relations, on the border question - mean it is far from simple for us to stake out a coherent position. So what is our bottom line? Pat Leahy and Cliff Taylor join Hugh to see if they can imagine what solutions, or even the process of finding solutions, might look like.
Last month we went to the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis for a close look at that party's policies, politics and personalities. This weekend it was Fine Gael's turn for their annual get-together, so Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy and TD for Dublin Rathdown Josepha Madigan joined Hugh, Harry McGee and Fiach Kelly for another live recording of the podcast.
They discussed the style and substance of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's speech, the new policy proposals outlined in the "first iteration" of their "rolling manifesto", and the remaining doubt over how far we are willing to go to secure a a frictionless border with post-Brexit Northern Ireland.
The Houses of Parliament in Westminster have been engulfed by allegations of sexual harassment in the past week. How does the environment in Leinster House compare? Fiach Kelly and Sarah Bardon join Hugh Linehan to discuss.
Also on the agenda, the intense lobbying around plans for the display of alcohol in shops, why Bills are being left hanging at committee stage and Alan Shatter's Facebook post in which he said he won't stand for Fine Gael in the next general election.
Paradise Papers is the name given to a journalistic project organised by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in Washington DC along with 96 media partners around the world, including The Irish Times.
It is one of the largest data leaks in journalistic history, and involves the largest number of documents ever leaked.
The leaked documents show how deeply the offshore financial system is entangled with the overlapping worlds of political players, private wealth and corporate giants, including Apple, Nike, Uber and other global companies that avoid taxes through increasingly imaginative bookkeeping maneuvers.
Irish Times Legal Affairs Correspondent Colm Keena has been working on the project, and on this podcast he talks to Hugh Linehan about what has been uncovered, including the investments made by famous figures such as Bono and Queen Elizabeth, and the legal advice received by AIB when The Revenue Commissioners requested information about offshore deposits.
Hugh Linehan speaks with American author, historian and academic Timothy Snyder about his book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, in which he makes provocative and unsettling comparisons between today's politics and the rise of the Third Reich and suggests how we can avoid the terrible mistakes of the past.
Timothy Snyder is a professor of history at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. He has spent ten years in Europe, and speaks five and reads ten European languages. He has also written for The New York Review of Books, Foreign Affairs, The Times Literary Supplement, The Nation, and The New Republic as well as for The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, and other newspapers.
He is the author of several award-winning books including The Red Prince: The Secret Lives of a Habsburg Archduke, Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin, and Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning.
Labour is in the doldrums, stuck on five or six per cent in the polls and struggling to have its voice heard. What are its chances of getting back to ten per cent or more by the next election? Is its brand becoming less toxic? What is the purpose of Labour in Ireland now?
Guests: Fiach Kelly, Political Correspondent; Ed Brophy, political columnist with the Sunday Independent and former chief of staff to Tánaiste Joan Burton; and Dublin City Councillor Rebecca Moynihan, who will run for Labour in the Dublin South Central constituency in the next election.
Hugh and Pat are joined by Social Affairs Correspondent Kitty Holland and columnist Fintan O'Toole to discuss the direction being taken by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil at the Abortion Committee, and why "scandal" is the perfect word to describe the tracker mortgage situation - there are cries of outrage and numerous investigations, and ultimately no-one will be held accountable.
Irish-American politician Martin O'Malley is best known for terms as governor of Maryland and mayor of Baltimore, and for his unsuccessful run for the Democratic presidential candidacy in 2016. Earlier this week he talked to Political Correspondent Harry McGee about his Irish connections, his upbringing and political philosophy, his views on the Trump presidency and how he squares his own liberal views on abortion and marriage equality with his Catholicism. He also shed some light on his relationship with David Simon, creator of tv show The Wire which portrayed the social and political problems of Baltimore in the early 2000s.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar held a number of press conferences throughout Storm Ophelia, did live interviews and donned a high-vis jacket to assess the resulting damage in its aftermath.
On today's podcast, Pat Leahy, Sarah Bardon and Harry McGee from the politics team join Hugh Linehan to discuss the government’s disaster response and compare it to that of previous years.
The panel also discuss the Oireachtas committee examining the Eighth Amendment, the Fianna Fáil ardfheis last weekend and the upcoming EU summit where Brexit will take centre stage.
Inside Politics has made the short trip from its office to the RDS where a resurgent Fianna Fáil are holding their annual Ard Fheis, to ask whether the party is really ready to return to government after a long spell in the political wilderness. Joining Hugh, Pat and Sarah were Dara Calleary and Fiona O'Loughlin, while Fiach canvassed the opinions of some special guests in the audience.
Philosopher A.C. Grayling is known for his writings on the intersections between belief systems, individual liberties and systems of government. In his new book Democracy And Its Crisis, he explores the challenges facing representative democracy today. He talked to Hugh Linehan about his ideas, including the "weaponisation" of social media, potential reforms to our political systems and when referendums are useful.
No big bonanza and no pyrotechnics, but Budget 2018 is more exciting than it might seem on the surface. So say the Irish Times political team.
Paschal Donohoe may not have found any money down the back of the couch, but has he delivered a budget that will take this government to the next election?
On today’s Inside Politics podcast, Pat Leahy, Fiach Kelly and Mary Minihan join Hugh Linehan to discuss the political impact of the measures introduced in today’s budget.
Pat Leahy talks to Hugh Linehan about the results of the latest Irish Times Ipsos/MRBI poll.
The poll showed greater support for a limited revision of abortion restrictions than their outright removal. But some pro-choice activists have criticised how the question was framed - Hugh puts their position to Pat.
And there's time at the end to look at the other major finding: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is the most popular party leader with an impressive 49% approval rating. But will his rising tide lift other boats for Fine Gael?
With just six days left until Leo Varadkar and Paschal Donohoe announce their first Budget as Taoiseach and finance minister respectively, the most surprising thing in the lead up to it has been the lack of anything surprising.
On today's podcast, Cliff Taylor joins Fiach Kelly and Hugh to discuss the likelihood of any big bombshell being dropped next Tuesday, at a time when money is tight and any significant giveaway would have to be financed either through tax increases or cuts to another department.
They also discuss the reaction in Leinster House to the political unrest surrounding the Catalonia independence referendum in Spain and whether or not Taoiseach Leo Varadkar can get away with going to gigs anymore, after the LCD Soundsystem debacle.
Novelist and former political journalist Robert Harris returns to Inside Politics to discuss his new novel 'Munich', set over the course of the four-day crisis talks between the British, French and Nazi governments which prevented the outbreak of war in 1938. He talks about the modern misapprehension of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, the nature of appeasement and the current state of politics in the United Kingdom as it moves through the painful Brexit process.
