An Oireachtas Committee is set to recommend that the Irish government introduce laws to allow for assisted dying and euthanasia under certain strict criteria. It follows an in-depth consultation period on the matter. This week, The Journal's Stephen McDermott tells host Laura Byrne about what the committee is recommending and what we can expect to see happen.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for...
Mar 15, 2024•18 min
We're joined by News Correspondent Niall O'Connor, who has just returned from the contested Golan Heights where he visited the Irish peacekeeping mission there. He shares the day-to-day activity of the troops and examines what the future of Irish peacekeeping might look like.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debun...
Mar 06, 2024•23 min
Fiery appearances before Oireachtas committees are all the rage these days, and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is no stranger to them. What are the latest revelations? What do they say about the future of the FAI? We're joined by Gavin Cooney, sportswriter and podcast host with The 42, to explore why the organisation is making headlines again.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a de...
Feb 28, 2024•30 min
Susan Daly speaks to Noteworthy's investigative journalist Patricia Devlin about her latest dive into threats to our monuments and heritage sites. Also joining the podcast is Ian Lumney, heritage officer with An Taisce. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 26, 2024•31 min
On 8 March, the public is being asked to have their say in two separate votes - the Family Amendment and the Care Amendment. But are up to speed on what exactly they're about? We're joined this week by News Correspondent Órla Ryan, Political Editor Christina Finn, and Assistant News Editor Rónán Duffy to delve into everything you need to know.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You c...
Feb 22, 2024•32 min
Dr Scott Walkin, a GP in Co Mayo and the Irish College of General Practitioners’ lead for infection control, explains the impact of low uptake of the MMR vaccine, how sick measles can make you, and shares some crucial advice for parents of young children. So far in Ireland there have been several suspected cases of measles but at the time of recording just one confirmed in 2024.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the ai...
Feb 14, 2024•19 min
We're joined by our Senior Producer Nicky Ryan, who has just returned from Turkey, and Diego Cupolo, editor-in-chief of the Turkey Recap newsletter, to look at the situation on the ground one year after the devastating earthquakes.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejour...
Feb 09, 2024•33 min
Power sharing in the north has been stalled for two years due to the DUP's reluctance to participate. With the absence of any Stormont Assembly, Northern Ireland's public services have suffered. There are many political challenges ahead. But this week, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson announced that the party’s executive had come to an agreement and voted in favour of restoring the Executive. On Thursday, two pieces of legislation contained in the UK government’s deal to resurrect devolution were fa...
Feb 02, 2024•24 min
Power sharing talks at Stormont have been going on for some time without ever reaching an agreement, taking its toll on the population. The culmination of this was a mass strike last week, where thousands of workers took to the streets in what’s been dubbed the largest strike in the North for 50 years. We're joined journalist and author - and current The Journal contributor - Brian Rowan to give his expert perspective on the situation in Northern Ireland.The Explainer is brought to you by The Jo...
Jan 25, 2024•27 min
This week, we're looking at everything about Yemen that might have flown under the radar in recent years with Dr Elisabeth Kendall, the Mistress of Girton College at Cambridge University and an Arabist and middle east specialist. Who are the Houthis? What do they want? Why did the UK and the US act together against them? How has the world barely noticed the war in Yemen? How did it last for so long?The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ir...
Jan 17, 2024•30 min
Marian Ryan, consumer tax manager with Taxback.com, joins us on this week's episode of The Explainer to demystify the world of income tax returns, statements of liability, and the Revenue website. She lays out why it's worthwhile for all PAYE workers to sniff around their tax return, and outlines the main tax refunds people are entitled to but often don't look into claiming.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of...
Jan 09, 2024•35 min
Our team pick their favourite moments from the podcast in 2023.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 01, 2024•19 min
We're joined in studio by our Political Correspondent Christina Finn and Political Reporter Jane Matthews to dissect the year that was, and to look at what 2024 what bring. Who were the political winner and losers? What was the most important legisilation passed? We also analyse how likely it is that an election will be called in the new year, and what potential banana peels might force the coalition's hand.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journal...
Dec 27, 2023•44 min
Author and arts journalist Aoife Barry takes us through the history of the awards as well as the familiar faces who are up for Best Actor. We also explore what is next for Murphy, Scott, and Keoghan, and what the Golden Globes mean for next year's Oscars.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and ...
Dec 19, 2023•28 min
Will the new international plan to tackle climate change really achieve anything? Ou reporter Lauren Boland explains what the COP28 deal means, the drama of the last-minute agreement, the likelihood of it actually having an impact.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejour...
