Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

Professor Brian Fanning joins Hugh Linehan to discuss how Catholic thought shaped modern Ireland, the country’s changing attitudes to immigration and whether universities are becoming ideological echo chambers.They also discuss the problem with AI in education, Ireland's long history of prejudice against Travellers and Fanning’s new memoir Ideologies Are Not your Friends. For access to an exclusive episode of Inside Politics, please take our short survey at irishtimes.com/insidepolitics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack Horgan-Jones and Theresa Reidy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:Ahead of Fine Gael’s ardfheis this weekend, a motion from the party’s executives to affirm its centre-right status was dismissed. How does Fine Gael move away from the “progressive centre” position it currently describes itself as occupying? After 15 years in power, it might prove an impossible task for the party to reinvent itself given how much compromise goes into being in Government.A second one-day strike by public sector workers could happen next week after a pay offer of 7.75 per cent was rejected. Could a lack of relevant experience among Cabinet members be exposed as pay negotiations continue? Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan was dealt a blow this week in his bid to resolve the criminal legal aid dispute after a High Court judgment on Tuesday, in which Judge Mary Rose Gearty upheld a challenge by solicitor John Quinn to the scheme.And have the Democrats sweeping US midterm election victories signalled the dying days of Trumpism? Where does the Republican party go from here? And what real legislative power will the Democrats have with Donald Trump still in the White House?Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:Supervalu fridges hacked, Bob Dylan meets the Pope, and outrage over Ger Gilroy’s alleged clothing allowance in his new RTÉ podcast gig.For access to an exclusive episode of Inside Politics, please take our short survey at irishtimes.com/insidepolitics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US midterm results are in. Keith Duggan reports from Texas where Democratic nominee for US senate James Talarico has declared victory in the usually deep-red state. It is just one of the eye-catching Democratic victories on a historic night. Republicans have lost control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, with voters sending a clear message of disapproval to US president Donald Trump.For access to an exclusive episode of Inside Politics, please take our short survey at irishtimes.com/insidepolitics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pat Leahy and Naomi O’Leary join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:A new Government body is to be tasked with scoping out the models and challenges for different potential “constitutional futures” for the island, including a 32-county united Ireland. Is this proactive move a response to Irish unity being a priority issue among younger voters? Tánaiste Simon Harris confirmed he spoke to his Fine Gael party colleague Patrick O’Donovan some hours before the Minister for Culture recently fell ill at an EU conference in Limerick. Harris wouldn’t share details of the call but rejected any suggestion he threatened O’Donovan’s Cabinet position.Dramatic election results played out in Serbia and Brazil where a youth movement and mobilised electorate brought about change. But the most consequential election happened in Israel with Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud and his right-wing ultra nationalist bloc defying pre-election predictions, and even exit polls, by winning the largest number of seats, but falling short of a majority.And France has a very important election on the horizon too with the end of Emmanual Macron’s presidency next May. Right-wing populist Marine Le Pen looks well positioned to succeed Macron.For access to an exclusive episode of Inside Politics, please take our short survey at irishtimes.com/insidepolitics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the day drew to a close in Israel on Tuesday, exit polls in the Knesset election suggested a lead for the bloc of parties opposing prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu.As the sun rose and official counts were declared a very different picture emerged showing a slender lead for Netanyahu’s bloc.On today’s podcast, Hugh asks our contributor in Jerusalem, Mark Weiss, to explain where things stand as counting continues.That lead enjoyed by the prime minister “changes the entire political picture”, he says.A strong performance by parties representing Israel’s Arab citizens has come at the expense of smaller anti-Netanyahu parties, making it harder for some opposition groups to clear the electoral threshold and enter the Knesset.“This has played into Netanyahu’s hands”, says Weiss.Another long protracted negotiation looks likely but the leading opposition figure, Gadi Eisenkot, has already ruled out forming a government with the Israeli Arabs.The question is will Netenyahu secure enough support to begin another term, or might another election be looming?The answer is unlikely to come anytime soon.Presented by Hugh Linehan. Produced by Declan Conlon and JJ Vernon.For access to an exclusive episode of Inside Politics, please take our short survey at irishtimes.com/insidepolitics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Take our listener survey for access to a bonus episode. Go to irishtimes.com/insidepoliticsIt is one week out from US midterm elections with Democrats hoping to retake control of both the House of Representatives and the powerful Senate. Journalist and podcaster Galen Druke returns to Inside Politics to talk to Hugh Linehan about the state of play.They look at the overall picture in the House of Representatives, which Democrats need just three seats to retake. Polls show that is likely but gerrymandering could limit their gains.And they look at the contest for the governorship of Ohio, where one particularly egregious attack ad has drawn a