Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan
Episodes
State facing a summer of strife over migrant accommodation
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The ongoing crisis over a shortage of accommodation for International Protection applicants is an acute problem that risks becoming a chronic one...
Government speaking loudly and carrying a small stick on prices
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh to discuss the big political stories of the week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...
Where British politics went wrong - with Rafael Behr
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Political columnist and podcaster Rafael Behr returns to the podcast to talk about his new book Politics: A Survivor's Guide. One theme of Behr’s bo...
Pros and cons of helping mortgage holders, President Higgins on economics and King Charles's big day
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After yet another ECB rates rise, could we see the reintroduction of mortgage interest relief to take some pressure off homeowners? That was the first...
Fiona Hill on a global 'proxy war' in Ukraine
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fiona Hill returns to the podcast to talk to Hugh Linehan about how global attitudes to the war in Ukraine have shifted in the year since Russia’s i...
The Tánaiste's Dáil outburst, the patchy provision of abortion care and Leo's tax cuts promise
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tánaiste Micheál Martin's rant in the Dáil was the first point of discussion on the podcast's round-up this week. The rant was aimed at the brand o...
Eamon Ryan: We need to scale up the State to make it fit for purpose
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Minister for Transport and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan talks to Hugh Linehan and Harry McGee about policies and politics. Hosted on Acast. See acas...
How to spend it, TDs’ boundary obsession, robust discussions
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to discuss the week in politics:How should the Government use this year's forecast €10 billion budget...
Does the Dowdall connection harm Sinn Féin?
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s Inside Politics podcast Hugh Linehan is joined by Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones from our political team to discuss this week’s stor...
Has Biden found the right balance on his Ireland visit?
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Irish Times Washington Correspondents past and present, Simon Carswell and Martin Wall, have both been covering US president Joe Biden's visit to Irel...
The politics of Biden's visit
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gerard Howlin and Freya McClements join Pat Leahy to talk about all the politics surrounding US President Joe Biden's visit to Ireland. The four-day t...
Why is politics failing to solve problems like housing? With Ben Ansell
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The whole world is a series of collective action problems, says Professor Ben Ansell. We want action taken to solve problems, but we want most of the ...
Fireworks in the chamber, Defence Forces in crisis, battle of the Irish Times columnists
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh to look back at the week in politics:Bad-tempered Dáil debates on confidence motions this weekDefence Forces i...
'Northern Ireland has moved on' - Fintan O'Toole on 25th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
April marks 25 years since the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement was reached, ending the Troubles and establishing a new political arrangement on the i...
The Independents’ policy setting power, unhappy Greens and a perilous position for the government
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Despite the government's comfortable defeat of a motion of no confidence this week, the fallout continues as it reacts to the forthcoming lifting of t...
‘A pretty bruising contest’: SNP leadership race uncovers cracks within the party
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon has been heating up over the last number of weeks, as the three candidates vying for the position, have clashed...
Has housing 'turned a corner'? Biden's welcome, Green Party disharmony
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's St Patrick's Day week and ministers are flying off to press the flesh around the world. Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to talk abo...
Eviction ban, congestion charges and the state’s inability to look around corners.
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One issue has dominated the agenda on what was an already busy week for politics. The decision to lift the eviction ban was a shock reversal of what w...
'We are out to provoke' - PBP's Richard Boyd Barrett on policies, politics and trusting Sinn Fein
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
People Before Profit TD for Dún Laoghaire Richard Boyd Barrett talks to Hugh and Jen about a pamphlet recently published by his party that set o...
Questions for Niall Collins, Holly Cairns's opportunity, PBP stakes its territory
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about the week in politics:Minister of state Niall Collins fails to put questions over a planning applic...
A pivotal moment for Northern Ireland
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Government and the European Union expect British prime minister Rishi Sunak to proceed with the new deal on the Northern Ireland protocol even if ...
'When you go to a Social Democrats convention, you're struck by how young its supporters are'
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Holly Cairns is seen as the most likely contender to succeed Roisin Shorthall and Catherine Murphy, who announced they’re to step down as co-leaders...
How the world sees the war in Ukraine
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How the war in Ukraine is seen in Europe and around the world is complex and always changing, but there's no doubt that global perceptions. and motiva...
Northern Ireland Protocol: how close are we to a deal?
