Explainer: The Occupied Territories Bill and what happens if it becomes law

The seizure of the MV Matthew, with its massive consignment of drugs, off the Irish coast in September 2023 was as daring as it was skilful.After days of a cat and mouse chase in challenging weather between the Naval Service and the Matthew, members of the elite Army Ranger Wing descended from a helicopter on to the deck of the cargo ship. The crew were arrested and the drugs found.Operation Piano – which brought Revenue, the Garda and the Defence Forces together – resulted in Ireland’s largest ever drugs seizure, worth €156 million.While the operation was an undoubted success, a showcase of ability, power and intent, it also highlighted how ill-equipped the Defence Forces are.Only one ship was available for the operation, and only one helicopter. So many things could have gone wrong.Eight men have been jailed over the drugs seizure, their significant sentences a signal from the Irish courts that anyone involved in such international drug smuggling will be treated severely.Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher describes how the Matthew was intercepted and seized.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Parliament Street, the short, wide road that has Dublin’s quays at one end and City Hall at the other was, up to last week, clogged with traffic.Not any more.In the latest phase of the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan it has now been closed off to motorised vehicles. It is not fully pedestrianised – cyclists can still use it.That’s another car-free initiative ticked off the city council’s list, with the development of College Green Plaza next on the agenda. But that’s been in the works for years and it still seems a long way off.And already the costs have spiralled from €10m to €80 – with no start date in sight.So what’s happening? Irish Times Dublin editor Olivia Kelly explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, a catastrophic flood tore through central Texas, killing more than a hundred people, including over two dozen children attending a Christian girls’ summer camp.An entire summer’s worth of rain water was dumped on the region within hours, leaving total devastation in its wake.Now, as the search and rescue efforts continue, the political blame game has well and truly begun.Some Democrats quickly warned about the “consequences” of the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal government workforce, including meteorologists within the National Weather Service.The Trump administration responded that the floods were a “once-in-a-generation natural disaster” and accused the Democrats of pushing “falsehoods” through the media.Today, on In The News, the political fallout from the Texas flooding disaster.Irish Times Washington correspondent Keith Duggan discusses the aftermath of the Texas floods and the political posturing that has followed the human catastrophe.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2025 Leaving Cert exams are finally a thing of the past and 18-year-olds have begun their annual pilgrimage to party hotspots across southern Europe to blow off steam after a year of study.And while these trips are regarded as a rite of passage for some students, it can also be a worrying time for parents, with some tracking their children for the entire holiday.Last week, Irish Times reporter Niamh Browne travelled to the Greek island of Zakynthos, or Zante as it’s better know, where she spent a week speaking to South Dublin students, local Greek residents and even the mayor of the island.Why did these students choose to travel to Zante, how do they pay for these holidays and how bad is the drugs and drink scene on the party strip?And are parents taking things a step too far by online tracking, and sometimes following, their children on their post-Leaving Cert overseas celebration?Today, on In The News, What happens in Zante, stays in Zante. That is, until now ...Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin wraps up his four-day visit to Japan today with a visit to Hiroshima where he will lay a wreath at the cenotaph commemorating those who died after the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city in 1945.It’s been a hectic few days with an itinerary that included the opening of Ireland House in Tokyo, which at more than €20 million is the largest capital project overseas since the foundation of the State, as well as a visit to Osaka to visit the Irish pavilion at Expo 2025, an international exposition that is expected to attract more than 28 million people.Irish Times Beijing-based correspondent Denis Staunton explains why this visit is so timely and why it has focused on an economic relationship that has doubled in size over the past decade.He also explains the deep interest in Irish culture that has been building in Japan, from the development of Irish pubs to the thriving branch of Comhaltas.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George Gibney was arrested on Tuesday in Florida after a Garda request was made to the US State Department to extradite him to Ireland to face charges relating to alleged historical child sex abuse.The 77-year-old former swim coach, who avoided trial on sexual abuse charges in 1994 after successfully challenging his prosecution in the High Court, is now accused of 78 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape relating to four girls; and the alleged attempted rape of one of the girls.All four were minors, aged between eight and 15, and were coached by Gibney.They made complaints to the Garda between 2020 and 2022 after the BBC and Second Captains podcast Where is George Gibney? was aired in 2020.But why did it take over 30 years for Gibney to face fresh charges - and what happens next?Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally explains the background.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, a 22-year-old man named Evan Fitzgerald walked into the busy Fairgreen shopping centre in Carlow and opened fire. He then turned his weapon on himself and ended his own life.Following the incident, details quickly emerged about the young man’s fascination with guns and his previous run-in with gardaí.And this week, it emerged Fitzgerald had possession of more weapons than previously reported.The shooting, and gardaí’s interaction with Fitzgerald before the Carlow incident, have become the subject of much debate and discussion in recent weeks. Senator and former minister for justice Michael McDowell described the Garda operation to sell Fitzgerald guns as “entrapment”, while Labour TD Alan Kelly questioned the need for gardaí to have delivered weapons to the young man.Today, on In The News, Irish Times Crime and Security Correspondent Conor Gallagher discusses the twists and turns of the Evan Fitzgerald case.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On June 30th 1922, a massive explosion ripped through Dublin’s Four Courts, after the Irish Free state national army opened fire on anti-treaty republicans occupying the building.Inside the building, the old, dry files housed in the Public Record Office quickly caught fire. The blast sent a dramatic pillar of black smoke hundreds of metres into the air and flung files, books and scrolls high in the sky above the Liffey. Paper scraps and fragments fell across the city with some even landing in Howth, 10km away.The explosion destroyed nearly seven hundred years of documented Irish history, including pre-famine 19-century census records and files detailing espionage, politics and the lives of ordinary Irish people.The blast also marked the start of the Irish Civil War.Three years ago, the Government launched Beyond 2022 – an international effort to try to recover the information lost in the fire and recreate a virtual treasury for future generations.And this week, 175,000 documents have been made freely and publicly available online through the Virtual Record Treasury.Today, on In The News, the online project reconstructing 700 years of Irish history.Dr Ciarán Wallace, codirector of the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland, discusses the implications of the information lost in the1922 Civil War blast and the efforts to reassemble the millions of words lost in the fire.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two court cases this month will have signalled to those supplying so-called ‘dodgy boxes’ that there is a high penalty to be paid.A man who appeared before Trim District Court charged with selling the boxes was jailed for 3½ years, while in the High Court Sky Ireland alleged that another man may have earned up to €450,000 a year from operating a different dodgy service.These cases occur periodically as the law catches up with those selling the means to illegally watch content that broadcasters and streamers services charge for.But could people who buy these boxes be hauled before the courts?Sky Ireland chief executive JD Buckley has warned of “consequences for those identified as operating illegal services and for those who watch them”.Irish Times consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.