Sinn Fein TD for Dublin Mid-West Eoin Ó Broin joins Hugh, Pat and Sarah to discuss the forthcoming referendum on the 8th Amendment, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael's recent attacks on Sinn Féin, whether there is a culture of bullying in the party, and also its stance on property tax.
Ten years after an economic and social crisis that it seemed would change the Irish political landscape utterly, the political dominance of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael is diminished - but continues. Are we destined to be governed by these organisations forever?
As part of the Dublin Podcast Festival, Pat Leahy, Mary Minihan and Fiach Kelly joined Hugh in front of a live audience at The Workman's Club in Dublin to take a close look at our two main political parties today. How do they see themselves and one another? How has the upheaval of the last decade changed them, and where are they headed ideologically?
Thanks to Alan Bennet and everyone working on the Podcast Festival. Thanks also to Alan Kinsella for providing our backdrop of historic election literature.
Hugh is joined by Harry McGee and Fiach Kelly to discuss everything and anything on the political agenda this week, including pre-budget skirmishes between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, President Michael D Higgins's noteworthy appearance at the ploughing festival, a potential Water Referendum, and the return to work of the members of Dáil Eireann after a long, damp summer.
This week Hugh, Pat and Harry are joined by Minister of State at the Department of Housing Damien English to talk about the latest news on the housing crisis, the resignation of Noirin O'Sullivan and what we can expect from the Taoiseach as the political season begins.
The negative reaction to Fianna Fáil TD and spokesman on housing Barry Cowen's proposal to incentivise building by reducing VAT rates for builders shows the mistrust that is a legacy of the housing crash could still be a problem for the party.
Hugh and Pat talk to Deputy Cowen who defends his proposal and Fianna Fáil's legacy when it comes to housing.
Later on we go to Fiach Kelly at the Sinn Féin think-in to hear about the future Gerry Adams' leadership (still murky) and the party's desire for power and a role in southern government (crystal clear).
From E-voting to water charges, there have been plenty of examples of governments getting into hot water over a 'sensible' plan emanating from the civil service. Could the controversial Public Services Card become another example? Or is it a summer story?
Far from being a summer story, the housing crisis is very real. It's an acute problem with no short-term solution - the stuff of political nightmares and a major potential liability for Fine Gael.
Finally, a look at the modern PR stylings of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Should he be replying to George Hook's criticisms on Twitter? And what exactly is the "Strategic Communciations Office"?
Today's panel is hosted by Hugh Linehan, with Pat Leahy and Sarah Bardon.
Can we fix a housing market bedevilled by perverse incentives and bottlenecks?
How important have lobbying, vested interests and ideology been in determining our housing policy?
Why did the state lose faith in social housing?
As the housing crisis gets worse and worse, we ask two experts how we got here and what needs to be done.
Guests: Dr Michelle Norris, head of UCD's School of Social Policy, and Dr Lorcan Sirr, lecturer in housing studies, urban economics, and research methods in DIT's School of Real Estate and Construction Economics.
Britain has just released a negotiating paper with details of how it sees a future UK-EU border on this island operating. Here with hot takes are Fiach Kelly and Mary Minihan.
After that there is time for a look ahead to the various votes the people could be asked to make in 2018, including referendums and a potential race for the Áras. Could Senator Gerard Craughwell's decision to run for presidency upend Michael D. Higgins' hope of a second term?
Ghost estates - residential building developments began during the boom and abandoned when the crash came - became synonymous with the excesses of the Celtic Tiger. Hundreds still dot the Irish countryside: homes to rats, brambles and despairing residents, as reporter Simon Carswell tells Hugh Linehan.
You can read Simon's long read at irishtimes.com
DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson and Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole discuss how well Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is playing Dublin's hand in the rather complicated game of Brexit. They join podcast regulars Hugh Linehan and Fiach Kelly.
Former Progressive Unionist Party member and feminist academic Sophie Long gives her view on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s recent comments about Ireland’s post-Brexit border.
Ms Long, who resigned as the PUP’s communications director after she came under fire for tweeting her condolences on the death of Martin McGuinness, joins Michael O’Regan and Fiach Kelly, with Mary Minihan on presenting duties this week.
Taoiseach Varadkar travels to Northern Ireland this weekend where he will attend a breakfast Pride event in Belfast on Saturday morning, a move that might annoy the DUP according the Ms Long, but won’t have any major impact.
Anthony Scaramucci’s short-lived stint as White House director of communications also gets a mention and the panel talk about Kevin Myers’s controversial column in the Irish edition of The Sunday Times last weekend and the public reaction to TD’s outstanding €5,500 Dáil bar bill.
When Government returns to its work in the autumn, the difficult and politically dangerous work of managing our economic recovery by means of the budget will begin, with much of the task landing on Paschal Donohoe's desk. What lessons will he take from past growth spurts in the nineties and noughties, and the problems that followed them?
In his book "The Road to Somewhere: The Populist Revolt and the Future of Politics", journalist David Goodhart attempts to provide a framework for understanding UK society that explains Brexit and the collapse of the political centre. Before appearing at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties this week, he talked to Hugh Linehan about his ideas.
Fine Gael have found the money to repay water charges to those who complied back in 2014, marking perhaps the final chapter in a terrible humiliation for the party. The €170 million needed for that is coming out of €300 million that has been found down the backs of various departmental couches. Won't that money be missed by the Ministers?
The country has finally moved on from the water debacle, and today on the podcast we also look ahead to two of the biggest problems facing the country: how we measure and control our economy, and the potential calamity of Brexit.
Apart from showing our economy to be much smaller than we all thought, what does the new GNI measurement mean for political decision making? And, one year on, has the assessment of how damaging Brexit can be changed?
Pat Leahy is on the line from the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, where Brexit despair and fiscal prudence are dominating this year's discussions, while Mary Minihan recalls the dispiriting lack of understanding of Northern Ireland displayed by Conservative Party representatives at last week's British Irish Parliamentary Assembly in Kilkenny.
The summer break is looming in Leinster House and TDs are rushing to get things legislation through after an underwhelming term. Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe is making his 'Summer Statement' on the public finances and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is settling in to his role. To discuss all this and more Pat Leahy is joined by Sarah Bardon and Harry McGee.
Harry McGee and Pat Leahy talk about the substantive issues addressed by An Taoiseach Leo Vardakar and Justin Trudeau on the occasion of the Canadian PM's visit, issues that were hard to discern with all the smiling, posing, praising and jogging going on.
Then they turn to the issue of waste, which is a burning one on the left but not so much for the traditional establishment parties Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Labour. Why?