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to talk through some of the biggest political stories of the week including Nicola Sturgeon’s shock resignatio...
David Runciman on Brexit's 'phoney war' and the urgent need to tame states and corporations
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The political debate around the impact of Brexit on the United Kingdom and its future economic relationship with Europe is 'just on hold at the m...
Bertie's back
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to talk about the readmission to Fianna Fáil of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who led the party for 1...
North and South: We answer listener questions on reunification
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we answer listener questions about the North and South project, with help from Professor Brendan O’Leary of the University of Pennsylvania and...
Desperation as asylum seeker accommodation crises deepens
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to talk about the week in politics:A letter from Minister Roderic O'Gorman to cabinet colleagues ask...
Can Labour ever be relevant again? Ivana Bacik says yes
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Labour leader Ivana Bacik talks to Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy about her efforts to revive the party's fortunes since taking over early last year. In a...
Expense allowances, threats to politicians, home truths
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to look back on the week in politics.Claims of electoral expense irregularities expand to ensnare Sinn Fein...
Why 2024 will be a major year in Irish politics
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
No elections take place this year. But 2024 could see local, European and general elections all taking place in Ireland. And these looming political b...
Postergate: How much bother is Paschal Donohoe in?
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe has cultivated a reputation for being a safe pair of political hands, so it has been surprising t...
Peadar Tóibín on Aontú, Sinn Féin, immigration and ambition
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"If we push honest views below ground, we simply push those views into the hands of real racists". That statement, referring to the hot-button issue o...
The growing influence of online gurus - with Helen Lewis
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Struggling in your job, your attitude, your relationships? There are a growing number of self-declared online experts who have all the answers.Author ...
The fall of Damien English
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to discuss the fallout from a report on The Ditch news website that Meath West Fine Gael TD Damien Engl...
Cow dung attack on politicians, health crisis continues, protocol developments
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today's podcast:The crisis in Emergency Departments this winter reveals a lack of accountability in the upper echelons of the system, among other i...
New year, old problems for Government
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
New year, new Taoiseach, but the same headwinds facing the Government in areas like housing, refugee accommodation and a struggling healthcare system....
Ask Us Anything, Christmas 2022 edition - part two
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's part two of our annual Ask Us Anything, featuring questions on journalism, politics and a podcasting rivalry.Taking your questions in studio are ...
Ask Us Anything, Christmas 2022 edition - part one
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You asked, we answered. It's part one of our annual Ask Us Anything, featuring questions on journalism, politics and a podcasting rivalry.Taking your ...
Is the little-changed Cabinet a sign of stability or of stagnation?
17 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What happened in the Cabinet reshuffle? Not a lot, is one reasonable answer - there were no surprises, most ministers stayed where there were and any ...
Disquiet over planning bill, corruption scandal in Brussels
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Naomi O'Leary is on the line from Brussels where a money-for-influence corruption scandal has rocked the European Parliament. But first, Jack Horgan-J...
Sipo documents reveal deep division over Varadkar leak case
10 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Current affairs editor Arthur Beesley joins Hugh and Pat to talk about his report on what happened inside the Standards in Public Office Commission (S...
Poll findings lay down a challenge to advocates of unity
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"Loser's consent" could be a critical concept in the event of a referendum on Irish reunification. Will the losing side accept the results? We got som...
North and South, Ireland is divided on the unity question
03 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When should a referendum on Irish unity be held, and how would citizens north and south vote? The answer to those questions are the subject of the fir...
December reshuffle: What to expect?
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Next month Fianna Fáil's Micheal Martin will hand over the office of Taoiseach to Fine Gael's Leo Varadkar.The switch will necessitate a big reshuffl...
Trial evidence embarrassment for Sinn Féin, housing discontent, Greens take stock
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the podcast today:How much of the East Wall refugee protest story is really an outworking of the housing shortage? With Russia's targeting of energ...
East Wall protests: Government grapples with immigration and housing crises
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Political correspondents Harry McGee and Jennifer Bray join Pat Leahy to discuss how the Government is grappling with some disquiet over immigration, ...
Bad days in Blackrock, Fine Gael prepare for Varadkar's return as Taoiseach, Florida man
18 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Non-political stories have dominated the news agenda this week, but each has a political dimension. Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh to discuss...
