Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

When we talk about health and medicine, the immediate problems tend to crowd out the important ones, says our correspondent Paul Cullen. But this weekend he is reporting on a long-term threat that could destroy modern medical practice and jeopardise millions of lives. Antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" are becoming stronger and more prevalent, and are now entrenched in some Irish hospitals. He talked to Hugh Linehan about the story.Tweet about the podcast: @hlinehanIf you like this podcast, help us get it to a wider audience by sharing it on social media, or by rating and reviewing it in iTunes or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Thanks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland’s continual housing crisis will not be solved unless issues of affordability and security of tenure in the rental sector are addressed, according to a Trinity College academic.New legislation aimed at boosting supply in the housing market is currently going through the Seanad. It allows planning applications for large housing developments of more than 100 homes to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála rather than to local councils and forms part of the government’s “Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness”, published earlier this year.Assistant Professor at Trinity College’s Geography department, Cian O’Callaghan, spoke on this week’s Inside Politics podcast about the plan, calling for a “different approach” to the Irish housing crisis. He says we need to look beyond the issue of housing supply and broaden tactics to address problems with affordability and security of tenure in the private-rental and social housing sectors.Fianna Fáil’s Thomas Byrne said he appreciates the need to protect those who are already in accommodation, but until the issue of supply is addressed many others will continue to remain homeless.Director General of the Construction Industry Federation Tom Parlon argued that once supply in the housing market is increased there will be a direct positive effect on the rental sector, freeing up homes occupied by those looking to buy.The panel also discussed issues around vacant housing, improved building standards, the need to solve the apartment problem and the possibilities of building on state-owned land. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will the report of the expert commission on water help bring this vexed issue to a conclusion at long last? Minister Simon Coveney hopes so, but AAA-PBP TD Paul Murphy says "it's not over". They both sat down with Hugh Linhan and Sarah Bardon this morning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much do we as a society ask of those among us who have dependents in need of round-the-clock care? Last Saturday, The Irish Times published an interview by Rosita Boland with Johanne and Alan Powell, a couple in their 60s facing retirement and still caring for their profoundly disabled daughter, Siobhan, at home in Co Wexford.Exhausted and frustrated after three decades caring for Siobhan, who cannot walk, is nonverbal, does not eat solid food and has only one kidney, for the past three years the Powells have been seeking a residential care place for her. She is on a waiting list of 61 people in the county.“I want residential care for my daughter. There is no such thing as retiring for carers unless you die . . . Can I survive 10 more years of this?” she asked. “We’ll need someone to wheel us around then,” Alan says. “I want my life back, and my wife back.”Their story elicited a huge response from readers thanks to the honesty of the Powells about their sad circumstances. In this podcast Rosita Boland talks to Hugh Linehan about the story and the response. She also talks about another family she has written about who face a similar problem, the Colliers. You can read that here: http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/caring-for-our-disabled-daughter-i-fear-for-our-marriage-1.2880564For more on Carers in Crisis, pick up The Irish Times tomorrow and Saturday, or go to irishtimes.com. You can find more information about Irish Times podcasts at irishtimes.com/podcastsTweet about the podcast: @hlinehan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Murphy's election at Sinn Féin's expense in the 2014 Tallaght by-election marked the start of a populist "race to the bottom" in Irish politics, says Labour's Alan Kelly on today's Inside Politics podcast. But how can Labour counter this trend and reverse its own electoral fortunes? "Populism is what's foremost in many deputies' minds" says Deputy Kelly. "The only way you can fight that is putting out arguments that are better, real and truthful". With phrases like "support for people who are working","premium on work" and "bread on the table" peppering Kelly's discussion with Fiach Kelly and Hugh Linehan, it is clear where he sees the best hope for the party's regeneration. And the party's liberal agenda on issues like same sex marriage and abortion? They're "part of the party's DNA" but "not the only component" - and have never won the party much thanks at the ballot box. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The limits of life have shifted dramatically at the National Maternity Hospital on Holles Street in Dublin, where a baby born at 28 weeks now has a 90 per cent chance of survival, while those born at 24 weeks have a 50/50 chance . In the first episode of our new podcast series Inside Story, Conor Pope tells Hugh Linehan about the continuing advances being made in premature natal care and what it means for the parents and families. Conor’s article about Holles Street can be read at http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/the-pressure-and-joys-of-caring-for-premature-babies-1.2870303 You can find more information about Irish Times podcasts at irishtimes.com/podcastsTweet about the podcast @hlinehan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New and old media are themselves in the firing line as liberals point the finger at fake news, Facebook algorithms and social media bubbles to help explain the painful reality of President Donald Trump. David Cochrane, Harry McGee, and Laura Slattery join Hugh Linehan to discuss the trends that are undermining many people's faith in media's ability to present the truth. After that Hugh talks with U.S. journalist and author John B. Judis, who in his timely book The Populist Explosion explains how not all strains of the ill-defined phenomenon are equal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has pulled off one of the greatest upsets in political history by beating Hillary Clinton to the White House. How did he do it, and how did the pundits get it so wrong? And what can we expect from the unpredictable president-elect? Hugh Linehan talks to Simon Carswell and Ruadhan Mac Cormaic, who are in New York at the Trump and Clinton HQs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's politics podcast, Political Editor Stephen Collins talks to Fiach Kelly about the looming garda strike action and Taoiseach Enda Kenny's all-Ireland Brexit forum. And down at Leinster House, Harry McGee talks to TDs and senators about their experiences of how the press covers them and their activities, how they deal with the growing number of social media trolls and the problem of populism in the Dáil chamber. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We face the prospect of the most disruptive period of industrial unrest the country has seen in over a decade. Planned strike actions by teachers and gardaí are expected to sorely test the resilience of recession-era pay agreements. To understand how we got to this point, Industry Correspondent Martin Wall and Education Editor Carl O'Brien join podcast regulars Fiach Kelly and Hugh Linehan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.