

Reboot Republic - Rory Hearne by Tortoise Shack Media
Tortoise Shack Media
Reboot Republic is the innovative Podcast that delves beyond the headlines and soundbites and pulls up the roots of our Social Crises to unearth progressive solutions.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 26, 2025 • 51min
The Housing Crisis and Why I Still Believe in Human Rights
Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack
Leilani Farha is a human rights lawyer, host of PushBack Talks, founder of Right to Housing organisiation, The Shift, former UN Special Rapporteur for the Right to Adequate Housing and most importantly a Tortoise Shack fan.
She rejoins us to talk about the ongoing global financialisation of housing, the ways some cities have pushed back, what the genocide in Gaza says about international law and why she still believes human rights are worth fighting for every single day.
Milei Meltdown podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-139738780
Donate to Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-in-139268758

Sep 20, 2025 • 0sec
Child Poverty – What Must Be Done.
Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack
In this Reboot Republic podcast, Rory talks with Tanya Ward, Director of the Children’s Rights Alliance about the reasons underlying the shocking figure that 1 in 5 children in Ireland are in poverty after housing costs are paid. We discuss the impact of the housing costs – as families are forced into food poverty and overcrowding, the impact on children of growing up in poverty, and the solutions – investment in early years intervention and targeted measures at low income families and areas of disadvantage.
Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-in-139268758

Sep 14, 2025 • 27min
Save Irish Citizens in Gaza: An Irish-Palestinian family’s story
Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack
In this Reboot Republic podcast, Rory talks with Khalid El-Astal, who was born in Belfast in 1993, and Melissa Murphy who is part of the Kildare Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Khalid is now living in Ireland with his two young children, Ali and Sara, who were injured in an Israeli airstrike that struck their home in October 2023, killing their mother, grandmother and uncle.
His brothers Abdurrahman and Abdullah — both Irish citizens born in Belfast — remain trapped in Gaza, along with their father, Professor Ali El-Astal, who lived in Belfast for eight years while completing his PhD in Physics and researching at Queen’s University. Khalid tells his family’s story, and the reality on the ground in Gaza, and Melissa sets out how people can support Khalid and his family by contacting the Irish Government to urgently issue emergency travel documentation, and we discuss the impact of the grassroots campaigns in Ireland in solidarity with Palestine.
Here is the link to send an email to political representatives to support Khalid’s family – Irish Citizens in Gaza: https://www.instagram.com/helpirishcitizensingaza
The Child Poverty Podcast with Children's Rights Alliance is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-138724146
Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-two-134250846

Sep 9, 2025 • 0sec
Living in Two Worlds – Abubaker Abed
Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack
When journalist and accidental genocide correspondent, Abubaker Abed, left Gaza a few months ago the only thing certain was that he would continue to speak up and report on what is happening in his homeland. He rejoins us to discuss his advocacy, campaigning and reasons for hope in the face of so much suffering.
Latest on the Drone Strike on the Global Sumud Flotilla with Paul Murphy in Tunis is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-138492264
Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-two-134250846

Sep 3, 2025 • 38min
396. Community Wealth Building
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In this Reboot Republic, Rory chats with Sean McCabe who is Head of Climate and Sustainability at Bohemians Football Club about the potential for community wealth building and cooperatives to create a sustainable more equal economy. We chat about the work that's happening in Spark the Bohs communities cooperative initiative, and hear about a growing community wealth building movement from Cleveland to Mondragon to Dublin.
We're looking for hope in a new and better way for our society and environment- this is it! Enjoy.
The latest Reboot Republic podcast with Palestinian journalist Abubaker Abed is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-138016359
Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-two-134250846

Jul 29, 2025 • 0sec
Poverty and Hope
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In this Reboot Republic, Rory talks to Louise Bayliss, Head of Social Justice & Policy with the St Vincent De Paul. 250,000 people sought support from SVP last year showing the scale of on going cost of living crisis. We discuss the stigma of poverty and its continued pervasiveness despite this country's wealth. The 11,000 volunteers with SVP shows hope in so many people working for social justice and giving practical support to people - a counter to the rising hate. We also discuss the cost of poverty, how investing in targeted measures is a social investment and overall health & economic cost saving in the long term.
The latest SWF with Black 47's Chris Byrne is out now:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-135125057
To support Dignity for Palestine click here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-two-134250846

Jul 16, 2025 • 37min
394. New Apartment Standards – The 21st Century Tenements with Orla Hegarty
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In this Reboot Republic, Rory discusses the new apartment standards the Government have brought in with Orla Hegarty of the UCD School of Architecture and Planning. Orla outlines the major flaws in these new guidelines, around creating liveable homes, and analyses the Governments justifications as lacking evidence. These will boost speculative developers profits and create tenements of the 21st century charged at unaffordable rents. Creating a dystopian city and urban spaces
Latest Echo Chamber RTE-An Post podcast:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-134177046
Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-132827532

Jul 6, 2025 • 0sec
393. Women’s Equality & Feminism
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In this Reboot Republic, Rory talks with Orla O Connor who has recently announced that she is leaving her role as Director of the National Women's Council of Ireland. We talk about Orla's 23 years of experience of campaigning for women's equality and social justice in the National Women's Council, the learnings and lessons of campaigns like the Repeal Referendum, intersectionalism and what is or should be a vision for feminism today - for all women, from those in homelessness to needing childcare, to care workers, and the need to come together to challenge the rise of hate. We also discuss the need to regulate the social media companies.
The Lexi Alexander Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-133114376
Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-132827532

Jun 15, 2025 • 35min
392. The ‘New’ Plan – Protecting Renters or feeding them to the Vultures?
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What are the new rental measures?
In this Reboot Republic podcast Rory and Dr Michael Byrne from UCD break down the latest rental measures and explain what they are, what is the likely impact on rents and supply, and who will actually benefits. The verdict? TBD.
The Week in Housing newsletter is a weekly one-page analysis of new housing research and policy. Read it here: https://theweekinhousing.substack.com/
The illegal Public Services Card with Simon McGarr:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-131317106
Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-129326641

Jun 2, 2025 • 0sec
A new way forward for the Irish economy
Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack
In this Reboot Republic, Rory talks to economist Michael Taft about the impact of tariffs on the Irish economy and jobs, our over dependence on US multinational investment, how we can create a diversified strong indigenous economy, the importance of collective bargaining, workers rights and wages, cooperative and community led enterprise and civil society and progressive parties working together in Raise the Roof.
Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-129326641