Finally they call up Newton Emerson in Belfast to find out who really wants what in Northern Ireland, a day after talks to restore power sharing in Stormont were put on ice until the autumn.
Former Irish Times Legal Affairs correspondent and author of The Supreme Court Ruadhan Mac Cormaic joins podcast regulars Sarah Bardon, Pat Leahy and Fiach Kelly to discuss the controversy surrounding Shane Ross's push to reform the judicial appointments process. Why is he so obsessed with this particular issue, and is the Bill solving the right problems?
There's also a few minutes to discuss the National Economic Dialogue event taking place today.
The grubby appointment of former AG Máire Whelan to the Court of Criminal Appeals, the glaring lack of females in the senior and junior Government ranks and the dropping of Love Actually references in Downing Street all add up to a lacklustre first week on the job for An Taoiseach. What could he have done differently?
We also hear some spiky exchanges from the Garda Commissioner's appearance at the Public Accounts Committee yesterday, and wonder what exactly Theresa May was expecting when she opened negotiations with the hard-as-nails DUP.
Guests: Fiach Kelly and Mary Minihan. Hosted by Hugh Linehan.
Hugh talks to Fintan O'Toole, who has just been awarded the Orwell Prize for Journalism for his writing on Brexit. Fintan explains why the Irish view on subjects like Brexit and the ascent of nationalism across the Western world is a useful one, and why David Cameron should have asked Enda Kenny for advice. They also discuss the unusual role of the DUP.
After another long day in Dáil Eireann, Irish Times politics team members Pat Leahy, Fiach Kelly and Mary Minihan trooped back to base to chat with Hugh Linehan about the ins and outs of Leo Vardakar's eventful first day as Taoiseach.
Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald returns to the podcast to share her views on Leo Varadkar and Fine Gael's place on the political spectrum, future coalition possibilities for Sinn Féin ("we will talk to everybody"), and whether the northern wing of her party might be convinced to drop abstentionism and support a Labour "Coalition of Chaos" in Westminster.
But first we hear from Fiach Kelly and Pat Leahy about the feast of political theatre we can look forward to upon Leo Vardakar's elevation next week, and what whisperings they've heard about who will adorn the presumptive Taoiseach's cabinet.
Leo Varadkar has prevailed. At just 38, the new leader of Fine Gael is practically guaranteed to become our next Taoiseach. Simon Coveney, meanwhile, salvaged dignity by running him closer than looked possible in the early stages of the race. Harry McGee, Fiach Kelly and Pat Leahy look back on the two week campaign,and ahead to what kind of leader Mr Varadkar is likely to be and what early challenges he will face in the most scrutinised job in the land.
Academic and author Angela Nagle first came to many Irish Times readers' attention when she penned an opinion piece on the so-called Alt-Right, in response to the publication of a controversial glossary of terms used by those who so self-identify.
Now she has published a fascinating book, 'Kill All Normies', that charts the origins and evolution of that movement and offers a provocative thesis on why the liberal left has largely failed to counter their nihilism. In this podcast she talks to Hugh Linehan about her ideas.
Blue blood stained the floor after the final Fine Gael leadership hustings in Cork on Sunday. Now there are just a few days left for Simon to overhaul Leo's lead. Coveney supporters are helpfully circulating numbers around Leinster House, showing the different ways he can win. Do they add up? What influence are yesterday's men, Enda Kenny and Michael Noonan, having behind the scenes? And is Leo really going to drag the party rightward? Today's guests are Mary Minihan and Sarah Bardon. They also find time at the end to talk about a very welcome Supreme Court decision on Direct Provision.
Sean FitzPatrick has been vilified for his key role in the economic crash that devastated the country. But has the State wronged him in its pursuit of a criminal conviction against him at any cost?
Today we look at the disturbing things we have learned about a bungled investigation of his activities while at the helm of Anglo Irish Bank, an investigation led by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement. Colm Keena, our Legal Affairs Correspondent, talks to Hugh Linehan.
A new Irish Times / Ipsos MRBI poll brings badly needed good news for Simon Coveney as he tries to overhaul Leo Varadkar's early lead in the race to lead Fine Gael. But will it be enough to sway the TDs and Senators who have already declared for Varadkar?
The chances of Simon Coveney becoming the next leader of the Fine Gael party are slim, but Dublin Bay South TD Kate O'Connell, who is supporting him, says the race is not over yet. She tells Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy and Fiach Kelly that she's backing Coveney because she wants a statesman and not a celebrity for Taoiseach, and why she would be "very, very" worried about the direction that Fine Gael might take under a Leo Varadkar leadership.
Leo Varadkar seems to be pulling away in the race to succeed Enda Kenny. But does it really matter whether it is Simon or Leo? Fintan O'Toole talks to Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy about a race he says is not even a struggle for the soul of Fine Gael, let alone the soul of Ireland, between two candidates who have failed to show real leadership on major social problems.
Enda Kenny's leadership of Fine Gael and the country is over. Who will replace him? Fiach Kelly has canvassed every TD, Senator and Councillor to get the most detailed picture possible of the state of the race between Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney, the two known contenders.
You can find the Irish Times Fine Gael leadership tracker here: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/fg-leadership-race
How has Enda Kenny's long goodbye impacted on the Oireachtas? Fianna Fáil TD and chair of the Dáil's Public Accounts Committee, Seán Fleming joins Mary Minihan and Hugh Linehan to discuss the lingering limbo of Enda Kenny's leadership, the future of the confidence and supply arrangement with his party and Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan's appearances before the PAC.
Eurovision time is here again, and this year it's taking place in Ukraine. Is the tense political context impacting the annual carnival of national pop? And more importantly, why can't Ireland pick the right kind of song to get to the final? Irish Times Eurovision Correspondent Patrick Freyne is in Kiev.
You can find more information about Irish Times podcasts at irishtimes.com/podcasts
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Will Nóirín O'Sullivan eventually be invited to follow sacked FBI director James Comey into early retirement? To discuss that developing story, plus the new tradition of silence in the Dáil, Leo Varadkar palling around with councillors and Paschal Donohoe's clever political positioning, Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Sarah Bardon.
The Independent Alliance has been in Government for one year, already longer than many observers predicted at the outset. How has it been doing? Very well, according to its five TDs. Led as ever by Shane Ross, they gave a press conference yesterday in which they proudly outlined their achievements and their undiminished belief in New Politics.
Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan listen to some of what was said and assess the group's impact on the Irish political landscape.
What's going on in Leinster House? Not much, but at least we can argue about why that is the case. Today's Irish Times editorial was a little harsh, says Harry McGee - the lack of legislative achievements this term has not been all the Government's fault. And Fiach Kelly says useless bills destined to fail are clogging up the works.