Can China's relationship with the West recover?
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"After months of rising tensions between Washington and Beijing amid talk of economic decoupling and a new cold war, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping sought i...
How big tech traps consumers and shafts creators
12 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The world’s most powerful media and technology companies use their market power to lock their customers into a relationship they can’t escape, whi...
Will tech woes remove Ireland's corporate tax cushion?
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh to look at the week's politics:A Supreme Court ruling creates a headache for GovernmentHow a stricken tech s...
US midterms: Red wave fails to materialise
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the run up to the US midterm elections, polls and political spectators forecast a landslide for the Republicans, but as the results continue to pou...
Will a new hate speech law impinge on free speech?
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
New legislation will give extra protection to members of groups affected by crimes motivated by hatred. But critics say the law will be an unacceptabl...
Support for Ukraine strong but accommodation worries grow - poll
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The latest Irish Times/Ipsos opinion poll shows that despite a strong desire to support Ukraine, 61 per cent of voters are concerned that “too many ...
What does Sunak's reshuffle mean for Ireland?
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“Time to look at the big picture; what does it mean for me?”Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan on this week’s Inside Politics to discus...
Liz Truss and the party leadership problem
21 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The debacle of Liz Truss's short premiership has cast the entire UK political system into crisis. Not least the system used by the Tory party leadersh...
Fintan O'Toole on 'Up the 'Ra' and turmoil in Westminster
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Many Irish Times readers were talking this week about Fintan O'Toole's column on the subject of the IRA and the appropriateness of chanting "Up the 'R...
Ross interview saga, recession risk, crumbling block levy
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"A grim agenda" of recession, UK bond crisis and global energy crisis awaits later in today's podcast, so first the team enjoy a relatively light topi...
Macron's talking shop, Brexit machinations
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The European Political Community, a new forum for European leaders including wannabe EU members and Brexit Britain, met for the first time yesterday a...
Paying for mica, generations divided, autumn reshuffle
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gerard Howlin, Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to talk about this week's politics:Who is satisfied or dissatisfied with last week's budget Irish...
Concrete plans, UK turmoil
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Follow-up analysis of Budget 2023 including childcare measures and the concrete levy, plus a look at the difficult political choices facing UK prime m...
Making sense of Budget 2023
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Now that the dust is beginning to settle on Budget 2023, it’s time to pick it all apart. With €11 billion to dish out, it was by all means “a bu...
Budget previews, census shocks, pension policies
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For a quick catchup on the political news of the week, Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan. Topics include: Sinn Féin holds a pre-budget pres...
Understanding far-right gains in Italy and Sweden
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary talks to Hugh about forthcoming elections in Italy that look likely to return a government led by the far-right. Wh...
How our Taoisigh saw the arts - and how the arts saw them
16 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a new book Kevin Rafter explores how art and artists have been treated by our taoisigh, from W.T. Cosgrave to Micheál Martin, and how those men ha...
Party think-ins and Dáil debates signal start of political season
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Party think-ins have been happening, a cost of living crisis is raging and the Dáil is back today - so there is lots to discuss. Harry McGee and Pat ...
What can we expect from the new Prime Minister?
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
London editor Denis Staunton and political editor Pat Leahy join Hugh to discuss the dawning UK premiership of Liz Truss. How will she govern, and wha...
Making sense of a united Ireland - with Brendan O'Leary
03 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Brendan O'Leary returns to the show to talk about his new book Making Sense of a United Ireland, in which he explores the issues around a po...
Energy crisis: what can the government do to soften the blow this winter?
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This winter, thousands of Irish households will be pushed into energy poverty, as the price of oil and gas continues to skyrocket. So, what options do...
Troy affair raises questions about standards, transparency and conflicts
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On Wednesday Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy stepped down from his role as Minister of State after weeks of controversy over his failure to properly decla...
Is political identity replacing religion in people's lives?
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Religious belief has declined in Europe, but the strength of people's political views is stronger than ever - or at least, it often seems so online.Ha...
Robert Troy, budget rumours and refugee resources
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray emerge from the misty miasma of August political coverage to tell Hugh what's going on in a number of stories: con...
The origin of America's opioid epidemic - with Patrick Radden Keefe (originally posted 2021)
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Radden Keefe is an American writer and investigative journalist. His book Empire of Pain is a detailed history of the Sackler dynasty and thei...
