Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

It's the Twelfth and to mark Unionism and Loyalism's day of celebration, Hugh talks to Dr Aaron Edwards, author of A People Under Siege: The Unionists of Northern Ireland from Partition to Brexit and Beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s Inside Politics podcast Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray to discuss the week in politics:The crisis at RTÉ is entering its third week but, with appearances by Ryan Tubridy and Noel Kelly before an Oireachtas committee and the takeover by Kevin Bakhurst as Director General all happening next week, the story is not going away, much as weary RTÉ executives and politicians might want it to.The Summer Economic Statement prompted some criticism from economists opposed to excessive spending - but little from opposition politicians. Why?Opposition to hate speech legislation currently making its way through the Seanad is filling up the inboxes of politicians like Fianna Fail’s Lisa Chambers. But do people’s concerns have much to do with what’s actually in the bill?Plus the panel recommend their Irish Times articles of the week:Newton Emerson on the complexities of talking about how a United Ireland would actually workJohn Fitzgerald on whether the IDA’s current strategy is right for an Ireland of inflation, full employment and overstretched services.Patrick Freyne’s guide to the year’s best TV Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Under the leadership of Holly Cairns, the Cork South-West TD who took over from Catherine Murphy and Roisin Shortall in March, the Social Democrats are riding high among the smaller political parties in Dail Eireann - according to opinion polls at least. But what is the party all about? How is it different from Sinn Fein, the biggest party on the left? And if the Soc Dems were to combine with other political parties in a coalition of compromise after the next election, where would its policy red lines be? Holly Cairns sat down with Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy to discuss leadership, politics and policy. But first, they talk about the latest revelations in the crisis at RTE over secret payments to Ryan Tubridy and the future of the national public service broadcaster. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a wide-ranging interview in today's Irish Times, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee talks about remarks critical of her taking maternity leave while in office, the stint by Cabinet colleague Simon Harris in her job and her future ambitions. And on today's podcast Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray listen back to excerpts from the interview and apply some political analysis.But first, Jack and Jen threaten to establish a new world order in the absence of Hugh Linehan and the rest of the politics team, before settling down into a discussion of RTE's terrible week, as the broadcaster's top brass endured grillings in front of two Oireachtas committees over secret payments to Ryan Tubridy. Has the management team been irreparably damaged by its association with the week's events? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosting Inside Politics in Hugh Linehan’s absence, Pat Leahy is joined by Current Affairs Editor of The Irish Times, Arthur Beesley and Professor Jane Suiter from DCU’s School of Communications to discuss where we are now after yesterday's statement from RTÉ on Ryan Tubridy’s controversial pay deal.Are we likely to get satisfactory answers from today’s Oireachtas committee or the Public Accounts committee on Thursday? And the panel tease out how those running RTÉ can possibly re-establish trust when its own employees are protesting, as well as where its often-complicated relationship with politics goes from here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to talk about the week in politics, including:The fiasco unfolding at RTÉ over Ryan Tubridy's unusual pay deal and its potential ramificationsThe Labour Party's confidential review that examines where it all went wrong while they were in governmentPlus, they share their favourite Irish Times piece of the week:Séamas O’Reilly on not mentioning the war while living in DublinMiriam Lord's amusing take on the political reaction to the hate speech BillUna Mullally and Patrick Freyne look back on 40 years since Ireland's first Pride parade Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Columnist and former Fianna Fáil advisor Gerard Howlin joins Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray to talk about two controversial topics: recent comments by President Michael D Higgins and the Hate Speech bill that is making its way through the Oireachtas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest Irish Times/ Ipsos opinion poll shows support for both Fine Gael and Sinn Féin has dropped, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also seeing a sharp decline in his personal rating. Fianna Fáil and the Social Democrats however, can breathe a sigh of relief after both experiencing an increase in support. Pat, Harry and Hugh analyse the results. Plus they share their favourite Irish Times piece of the week:Olivia Kelly follows in Bloom’s sticky footsteps around the capitalMark Paul on Boris Johnson’s adventures in parliamentSally Hayden on the normalisation of mass drownings in the Mediterranean Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conor Gallagher, Irish Times Crime and Security Correspondent, has a new book out Is Ireland Neutral? The Many Myths of Irish Neutrality. He sat down with Hugh Linehan to discuss what has been an accepted position since the foundation of the Free State but doesn’t actually stand up to scrutiny.Whether an attempt to form a military alliance with France at the end of the first world war through to the part Shannon Airport plays in US military operations, the definition of neutrality here is loose at best.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh to talk about the week in politics, including:Ifac cautions coalition on expenditure and its potential consequencesSinn Féin defend IRA commemoration in South ArmaghIs James O'Connor a Jekyll & Hyde figure within Fianna Fáil?Plus, they share their favourite Irish Times piece of the week:Kiss rocker Gene Simmons visits House of Commons as Ian Paisley's guestFAI request huge investment commitment from governmentGerard Howlin highlights parties on the wrong side of history for climate change Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.