The Polling Station: Recent Episodes
Niamh Dunne and Amy Gilligan
On this weekly Podcast, Niamh and Amy dive into the world of Irish Politics and beyond. Bringing you the latest political stories and trying to make politics a bit easier to grasp.
Expect deep-dives, discussions and all round chats as the girls break-down the political world one topic at a time.
The First Year of the Irish Government: The Good, The Bad and The Scandals.
One year on from the historical government formation of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Green Party, there have been some ups, some downs, and a lot of scandals!
From Golfgate to Covid, the White Paper on Direct Provision to the Climate Action Bill. It’s been a jam-packed year for politics.
This week we sit down and look at what’s happened over the last year and what the next three years of this government might bring?
Keep up to date on Instagram and Twitter @thepollingpod and tune in every week for your dose of political chats from your favourite political gals.
June marks annual celebration of Pride Month around the world. Each year we celebrate everyone part of the LGBTQIA+ community and how far we have come as a society.
Politics and pride have always been connected with the countless activists throughout the decades fighting for equality for al.. This episode we sit down with Manus Gallagher and discuss where the origins of Pride began, Ireland’s history with the LGBTQIA+, some stand activists and much more.
Keep up to date on Instagram and Twitter @thepollingpod and tune in every week for your dose of political chats from your favourite political gals.
Joe Manchin, the Democratic Senator from West Virginia, is no stranger to voting against the Democratic Party line, calling himself a “moderate conservative Democrat”.
With a 50/50 split in the US Senate, Joe Manchin has found himself to be one of the most influential people in American politics, with the Democrats needing his support to pass any legislation.
Manchin has made waves this week by not supporting the For the Peoples Act, a reformative voting act which the Democrats are trying to pass. But who is Joe Manchin? Why is he against this reformative act? And how has he become one, if not the most influential man on Capitol Hill?
We sit down to discuss this and ask, will Joe Manchin be the thorn in the side of the Biden administration?
Keep up to date on Instagram and Twitter @thepollingpod and tune in every week for your dose of political chats from your favourite political gals.
On May 26th 2021, former political advisor Dominic Cummings went before a joint parliamentary committee to be questioned about his involvement in the Government’s Covid-19 policies.
The jaw-dropping revelations from Cummings rocked the boat for Boris Johnson’s Conservative government and sent shock waves through Britain. From Johnson’s policies of herd immunity in March 2020, the references to chicken pox parties as well as the failures with regard to care homes, it left a lot of questions left for the government.
But who is Dominic Cummings? How has he become such a consequential political figure in recent times? And what can we expect following his questioning before the committee?
Keep up to date on Twitter and Instagram @thepollingpod and tune in every week doe your dose of political chats from your favourite political gals.
The 10th of May marked the beginning of 11 days of devastating fighting between Isreal and Hamas, a militant group in Gaza, in which 100’s of people, mostly Palestinians, lost their lives.
With a ceasefire currently in effect, we sit down to discuss the events that lead to the recent fighting. We give a brief history of Palestine and Israel, explore why this is such a polarising conflict for the international community and discuss why the current ceasefire doesn’t address the underlying tensions or human rights violations.
Listen to this week's episode of The Polling Station on Spotify and Apple Podcast.
Keep up to date on Instagram and Twitter @thepollingpod and tune in every week for your dose of political chats from your favourite political gals.
Over the last two weeks the Housing Crisis has dominated Irish politics. The news of Real Estate Investment Funds, also known as REITS, buying large amounts of housing estates, blocking out first time buyers.
But what exactly are REITS and how are they impacting the property market? What can be expected from the Government’s Affordable Housing Bill? And what solutions are needed to end this crisis?
Listen to this week’s episode of The Polling Station to find.
Keep up to date on Twitter and Instagram @thepollingpod.
What is the Seanad, and why should we care?
This week, we sit down to discuss what Amy has called “Irelands most misunderstood institution”- The Seanad.
As the Republic of Ireland’s upper house, the Seanad has recently undergone a series of by-elections, placing it in the news and having people ask- what actually does it do?
In this episode, we look at how what the Seanad actually does, break down its complicated election process and ask should the Seanad should be reformed—or abolished?
Keep up to date on Instagram and Twitter @thepollingpod and tune in every week for your dose of political chats from your favourite gals.
As we reach to President Joe Biden’s first 100 days in the Oval Office what can expect from this presidency?
This week, Niamh and Amy sit down to look at why the first 100 days of a US President is crucial and what has Biden done since January 20th? What are the biggest challenges facing the 46th US President and what can we expect to see over the next 4 years?
