Irish Times Inside Politics

In his new book Public Morality and The Culture Wars, academic Bryan Fanning analyses what he calls the ‘triple divide’ between conservative, liberal and progressive viewpoints, how the moral views of those three groups differ and how they clash with growing intensity in what we call the culture wars. He talks to Hugh Linehan about public morality, the debate over the limits of freedom of speech and why liberal and progressive thinking has diverged.Bryan Fanning is Professor of Migration and Social Policy at University College Dublin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The coalition Government still has plenty of time to run but, if the past week is anything to go by, the remaining months could be characterised by less cooperation and more shaping up for the electoral battles to come.On today's podcast Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan take a listen back to an interview Pat conducted with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on Thursday in which a picture emerges of how Fine Gael will differentiate itself come election time.In the interview the Taoiseach talks about a controversy over three Fine Gael junior ministers' decision to publicly call for a tax cut in the next budget, why Fine Gael supports lowering taxes for those on middle and upper incomes, why boosting the numbers of homes available to purchase is Fine Gael's housing priority, and how a decision will be made on the timing of the next general election.Mr Varadkar spoke about other subjects - you can read the full article here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Electoral Commission is a newly established state body set up to oversee elections in Ireland. Taking on a range of existing electoral functions, it will also be responsible for deciding on the number of TDs in the Dáil and the boundaries and size of each constituency and local election area. The first report from the Commission on constituency boundaries is due out at the end of August. So what can we expect from it? To talk through the changes coming down the tracks for the electoral system and the wider impact on political parties, Hugh is joined by Cormac McQuinn, political scientist and lecturer with UCC Dr Theresa Reidy and Maynooth University lecturer Dr Adrian Kavanagh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about the week in politics, including:Government reaction to the agonising migrant accommodation shortage crisis. Will voters react too when they get a chance? Matt Barrett's apology for making jokes about King Charles III's coronation while there as the Taoiseach's +1At the time of recording, local elections in Northern Ireland are looking good for Sinn FéinPlus they share their favourite Irish Times piece of the week:Alex Kane on the need for Unionism to broaden its appealJustine McCarthy on the political motivations of news organisationsJoe Humphreys on the schism between liberalism and progressivism Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ongoing crisis over a shortage of accommodation for International Protection applicants is an acute problem that risks becoming a chronic one for the State. After a week of violent clashes, arson and blockades taking place at accommodation sites, the podcast panel looks again at what's been happening, how bad the problem is and how the political system is reacting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh to discuss the big political stories of the week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political columnist and podcaster Rafael Behr returns to the podcast to talk about his new book Politics: A Survivor's Guide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After yet another ECB rates rise, could we see the reintroduction of mortgage interest relief to take some pressure off homeowners? That was the first point of discussion on the Inside Politics podcast round-up this week.The panel also gave their view on President Higgins’ recent speech at a reception for think tank Tasc, in which he condemned the "obsession” with achieving economic growth at the expense of "ecology and ethics".There was also a noted lack of enthusiasm at the prospect of sitting through live coverage of King Charles the III’s coronation.And the team talk about some of the best Irish Times content of the week, including:Fintan O’Toole’s piece on the fanatical racism of John MitchellJack Horgan-Jones’s account of Donald Trump’s Doonbeg visitPat Leahy writing about Ireland’s approach to relations with China Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fiona Hill returns to the podcast to talk to Hugh Linehan about how global attitudes to the war in Ukraine have shifted in the year since Russia’s invasion, the roots of widespread global apathy towards the Ukrainian cause and whether the conflict has become in some sense a ‘proxy war’ between the West and the rest, as well as a fight for Ukrainian independence and sovereignty. They also discuss how politics in Washington, Moscow and Berlin might affect the course of the war.Fiona Hill is a former White House official who advised presidents Bush, Obama and Trump on European and Russian affairs, and who is perhaps best known for her testimony in President Trump's impeachment hearings.She has written a book, There Is Nothing For You Here, about her life, her path to the White House and the declining politics of the US, Britain and Russia.She is a Senior Fellow at Brookings, a Washington-based think-tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin's rant in the Dáil was the first point of discussion on the podcast's round-up this week. The rant was aimed at the brand of investigative journalism being carried out by The Ditch, journalism that Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy agree, 'stands on its own'.  And while the Tánaiste's outburst was uncharacteristic, Pat felt it 'shouldn't distract from the questions' Fianna Fail TD Niall Collins had to be asked relating to the purchase of a vacant site in Co Limerick by his wife in 2008, even if the story isn't exactly 'Watergate'. Jennifer explains how the provision of abortion care in this country is 'not serving women as the law stipulated', and getting an opinion from senior politicians on barrister Marie O'Shea's independent report has proved to be challenging to say the least.Plus, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar played ‘one of his greatest hits’ this week when promising to cut taxes for those earners who are simply paying too much of it.And the team talk