Also on the agenda today: what is likely to be a highly unusual 8th Amendment committee, Dáil prayers, Harry's ministerial scorecard and the "worst dinner party in history".
The row over ownership of the new Maternity Hospital may be dying down, for now, but it has revealed some interesting things about the politics, people, and institutions involved. Mary Minihan and Pat Leahy discuss the story with Hugh Linehan.
Later in the podcast they look at the outcome of the Citizens' Assembly. That's after we hear from Cora Sherlock and Breda O'Brien, both campaigners for the retention of the 8th Amendment.
It's been a torrid few months for the institutional reputation of An Garda Síochána. Some members of the force believe the various controversies have undermined confidence in, and respect for, the force. Is this jeopardising their safety as they do their work? A spate of recent attacks suggest it could be. For a small section of society, the uniform is now “like a red rag to a bull", as one garda told Conor Lally.
How the forthcoming UK election could leave the Conservatives with a whopping majority and consign Labour to as much as another decade in the political wilderness. And in Northern Ireland and Scotland, already marginalised by Brexit, will this vote put even more distance between citizens and Westminster?
Today's guests are Professor Tim Bale, a political scientist and author of 'The Conservative Party: From Thatcher to Cameron' and Peter Geoghegan, a Glasgow-based journalist and author of 'The People's Referendum: Why Scotland Will Never Be the Same Again'.
Part one: Could water finally be a political issue of the past? Sarah Bardon has the latest on the negotiations that briefly threatened to topple the Government but now seem to have been solved to the relief, if not satisfaction, of most parties.
Part two: In Sallins, County Kildare, local people and politicians are not too exercised about who pays for excess water usage. But they are worried about crime, housing, services and amenities in a commuter town whose population has increased tenfold in the past decade.
Harry McGee met the good people of Sallins and a few of their representatives: Catherine Murphy of the Soc Dems and James Lawless of Fianna Fáil, and local councillor Fintan Brett of Fine Gael.
Does Brexit threaten peace in Northern Ireland? Simon Carswell asked four ex-IRA men their views. Their answers show that they, like many others, are prepared to contemplate the previously unthinkable as Britain's historic departure from the European Union draws closer.
The arrangement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil is getting ropier by the week, with continued disagreements over water and how to deal with the crisis facing the Gardaí. Pat Leahy has the latest from Leinster House.
After that Catherine Martin of the Green Party is here to talk about the effort to rebuild the party after its calamitous experience in power and her private member's bill to reform maternity leave.
There's a distinct lack of confidence emanating from the opposition benches of late, as the Dáil gets to grips with the latest Garda controversy.
Speaking on today's episode of Inside Politics, Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesperson Jim O’Callaghan said public confidence in the force has been undermined once more, by the recording of one million breath tests that never happened.
Mr O'Callaghan was critical of the Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald for not dealing with wrongful convictions in the courts arising from difficulties with the fixed charge notice system, when she first became aware of the issue last year.
The Dublin Bay South TD also accused the government of staying silent on the latest revelations over the weekend and said it has further damaged the relationship between his party and Fine Gael.
Hugh Linehan was joined in studio this week by Sarah Bardon and Fiach Kelly from the Irish Times political team.
Testifying against an abuser in court is a harrowing experience for a woman. When defence barristers ask questions about that woman's personal sexual history, it gets even worse. Why does this have to happen, and does it happen too often? We talk to court reporter Conor Gallagher about what new figures reveal.
Fianna Fáil’s newest recruit Stephen Donnelly talks about why he has never been more convinced of the need for the government to appoint a Brexit minister.
Donnelly, who has been Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson the issue for the last six weeks, lays out what Ireland’s priorities should be ahead of the triggering of article 50 by Britain next Wednesday and what demands should be made.
He also speaks about his decision to join Mícheál Martin’s ranks, saying that while being part of the Social Democrats “did not work”, he still believes that the best way for him to achieve his political goals is from within a party, and Fianna Fáil are the best fit.
Asked about the party’s conservative stance on issues of conscience like the Eighth amendment, Donnelly, who is clear in his belief it should be repealed, said he has found there is a freedom within the party to advocate on such issues.
Hugh is also joined in studio by Irish Times political correspondent Harry McGee.
Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald joins us to pay tribute to the late Martin McGuinness. She calls him a person of grit and remarkable skill, who leaves Ireland at a crossroads and his party with the determination to carry on what he started.
Also on the podcast, Mick Fealty, the editor of the Slugger O’Toole blog, discusses McGuinness's role in the Troubles and the peace process, and the legacy he leaves behind.
Hugh is also joined in studio by Irish Times Political Editor Pat Leahy.
Author Colm Tóibín believes compromises must be made on all sides and by all traditions to give Northern Ireland the best possible future, one that looks very unlike what exists today, and one neither nationalists nor unionists will much like the sound of. He tells Hugh Linehan about his idea, and why he is not optimistic it can be achieved.
Our guest today is Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams. On the agenda are negotiations to form the Northern Ireland executive, what should happen if those talks fail, and the future of Northern Ireland, including Sinn Féin's hoped-for border poll and winning over unionists.
Hugh is also joined by Political Editor Pat Leahy.
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In the past week the confirmation of the discovery of human remains at a former mother and baby home in Tuam, County Galway has shocked the nation and in the political realm provoked strong reactions from the Taoiseach and others. Hugh Linehan is joined by Sarah Bardon, Pat Leahy and Simon Carswell to discuss the disturbing case and its political fallout.
The panel also look at the latest news in the Fine Gael leadership race and ahead to Enda Kenny's troublesome trip to Donald Trump's White House next week.
Recorded earlier this week, this podcast features analysis of the final batch of results from the latest Irish Times Ipsos/MRBI poll, this time concerning the Fine Gael leadership race. The numbers reveal it really is "The Simon and Leo Show". The poll also reveals a lukewarm national sentiment for "The New Politics". Political Editor Pat Leahy and our host Hugh Linehan discuss.
Pat Leahy talks to Hugh Linehan about the findings of the latest Irish Times Ipsos/MRBI poll which show that the question of abortion remains a divisive one - and one that is likely to scare politicians. While more favour outright repeal than no change to the status quo, the largest group - 38% - prefer the 8th amendment to be replaced with another less restrictive constitutional clause.
But first Hugh asks Pat about the poll results on the standings of the parties, as reported in yesterday's Irish Times.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny apologised yesterday for the appalling treatment of 'Grace', a child with an intellectual disability, in our care system. Independent Alliance TD and Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities Finian McGrath joins Hugh Linehan, Sarah Bardon and Fiach Kelly to talk about the case.
They also discuss Irish Water, and Finian mounts a defence of the "do-nothing Dáil".