Keep up to date on Instagram and Twitter @thepollingpod and tune in every week for your dose of political chats from your favourite political gals.
The Court of Justice of the European Union has recently ruled that Poland's reforms to its judicial system have put it at odds with the European Union, due to government reforms that allow judges to be subjected to disciplinary proceedings and sanctions if their rulings are "Inappropriate".
But what does this mean? And has the reform of Poland's judicial system led to the introduction of anti-LGBTQIA+ and reproductive legislation?
This week, we sit down to discuss how the ruling Law and Justice party have systemically overhauled the Polish judicial system, leading to human rights violations. And ask what, if anything can the European Union do?
Keep up to date on Instagram and Twitter @thepollingpod and tune in every week for your dose of political chats from your favourite political gals.
What is happening in Northern Ireland?
Last week saw nights of riots across Northern Ireland that hadn't been seen in a number of years. But what led up to these riots? Why is there such political unrest in Northern Ireland and what can be done to ease tensions?
In this episode, we sit down with freelance journalist, writer and broadcaster Amanda Ferguson to give us a insight at what is happening in Belfast at the moment and why it reached this point.
Keep up to date on Instagram and Twitter @thepollingpod and tune in every week for your dose of political chats from your favorite political gals.
Eight years on from her death, Margaret Thatcher remains one of the most well-known and cultural influential politicians, cropping up in political debates and Netflix's shows. But why does her legacy of Thatcherism still have such a hold on us?
This week, we take a deep dive into Thatcherism and ask what it is?
How did Margaret Thatcher come to have these beliefs?
How did they shape the world in the '70s and '80s, and how does her legacy continue to affect us?
Keep up to date on Instagram and Twitter @thepollingpod and tune in every week for your dose of political chats from your favourite political gals.
On the 1st of February 2021, the Military of Myanmar seized control of the government and celared a year-long state of emergency, ending democratic rule.
But what was the lead up to this that caused military rule to be reinstated for the first time since 2011? Who are the key players? What does this mean for the people of Myanmar? And is there a way out of this?
This week we sit down and look at Myanmar's complicated history with democracy and ask what's next?
Keep up to date on Instagram and Twitter @thepollingpod and tune in every week to for your dose of political chats from your favourite political gals.
Leo Varadkar and his leaking of a confidential GP contract is back in the news this week after Gardaí have taken the investigation of the leak from a preliminary examination to a full-blown investigation.
But what exactly is Varadkar being investigated for? What crimes could he be convicted of? And what does this investigation mean for the former Taoiseach, current Tánaiste and future Taoiseach?
Niamh and Amy sit down to discuss everything that has caused the #LeotheLeak scandal and ask what will happen to the government if he is found guilty?
Keep up to date on Instagram and Twitter @thepollingpod and tune in every week for your dose of political chats from your favourite political gals.
Nicola Sturgeon came under fire when she went before the Holyrood inquiry to give evidence about her former mentor Alex Salmond. But who is Alex Salmond? What happened that lead to this consequential inquiry? What will this mean for the future of Scottish Independence?
Niamh and Amy sit down to discuss one of the biggest political controversies in Scotland in recent years and find out why is this causing such a divide in Scottish politics.
Keep up to date on Instagram and Twitter @thepollingpod and tune in every week for your dose of political chat from your favourite political gals.
It's International Women's day! And this week, Niamh and Amy sit down to discuss women in politics.
The girls will be breaking down what is it like to be a woman in politics, in Ireland and around the world.
What structures are in place to help and hinder women? Will gender quotas make things better? And why is having more women from all backgrounds in politics better for everyone?
The girls will be shouting out what women in politics they have their eye on and would love to hear what women you think have been making waves.
Let us know @thepollingpod on Twitter and Instagram.
This week, Niamh and Amy sit down to discuss the Mother and Baby Home Commission.
With the Mother and Baby Commission set to be archived on Sunday February 28th 2021, Niamh and Amy look into why the Commission was set up, what was the reaction to the Report and why is the Commission set to be archived?
Keep up to date on Instagram and Twitter @thepollingpod and tune in every week for your dose of political chat from your favorite political gals.
Niamh and Amy sit down for the first episode of The Polling Station, where they get stuck into CETA.
What is it? Why is it such a big deal? Why is it causing such a rift in the Green Party? And why this rift might spell trouble for the government relations
Keep up to date with them on Insta and Twitter @thepollingpod, and tune in every week for your dose of political chat from your favourite political gals.
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