Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

The Year in Politics

27 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 sha...

Senator Catherine Noone

20 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Brexit: What's Our Strategy Now? Live at the IIEA

13 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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, onc...

Poll Special: 8th Amendment, Political Parties & Brexit

09 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 consti...

Brexit: High-Stakes Game Playing

06 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Guardian’s Brexit correspondent Lisa O’Carroll joins Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy, deputy political editor Fiach Kelly and presenter...

Fintan O'Toole: "An act of defiance of Irish democracy" / Britain's Pesky Irish Problem

29 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar called the Department of Justice 'dysfunctional' yesterday, but it is worse than that, says Fintan O'Toole: the failure by the ...

After A Day of Drama, Questions Remain

28 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Pat Leahy and Harry McGee talk to Hugh about the dramatic events of the last week that were capped today with the resignation of Frances Fitzgerald, a...

No Hand, Act or Part

22 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week there proved to be at least one more political sting left in the tail of the McCabe controversy. This latest entanglement involves a dubious...

Exit Adams / Live at the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis

20 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Inside Politics returned to the RDS on Saturday for the final stop on our tour of party conferences in what has amounted to a festival season for Iris...

The Brexit Riddle

15 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As the deadline for completing the first stage of Brexit negotiations draws near, and with the British political establishment in the midst of a nervo...

The Taoiseach's Speech, Republic of Opportunity, Brexit Realities (Live at FG Conference)

11 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Last month we went to the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis for a close look at that party's policies, politics and personalities. This weekend it was Fine Gael'...

Sexual Harassment, Languishing Bills, Alan Shatter

08 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Houses of Parliament in Westminster have been engulfed by allegations of sexual harassment in the past week. How does the environment in Leinster ...

Inside Story - Paradise Papers

06 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paradise Papers is the name given to a journalistic project organised by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in Washingto...

Interview: Timothy Snyder, Author of "On Tyranny"

03 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hugh Linehan speaks with American author, historian and academic Timothy Snyder about his book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, ...

Can Labour Come Back?

01 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Labour is in the doldrums, stuck on five or six per cent in the polls and struggling to have its voice heard. What are its chances of getting back to ...

Repeal or Replace, Crimes in The National Interest

25 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hugh and Pat are joined by Social Affairs Correspondent Kitty Holland and columnist Fintan O'Toole to discuss the direction being taken by Fine Gael a...

Interview: Martin O'Malley on Life in Politics, Trump, Running in 2020

20 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Irish-American politician Martin O'Malley is best known for terms as governor of Maryland and mayor of Baltimore, and for his unsuccessful run for the...

Storm Ophelia, 8th Amendment Committee & EU Summit

18 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar held a number of press conferences throughout Storm Ophelia, did live interviews and donned a high-vis jacket to assess the res...

Are Fianna Fáil Ready for Government? Live at the Ard Fheis with Dara Calleary & Fiona O'Loughlin

14 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Inside Politics has made the short trip from its office to the RDS where a resurgent Fianna Fáil are holding their annual Ard Fheis, to ask whether t...

Interview: A.C. Grayling - Rethinking Democracy

13 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Philosopher A.C. Grayling is known for his writings on the intersections between belief systems, individual liberties and systems of government. In hi...

Budget Special: More Porridge, Less Pyrotechnics

10 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

No big bonanza and no pyrotechnics, but Budget 2018 is more exciting than it might seem on the surface. So say the Irish Times political team. Paschal...

Poll Special: 8th Amendment, Framing Questions, Leo's Bounce

06 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Pat Leahy talks to Hugh Linehan about the results of the latest Irish Times Ipsos/MRBI poll.The poll showed greater support for a limited revision of ...

Any Budget Surprises in Store? Leo vs LCD Soundsystem, Catalonia Reaction

04 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With just six days left until Leo Varadkar and Paschal Donohoe announce their first Budget as Taoiseach and finance minister respectively, the most su...

Interview: Robert Harris on The Transformation of Britain

29 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Novelist and former political journalist Robert Harris returns to Inside Politics to discuss his new novel 'Munich', set over the course of the four-d...

Abortion Referendum, Sinn Féin's Culture, Property Tax

27 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sinn Fein TD for Dublin Mid-West Eoin Ó Broin joins Hugh, Pat and Sarah to discuss the forthcoming referendum on the 8th Amendment, Fianna Fáil and ...

Ruled By Fianna Fáil & Fine Gael Forever? (Live at the Dublin Podcast Festival)

25 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Ten years after an economic and social crisis that it seemed would change the Irish political landscape utterly, the political dominance of Fianna Fá...

