Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

This week the Irish Government announced details of their national Covid-19 vaccination plan. Vaccines will be rolled out in three phases: an initial roll out followed by a mass ramp-up and finally, open access. It’s an extraordinary undertaking, which is sure to throw up plenty of challenges for Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and his department. In today's episode, Jen and Harry join Hugh to talk through the key points of the plan. The team also discuss yet another political apology, this time delivered by Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley and they take a look at the CETA trade agreement diving the Greens. But first, with time running out for a Brexit trade agreement, tensions are running high in European Parliament. Joining us from Brussels to discuss the ‘narrow path’ which guides the final stretch of negotiations is Europe Correspondent Naomi O’Leary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following a meeting over dinner this week between Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, it’s clear that very large gaps still remain between the two sides. Negotiators have been given until this Sunday to figure out a path forward, but will this be yet another deadline ignored? The sticking points remain the same: fisheries; the level playing field; and governance, however the focus has narrowed onto a specific element of the level playing field – the so-called ratchet clause. Joining Hugh to discuss the likelihood of an agreement by Sunday and all the contentious issues at hand is London Editor Denis Staunton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With just four weeks until the official end of the Brexit transition period on December 31st, we still don’t know if an agreement will be reached. Fishing is one of the few issues still dividing EU and UK negotiators. Just how serious a matter is it? Are Irish companies prepared for trade with Britain on January 1st? And, if a deal is struck, will Boris Johnson get it past his party? To discuss what stands in the way of a Brexit deal before the end of the year, Hugh is joined by Europe correspondent Naomi O’Leary, London editor Denis Staunton and Public Affairs editor Simon Carswell. Live event: Join Hugh, Jennifer Bray, Jennifer O’Connell, Fintan O'Toole and Pat Leahy as they look back on this remarkable year in a live Irish Times Inside Politics event at 7pm on Thursday, December 10th. Get tickets to ‘A Year Like No Other’ here: https://www.irishtimes.com/virtual-events/a-year-like-no-other Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The potential for a future referendum on Irish unity is explicit in the Good Friday Agreement, if certain circumstances are met. But how would an Irish unity referendum work in practice? A new report by a group of academics called "The Working Group on Unification Referendums on the Island of Ireland" says that planning by the Irish and British governments for a possible future referendum, or referendums, on Irish unification would be an essential condition of their legitimacy and stability. Hugh and Pat talk to Dr. Etain Tannam, one of the authors of the report and an Associate Professor of International Peace Studies at Trinity College Dublin, and Mick Fealty, a political commentator and editor of the NI politics website Slugger O'Toole. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 221-plus group, which represents those affected by the CervicalCheck scandal, has walked away from talks with the Government on a tribunal aimed at providing the women affected with a quicker and less adversarial alternative to lengthy and confrontational court cases. Little over a year since then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar apologised on behalf of the state to the more than 1,000 women affected by the cervical cancer controversy, how has it come to this? Advocate Vicky Phelan talks to Hugh and our political correspondent Jennifer Bray, about what has led to the disintegration of relations between the sides.Later, Pat Leahy joins to discuss the Government’s highly-anticipated plans to re-open the economy for Christmas and the Dáil business committee row. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President-elect Joe Biden represents a traditional approach to US foreign policy that was rejected by a majority of American voters in 2016. Now Biden is back, but the world has changed: China has emerged as a genuine competitor to the US. Can Biden adapt and respond? Are we facing into a new Cold War?Professor John Mearsheimer is a political scientist and geopolitical analyst. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Hugh is joined by Pat, Harry and Jen to discuss another not-so-great week for the Government. We hear the latest on the Seamus Woulfe saga, the takeaway pints fiasco and get a look at the wrangling going on behind the scenes between cabinet and Nphet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Pfizer announced positive early results from its coronavirus vaccine trial, but how optimistic should we be about this breakthrough and how will it affect the decisions taken by government in the weeks and months ahead? Joining Hugh and Pat to discuss the latest developments is Irish Times health editor Paul Cullen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The story of Supreme Court Justice Séamus Woulfe's attendance at the infamous Oireachtas Golf Society dinner has already taken many twists and turns. This week the crisis deepened with the release of an exchange of letters between Woulfe and Chief Justice Frank Clarke, in which Clarke calls on Woulfe to resign. Woulfe has refused, and the ball is now in the court of politicians who must consider whether to try to remove him.It's a complicated story so, with the help of actors portraying Woulfe and retired justice Susan Denham, who carried out a review of his actions, Ruadhán Mac Cormaic talks us through it from start to finish, and looks at where the story may be headed next. Plus, Pat Leahy on how the politics of impeaching a judge might play out in Leinster House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Irish Times columnist Stephen Collins and historian Ciara Meehan have written a book about the history of Fine Gael. "Saving the State" recounts the party's story, from the foundation of the state to this year's decision to go into coalition with its nemesis Fianna Fáil, and the party's periods in power as well as in the political wilderness. They talk to Hugh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.