Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

Will Nóirín O'Sullivan eventually be invited to follow sacked FBI director James Comey into early retirement? To discuss that developing story, plus the new tradition of silence in the Dáil, Leo Varadkar palling around with councillors and Paschal Donohoe's clever political positioning, Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Sarah Bardon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Independent Alliance has been in Government for one year, already longer than many observers predicted at the outset. How has it been doing? Very well, according to its five TDs. Led as ever by Shane Ross, they gave a press conference yesterday in which they proudly outlined their achievements and their undiminished belief in New Politics. Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan listen to some of what was said and assess the group's impact on the Irish political landscape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's going on in Leinster House? Not much, but at least we can argue about why that is the case. Today's Irish Times editorial was a little harsh, says Harry McGee - the lack of legislative achievements this term has not been all the Government's fault. And Fiach Kelly says useless bills destined to fail are clogging up the works. Also on the agenda today: what is likely to be a highly unusual 8th Amendment committee, Dáil prayers, Harry's ministerial scorecard and the "worst dinner party in history". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The row over ownership of the new Maternity Hospital may be dying down, for now, but it has revealed some interesting things about the politics, people, and institutions involved. Mary Minihan and Pat Leahy discuss the story with Hugh Linehan. Later in the podcast they look at the outcome of the Citizens' Assembly. That's after we hear from Cora Sherlock and Breda O'Brien, both campaigners for the retention of the 8th Amendment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a torrid few months for the institutional reputation of An Garda Síochána. Some members of the force believe the various controversies have undermined confidence in, and respect for, the force. Is this jeopardising their safety as they do their work? A spate of recent attacks suggest it could be. For a small section of society, the uniform is now “like a red rag to a bull", as one garda told Conor Lally. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How the forthcoming UK election could leave the Conservatives with a whopping majority and consign Labour to as much as another decade in the political wilderness. And in Northern Ireland and Scotland, already marginalised by Brexit, will this vote put even more distance between citizens and Westminster? Today's guests are Professor Tim Bale, a political scientist and author of 'The Conservative Party: From Thatcher to Cameron' and Peter Geoghegan, a Glasgow-based journalist and author of 'The People's Referendum: Why Scotland Will Never Be the Same Again'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part one: Could water finally be a political issue of the past? Sarah Bardon has the latest on the negotiations that briefly threatened to topple the Government but now seem to have been solved to the relief, if not satisfaction, of most parties. Part two: In Sallins, County Kildare, local people and politicians are not too exercised about who pays for excess water usage. But they are worried about crime, housing, services and amenities in a commuter town whose population has increased tenfold in the past decade. Harry McGee met the good people of Sallins and a few of their representatives: Catherine Murphy of the Soc Dems and James Lawless of Fianna Fáil, and local councillor Fintan Brett of Fine Gael. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does Brexit threaten peace in Northern Ireland? Simon Carswell asked four ex-IRA men their views. Their answers show that they, like many others, are prepared to contemplate the previously unthinkable as Britain's historic departure from the European Union draws closer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The arrangement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil is getting ropier by the week, with continued disagreements over water and how to deal with the crisis facing the Gardaí. Pat Leahy has the latest from Leinster House. After that Catherine Martin of the Green Party is here to talk about the effort to rebuild the party after its calamitous experience in power and her private member's bill to reform maternity leave. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a distinct lack of confidence emanating from the opposition benches of late, as the Dáil gets to grips with the latest Garda controversy.Speaking on today's episode of Inside Politics, Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesperson Jim O’Callaghan said public confidence in the force has been undermined once more, by the recording of one million breath tests that never happened.Mr O'Callaghan was critical of the Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald for not dealing with wrongful convictions in the courts arising from difficulties with the fixed charge notice system, when she first became aware of the issue last year.The Dublin Bay South TD also accused the government of staying silent on the latest revelations over the weekend and said it has further damaged the relationship between his party and Fine Gael.Hugh Linehan was joined in studio this week by Sarah Bardon and Fiach Kelly from the Irish Times political team. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.