ELECTION DAILY from Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

No elections take place this year. But 2024 could see local, European and general elections all taking place in Ireland. And these looming political battles will shape what political parties do this yearUCC's Theresa Reidy joins Hugh, Pat and Jack to get ahead of the curve and discuss next year's elections. How important are next year's local elections in setting the scene for what's to come after?Will the "vote left transfer left" pact be repeated?How do the government parties compete with one another while fighting a surging Sinn Fein?Will the general election be called early? And will Micheal Martin still be Fianna Fail party leader heading into it? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe has cultivated a reputation for being a safe pair of political hands, so it has been surprising to watch him fumble his response to revelations over donations-in-kind made to his reelection efforts in 2016 by businessman Michael Stone. You can read about the details of what has been alleged and how Mr Donohoe has responded here. On the podcast Harry McGee and Pat Leahy look at just how bad this is for Mr Donohoe. Plus: The asylum seeker accommodation crisis is now verging on catastrophe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"If we push honest views below ground, we simply push those views into the hands of real racists". That statement, referring to the hot-button issue of migration, is typical of Meath West TD and Aontú party leader Peadar Tóibín, who likes to portray Aontú as neither left nor right but a party of "common sense". Will that approach win Aontú many votes? It's now exactly four years since the party's foundation and, while it has had few electoral successes so far, polling suggests it enjoys similar support to some of the longer-established small parties. Peadar Tóibín talks to Hugh Linehan and Jack Horgan-Jones about what electoral success looks like for his party, the importance of "culture war" versus "bread-and-butter" issues and some reflections on his former party Sinn Fein. This episode is the first in a series looking at small parties. We'll be back on Friday with a round-up of the week's political news. With any subscription you'll get unlimited access to the very best in unique quality journalism from The Irish Times. Subscribe today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Struggling in your job, your attitude, your relationships? There are a growing number of self-declared online experts who have all the answers.Author and journalist Helen Lewis returns to the podcast to talk about her new podcast series The New Gurus, which takes a close look at the phenomenon of these online sages who have a major impact on the outlook and often the political views of millions of people worldwide.They talk about magnetic online personalities, from Russel Brand to Jordan Peterson. How much of it is a grift? And how much influence do the new gurus really have? You can listen to The New Gurus on BBC Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to discuss the fallout from a report on The Ditch news website that Meath West Fine Gael TD Damien English made a false claim on a planning application which allowed him to build a second house. The news forced Deputy English to resign his post as a junior minister. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's podcast:The crisis in Emergency Departments this winter reveals a lack of accountability in the upper echelons of the system, among other issues. Was an attack on TDs with bags of excrement at a public meeting indicative of “a creeping sinister aggression” against politicians, as Ciaran Cannon claimed? Pat explains what is going on behind the scenes in the negotiations over the Northern Ireland Protocol. How would the DUP react to a deal that left even a much-changed Protocol in place? With any subscription you'll get unlimited access to the very best in unique quality journalism from The Irish Times. Subscribe today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New year, new Taoiseach, but the same headwinds facing the Government in areas like housing, refugee accommodation and a struggling healthcare system. Jack Horgan-Jones and columnist Gerard Howlin join Pat to talk about political goings-on in the first week of 2023 and whether Leo Varadkar's second stint as Taoiseach will be any different than his first. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's part two of our annual Ask Us Anything, featuring questions on journalism, politics and a podcasting rivalry.Taking your questions in studio are Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones, with a cameo from Cormac McQuinn. Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our listeners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You asked, we answered. It's part one of our annual Ask Us Anything, featuring questions on journalism, politics and a podcasting rivalry.Taking your questions in studio are Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones, with additional help from Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happened in the Cabinet reshuffle? Not a lot, is one reasonable answer - there were no surprises, most ministers stayed where there were and any moves had been well flagged in advance.But the day’s events still raised interesting questions for our politics team Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones to answer on this episode of the Inside Politics podcast.Is the unchanged Cabinet a sign of stability - or a sign of stagnation and a death of new talent? How did Stephen Donnelly win the right to retain his position in Health?Why was Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers, moved sideways from chief whip to super junior in the Department of Transport, denied a bigger promotion?How can Micheál Martin lead his party while travelling the world as Minister for Foreign Affairs? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.