Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

Pat Leahy talks to Hugh Linehan about the findings of the latest Irish Times Ipsos/MRBI poll that asked voters for their views on abortion, including the recommendation of the Dáil committee on abortion to allow unrestricted access up to the 12th week of pregnancy that is likely to form the basis of a referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment this summer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Micheál Martin took his party by surprise with his statement of support on repealing the 8th Amendment last week. Is there now a risk of rebellion in the ranks?Sarah Bardon and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to discuss this and why Leo Varadkar's 'lots of us did' comment about housebuyers borrowing from the 'bank of mum and dad' has rankled some. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the question of the 8th Amendment, there remains in Leinster House a good number of fence sittters. The time for them to jump off is drawing near, say Sarah Bardon and Fiach Kelly. For Sinn Fein TD Peader Tóibín, who supports the full retention of the 8th Amendment, concerns about "sex selection" abortions and abortions when the foetus has been screened for Down Syndrome will be key points on which the referendum campaign will be fought. He talks to Hugh, Fiach and Sarah about his views on abortion and opposing his own party's position. Deputy Tóibín also answers questions about a difficult week for Sinn Féin, as the Barry McElduff affair raised questions over the party leadership and how Sinn Féin handles its own dark legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fianna Fáil Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee joins Hugh, Pat and Harry to discuss why, even after recent opinion polls show Fine Gael's support gathering pace at the expense of Fianna Fáil, Mícheál Martin's party isn't spooked by the numbers just yet. Also on on the agenda, the housing crisis, homelessness and how the property tax can be calculated more fairly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As 2017 drew to a close political staff did the traditional round of Christmas interviews with senior politicians. Familiar themes emerged: the extremely thorny issue of housing, the popularity contest between the two major parties, and what a future coalition government involving Sinn Féin might look like. Today Simon Carswell and Fiach Kelly talk to Hugh about the major political challenges in the year ahead:Michael Martin - can his party recover ground lately lost to Fine Gael? Eoghan Murphy - can he define success in housing and then achieve that success?Mary Lou MacDonald - as leader, can she finally manoeuvre Sinn Féin into power? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pat Leahy, Fiach Kelly and Michael O'Regan look back at some of the big events of 2017 and speculate about the forces at home and abroad that will shape Irish politics in 2018. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senator Catherine Noone, chair of the abortion committee that today published its report, talks to Hugh and Pat about how a majority of the group came to the view that the 8th Amendment to the constitution should be removed outright. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The question of the post-Brexit status of the Border may be settled for now, but broader questions remain. What will Ireland's place in Europe be, once the UK, its traditional partner and ally, has departed? What is our European strategy and how will we achieve our goals? Podcast regulars Pat and Hugh talked to Ruadhan Mac Cormaic and Lucinda Creighton in front of an audience at the Institute of International and European Affairs on North Great Georges Street last night. Apologies for the temporary sound quality deterioration as a street cleaner passed by an open window. Thanks to our hosts the Young Professionals Network and the IIEA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, there were three Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI opinion polls. This morning's asked respondents whether or not they would vote to change the constitution in relation to the Eighth Amendment. Earlier in the week, we took the temperature of the electorate and found a five point surge in support for Fine Gael, while yesterday's poll focused on Brexit. Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan provide an analysis of the results. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Guardian’s Brexit correspondent Lisa O’Carroll joins Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy, deputy political editor Fiach Kelly and presenter Hugh Linehan to discuss what went wrong in the Brexit negotiations this week and how likely it is that the deadline for an agreement will be met.The panel also assess the impact of tensions surrounding Brexit on Anglo-Irish relations and ask whether creative ambiguity is being used as a deliberate tactic by leaders on all sides. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.