Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman is the man at the centre of one of the most severe and contentious problems facing the State: how to handle the huge increase in people arriving to seek International Protection.The war in Ukraine exacerbated the trend and helped scupper the Green Minister’s plan to end the system of direct provision within the lifetime of this Government, instead leaving it in perpetual crisis-management mode as it struggles to accommodate tens of thousands of refugees.On today’s Inside Politics podcast Minister O’Gorman talks to Hugh Linehan and Jack Horgan-Jones about his handling of the crisis.Ireland should support Ukrainians to return home by rebuilding infrastructure and possibly paying for travel back there, he says.The European Union needs to soon decide whether to extend additional rights enjoyed by Ukrainian refugees beyond their expiry date of March 2025, he adds.The Minister also says he expects between 13,000 and 15,000 asylum seekers to arrive in the country annually from now on.They discuss the struggle to accommodate such unprecedented numbers of arrivals and why local communities have not always been informed in advance when International Protection Applicants are to be housed in their midst.Plus, Minister O’Gorman makes the arguments in favour of a Yes vote in the two upcoming referendums on care and the definition of the family. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Hugh Linehan is joined Cormac McQuinn and Jennifer Bray on this week’s wrap with housing for refugees and asylum seekers, and the lack of alternative accommodation, now a perennial talking point, especially in this year of elections. But has a certain tension developed between Minister Roderic O’Gorman’s department of Children, Equality, Integration, Disability and Youth and the Department of Housing? And have asylum seeker protests gradually started to impact political decision-making here?A somewhat comical exchange in the Dáil on its first day back after the Christmas recess saw Roderic O’Gorman and Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara engage in a debate on the upcoming referendums and the proposal to amend the Constitutional definition of a family. The durability of ‘throuple’ relationships saw a complete breakdown in communication after the Clare TD misheard the minister.And are Government putting off big decisions with that general election creeping into view later in the year? Jennifer Bray describes a certain mania she witnessed firsthand at Leinster House as TDs can’t seem to think about anything other than the date for GE 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British broadcaster and author James O'Brien returns to Inside Politics to talk about his most recent book, How They Broke Britain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are two referendums around the corner on March 8th, but are they too complex and less immediately understandable than other referendums in recent times? Hugh is joined by Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray and on the podcast, with Jennifer spelling out exactly what changes we will be voting on. Protests against the influx of male asylum seekers have been a fixture on the front pages since the start of year, with Ballinrobe and Roscrea making headlines in recent days. But are the Government running out of road in terms of policy or are they simply responding to an unfolding humanitarian crisis?And with numbers in emergency accommodation at record levels, the panel teases out the political impact of ill health and death on the street and how the public expect more from those in power when it comes to protecting people forced to sleep rough. Plus, could Leo Varadkar or Micheál Martin be in line for a top job in Brussels after Charles Michel’s surprise decision to step down as European Council president? While both have distanced themselves from the role, Jennifer explains why Micheál is the more likely candidate of the two. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first half of 2024 highly consequential elections will take place in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, South Africa and Mexico among others. Things get closer to home later in the year with European parliament elections, local elections and possibly a general election in Ireland. And the UK and US both go to the polls in November.On today’s Inside Politics podcast, Irish Times China Correspondent Denis Staunton joins us from Taipei to discuss this week’s Taiwanese election with presenter Hugh Linehan and Political Editor Pat Leahy. Denis, who has reported for The Irish Times on the election victories of Angela Merkel, Barack Obama and Boris Johnson, gives his perspective on what’s at stake in elections across the Global South, as well as in Europe and the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Still less than a year in existence, the Electoral Commission is set for a packed 2024 with local and European elections in June, a referendum in March and strong odds of a general election too before the year is out. Art O’Leary is Chief executive of the Electoral Commission, and he sat down with Hugh Linehan to discuss the logistics and preparation for the year ahead, balancing geography versus maths for the boundary review and why E-voting is unlikely to make a comeback any time soon.Art also goes through a few items on his wish list – a revamp of the electoral register, getting more young people out voting, and developing a system where Irish people can vote from anywhere in the world. Plus, with so many upcoming elections, what can the Electoral Commission do to combat the likely deluge of online misinformation?Produced by Declan Conlon. JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's part two of the traditional Inside Politics end-of-year Ask Us Anything podcast. Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn are in celebratory mood as they answer your questions about elections, policies and politicians.Wishing a Happy New Year to all our listeners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's part one of the traditional Inside Politics end-of-year Ask Us Anything podcast. Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn hit play on a range of listener queries and even help one to settle a bet. Part two will be out on Friday December 29th. Thanks to all our listeners in 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

North and South, how open are citizens to constitutional changes in order to make a United Ireland work? How much economic pain would they be willing to bear? What level of short-term pain would be felt worth any long-term gains?Understanding such attitudes is one of the goals of North and South, a collaboration between The The Irish Times and ARINS, itself a joint research project of the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) and the Keough-Naughton Centre for Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame.The continuing collaboration also makes it possible to track changing attitudes to reunification over time - and there have already been some significant changes.To discuss the findings of the latest series of polls in the North and South project, Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy are joined by Professor Brendan O’Leary.Brendan O’Leary is a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania and chair of the Public Opinion Committee of ARINS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sinn Féin party leader and Dublin Central TD Mary Lou McDonald sat down with Pat Leahy to talk about a range of policy areas, from housing to migration and reunification. They also discussed the practice of some Sinn Féin members to take legal proceedings against media outlets and journalists. Pat and Hugh Linehan listen back and analyse the potential taoiseach's answers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.