Dec 13, 2023•26 min
We're joined this week by Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at the University of Galway and a political columnist here with us at The Journal, to look at the issues cropping up for Biden - and Trump - ahead of next year's US presidential election. Larry explains the how Biden is polling among the public, and what they see as the real issues facing Americans right now.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal...
Dec 07, 2023•31 min
In an episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, Susan Daly talks to investigative reporter Alice Chambers and a former prison governor of Mountjoy and Portlaoise prisons, John Lonergan, about the latest in-depth series, CALLING TIME. Our investigation found that prison visits have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, leaving children cut off from their parents in prison. We explore how families are coping and if children are being locked out from imprisoned parents. Hosted on Acast....
Nov 30, 2023•26 min
Shockwaves from the events of last Thursday are still reverberating around Ireland. A knife attack on three children and their carer on a busy Dublin street horrified the nation. Then came riots and looting. Now, the social and political fallout is massive. We're joined by several members of The Journal's newsroom to examine how the day unfolded.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. Yo...
Nov 28, 2023•33 min
We're joined on this week's episode by Dominic McGrath, PA Media political correspondent, to dissect the former UK prime minister's unexpected comeback. What is Cameron's background, what could he achieve in the role - and what exactly is the end goal here?The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining an...
Nov 21, 2023•33 min
Dr Austin O Carroll, a GP who specialises in addiction services, speaks to us about nitazine, a potent synthetic opioid suspected to be responsible for a spike in the number of drug overdoses in Dublin recently. He shares how two overdoses occurred in his own clinic, and gives his insights on what Ireland can do to prepare for the arrival of fentanyl.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decad...
Nov 17, 2023•23 min
We're now a month into a violent conflict between Israel and Hamas, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians and sparking a dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This current spate of fighting is just one in a long, long history of tension between Israel and Palestine, dating right back to the partition of the country in the 1940s. So how did we get here? We're joined by our Assistant News Editor Stephen McDermott to give you a clear overview of the basics of what we're seeing today.The Expl...
Nov 11, 2023•39 min
Arts and culture journalist Louise Bruton explores how Taylor Swift became the powerful force in the music industry that she is today. We look at why the billionaire pop star is re-recording her albums, her many feuds, and the history of how she rose from a country music singer to the most streamed artist in the world.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure w...
Nov 04, 2023•40 min
Following devastating floods in parts of Ireland this month, we're joined by Dr Mary Bourke, a flood risk management expert and assistant professor of Geography at Trinity College Dublin. She delves into the reasons why flooding - just like strong winds or extreme temperatures - can never be fully stopped, but outlines the solutions Ireland could consider in order to mitigate against the worst impacts on people's homes and livelihoods.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing ope...
Oct 28, 2023•27 min
We speak to our News Correspondent Niall O'Connor this week to discuss what would an Israeli ground offensive look like, as the conflict in the Middle East continues into its ninth day.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast....
Oct 17, 2023•23 min
In Budget 2024 this week, we saw the biggest change to the USC in years, with the 4.5% rate cut to 4%. We talk to Barra Roantree, assistant professor of economics at Trinity College Dublin about the history of the USC, the importance of it and why economists like it so much. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 12, 2023•21 min
Teachers say the new Social, Personal, and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum for secondary schools is long overdue, but some elements of the course have sparked controversy and misinformation. So what will children really be taught? Eoghan Cleary - a secondary school teacher, assistant principal and SPHE & Wellbeing Coordinator - joins us on this week's episode to explain all.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the...
Oct 07, 2023•26 min
The algae has left wildlife dead and led to questions over the safety of drinking water at Lough Neagh. Shauna Corr, environment correspondent and columnist with news outlets including The Irish Mirror and Belfast Live joins us to look at the history of the lake, the real-life impacts of the algal bloom, and what the local response has been. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 27, 2023•34 min
We speak to dog behaviourist Nanci Creedon who tells us more about how these restrictions and bans impact the behaviours of both the dogs themselves and their owners. Is there any evidence that these bans are in any way effective? And is there anything to suggest that certain breeds are inherently more aggressive?The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can...
Sep 23, 2023•29 min
In an episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, Susan Daly talks to editor Maria Delaney and Trinity College Dublin researcher Soma Gregory about the latest in-depth series, BIRTH PLACE which found that women are still battling for maternity care choices in many parts of Ireland. We ask why that is the case and whether it is set to change any time soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 19, 2023•27 min
Medical journalist June Shannon joins us on this week's episode to explain how the scheme will work, who is eligible, and how you avail of it. She also details how exactly IVF works and shares her own experience of the process.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal....
Sep 14, 2023•15 min