It's one year since voters gambled on an uncertain future by returning no clear winner in the general election. Over the next week, in print and online, The Irish Times political team will be examining what exactly that gamble has delivered to the nation.
Joining Pat Leahy and Michael O'Regan to kick off the series on today's podcast is Katie Hannon, Political Correspondent with RTÉ's Prime Time.
The race to become the next leader of Fine Gael is now on, no matter what anyone tells you to the contrary. On today's podcast we talk to two Fine Gael TDs, Minister of State Damien English and party vice president John Paul Phelan. Damien is a leading backer of Simon Coveney's bid while John Paul's support for Leo Varadkar is no secret. We ask them why Fine Gael members should pick their respective men, and what way they see the race going.
It's been a busy week in politics and there's a lot to get through on today's podcast.
First political reporter Sarah Bardon looks back at a shambolic few days on the Government front bench. Dáil watchers concur it has been a shocker from Fine Gael, and especially from Taoiseach Enda Kenny, whose tenure as party leader is measured now in days and weeks, not months and years, says Sarah.
Then Alan Kelly of Labour and John McGuinness of Fianna Fáil join us to talk about the treatment of Garda whistleblowers Maurice McCabe and Keith Harrison, and what they want from the tribunal of inquiry that is now to be set up. Deputy Kelly says he wants to "flush out" any members of Government who were briefed by senior Gardaí about allegations against Sgt McCabe, while Deputy McGuinness expresses no faith in the government his own party props up.
And finally we take a quick look at the history of tribunals of inquiry in this state with Irish Times legal affairs correspondent Colm Keena. Must they be costly, lengthy and largely ineffective? And should they be televised?
Pat Leahy and Sarah Bardon tell Hugh Linehan what is now known about the false rape accusations made against whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe, and how a statement by Minister for Children Katherine Zappone raises more questions than it answers about who in Cabinet knew what, and when.
Donald Trump begins his day at 5am by watching "lies" about him on TV, while new Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Donnelly is being told "everyone hates you" on Twitter. Minister for Health Simon Harris is "ashamed", and Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan and the DUP's Arlene Foster aren't having great weeks either. Pat Leahy, Sarah Bardon and Michael O'Regan join Hugh to discuss the various calamities befalling our politicians this week.
The campaign to repeal the 8th amendment enjoys popular support in opinion polls and the dedicated efforts of progressives, but some have criticised how the campaign is communicating its message to the middle ground.
Three prominent supporters of the campaign join Hugh to talk about what they make of such criticisms, the campaign's strategy and what lessons can be learned from the success of the same-sex marriage referendum campaign.
Thanks to today's participants Ailbhe Smyth, Convenor of the Coalition to Repeal the 8th, Colm O’Gorman, Director of Amnesty International Ireland and Fine Gael TD Kate O’Connell.
After a catastrophic performance in the 2016 general election, the Labour party must rebuild from its roots and reconnect with working class voters, according to its leader Brendan Howlin.
The Wexford TD was speaking to this week’s Inside Politics podcast and said his party is currently working on a review of its constitution, for which there have been “hundreds of submissions”.
Deputy Howlin said membership of the Labour party has increased by 1,200 in recent months, thirty new area representatives have been appointed and the process of selecting candidates to contest the next general election will get underway in the coming weeks.
When asked if new leadership at both Fine Gael and Sinn Féin in the next general election would mean it was time for a change at the Labour helm, deputy Howlin said he was still “up for the task”. He said the aim is to double the party’s seats, but he acknowledged there would not be a “bounce back” this time round.
Deputy Howlin also criticised the current government for “kicking issues a year down the road” with a view to there being a general election before they would have to be dealt with, and said the Dáil is “like a university debating society” that does not get anything done.
Asked whether he believed the Taoiseach should go to the White House on St. Patrick’s Day, deputy Howlin said he should not but if he does, Enda Kenny must make it clear both in private and in public that Ireland does not support President Trump’s policies.
Also on the podcast, Irish Times political correspondent Fiach Kelly talked about the stories circulating around the Dáil this week, including the debate over pre-clearance at Shannon Airport, Brexit and British Prime Minister Theresa May’s visit.
The first ever episode of Inside Politics recorded in from of a live audience features a stellar line-up of old friends Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy and Theresa Reidy, plus a first-timer for the podcast, Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar. They discussed how Ireland's leaders should handle the presidency of Donald Trump, the rise of populism and the potential for Fine Gael to go into coalition with Sinn Féin, while Pat and Hugh tried a few different ways to ask Minister Varadkar about his leadership ambitions.
Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald says her party needs to have "a conversation" once again about whether it would go into government as a junior coalition partner.
Speaking to the Inside Politics Podcast this week, the party's deputy leader raised the prospect, saying she wants Sinn Féin to be in power.
She also refused to be drawn on whether Gerry Adams is nearing retirement but said she has made no secret of her leadership ambitions, whenever a contest materialises.
Ms McDonnell also spoke about Sinn Féin's recently appointed new leader in Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill, describing her as fair-minded, decent and with bags of energy.
It's here: Trump inauguration day. We talk to our foreign affairs correspondent Ruadhan Mac Cormaic about some of the issues this historic presidency presents:
- How Trump and those to whom he has granted power differ from all previous administrations
- The domestic political forces that will shape his presidency.
- His relationship with China and Russia.
- His "abrupt departures" from long-standing protocol in international relations.
- The Irish perspective - what does it mean for the Irish in America?
Tweet about the podcast: @hlinehan
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin says he is worried the Government has not been prudent enough to prepare us for a Brexit economic storm, but insists any rainy-day fund can't come at the expense of services. He also speaks about his disappointment with Theresa May's Brexit speech yesterday, Sinn Féin's "arrogance" in the Northern Ireland Executive and the message Ireland must send to president-elect Donald Trump.
"When did businesspeople become such hippies?" Patrick Freyne went to Pendulum, the “world’s leading business and self-empowerment summit”, run by the former Ireland rugby star Frankie Sheahan (tagline: “Unleash Your Warrior Mindset”). He talked to Hugh Lineman about what he found.
Martin McGuinness's resignation as Deputy First Minister will almost certainly mean elections in Northern Ireland, and many are questioning whether power sharing can be restored after this breach in the DUP Sinn Féin relationship. But would that be a bad thing? Mick Fealty of NI politics blog Slugger O'Toole says the breakdown is the inevitable result of greater scrutiny of the Executive, while MLA for Folye Eamonn McCann says the assumption that power sharing is required to keep violence from breaking out is false. They talk with Hugh and Political Editor Pat Leahy.
