Irish Times Inside Politics

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe is presiding over a massive expansion of national debt to meet society's needs during this pandemic. Prevailing economic wisdom says he's right to do so. But when the Covid-19 crisis passes, the old questions of how much to spend and how high to set taxes will return. To talk about the  political and economic choices ahead, Pat Leahy talks to Labour Senator and former trade union economist Marie Sherlock, and our economics columnist Cliff Taylor. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What to do about the risk of international travel bringing the virus into the country has been a problem for the Irish government since the pandemic began, one we've never really got on top of. New measures aim to tighten things up, but do they go far enough? And how do we compare to our neighbours? Naomi O'Leary, Jennifer Bray and Jack-Horgan Jones join Harry McGee to discuss. Plus, what's going on with the Astrazeneca vaccine? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week the spotlight has been well and truly on Tánaiste Leo Varadkar following the release of internal Department of Health emails, which provide fresh insight into the controversial leaking of a GP contract back in April 2019. Following immense political and media criticism last November, Varadkar apologised in the Dáil for his actions. Now once again, he finds himself in the eye of the storm. Political editor Pat Leahy joins Hugh to discuss. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With levels of Covid-19 infection still at an all-time high, the Government failed to get teaching unions on side for a return to school this week for students with additional needs. On today’s podcast Hugh is joined by Jennifer Bray, Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee from The Irish Times politics team to discuss how this happened. We also look at the vaccine rollout, the controversy over how it has been handled by some hospitals and why the next phase is likely to be even more politically difficult. And, one week on from the publication of the report by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, what is the Government going to do about it? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Earlier this week the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes published its long-anticipated report. It investigated decades of abuse at fourteen mother and baby homes and four county homes across Ireland between 1922 and 1998. In today’s episode, Hugh and Pat are joined by Caelainn Hogan, journalist and author of Republic of Shame and by mother and baby home survivor Elizabeth Coppin to discuss the findings within the report, the public apologies and what more needs to be done. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

