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 thei...
Feb 02, 2024•46 min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 31, 2024•47 min
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 Israe...
Jan 26, 2024•44 min
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 refugee...
Jan 24, 2024•52 min
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...
Jan 19, 2024•49 min
British broadcaster and author James O'Brien returns to Inside Politics to talk about his most recent book, How They Broke Britain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 17, 2024•45 min
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 Governmen...
Jan 12, 2024•40 min
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 ...
Jan 10, 2024•56 min
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 als...
Jan 03, 2024•35 min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 29, 2023•43 min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 27, 2023•43 min
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....
Dec 22, 2023•50 min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 20, 2023•39 min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 15, 2023•38 min
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 ...
Dec 13, 2023•49 min
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 I...
Dec 08, 2023•35 min
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 rule...
Dec 06, 2023•50 min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 01, 2023•59 min
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 Cunningha...
Nov 29, 2023•56 min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 24, 2023•34 min
"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 Oire...
Nov 22, 2023•39 min
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 F...
Nov 17, 2023•38 min
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 wh...
Nov 15, 2023•40 min
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 organis...
Nov 12, 2023•23 min
Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh to look back on the week in politics: The dire situation in Israel and Palestine continues to d ominate 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 dis...
Nov 10, 2023•40 min
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...
Nov 08, 2023•48 min
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 h...
Nov 03, 2023•28 min
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. Hosted on Acast. ...
Nov 01, 2023•42 min
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 ...
Oct 27, 2023•46 min
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 fundamenta...
Oct 25, 2023•46 min
