ELECTION DAILY - Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

Pat Leahy talks to Seamus Coffey, Jack Horgan-Jones and Cliff Taylor about yesterday's budget and how the last-minute news that our economy has recovered more than expected played into spending decisions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Government’s 10-year National Development Plan announced this week has been greeted with scepticism in some quarters and criticised by the opposition as more of a wish-list than a to-do list. The ambitious plan sets out to meet the needs of a growing population up to 2030. Can its goals be achieved? Hugh talks to The Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy and Dr Brian Caulfield of Trinity College Dublin’s Centre for Transport Research. Presenter: Hugh Linehanwww.irishtimes.com/podcasts  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones from the Irish Times politics team join Hugh to discuss the major considerations for the government ahead of Budget day on October 12th. They also look at the divisive politics of the public service pandemic bonus and the latest on the Mica redress scheme. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Berlin correspondent Derek Scally joins Hugh for a deep dive into the most interesting German federal election in decades, which takes place on Sunday. How did Angela Merkel's centre-right CDU, now under the leadership of Armin Laschet, blow its lead in the election race? And who are the other leaders and parties in contention? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a turbulent summer break for the coalition, the country’s political parties hunkered down for their respective think-in meetings over the last two weeks, before the return of the Dáil. Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones of The Irish Times political team report back to Hugh on the dominant narratives to emerge from the Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin gatherings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin’s latest book, Defects: Living with the legacy of the Celtic Tiger, tells the stories of some of the thousands of people living in dangerous homes with serious fire safety and structural defects in different parts of Ireland. The book also explains how decades of light touch building regulation and the decisions of successive governments allowed this crisis to happen. Ó Broin talks to Hugh and Jack Horgan-Jones about the book in today’s episode.Plus: Jack has the latest in the ongoing saga of the UN envoy appointment of Katherine Zappone and Simon Coveney’s appearance before an Oireachtas committee on the issue on Tuesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn from the Irish Times politics team to discuss the Government's roadmap for the easing of pandemic restrictions, as revealed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin yesterday. They also look ahead to Minister Daragh O'Brien's much vaunted 'Housing for All' plan, the hurdles the Government is likely to face with October's budget and the welcome return of Leinster House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Radden Keefe is an American writer and investigative journalist. His new book, Empire of Pain is a detailed history of the Sackler dynasty and their role in the American opioid epidemic. Known for their dedication to cultural philanthropy, the family built their wealth on pharmaceuticals, starting with tranquillisers like Librium and Valium, before eventually moving on to the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin. In this episode, the award winning author talks to Hugh about the origins of the addiction crisis, the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy trial and the mark the family left on the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As one of the world's most respected newspaper editors, Lionel Barber spent over a decade at the helm of The Financial Times. His tenure coincided with some of the biggest events to shape the early part of the 21st century including the rise of China, Brexit, the tech boom and the crisis of western liberal democracy. Barber has documented his time in charge of the FT in his book, The Powerful and the Damned. In this episode, he talks to Hugh about the book, about how he transformed the FT for the digital era, the media's role in the financial crisis, why he got Brexit wrong and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to assess the damage done by the recent Zappone controversy. Now that the dust has settled, what will it mean for Coveney, Varadkar and the future of the government. The team also discuss the easing of Covid restrictions and the recent UN Climate Change report, which signals a ‘code red’ for humanity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.