First, Simon Carswell on the wave of Covid-19 patients hitting our hospitals. When will the wave reach its peak, and will the system be able to handle it? And how are our nursing homes doing this time? Then Peter Foster, public policy editor at the Financial Times, joins Hugh and Simon to look at the difficulties bedevilling traders and hauliers since Brexit took effect on January 1st, and some of their surprising consequences. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In our first podcast of the year, Hugh talks to The Irish Times health and political editors, Paul Cullen and Pat Leahy, and political analyst and statistician Kevin Cunningham about the social and political ramifications of the recent dramatic rise in Covid-19 cases. How has the government responded to the latest crisis and what level of public support is there for the restrictions? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's the second and final instalment of our annual "ask me anything" podcast! Hugh puts your questions, mainly about politics and the media, to Harry, Pat, Jen and Jack.Thanks to everyone who submitted a question and sorry to those whose questions we didn't get around to this time.Wishing all our listeners a safe and happy 2021. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's the first instalment of our annual "ask me anything" podcast. Recorded on December 18th. Hugh puts your questions, mainly about politics and the media, to Harry, Pat, Jen and Jack.Part two will be published next week. Thanks to everyone who submitted a question and sorry if we didn't get around to yours this time. Wishing all our listeners a safe and happy Christmas. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cabinet has agreed to reimpose Level 5 restrictions, with some modifications, due to the rising numbers of Covid-19 cases. Pat Leahy joins Hugh to take us through what that means. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week the Irish Government announced details of their national Covid-19 vaccination plan. Vaccines will be rolled out in three phases: an initial roll out followed by a mass ramp-up and finally, open access. It’s an extraordinary undertaking, which is sure to throw up plenty of challenges for Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and his department. In today's episode, Jen and Harry join Hugh to talk through the key points of the plan. The team also discuss yet another political apology, this time delivered by Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley and they take a look at the CETA trade agreement diving the Greens. But first, with time running out for a Brexit trade agreement, tensions are running high in European Parliament. Joining us from Brussels to discuss the ‘narrow path’ which guides the final stretch of negotiations is Europe Correspondent Naomi O’Leary. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Following a meeting over dinner this week between Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, it’s clear that very large gaps still remain between the two sides. Negotiators have been given until this Sunday to figure out a path forward, but will this be yet another deadline ignored? The sticking points remain the same: fisheries; the level playing field; and governance, however the focus has narrowed onto a specific element of the level playing field – the so-called ratchet clause. Joining Hugh to discuss the likelihood of an agreement by Sunday and all the contentious issues at hand is London Editor Denis Staunton. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With just four weeks until the official end of the Brexit transition period on December 31st, we still don’t know if an agreement will be reached. Fishing is one of the few issues still dividing EU and UK negotiators. Just how serious a matter is it? Are Irish companies prepared for trade with Britain on January 1st? And, if a deal is struck, will Boris Johnson get it past his party? To discuss what stands in the way of a Brexit deal before the end of the year, Hugh is joined by Europe correspondent Naomi O’Leary, London editor Denis Staunton and Public Affairs editor Simon Carswell. Live event: Join Hugh, Jennifer Bray, Jennifer O’Connell, Fintan O'Toole and Pat Leahy as they look back on this remarkable year in a live Irish Times Inside Politics event at 7pm on Thursday, December 10th. Get tickets to ‘A Year Like No Other’ here: https://www.irishtimes.com/virtual-events/a-year-like-no-other See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The potential for a future referendum on Irish unity is explicit in the Good Friday Agreement, if certain circumstances are met. But how would an Irish unity referendum work in practice? A new report by a group of academics called "The Working Group on Unification Referendums on the Island of Ireland" says that planning by the Irish and British governments for a possible future referendum, or referendums, on Irish unification would be an essential condition of their legitimacy and stability. Hugh and Pat talk to Dr. Etain Tannam, one of the authors of the report and an Associate Professor of International Peace Studies at Trinity College Dublin, and Mick Fealty, a political commentator and editor of the NI politics website Slugger O'Toole. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The 221-plus group, which represents those affected by the CervicalCheck scandal, has walked away from talks with the Government on a tribunal aimed at providing the women affected with a quicker and less adversarial alternative to lengthy and confrontational court cases. Little over a year since then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar apologised on behalf of the state to the more than 1,000 women affected by the cervical cancer controversy, how has it come to this? Advocate Vicky Phelan talks to Hugh and our political correspondent Jennifer Bray, about what has led to the disintegration of relations between the sides.Later, Pat Leahy joins to discuss the Government’s highly-anticipated plans to re-open the economy for Christmas and the Dáil business committee row. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

President-elect Joe Biden represents a traditional approach to US foreign policy that was rejected by a majority of American voters in 2016. Now Biden is back, but the world has changed: China has emerged as a genuine competitor to the US. Can Biden adapt and respond? Are we facing into a new Cold War?Professor John Mearsheimer is a political scientist and geopolitical analyst. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today Hugh is joined by Pat, Harry and Jen to discuss another not-so-great week for the Government. We hear the latest on the Seamus Woulfe saga, the takeaway pints fiasco and get a look at the wrangling going on behind the scenes between cabinet and Nphet. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week Pfizer announced positive early results from its coronavirus vaccine trial, but how optimistic should we be about this breakthrough and how will it affect the decisions taken by government in the weeks and months ahead? Joining Hugh and Pat to discuss the latest developments is Irish Times health editor Paul Cullen. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The story of Supreme Court Justice Séamus Woulfe's attendance at the infamous Oireachtas Golf Society dinner has already taken many twists and turns. This week the crisis deepened with the release of an exchange of letters between Woulfe and Chief Justice Frank Clarke, in which Clarke calls on Woulfe to resign. Woulfe has refused, and the ball is now in the court of politicians who must consider whether to try to remove him.It's a complicated story so, with the help of actors portraying Woulfe and retired justice Susan Denham, who carried out a review of his actions, Ruadhán Mac Cormaic talks us through it from start to finish, and looks at where the story may be headed next. Plus, Pat Leahy on how the politics of impeaching a judge might play out in Leinster House. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Irish Times columnist Stephen Collins and historian Ciara Meehan have written a book about the history of Fine Gael. "Saving the State" recounts the party's story, from the foundation of the state to this year's decision to go into coalition with its nemesis Fianna Fáil, and the party's periods in power as well as in the political wilderness. They talk to Hugh. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.