Irish Times Inside Politics

Hugh Linehan is joined by Jack Horgan Jones, Cormac McQuinn and Ellen Coyne for part two of our traditional festive ‘Ask Me Anything’. Thanks to everyone who listened to the podcast in 2025. From all of us on the Inside Politics team we wish you a very happy new year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was first published in July 2025. You can tell an awful lot about a society by who it labels a genius. You can also learn from who it excludes from that category, who it enables and what it is prepared to tolerate from them. The tortured poet, the rebellious scientist, the monstrous artist, or indeed the tech disruptor.All of these archetypes feature in The Genius Myth, the new book by the journalist, author and podcaster Helen Lewis. She joins Hugh to talk about so-called geniuses, from Elon Musk to The Beatles, the modern influence of concepts like IQ, and what it takes to be a political genius. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh is joined by Jack Horgan Jones, Cormac McQuinn and Ellen Coyne for part one of our traditional festive AMA. This year listeners asked about the presidential nomination process, the influence of party leaders, the need for a dedicated Minister for Defence and the stability of centrist politics. Wishing all our listeners a very Happy Christmas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Kevin Cunningham of TUD is one of Ireland’s most insightful political scientists and pollsters. At the Inside Politics live show in early December he joined Hugh, Pat, Cormac and Ellen on stage at the IFI to talk about Irish voters. What are the issues that really motivate them? Are they driven more by pragmatism or ideology? Today's episode is an excerpt of that conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a difficult week for Micheal Martin and FIanna Fáil with the delivery of the report on the party's failed presidential campaign. Martin's position as leader is safe for now, but questions and doubts remain. In part one of today's podcast Pat delivers his assessment of the state of play within Fianna Fáil. In part two Jack Power reports from Brussels on the ongoing EU summit, where European leaders have agreed on a package of financial support for Ukraine. But the deal came after difficult negotiations and only after Plan A - using frozen Russian assets to pay Ukraine - was ditched. Instead, the EU will fund the package itself. Jack explains how the deal went down and why it was a significant moment within European geopolitics. And finally Pat, Jack and Hugh pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including a warning on antisemitism, a profile of Tommy Robinson and a look at the new season of Emily in Paris.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa

Earlier this month Hugh, Ellen, Cormac and Pat got on stage at the IFI in Dublin for our annual end of year live show. Today we’re bringing you an excerpt from the show as the panel discuss their choice for the standout moments from the political year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan talks to Hugh and Pat about antisemitism after the Bondi beach attack, the progress of the Occupied Territories Bill, Ireland's security needs, why and how the Government wants to reduce inward migration, regret over his decision to support Jim Gavin's nomination for the presidency and his own ambition to one day lead Fianna Fáil. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to look back on the week in politics:Next week Fianna Fáil will get the long-awaited review into the circumstances around Jim Gavin's disastrous presidential campaign. Has the wait taken the sting out of the issue for Micheal Martin?The Government is worried about political fallout if it fails to vote against the EU's Mercosur trade deal. It argues that any such vote could be purely symbolicAnother thorny issue for the coalition: lengthy waiting lists for assessments of need, the process by which children with additional needs are assigned educational supports. The situation has long been untenable but the proposed solution is also controversial.Hugh addresses some of the many comments that have come in about Wednesday's interview with Eoin Lenihan.Minister Patrick O'Donovan wants Ireland to move ahead of the EU to restrict how younger teenagers access social media.And finally the panel pick their favourite Irish Times journalism of the week. Hosted on Acast. See ac

Eoin Lenihan joins Hugh to discuss his bestselling book Vandalising Ireland. In the book Lenihan sets out his argument that the choices made by successive governments, on issues from migration to the economy, have destroyed the country.He points to an alliance between the political establishment and the media, academics and NGOs, all intent on stripping Ireland of its original identity and replacing it with a globalised, multi-cultural society. The book calls for national, cultural and social renewal.In the interview they discuss the lost Ireland of Lenihan's childhood in County Clare, the extent to which Ireland's problems are particular to Ireland, whether the Irish media is too compliant and why Lenihan believes our migration policies will lead to 'parallel societies' with negative consequences.In the second half of the interview they discuss Lenihan's background as a researcher into extreme groups, including his work using social media to identify connections between journalists and the leftist movement A

The appearance of drones of unknown origin in Dublin last week around the time of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy's visit again highlighted the security challenges of the present day and Ireland's lack of capability to act in its own defence. Neutrality remains a popular policy, as again demonstrated recently by the election of Catherine Connolly as president. That popularity does not answer the question of how much Ireland should invest in its own defence. Ireland diverges from other neutral European countries in our low defence spending and reliance on others for protection, information and security. But against those calling for bigger defence budgets, others warn of militarisation and point out the money could be better spent elsewhere. So does being a voice for peace preclude greater defence spending, or is defence spending a crucial part of a viable neutrality? On today's podcast Hugh is joined by Naomi O'Leary to pick apart the elements of Ireland's approach to defence and neutrality, how we co

Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:·       Ireland, along with Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands, will boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in protest of Israel’s participation. RTÉ said in a statement on Thursday that it would be “unconscionable” for Ireland to partake in the event given the “appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there”.·       Far more contentious was the proposal to rename Rathgar’s Herzog Park in south Dublin. Named in honour of Belfast-born Chaim Herzog, Israel’s president from 1983 to 1993, who spent his early childhood in Dublin. Perhaps including the Irish-Jewish community in the process might have dampened a lot of the controversy that has erupted this week.·       Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was in Ireland this week, but it was drones more than diplomatic ties that made the headlin

Terry Prone is a legend in Irish political communication. Her memoir, I’m Glad You Asked Me That, looks back at her remarkable career.On today’s Inside Politics podcast, she talks to Hugh Linehan about the early days of political interviewing on TV, her experience of working with both Garret Fitzgerald and Charles Haughey, her ringside seat at some of the biggest political stories of the last four decades and what people don’t understand about the work she does.I’m Glad You Asked Me That: The Political Years is published by Red Stripe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to talk through the week in politics:Jim O'Callaghan's message on migration The Taoiseach's fondness for overseas tripsNew data showing a rise in eviction notices Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Catherine Connolly was elected president with the support of every left-wing party, it sparked new hope on the left that greater cooperation between Sinn Fein, Labour, the Greens, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit could reap further electoral dividends. How realistic is that hope? And how would a left alliance actually work? Hugh talks to academic Aidan Regan and political correspondent Cormac McQuinn.Aidan Regan is a professor of political economy at the school of politics and international relations at University College Dublin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Denis Staunton has reported from Washington, London and Berlin. Now, as Irish Times China Correspondent, he is using his new vantage point to make sense of this turbulent era as it looks from outside the Western world. In a new newsletter exclusively for Irish Times subscribers, he writes about what’s happening in geopolitics, why it matters and how it affects you. You can sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing here. On today's podcast Denis talks to Hugh about some of those themes, including the growing tension between China and Japan, China's technological advancements and the economic policies of Xi Jinping and the developing situation in Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:·      As Paschal Donohoe departs for pastures new at the World Bank, will his absence weaken Government? And does Simon Harris possess the right skillset for the role of Minister for Finance? It might not matter if the qualified doctors who have run the Department of Health are anything to go by. ·      Paschal leaving has led to a Cabinet reshuffle with Fine Gael deputy leader Helen McEntee becoming the first woman to serve as the Minister responsible for both foreign affairs and defence. She will inherit many issues in need of urgent attention, not least the progression of the Occupied Territories Bill. ·      And the Oireachtas transport committee was told on Wednesday that Dublin’s planned MetroLink will need about 8,000 workers for its construction. Speaking to RTÉ radio, transportation expert Brian Caulfield suggested t

In his final interview as an Irish politician before leaving for a new role at the World Bank, Paschal Donohoe talks to Hugh and Pat about his decision to leave politics and his record as Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure, both roles he has held since 2016. The wide-ranging discussion looks at:The circumstances that have led to Donohoe's departure, including his decision to run again in the 2025 electionThe area "we have really not done well enough" in during his tenureThe pressure Donohoe faced from other ministers to increase spendingFine Gael's shrinking number of Dáil seats and the future of the partyWhy he never wanted to become taoiseach Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 14 years in Dáil Éireann and a decade in ministerial office, Fine Gael's Paschal Donohoe today announced his resignation. He leaves to take up a senior role at the World Bank in Washington, D.C.Why did Paschal Donohoe decide to go now, and where is he going?How important and consequential was Donohoe, as a politician and a minister? And just how prudent was 'Prudent Paschal'?Where does the move leave Fine Gael and the Government?They also look at the 'mini-reshuffle' precipitated by Donohoe's departure, including Tánaiste Simon Harris's move to take over in the Department of Finance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:·      The inauguration of Ireland’s 10th president in in St Patrick’s Hall, Dublin Castle, on Tuesday, saw Catherine Connolly deliver a stirring address, amid a real testament to the health of democracy in this country, with all sides coming together after an at times brutal election campaign. Perhaps this is something our immediate neighbours and those across the Atlantic could one day emulate. ·      The Government’s long-awaited housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, was published this week with the focus firmly on lifting families out of homelessness. A target of 300,000 new homes by 2030, ramping up the role of the Land Development Agency, and greatly reducing red tape when delivering homes, are some aspects of a plan that needs to become a reality if this Government is to be judged a success. ·      And F

The government has come under increasing intense criticism of its record on housing, and the sluggishness with which its addressed the need to build more affordable homes.Today on Inside Politics, Hugh Linehan discusses the issues with the planning and regulatory system that some argue is slowing down the process of boosting housing supply in Ireland.In an essay published in The Irish Times last month, the tech billionaire and founder of Stripe John Collison argued construction, and infrastructure projects more generally, are being held back by regulation and judicial barriers stemming from the planning corruption scandals of the 1980’s and 90’s.On the podcast today is Orla Hegarty, assistant professor at University College Dublin and a fellow at the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, dismissed Mr Collisons case, saying: “It jumps to a solution that doesn’t relate to the problem”.“There is a thinking that if the market isn’t functioning, the issue must be regulation. That’s a really naive take.”The evi