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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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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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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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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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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·       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 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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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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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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·       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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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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·       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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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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·       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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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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·       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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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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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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·       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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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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·       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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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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·       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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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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·       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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·       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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“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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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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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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Wishing all our listeners a very Happy Christmas.

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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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• 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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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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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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·       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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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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• 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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Aidan Regan is a professor of political economy at the school of politics and international relations at University College Dublin

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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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·      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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• 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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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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·      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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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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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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·      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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·      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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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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Thanks to everyone who listened to Election Daily. Inside Politics will return on Wednesday.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 campaign last 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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• 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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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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·      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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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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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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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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• 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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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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·       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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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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• 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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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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·       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 significant shift 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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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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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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·       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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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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·      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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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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·       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 as rivals 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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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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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 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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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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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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·       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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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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·       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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·       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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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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·       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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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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·       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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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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·       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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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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·       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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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 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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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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• 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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Daniel Geary is Mark Pigott Professor of U.S. History at Trinity College Dublin.

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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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• 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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·       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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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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·       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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Click here for our podcast on the legacy of the marriage equality referendum with Gerard Howlin and Ivana Bacik.

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·       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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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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·       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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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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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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·       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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·       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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'Burn Them Out' is available now.

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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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Get In by Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund is available now.

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• 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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·       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 Bill to 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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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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• 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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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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·       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 system was 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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• 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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·       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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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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·       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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·      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 to change 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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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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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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• 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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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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• 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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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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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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·      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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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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·      As the count continues to fill seats 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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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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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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• 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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Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy were there. They tell Hugh Linehan what happened and why.

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Paul Colgan is a journalist and broadcaster. Liz Carolan works on democracy and technology issues, and writes at TheBriefing.ie

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·      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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