backlash.Plus: what the midterms can and can't tell us about the 2028 race to succeed Donald Trump, and how Galen's new podcast reunites a beloved old team.For access to an exclusive episode of Inside Politics, please take our short survey at irishtimes.com/insidepolitics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Take our listener survey for access to a bonus episode. Go to irishtimes.com/insidepolitics. Pat Leahy and Sarah Burns join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:The Dail was dominated this week by debate over the Government’s proposal to end the Triple Lock. It’s a substantial political row with contradictions and ironies on both sides of the argument.The attention of terminally online people all over the world was drawn to Ireland this week when a video published by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre went viral. The ad, part of a campaign “aimed at informing, educating and engaging the public about all forms of consent”, depicted a girl’s discomfort at receiving a hug from her grandparents. Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan swiftly denounced it. Did he need to?Minister O’Callaghan is at the centre of this week’s other big story: the ongoing battle between the State and the legal profession over fees. as the consequences of the dispute for the functioning of the courts deepen, the stakes for O’Callaghan are high.Plus the panelists pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week including Kathy Sheridan on the enduring role of the Catholic funeral, Justine McCarthy on Andy Burnham “declaring war” on inconsiderate commuters and Fintan O’Toole on antisemitism.For access to an exclusive episode of Inside Politics, please take our short survey at irishtimes.com/insidepolitics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The scenes at Drumcree in recent weeks revived memories of one of Northern Ireland’s most enduring disputes between unionist and nationalist communities.But while the immediate controversy centred on a short stretch of road in Portadown, loyalist activist Jamie Bryson, who has spearheaded the campaign to secure a return of Orange Order members to the largely nationalist Garvaghy Road, believes the implications reach much further than a single parade.On today’s podcast, Bryson tells Hugh that the unionist tradition has been “under siege” for decades and argues that it is time to “go on the offensive”.“We’ve constantly been on the defensive and, in my view, that has emboldened an ever more aggressive nationalist push in terms of advancing their culture and their objectives,” he says.Bryson has long been at the centre of debates over identity and culture in Northern Ireland. He came to prominence during the protests that followed Belfast City Council’s decision to limit the flying of the Union flag at City Hall, demonstrations that were marked by significant unrest.More recently, he has been a vocal opponent of Irish-language policies and the introduction of dual-language street signs in parts of Belfast, which he argues have been imposed on unionist communities.The Drumcree controversy, he says, reflects a broader struggle over culture and identity. “We’re going to do to you what you have done to us,” he says.Bryson insists the ultimate objective is not dominance by either tradition. “Nationalists are not going to dominate unionists, and unionists are not going to dominate nationalists” he says.“Eventually we will all come to the table once we’ve fought each other to exhaustion in a culture war”.Presented by Hugh Linehan. Produced by Andrew McNair and JJ Vernon. For access to an exclusive episode of Inside Politics, please take our short survey at irishtimes.com/insidepolitics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Democracy rests on the promise that political institutions should reflect the people they serve. But in an era of growing social diversity, persistent inequalities and political polarisation, that promise is being contested.On today’s podcast, Hugh heads to the Royal Irish Academy to speak to Pauline Cullen, Professor of Sociology at Maynooth University and Tània Verge Mestre, former Equalities Minister in the Catalan government in Spain.Verge Mestre highlights the gender quota’s introduced in Spain in 2007 requiring political parties to have no less than 40% of either gender represented in its candidates.Cullen said “we have some of the most imaginative forms of governance across Europe”.“When we think about diversity in an Irish context and we think about gender equality, migrant integration, or traveller rights, we silo them in different government departments and we give them different funding streams” she added.“We don’t create the conditions to think about these things in a joined up way”.So how can politics be more representative? And why is Ireland lagging behind international comparisons?Presented by Hugh Linehan. Produced by Andrew McNair and JJ Vernon. For access to an exclusive episode of Inside Politics, please take our short survey at irishtimes.com/insidepolitics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:Thursday evening in Brussels saw much wrangling over the EU’s proposed €1.6tn budget. As holders of EU presidency, Ireland has a neutral dealmaker role to play - but as one of the net contributors to the pot, will Ireland benefit given the greater focus on security and defence spending? Budget 2027 reaction has been pretty much unanimous, with many experts pointing to the precarious nature of the current corporation tax bonanza. But wielding all that cash can be difficult if nobody is certain how much the tax receipts will add up to month-to-month.And two candidates have emerged ahead of next month’s Seanad byelection for the seat vacated by Fine Gael’s Seán Kyne. Academic and lawyer Maeve O’Rourke is planning to run as an independent, while former Lord Mayor of Dublin Ray McAdam will run as Fine Gael’s candidate. An electorate made up of TDs and senators will vote.For access to an exclusive episode of Inside Politics, please take our short survey at irishtimes.com/insidepolitics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.