Minister for Transport and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan talks to Hugh Linehan and Harry McGee about policies and politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to discuss the week in politics:How should the Government use this year's forecast €10 billion budget surplus?TDs are obsessed with what the new Electoral Commission will do to constituency boundaries. History shows they have good reason.Secretary general at the Department of Health Robert Watt's appearance at the Oireachtas finance committee did the opposite of putting the story about Dr Tony Holohan's botched appointment to bed.Plus the panel pick their IT stories of the week:Ciara O'Brien on a big week in the world of Elon MuskNaomi O'Leary writing about free public transport in Luxembourg. It is popular but are people in their cars less? Find out here.Harry McGee on Eamon Ryan's strong opposition to Dublin Port's development plans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s Inside Politics podcast Hugh Linehan is joined by Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones from our political team to discuss this week’s stories, including:Focus on Sinn Féin’s link to discredited witness Jonathan Dowdall since the conclusion of the Regency trial this week. Will the connection harm the party at election time?Fine Gael TD John Paul Phelan’s intention to stand down at the next election is on the grounds of ill health. But there is also a broader trend of politicians leaving politics behind. A report into the botched appointment of Dr Tony Holohan to a state-funded position at Trinity College Dublin showed how surprisingly sloppy the process had been and revealed a major dispute among senior civil servants over who knew what, when.Will independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice really launch a new political party catering to farmers fed up with the Green agenda? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Irish Times Washington Correspondents past and present, Simon Carswell and Martin Wall, have both been covering US president Joe Biden's visit to Ireland this week.They join Pat Leahy to talk about what the visit has been like and how it has gone down at home in the US, here in Ireland and elsewhere.They look at Mr Biden's comments here and ask how well he's balanced the various diplomatic, political and emotional aspects of his presence.And they discuss some surprising comments Mr Biden made in Dáil Éireann that may give ammunition to those arguing the 81 year old is too old to run again in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gerard Howlin and Freya McClements join Pat Leahy to talk about all the politics surrounding US President Joe Biden's visit to Ireland. The four-day tour gets going in earnest today with an address at Ulster University in Belfast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The whole world is a series of collective action problems, says Professor Ben Ansell. We want action taken to solve problems, but we want most of the benefits of those actions for ourselves while wanting others to bear the costs. These conflicts are at the heart of the failure of politics to solve many pressing problems, from housing to climate change.In his new book Why Politics Fails: The Five Traps of the Modern World & How to Escape Them, he looks in detail at these conflicts and why modern politics leaves us so disappointed.On today's podcast Ben talks to Hugh Linehan about how politics works on a human level, why trust in politics has declined, the importance of institutions, the evolution of political parties, and why housing is the defining issue of the age.Ben Ansell is Professor of Comparative Democratic Institutions at Oxford University. Why Politics Fails is his fourth book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh to look back at the week in politics:Bad-tempered Dáil debates on confidence motions this weekDefence Forces in crisis following the Women of Honour reportUS president Joe Biden's Ireland visit schedule confirmedAnd the team talk about some of the best Irish Times content of the week, including:Mark Paul on the outcome of the SNP leadership race and the opportunity for the Labour Party in Scotland.Are private cars a bad thing or a good thing? Both views appeared in the opinion pages of The Irish Times this week.Forbes magazine's ongoing failure to make amends with Limerick city Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

April marks 25 years since the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement was reached, ending the Troubles and establishing a new political arrangement on the island of Ireland.But today the institutions that were set up back in 1998 are in crisis.Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole talks to Hugh Linehan about the significance of the Agreement:The events that led up to the deal and the role of John HumeThe impact of the Agreement on the evolution of Sinn FéinHow Brexit trampled on the ideas underpinning the AgreementThe future of the powersharing institutions and how Northern Ireland has moved on Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite the government's comfortable defeat of a motion of no confidence this week, the fallout continues as it reacts to the forthcoming lifting of the eviction ban. "They've made a hames of it," according to Pat Leahy. Jack Horgan Jones analyses how Green support is slipping among young voters and the number of WhatsApp leaks is indicative of a very unhappy party. Plus, the attitude to the Windsor Framework in Brussels and is Leo Varadkar in the make-or-break phase of his political career?Hugh's article of the week is Finn McRedmond's opinion piece on whether this generation is worse off than its parents.Pat particularly enjoyed Fintan O'Toole' grudging admission that he's finally fallen in love with rugby.Jack Horgan Jones recommends Mark Paul's London Letter, after attending the annual Press and Political Reception at the Irish embassy in Belgravia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon has been heating up over the last number of weeks, as the three candidates vying for the position, have clashed over policy issues and the future of the party. The first leadership contest in 20 years; it’s generally believed to be a two-horse race between current Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, with former Minister for Community Safety Ash Regan, trailing behind in popularity.  So what can we expect from the final days of the contest, will the next leader unite or divide the SNP and how will the emerging cracks be covered over?To discuss all this and more, Hugh is joined by Scotland Editor of The Spectator Alex Massie and London Correspondent Mark Paul who is following the contest from Edinburgh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.