Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee join Hugh to talk about the latest Covid-19 moves being considered by Government, an eye-catching ruling by the Standards in Public Office Commission and what we learned from the State papers released over Christmas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pat is joined by Kevin Cunnimgham and Ed Brophy to talk about the major trends that could shape politics in 2022. Will the pandemic continue to dominate everything? How will the return of Leo Varadkar to the office of Taoiseach work in practice? If the cost of living continues its rise as a major issue of concern for voters, who will benefit politically?Dr Kevin Cunningham is a lecturer in Politics and Chair of the MA in Journalism course at TU Dublin.Ed Brophy is former chief advisor to Fine Gael minister for finance Paschal Donohoe and former chief of staff to Labour tánaiste Joan Burton. He is also senior associate with climate change think tank E3G. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once again you asked and once again we will answer. Jen, Pat and Jack join Hugh to respond to listener queries on everything from the possibility of a far-right swing in one major political party's future to the role of expert advisors in the age of Covid-19 and the festive magic of Seanad reform.Thanks to everyone who sent in questions and apologies to those whose question we didn't get to this time.From everyone on the Inside Politics team, thanks for listening in 2021. We wish you a happy and safe 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The resignation of Lord David Frost has introduced a new uncertainty to slowly-progressing talks on the Northern Ireland protocol. EU negotiators would be foolish to think Frost's departure is necessarily a good thing, says London editor Denis Staunton. But first, public affairs editor Simon Carswell on the uncertain situation faced by the country as we head into Christmas with the Omicron variant spreading. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A rebellion by Tory MPs against Boris Johnson's "Plan B" to suppress the Omicron variant left the PM in the embarrassing position of needing Labour support. Is Johnson on borrowed time? On the Brexit front, the UK government rowed back on its demand for European court supremacy over the Northern Ireland protocol, the Brexit agreement covering trade in Northern Ireland. Is the way now paved for a deal in the new year?In Northern Ireland, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is "a mouse dodging under the feet of two elephants" when it comes to the protocol negotiations. Where will a deal leave the DUP with some of its more anti-protocol supporters? Plus: recent polls have added some interesting data points to the ongoing debate about the Irish reunification. The fiery politics of recent years may have hardened positions on all three - yes, three - sides. Today's guests are Denis Staunton and Newton Emerson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

According to our latest Ipsos MRBI poll, there's a desire for a United Ireland. But when we asked what changes to their lives people would be willing to accept to get it, the picture became more complicated. Political editor Pat Leahy shares the poll results with Hugh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We assess the political fallout from the decisions taken over the past few weeks to introduce new Covid-19 restrictions covering international travel, masking children in primary school and the hospitality sector. Are more measures on the way before Christmas? Could school closures be back on the menu after Christmas? Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray from the politics team and Irish Times feature writer and columnist Jennifer O’Connell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Depending on who you ask, Charles J. Haughey is either the great villain of Irish political life or the benevolent and forward-thinking saviour of a benighted nation. Professor of politics at Dublin City University, Gary Murphy, has written a biography of the former Taoiseach based on Haughey’s personal archives, as well as extensive interviews with his peers, rivals, confidantes and relatives. He talks to Hugh about writing about the man whose presence still looms large over Irish politics today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Years of being on the opposite side of difficult Brexit negotiations have unarguably damaged Irish-British relations. But how bad is the damage? To find out, this week's host Pat Leahy talks to former Irish ambassador to the UK Bobby McDonagh and our London editor Denis Staunton. They also discuss the latest developments in the standoff over the Northern Ireland protocol. But first it's Covid-19 and the rising tide of the fourth wave that is scaring governments across Europe. Pat gets the latest from Derek Scally in Berlin, where a newly-formed coalition must grapple with Germany's worst stage of the pandemic so far, and Jack Horgan-Jones in Dublin, where we're not ready to talk about new restrictions just yet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once again, too many people are getting sick, and there aren't enough hospital beds. The Government is struggling to come up with a convincing plan to turn the Covid-19 situation around. Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray tell Hugh what the thinking is about how to tackle the crisis and how the latest reimposition of restrictions on nightlife and extension of the use of vaccine certs came about. Plus: the Mother and baby homes redress scheme is facing sharp criticism from activists and survivors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.