An opinion piece on irishtimes.com about vocabulary used by the so-called 'alt-right' political movement has caused a stir. Opinion Editor John McManus talked to Hugh Linehan about why The Irish Times ran the piece.
John Halligan has a reputation for speaking his mind and on today's Inside Politics podcast he doesn't disappoint.
He explains what really happened from his point of view during last years disputes with his Government colleagues.
With hospital waiting times back on the agenda, he questions whether the capability exists in Ireland to reform its own health system. He calls for the abolition of the HSE and the appointment of consultants from overseas to put things right.
On the Waterford Hospital issue that has troubled his relationship with Fine Gael, he again says he will consider his position if an additional cath lab is not provided.
Talking about the difficulties of his own work as a Minister for State, he questions the value of advice he receives from civil servants and recalls asking a Fianna Fáil TD to help him secure €50 million in funding from his own Government for school transport services.
And finally he explains his highly unusual choice of Christmas cards.
Before all that, our Political Editor Pat Leahy gives us a quick rundown on what is coming up in the short term in Dáil Eireann.
Many people old enough to remember 1986 in Ireland will tell you it was a pretty grim time and place. The economy was in the doldrums and unemployment was high. A referendum to permit divorce was voted down as Hurricane Charlie hit. In January, Phil Lynott died.
The state papers from I986, released after the mandatory 30 year waiting period, reveal a country trying to deal with problems at home and in Northern Ireland, and to come to terms with a growing demand for equality and social change.
Elaine Edwards and Stephen Collins were among the reporters allowed a first look at the annually-released cache of yellowing documents that make up the state papers. They talked to us about the stories they found, major, minor and quirky.
What does 2017 hold in store for Ireland and the world? We don't claim to know, but we invited Fintan O'Toole, Una Mullally and Pat Leahy in to discuss some of the possibilities on this final Inside Politics of the unforgettable year of 2016.
2016 was a good and bad year for reporters. There were plenty of stories to report on, but also plenty of challenges to traditional journalism, old and new: the continuing rise of social media, and its sometimes misleading content; Ireland's strict defamation laws that can stifle in-depth reporting; and difficult economic times for the news business.
Irish Times News Editor Mark Hennessy talks to Inside Story about some of those difficulties, recaps some of the newsroom output he is most proud of from 2016 and makes some prognostications for the years ahead.
From everyone on the Inside Politics / Inside Story team, we wish you all a very happy Christmas.
It was a “bizarre year in politics” says Irish Times political reporter Sarah Bardon, who found herself with very little to report on some nights in Leinster House, as the minority government argued behind closed doors and not much got done.
She joined her colleague Harry McGee and historian Diarmaid Ferriter this morning, to review the year gone by for the Irish Times Inside Politics podcast.
The panel discussed opinion polls and the dreadful year they have had, with Harry McGee conceding that political pundits are far better at analysing the past than they are predicting the future.
This time last year a strong general election performance was predicted for Fine Gael and a disastrous one for Fianna Fáil. How wrong they were, says Sarah Bardon, who cites Enda Kenny’s mantra of ‘keep the recovery going’ and Fine Gael’s obsession with the ‘fiscal space’ as two reasons why the party failed to perform at the polls as expected.
Fine Gael advisors were the victims of “brain freeze” when it came to the Taoiseach’s campaign strategy, says McGee, and would have been better served by letting their leader loose on the public more.
It has been a frightening year in many ways, says Diarmaid Ferriter, but the 1916 Centenary celebrations were an exception. They were dignified and engaging for the public, he said, with a feeling that they belonged to the people and not the state.
The panel also discussed Brexit, Trump’s election and the emergence of activism outside the political sphere internationally. They also talked about the demise of Labour despite being instrumental in the Marriage Referendum and analysed the policy shifts of the Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil parties over the past 12 months.
There are 21,000 vacant residences in Dublin City. This weekend activists have felt the need to appropriate an empty office block to house the homeless, as a shortage of housing sends rents soaring. How has it come to this? Our Dublin Correspondent Olivia Kelly has been investigating.
To take a look back at a six month period of "new politics" that is now ending with ambitious Minister Coveney's new rental reform package, and with Taoiseach Enda Kenny still firmly at the helm, Political Editor Pat Leahy chatted with his chums Michael O'Regan, Fiach Kelly and Sarah Bardon. Will Coveney's hard work pay dividends of power down the line?
When we talk about health and medicine, the immediate problems tend to crowd out the important ones, says our correspondent Paul Cullen. But this weekend he is reporting on a long-term threat that could destroy modern medical practice and jeopardise millions of lives. Antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" are becoming stronger and more prevalent, and are now entrenched in some Irish hospitals. He talked to Hugh Linehan about the story.
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The latest Irish Times Ipsos-MRBI poll is here. To find out about what it reveals we talked to Deputy Political Editor Pat Leahy. For the full poll findings go to irishtimes.com
Ireland’s continual housing crisis will not be solved unless issues of affordability and security of tenure in the rental sector are addressed, according to a Trinity College academic.
New legislation aimed at boosting supply in the housing market is currently going through the Seanad. It allows planning applications for large housing developments of more than 100 homes to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála rather than to local councils and forms part of the government’s “Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness”, published earlier this year.
Assistant Professor at Trinity College’s Geography department, Cian O’Callaghan, spoke on this week’s Inside Politics podcast about the plan, calling for a “different approach” to the Irish housing crisis. He says we need to look beyond the issue of housing supply and broaden tactics to address problems with affordability and security of tenure in the private-rental and social housing sectors.
Fianna Fáil’s Thomas Byrne said he appreciates the need to protect those who are already in accommodation, but until the issue of supply is addressed many others will continue to remain homeless.
Director General of the Construction Industry Federation Tom Parlon argued that once supply in the housing market is increased there will be a direct positive effect on the rental sector, freeing up homes occupied by those looking to buy.
The panel also discussed issues around vacant housing, improved building standards, the need to solve the apartment problem and the possibilities of building on state-owned land.
Will the report of the expert commission on water help bring this vexed issue to a conclusion at long last? Minister Simon Coveney hopes so, but AAA-PBP TD Paul Murphy says "it's not over". They both sat down with Hugh Linhan and Sarah Bardon this morning.
How much do we as a society ask of those among us who have dependents in need of round-the-clock care?
Last Saturday, The Irish Times published an interview by Rosita Boland with Johanne and Alan Powell, a couple in their 60s facing retirement and still caring for their profoundly disabled daughter, Siobhan, at home in Co Wexford.
Exhausted and frustrated after three decades caring for Siobhan, who cannot walk, is nonverbal, does not eat solid food and has only one kidney, for the past three years the Powells have been seeking a residential care place for her. She is on a waiting list of 61 people in the county.