Budget Skirmishes, Michael D's Move, Dáil Returns

20 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hugh is joined by Harry McGee and Fiach Kelly to discuss everything and anything on the political agenda this week, including pre-budget skirmishes be...

"The Trends Are Good, But It's Not Enough"

13 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week Hugh, Pat and Harry are joined by Minister of State at the Department of Housing Damien English to talk about the latest news on the housing...

Barry Cowen Defends His Housing Proposal & FF's Record / SF's Leadership Dilemma

06 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The negative reaction to Fianna Fáil TD and spokesman on housing Barry Cowen's proposal to incentivise building by reducing VAT rates for builders sh...

PSC: Compulsory or Mandatory? Housing Out Of Hand, Strategic Communications

30 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

From E-voting to water charges, there have been plenty of examples of governments getting into hot water over a 'sensible' plan emanating from the civ...

Housing Crisis: Time for the State to Build

23 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Can we fix a housing market bedevilled by perverse incentives and bottlenecks?How important have lobbying, vested interests and ideology been in deter...

Britain's Border Proposal, Preparing for Failure, Craughwell 2018

16 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Britain has just released a negotiating paper with details of how it sees a future UK-EU border on this island operating. Here with hot takes are Fiac...

Inside Story - Simon Carswell Visits Ireland's Ghost Estates

12 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Ghost estates - residential building developments began during the boom and abandoned when the crash came - became synonymous with the excesses of the...

Brexit: Fintan O'Toole & Jeffrey Donaldson on Dublin's Tough Talk

09 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson and Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole discuss how well Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is playing Dublin's hand in the rather compl...

Sophie Long on Varadkar, Brexit and the DUP

02 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Former Progressive Unionist Party member and feminist academic Sophie Long gives her view on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s recent comments about Ireland’...

Don't Party Like It's 1999

26 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

When Government returns to its work in the autumn, the difficult and politically dangerous work of managing our economic recovery by means of the budg...

David Goodhart On Rethinking Political Divides

21 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In his book "The Road to Somewhere: The Populist Revolt and the Future of Politics", journalist David Goodhart attempts to provide a framework for und...

Water Refunds, GNI in A Bottle, Brexit Pessimism

19 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Fine Gael have found the money to repay water charges to those who complied back in 2014, marking perhaps the final chapter in a terrible humiliation ...

End of Term, Paschal's Loose Change, The Observing Taoiseach

12 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The summer break is looming in Leinster House and TDs are rushing to get things legislation through after an underwhelming term. Minister for Finance ...

Trudeaumania, Bin Ideology & DUP's Desperation

05 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Harry McGee and Pat Leahy talk about the substantive issues addressed by An Taoiseach Leo Vardakar and Justin Trudeau on the occasion of the Canadian ...

Shane Ross's Unloved Bill, NED Talks

28 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Former Irish Times Legal Affairs correspondent and author of The Supreme Court Ruadhan Mac Cormaic joins podcast regulars Sarah Bardon, Pat Leahy and ...

Cringe Actually, Gender Roles, Nóirín Gets The Third Degree

21 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The grubby appointment of former AG Máire Whelan to the Court of Criminal Appeals, the glaring lack of females in the senior and junior Government ra...

Fintan O'Toole on Brexit, English Nationalism and the DUP

16 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hugh talks to Fintan O'Toole, who has just been awarded the Orwell Prize for Journalism for his writing on Brexit. Fintan explains why the Irish view ...

Leo's First Day: What We Learned

14 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

After another long day in Dáil Eireann, Irish Times politics team members Pat Leahy, Fiach Kelly and Mary Minihan trooped back to base to chat with H...

Political Theatre, Cabinet Forecast, Mary Lou McDonald on Leo The "Tory"

07 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald returns to the podcast to share her views on Leo Varadkar and Fine Gael's place on the political spectrum, future coali...

It's Leo

02 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Leo Varadkar has prevailed. At just 38, the new leader of Fine Gael is practically guaranteed to become our next Taoiseach. Simon Coveney, meanwhile, ...

Interview With Angela Nagle, Author Of 'Kill All Normies'

01 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Academic and author Angela Nagle first came to many Irish Times readers' attention when she penned an opinion piece on the so-called Alt-Right, in res...

Leo's Last Lap, Simon's Switchers and Yesterday's Men

31 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Blue blood stained the floor after the final Fine Gael leadership hustings in Cork on Sunday. Now there are just a few days left for Simon to overhaul...

Inside Story: The Persecution of Sean FitzPatrick

27 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sean FitzPatrick has been vilified for his key role in the economic crash that devastated the country. But has the State wronged him in its pursuit of...

