Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
There's a new episode every Tuesday with stories and stories about your life on the island.
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
Hello and welcome to IndoPolitics on a week where politicians have been picking up the pieces from those by-election results.
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
Results that saw the Social Democrats and Holly Kearns on the ascendancy, possibly at the expense of Sinn Féin.
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
And as the sun shines and the Dáil would usually prepare for its wind down to the summer recess, politicians on both sides are preparing for what could be a serious battle over the Occupied Territories Bill.
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
To discuss this, I'm joined by Maeve MacTaggart of our
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
Maeve, first of all, the Occupied Territories Bill has finally been signed off on by Cabinet after eight years, but it's not exactly what everyone wants, is it?
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
Yeah, he's really beginning to push back against the opposition on this now because, as you said previously, it was all about the legal advice and what's possible and the advice of the Attorney General.
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
But now he's admitting that it's under pressure from the US side in particular that we...
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
don't want to include services, even though potentially we can't include services anyhow from a legal point of view.
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
So he's putting up the fight and saying, I have 2,500 jobs to look after here.
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
So it's kind of coming down to a battle between principle really and practicality, isn't it?
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
Yes, because the government is worried about the bill, even as it stands, that there's pressure from the US to not proceed with this or that it could cause reputational damage from a business point of view.
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
But Micheál Martin made an interesting point in the Dáil that there are only two powers that can stop Israel.
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
a European Union that's united, but the EU isn't really at this stage united on this, is it?
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
I mean, they don't want to go ahead with suspending this trade agreement.
Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
Yeah, and I actually think that match could become such a sort of touchstone for people.