“I want residential care for my daughter. There is no such thing as retiring for carers unless you die . . . Can I survive 10 more years of this?” she asked. “We’ll need someone to wheel us around then,” Alan says. “I want my life back, and my wife back.”
Their story elicited a huge response from readers thanks to the honesty of the Powells about their sad circumstances. In this podcast Rosita Boland talks to Hugh Linehan about the story and the response.
She also talks about another family she has written about who face a similar problem, the Colliers.
You can read that here: http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/caring-for-our-disabled-daughter-i-fear-for-our-marriage-1.2880564
For more on Carers in Crisis, pick up The Irish Times tomorrow and Saturday, or go to irishtimes.com.
You can find more information about Irish Times podcasts at irishtimes.com/podcasts
Tweet about the podcast: @hlinehan
Paul Murphy's election at Sinn Féin's expense in the 2014 Tallaght by-election marked the start of a populist "race to the bottom" in Irish politics, says Labour's Alan Kelly on today's Inside Politics podcast.
But how can Labour counter this trend and reverse its own electoral fortunes?
"Populism is what's foremost in many deputies' minds" says Deputy Kelly. "The only way you can fight that is putting out arguments that are better, real and truthful".
With phrases like "support for people who are working","premium on work" and "bread on the table" peppering Kelly's discussion with Fiach Kelly and Hugh Linehan, it is clear where he sees the best hope for the party's regeneration.
And the party's liberal agenda on issues like same sex marriage and abortion? They're "part of the party's DNA" but "not the only component" - and have never won the party much thanks at the ballot box.
The limits of life have shifted dramatically at the National Maternity Hospital on Holles Street in Dublin, where a baby born at 28 weeks now has a 90 per cent chance of survival, while those born at 24 weeks have a 50/50 chance .
In the first episode of our new podcast series Inside Story, Conor Pope tells Hugh Linehan about the continuing advances being made in premature natal care and what it means for the parents and families.
Conor’s article about Holles Street can be read at http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/the-pressure-and-joys-of-caring-for-premature-babies-1.2870303
You can find more information about Irish Times podcasts at irishtimes.com/podcasts
Tweet about the podcast @hlinehan
New and old media are themselves in the firing line as liberals point the finger at fake news, Facebook algorithms and social media bubbles to help explain the painful reality of President Donald Trump. David Cochrane, Harry McGee, and Laura Slattery join Hugh Linehan to discuss the trends that are undermining many people's faith in media's ability to present the truth.
After that Hugh talks with U.S. journalist and author John B. Judis, who in his timely book The Populist Explosion explains how not all strains of the ill-defined phenomenon are equal.
Donald Trump has pulled off one of the greatest upsets in political history by beating Hillary Clinton to the White House. How did he do it, and how did the pundits get it so wrong? And what can we expect from the unpredictable president-elect? Hugh Linehan talks to Simon Carswell and Ruadhan Mac Cormaic, who are in New York at the Trump and Clinton HQs.
On this week's politics podcast, Political Editor Stephen Collins talks to Fiach Kelly about the looming garda strike action and Taoiseach Enda Kenny's all-Ireland Brexit forum.
And down at Leinster House, Harry McGee talks to TDs and senators about their experiences of how the press covers them and their activities, how they deal with the growing number of social media trolls and the problem of populism in the Dáil chamber.
We face the prospect of the most disruptive period of industrial unrest the country has seen in over a decade. Planned strike actions by teachers and gardaí are expected to sorely test the resilience of recession-era pay agreements. To understand how we got to this point, Industry Correspondent Martin Wall and Education Editor Carl O'Brien join podcast regulars Fiach Kelly and Hugh Linehan.
Who are the under-represented "squeezed middle" in Ireland and how do they vote? Minister for Finance Michael Noonan defined them as "those earning between €30,000 and €70,000", when in fact the truth is far more complex. To crunch the numbers and get a clearer idea of what the term means, Hugh Linehan is joined by Dr Kevin Cunningham of irelandthinks.ie, economics columnist Chris Johns and political correspondent Sarah Bardon.
"One of the most poisonous debates witnessed in twentieth century Ireland" is how historian Diarmaid Ferriter described the run-up to the passing of the 8th Amendment in 1983.
Against a backdrop of intense political division, moral outrage and conflicting understandings of how a brand new right, that of life to the unborn, would play out in public courts and private lives, the referendum passed with a two to one majority.
With the Citizens' Assembly poised to once again examine the abortion question, Ruadhán Mac Cormaic takes us back to the early eighties to understand how and why the controversial amendment came about and its legacy in politics and society.
Eoghan Murphy of Fine Gael, Dara Calleary of Fianna Fáil and David Cullinane of Sinn Féin are in studio with Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan to debate the worth of the measures outlined in yesterday's budget.
On Tuesday we will find out what is in Paschal Donohoe’s first budget, and possibly Michael Noonan’s last. But, given the fiscal and political realities, hopes are not high for a day of landmark announcements. Pat Leahy and Fiach Kelly join Hugh to discuss what can we expect on Tuesday, where Minister Noonan found an extra €200 million to spend, and what effect this "dog's dinner" of a budget will have on your bottom line and the minority Government's chances of surviving the winter.
The backdrop to Fatherland author Robert Harris' new thriller is the papal enclave, which he calls "the world's most secretive election". He sits down with Hugh to talk about power and populism in modern politics, the passing of Brexit and the rise of Trump - but first he explains the byzantine process of voting in a new Pope.
Conclave is available now from Penguin.
On this installment of Inside Politics, Hugh Linehan is joined by Labour TD for Limerick City Jan O'Sullivan, Political Correspondent Harry McGee and Deputy Political Editor Pat Leahy. With some figures already leaked, is the upcoming budget already being treated as something of a damp squib? The panel discuss it's somewhat populist slant. And how can the Labour Party rebuild it's reputation following a disastrous performance in the general election, Jan O'Sullivan speaks on the party's aims for the future.
After Michael Noonan and Paschal Donohoe deliver their budget in a few weeks' time, which party - Fianna Fáil or Sinn Féin - will stand up to provide the real opposition? Mary Lou McDonald of Sinn Féin and Jim O'Callaghan of Fianna Fáil are in studio to discuss this with Irish Times Deputy Political Editor Pat Leahy and host Hugh Linehan.
But first they talk about the claim, made last night on a BBC Spotlight programme, that Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams approved the murder of Denis Donaldson in Donegal in 2005, and whether the truth of the Troubles' legacy of death can ever be brought to light.
Fintan O'Toole visited Áras an Uachtaráin to interview President Michael D. Higgins this week. They talked about President Higgins' tumultuous upbringing, how poverty influenced his education and outlook, and his views on society, the free market and Europe. In this special episode of Inside Politics, Fintan presents excerpts from their discussion.