Poll Shows Majority Favour Coveney

25 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

A new Irish Times / Ipsos MRBI poll brings badly needed good news for Simon Coveney as he tries to overhaul Leo Varadkar's early lead in the race to l...

Mission Impossible? - Simon Coveney's Leadership Fight

24 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The chances of Simon Coveney becoming the next leader of the Fine Gael party are slim, but Dublin Bay South TD Kate O'Connell, who is supporting him, ...

Fintan O'Toole: This Low-Stakes Race Is Meaningless For Most Of Us

19 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Leo Varadkar seems to be pulling away in the race to succeed Enda Kenny. But does it really matter whether it is Simon or Leo? Fintan O'Toole talks to...

There Is A Vacancy: Varadkar Holds Early Lead in Race to Succeed Kenny

17 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Enda Kenny's leadership of Fine Gael and the country is over. Who will replace him? Fiach Kelly has canvassed every TD, Senator and Councillor to get ...

Seán Fleming on Enda's Lingering Leadership, Confidence & Supply and PAC

17 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How has Enda Kenny's long goodbye impacted on the Oireachtas? Fianna Fáil TD and chair of the Dáil's Public Accounts Committee, Seán Fleming joins ...

Inside Eurovision with Patrick Freyne

12 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Eurovision time is here again, and this year it's taking place in Ukraine. Is the tense political context impacting the annual carnival of national po...

A Disturbance in the Force, Dáil Decorum, Paschal the Kingmaker

10 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Will Nóirín O'Sullivan eventually be invited to follow sacked FBI director James Comey into early retirement? To discuss that developing story, plus...

A Year of Living Independently

05 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

What Ails The Dáil? How To Fix Our Lifeless Legislature

03 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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, s...

Church, State & Hospital / What Next For Anti-Abortion Groups?

26 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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, peopl...

Inside Story - Gardaí Struggle With Hostility On Streets

22 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a torrid few months for the institutional reputation of An Garda Síochána. Some members of the force believe the various controversies hav...

Snap Chat: May's Surprise, Labour's Nightmare, The Forgotten Celtic Fringe

19 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How the forthcoming UK election could leave the Conservatives with a whopping majority and consign Labour to as much as another decade in the politica...

Water Solved? / All Politics Is Local

12 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Inside Story - IRA veterans' view of Brexit

08 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

FG-FF deal fraying / Green's Catherine Martin on maternity leave & rebuilding the party

05 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 cri...

Jim O'Callaghan on Garda Controversy & Confidence

29 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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.Spea...

Inside Story - Victims on Trial?

27 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Testifying against an abuser in court is a harrowing experience for a woman. When defence barristers ask questions about that woman's personal sexual ...

Stephen Donnelly on Brexit, Fianna Fáil & "Phenomenal" Ireland

22 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Fianna Fáil’s newest recruit Stephen Donnelly talks about why he has never been more convinced of the need for the government to appoint a Brexit m...

The Legacy of Martin McGuinness

21 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald joins us to pay tribute to the late Martin McGuinness. She calls him a person of grit and remarkable skill, who leaves ...

Colm Tóibín's solution for Northern Ireland

16 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Author Colm Tóibín believes compromises must be made on all sides and by all traditions to give Northern Ireland the best possible future, one that ...

Gerry Adams on Stormont negotiations, a border poll and reaching out to unionism

15 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams. On the agenda are negotiations to form the Northern Ireland executive, what should happen if those t...

Tuam Reaction, Harris Withdraws From FG Race, Enda Goes to Washington

08 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In the past week the confirmation of the discovery of human remains at a former mother and baby home in Tuam, County Galway has shocked the nation and...

Bonus Pollcast: Advantage Coveney In Two-Horse Race

04 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Recorded earlier this week, this podcast features analysis of the final batch of results from the latest Irish Times Ipsos/MRBI poll, this time concer...

Poll Special: Plurality Want 8th Replaced, Not Repealed

03 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Pat Leahy talks to Hugh Linehan about the findings of the latest Irish Times Ipsos/MRBI poll which show that the question of abortion remains a divisi...

Finian McGrath on 'Grace' & punishing HSE staff who failed her, Irish Water & Dáil delays

01 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Taoiseach Enda Kenny apologised yesterday for the appalling treatment of 'Grace', a child with an intellectual disability, in our care system. Indepen...

"A toxic balance of power between FF & FG" - Prime Time's Katie Hannon on a year of New Politics

24 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It's one year since voters gambled on an uncertain future by returning no clear winner in the general election. Over the next week, in print and onlin...

