In The News

Táiniste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris has denied “punching down” on the long-term unemployed in his speech at Fine Gael’s annual party conference in Cork at the weekend.The accusation came from Sinn Féin but was mirrored by other opposition parties in the wake of his comments that " the dole is a safety net, not a way of life."The mention was brief relative to the thirty minute ardfheis speech, but its pointedness was notable in the context of the address overall.In it, Harris raised several other traditional Fine Gael talking points; emphasising that it’s the party of law and order, income tax cuts, enterprise and in favour of tighter migration controls.The sharpening of tone compared to his 2024 ardfheis speech has not gone unnoticed, but what has prompted it?It may be an internal party report that was circulated to Fine Gael members in advance of the conference. The Commission for Renewal found many people “do not have a clear idea” of what Fine Gael is about, what it has achieved and what it stands for.Then followed a debate about whether to allow a motion at the ardfheis proposing the party reassert its centre-right position as a member of Christian Democrat family of European political parties.The motion was not allowed to go ahead over concerns it would overshadow the internal report, but Harris’ speech clearly reflected the themes.Was Simon Harris punching down on a vulnerable group when he made his dole comments? Is Fine Gael facing an identity crisis? And is it capable of delivering policies that would reflect its centre-right principles?To discuss this political editor Pat Leahy, who attended the ardfheis in UCC’s Mardyke Arena, joins the In the News podcast.Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EU regulators have begun an investigation into Booking.com, alleging that the travel website has not done enough to protect consumers from scams, phishing and fake listings.The news came as no surprise to consumer correspondent Conor Pope whose Pricewatch email received a growing number of complaints from Irish Times readers.They contact him when they have been unable to resolve a complaint. Typically the issues revolve around booking problems, phantom listings or refunds. And it’s the website responsiveness to consumer complaints that is at the heart of the European Commission investigation.The site has millions of accommodation listings, from hotels to rooms to villa rentals, and customers from all over the world. The vast majority of customers have positive experiences with the site.Pope gives examples from his mailbox, explains the various scams associated with the site, and how the EU-wide investigation will explore if Booking.com has breached the EU’s Digital Services Act.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bomb threats against Irish media organisations earlier today were just the latest in a series of disruptive acts targeting European citizens in the past fortnight. Could these acts be connected and who could be behind them? Bernice Harrison talks to UCD's Edward Burke.Dr Edward Burke is a military and security expert at UCD, where he is assistant professor in the history of war. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the Garda raid on the Liberty Recycling charity on October 20th, Aengus Ó Snodaigh’s name has been in the news.Luxury goods to the value €300,000 were seized by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau at locations associated with the successful social enterprise as part of an extensive investigation into alleged money laundering.The Sinn Féin TD is a decades-long board member of the charity and is its current chair. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on his behalf and the Dublin TD is not under criminal investigation.On Monday, Ó Snodaigh wrote to Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy to request to make a statement on the matter in the Dáil. That was refused and instead he released a statement.What did it say? What is the reference to a forged signature in that statement? What is his role in the charity and how is his board performance, which stretches back 20 years, viewed by the Charities Regulator?Irish Times political correspondent Harry McGee outlines Ó Snodaigh’s career and his relationship with Liberty Recycling.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In July 2025 Abdullah Khan, a self-described jihadist, carried out two attacks in Dublin, both were captured on camera.A follower of Isis, the radical Islamic terrorist group, Khan attacked two gardaí on patrol on Capel Street because, it is believed, they are a symbol of the State.Taken into custody he also confessed to an arson attack some days earlier on Conor McGregor’s Black Forge pub in Crumlin.He plead guilty to both and this week for sentencing. He was jailed for 6½ years.What do we know about Abdullah Khan? How was the Irish-born young man radicalised? Isis militants often operate within wider networks or cells, so do gardaí believe Khan acted alone? What was the reaction to the sentence?Courts reporter Eoin Reynolds was there for Khan’s sentencing and he outlines the case.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Democrats have swept key US midterm races, flipping long-held Republican seats and securing a majority in the House and Senate. The results are a wipeout for president Donald Trump’s Republican party and a rejection of his policies.As formally red states fell to the Democrats, it’s been called a blue wave or a “bluenami” but what will it mean for how the US is governed in the next two years? How will US foreign policy be impacted? And what might it mean for the next presidential election?Scott Lucas, professor of international politics at UCD’s Clinton Institute, explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, hackers launched a cyberattack on SuperValu stores, remotely changing the temperature settings in fridges and freezer units in 13 branches.The immediate result was the mass dumping of tens of thousands of euro worth of food as the retailer sought to protect the public from potentially spoiled goods.The broader impact – and one that will prove longer lasting – is the knowledge that no one is immune. With what seems like relatively little effort, hackers can hit us where we are most vulnerable: our food supplies.The hack appears limited to a specific model of fridge but it is part of a growing, terrifying pattern. Reports of similar incidents at supermarkets throughout Europe emerged on Monday, with overheating fridges in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland and Estonia ruining millions of euro worth of food.A hack on some French supermarkets took place last month and in the US in August the Pentagon believe hackers shut down fridges in six US military bases.So who are the hackers? And why target supermarket shelves? And in a world of appliance connectivity how worried should people be that the next hack could be even closer to home?Irish Times business and technology reporter Ciara O’Brien and business reporter Ian Curran explain.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Voting is underway in the US midterm elections, the results of which will decide which party controls Congress, and whether Donald Trump can advance his agenda for the remaining two years of his presidency. Democrats are expected to flip the House of Representatives but the Senate race is much tighter. Host of the Inside Politics podcast Hugh Linehan explains the outcome is likely to hinge on eight seats: Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio and Texas. Some of these haven’t elected a statewide Democratic senator in decades. In the case of Kansas, it hasn’t returned one since 1932. But with voting booths closing at around 11pm Irish time, the results probably won’t be known until Wednesday morning. Linehan outlines what the polls have been saying, what the biggest dramas of the campaigns have been and when we might expect the first tallies. You can listen to the conversation on the player above or search for In the News wherever you get your podcasts.Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before her running career was cruelly cut short, Ciara Mageean managed to break the Irish record for the 800 metres, 1000 metres, 1500 metres, and the mile; all records that had previously been held by Sonia O’Sullivan.But in a life absurdly extinguished by bowel cancer at the age of 34, Mageean is remembered as having “grace, wit and a fundamental beauty of the soul” by Irish Times sports writer Malachy Clerkin.“You can kind of assume that people know, just take it for granted that she was this amazing athlete. And because the force of her personality and the sort of the special human that she was, [that] kind of takes precedence.”Clerkin tells the In the News podcast that Mageean was an outlier in every sense. Not just because of her athletic prowess, but in her mindset, her compassion for other people, and sadly in the fact she had almost none of the known risk factors for bowel cancer.“She has no family history. She was an incredibly fit and healthy human being. Her diet was - like she had a nutritionist for over a decade.”Mageean died on Sunday morning surrounded by family and friends. She is survived by her husband Thomas Moran, who she married in October and who’s wedding they celebrated just a week before her death.You can listen to the conversation on the player above or search for In the News wherever you get your podcasts.Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, the EU’s Energy Commissioner, Dan Jorgensøn, warned that Europeans could be facing another winter of painfully high energy bills. The commissioner delivered this stark warning ahead of a meeting with other EU ministers, aimed at reducing fuel and energy bills for consumers.But as winter rapidly approaches, is enough being done by policy makers to really make a difference? And what will it mean for our energy and gas bills or the cost of running a car? To find out what to expect in the months ahead, Irish Times consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope joins podcast presenter Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.