Enda Kenny has rediscovered his Mojo, and along with it his desire to stay on as Taoiseach for the foreseeable future. But not everyone in Fine Gael is happy about that, including TD for Carlow-Kilkenny John Paul Phelan, who joins Fiach Kelly, Sarah Bardon and Hugh Linehan to discuss Fine Gael's leadership on today's Inside Politics Podcast.
The panel also discuss the NAMA controversy, rebel Minister of State John Halligan's future in Government and the prospect of a boring Budget.
The Inside Politics podcast is published every Wednesday on irishtimes.com. To subscribe on iTunes click here. To subscribe on Stitcher (for Android) click here.
Inside Politics takes a welcome break from discussing the goings-on inside Leinster House and instead takes a peek inside The Four Courts, courtesy of Ruadhan Mac Cormaic, whose new book "The Supreme Court" is out now. Pat Leahy and barrister Tony McGillycuddy are also in studio to talk about the fascinating history of our highest court.
But first Pat gives us an update on the latest political news: Junior Minister John Halligan's apparent threat to resign from Government over services in Waterford Hospital. Whether Halligan leaves or is placated and stays, the consequences for Government may be grave.
As the dust settles on the EU's historic tax decision, it's becoming clear that the move threatens our economic model, our international reputation and the stability of our current Government.
It's not just a thorny technical and political issue to be thrashed out, says Fintan O'Toole - it's an important moment in modern Irish history.
Political Correspondent Harry McGee says the Dáil should be recalled to debate the issue before Cabinet makes a decision on whether to appeal - but doesn't think it likely.
Defending any decision to appeal, Fianna Fáil TD James Lawless calls the ruling an "EU power grab" that must be resisted, especially now that the U.K., traditionally our friend in such matters, has left the building.
As rents continue to soar, we ask is our political system up to the task of fixing our dysfunctional rental market? And as the Rio ticketing scandal rumbles on, with fresh revelations emerging almost daily, we ask is this a real political issue? Opinions are divided between Generation Renters Sarah Bardon and FG TD Noel Rock, and the more august Pat Leahy and host Hugh Linehan.
Today we broaden our podcast's horizons with a discussion of the challenges facing traditional 'conservative' politics around the world.
Jay Cost, a Washington-based pundit with Republican-leaning (but Trump-fearing)magazine The Weekly Standard, explains the fissures within the party that have allowed Trump's rise.
We also have Dr Jane Suiter of DCU's school of politics and Eamon Delaney of The Hibernia Forum in studio to talk about the ebbs and flows of conservative thought and practice in Ireland and Europe and whether the centre can hold for the right as high levels of immigration and widespread economic stagnation persist.
Satirist, impressionist and columnist Oliver Callan joins Harry McGee and Hugh Linehan for a look at the Government's first 100 days in office and an appraisal of the abilities (and imitability) of various members of Cabinet. Or at least that was the plan.
It's coming up on 100 days since the minority coalition Government of Fine Gael and Independents, with Fianna Fáil's backing, was formed, with several major challenges to tackle. How has it functioned? What has it achieved? Which ministers are getting things done - and which are not? To answer those questions and more, Hugh is joined by Political Editor Stephen Collins and Political Correspondent Harry McGee.
With a constitutional convention on the 8th Amendment coming down the tracks, we invited Cora Sherlock of the Pro Life Campaign and Fine Gael TD Kate O'Connell to The Irish Times to discuss, debate and argue some of the issues, with Sarah Bardon and Hugh Linehan on the sidelines. The debate became heated as it turned to defining foetal abnormality, abortion regret and the experience of women during crisis pregnancies. A taste of things to come in the months and years ahead?
After the omnishambles that was the Brexit campaign, and with a spotty record of our own when it comes to choosing, planning, running and rerunning referendums, is it time to admit that going to the people to decide a complex issue is simply a bad idea? Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, political scientist of the year Theresa Reidy, and Frank Flannery, former Fine Gael strategist, joined Hugh in Glenties last week to debate the question.
But first, our own permanently unimpressed Parliamentary Correspondent Michael O'Regan is in studio for a quick appraisal of the Government's performance so far, as we head into the silly season.
Our final podcast from the MacGill Summer School in Glenties features Europol director Ron Wainwright who talked with Hugh Linehan about continuing threat of terrorism, the adequacy of French authorities' response to the massacre in Nice, and the difficulty of identifying rapidly radicalised lone attackers.
Then SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and FG MEP Mairead McGuinness discuss about the political situation in Northern Ireland and the border counties following the Brexit vote.
And Hugh also caught up with the man who has made MacGill happen annually for three decades, Joe Mulholland.
Part one: Regular host Hugh Linehan joins us live on the line from the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Co. Donegal. A gathering of spokespeople from a variety of fields engage in frank and informed debate on issues such as Brexit, international terrorism, climate change and the political landscape in this country. Have these spirited discussions thrown up any new ideas or solutions? Hugh is not so sure, but there are free sweets for all.
Part two: "Social housing as part of private developments", this is what Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Simon Coveney wants. He joins host Pat Leahy and political correspondent Fiach Kelly in studio to discuss the main thrust of the new Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. How will first time buyers be placated? Will the overwhelming demand for new homes be met, and is this a giveaway for builders and property developers?
By happy coincidence for Inside Politics, Minister Simon Coveney's housing plan landed on the same day that housing and Ireland's social demographics are on the agenda here at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Country Donegal, where we're podcasting from this week. So we had two of Ireland's foremost experts - Dr Lorcan Sirr of DIT and Professor Tony Fahy of UCD - on hand to give their first impressions of the plan and discuss with Hugh Linehan the root causes of our housing crisis. But first we hear from economist Colm McCarthy on the same subject. Are we making the same mistakes all over again?
Hugh visits MacGill Summer School. This episode features Theresa Reidy's surprising stats, Enda's defiance, Eoin O Broin cocking a snook to the establishment, Pat Leahy on the most difficult task in politics and finally a chat with Theresa, Eamon Ryan and Frank Flannery about what's gone down.
Fine Gael TD John Paul Phelan says now is the wrong time to talk about Enda Kenny's leadership but suggests when the right time to talk about it will be. Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil TD Lisa Chambers says a change in FG leadership may have bad implications for the FF-FG deal, particularly if a certain individual gets the top job.
The two TDs, Irish Times political Editor Stephen Collins and host Pat Leahy also discuss Ireland's tricky Brexit balancing act, forging a budget in the cooperative smithy of New Politics, and whether the minority government can handle union pay demands without disintegrating.