"He's not like other politicians" - Varadkar and Coveney supporters make their case

22 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The race to become the next leader of Fine Gael is now on, no matter what anyone tells you to the contrary. On today's podcast we talk to two Fine Gae...

McCabe Crisis: Kenny Departure Hastened, Our Institutions Exposed, How To Run A Tribunal

15 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a busy week in politics and there's a lot to get through on today's podcast. First political reporter Sarah Bardon looks back at a shambolic...

McCabe Controversy Entangles Ministers, Senior Gardaí

10 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Pat Leahy and Sarah Bardon tell Hugh Linehan what is now known about the false rape accusations made against whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe, an...

Politicians Under Pressure

08 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump begins his day at 5am by watching "lies" about him on TV, while new Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Donnelly is being told "everyone hates you" o...

Repeal Campaigners Talk About Strategy, Tone & "Shrillness"

04 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The campaign to repeal the 8th amendment enjoys popular support in opinion polls and the dedicated efforts of progressives, but some have criticised h...

Brendan Howlin on rebuilding Labour, politics of the left, Trump, & more

01 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

After a catastrophic performance in the 2016 general election, the Labour party must rebuild from its roots and reconnect with working class voters, a...

Inside Politics Live with Leo Varadkar, Theresa Reidy, Pat & Hugh

26 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The first ever episode of Inside Politics recorded in from of a live audience features a stellar line-up of old friends Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy and Th...

Mary Lou McDonald on Sinn Féin's 'generational change', the DUP & Stardust

25 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald says her party needs to have "a conversation" once again about whether it would go into government as a junior coalit...

Inside Story - The Trump Years Begin

20 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It's here: Trump inauguration day. We talk to our foreign affairs correspondent Ruadhan Mac Cormaic about some of the issues this historic presidency ...

Micheál Martin on Brexit, Donald Trump & Sinn Fein's "arrogance"

18 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin says he is worried the Government has not been prudent enough to prepare us for a Brexit economic storm, but insis...

Inside Story - Patrick Freyne's Warrior Mindset

13 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

"When did businesspeople become such hippies?" Patrick Freyne went to Pendulum, the “world’s leading business and self-empowerment summit”, run ...

"The Ugly Scaffolding Of Democracy" - Eamonn McCann & Mick Fealty On NI Politics

11 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Martin McGuinness's resignation as Deputy First Minister will almost certainly mean elections in Northern Ireland, and many are questioning whether po...

Inside Story - Reaction To An 'Alt-Right' Article

05 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

An opinion piece on irishtimes.com about vocabulary used by the so-called 'alt-right' political movement has caused a stir. Opinion Editor John McManu...

"We can't fix our own health system"-John Halligan on HSE woe, his position & cosmic Christmas cards

04 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

John Halligan has a reputation for speaking his mind and on today's Inside Politics podcast he doesn't disappoint. He explains what really happened fr...

Inside Story - Ireland '86

31 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Many people old enough to remember 1986 in Ireland will tell you it was a pretty grim time and place. The economy was in the doldrums and unemployment...

A look ahead to 2017 with Fintan O'Toole, Una Mullally & Pat Leahy

28 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

What does 2017 hold in store for Ireland and the world? We don't claim to know, but we invited Fintan O'Toole, Una Mullally and Pat Leahy in to discus...

Inside Story - 2016 In The Newsroom

23 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

2016 was a good and bad year for reporters. There were plenty of stories to report on, but also plenty of challenges to traditional journalism, old an...

2016 Review: A bizarre, sometimes dreadful, year in politics

21 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

It was a “bizarre year in politics” says Irish Times political reporter Sarah Bardon, who found herself with very little to report on some nights ...

Inside Story - Dublin's 21,000 Empty Homes

17 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

There are 21,000 vacant residences in Dublin City. This weekend activists have felt the need to appropriate an empty office block to house the homeles...

Coveney's Rent Gambit, Kenny's Calculus

14 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

To take a look back at a six month period of "new politics" that is now ending with ambitious Minister Coveney's new rental reform package, and with T...

Inside Story - Superbugs v Drugs

10 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

When we talk about health and medicine, the immediate problems tend to crowd out the important ones, says our correspondent Paul Cullen. But this week...

Ireland's Permanent Housing Crisis

07 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Ireland’s continual housing crisis will not be solved unless issues of affordability and security of tenure in the rental sector are addressed, acco...

Problem solved... or is it? Simon Coveney and Paul Murphy on water

30 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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-P...

Inside Story - Carers In Crisis

24 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 int...

"Bread on the table" - Alan Kelly on Labour's future

23 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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,...