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...
Jun 28, 2023•35 min
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 Bi...
Jun 23, 2023•48 min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 21, 2023•49 min
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 capital Mark Paul on Boris Joh...
Jun 16, 2023•38 min
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 loos...
Jun 14, 2023•48 min
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 ...
Jun 09, 2023•43 min
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 ...
Jun 07, 2023•47 min
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 suspe...
Jun 02, 2023•34 min
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 So...
May 31, 2023•53 min
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 controvers...
May 27, 2023•26 min
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 syste...
May 24, 2023•57 min
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 ...
May 19, 2023•31 min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 17, 2023•45 min
Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh to discuss the big political stories of the week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 12, 2023•43 min
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...
May 10, 2023•57 min
After yet another ECB rates rise, could we see the reintroduction of mortgage interest relief to take some pressure off homeowners? That was the first point of discussion on the Inside Politics podcast round-up this week. The panel also gave their view 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 sitti...
May 05, 2023•46 min
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 for...
May 03, 2023•37 min
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 ...
Apr 28, 2023•42 min
Minister for Transport and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan talks to Hugh Linehan and Harry McGee about policies and politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 26, 2023•54 min
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 pane...
Apr 21, 2023•39 min
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...
Apr 19, 2023•49 min
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...
Apr 14, 2023•33 min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 12, 2023•33 min
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 mo...
Apr 05, 2023•50 min
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 vi...
Mar 31, 2023•28 min
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 underpin...
Mar 29, 2023•47 min
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? Hug...
Mar 24, 2023•36 min
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 th...
Mar 22, 2023•47 min
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 with...
Mar 15, 2023•38 min
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. ...
Mar 10, 2023•35 min