Is a united Ireland inevitable?
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"It is not a question of whether, but when and how Ireland will be united", is the provocative opening argument made by author and journalist Frank Co...
Climate politics is here to stay
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Horgan Jones, Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan, back after a two-month absence, to talk about the week's politics including tension ...
Is Ireland’s immigration and asylum regime close to crisis?
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Government this week moved swiftly to tighten Ireland's immigration and asylum regime, when it revoked automatic permission to enter Ireland for p...
Poll: Electorate sends mixed messages on refugees and abortion
16 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Leahy talks to guest host Mary Minihan about the results of this week's series of Ipsos opinion poll results. Read about the poll here: https://ww...
Confidence debate a damp squib for Sinn Féin
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn join Pat Leahy to discuss the confidence debate and vote that the Government handily won yesterday. Plus, a look ahea...
US politics: Will the Roe v Wade ruling matter at the ballot box?
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Crucial midterm elections for the US Congress will take place in the autumn, with the Democratic Party predicted to lose one or both houses to a resur...
Replacing Boris Johnson
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With Boris Johnson on his way, however slowly, out the door, the Conservatives face a challenge to find a leader who can unite the party and retain it...
How will the Tories remove their unwanted leader?
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It seems to be a question of when, not if, for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose mishandling of sexual misconduct allegations against an MP has t...
Do Fine Gael get it? Una Mullally debates Neale Richmond
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fine Gael under leader Leo Varadkar are hopelessly out of touch with young voters, says Irish Times columnist Una Mullally. Her criticisms are unfound...
Will the government take any pre-budget action?
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer Bray, Jack Horgan-Jones and Irish Times Economics Correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy join Pat Leahy to discuss the long wait until October's bu...
Brexit wars reignite / Will the cost of living keep rising?
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The rising cost of living is the most immediate issue facing governments all over the world. The Central Statistics Office reports Inflation at a 40-y...
Crèche pressure, GUBU, Johnson survives
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Horgan-Jones is one of many parents paying through the nose for childcare. The Government wants to take some of the financial pain out of early y...
Europe grapples with Ukraine, food and energy crises
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Not without difficulty, EU member states reached an agreement on new sanctions against Russia, this time banning most oil imports. Pat Leahy and Naomi...
Jon Ronson on the origins of the culture wars
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrated author and podcaster Jon Ronson talks to Hugh about his recent BBC podcast series Things Fell Apart which explores the origins of the cultu...
Sinn Féin and the art of government
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If Sinn Féin fulfils its ambition to be the first party other than Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil to form a government in the Republic, what challenges wi...
Green light for the National Maternity Hospital / Ripping up the Protocol
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Part one: Following two weeks of intense debate and discussion on the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital, the plan has finally been approve...
Pandemonium: Jack Horgan-Jones and Hugh O’Connell
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pandemonium: Power, Politics and Ireland’s Pandemic, is the new book by Irish Times political reporter Jack Horgan-Jones and Hugh O’Connell, polit...
Stormont election special: Seismic or not, a significant result for Northern Ireland
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Freya McClements, Mary Minihan and Pat Leahy join Hugh to analyse the results of last week's Northern Ireland Assembly elections. The major talking po...
Voters go to the polls in Britain and Northern Ireland
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tomorrow Northern Ireland goes to the polls, in what’s been dubbed the most important vote in a generation. For the first time in more than a centur...
Turf wars, TD numbers and a row over surrogacy
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pat and Jen join Hugh to talk about all the political stories of the past week including tension within the coalition over a proposed ban on the sale ...
Two very different elections, two defining moments
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Next weekend, French voters decide whether Emmanuel Macron should remain president or Marine Le Pen should replace him. The latter result would transf...
Poll exclusive: majority favour keeping neutrality
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There is overwhelming support for a retention of Ireland’s current model of military neutrality, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos poll.&nbs...
Watt in the spotlight / State of the parties
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Part one: The political controversy over the appointment of Dr Tony Holohan to a position in Trinity College has raised some awkward questions for Min...
What is neoliberalism - and is it over?
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Neoliberalism means different things to different people. As a set of economic policies it is mainly associated with reducing state intervention in co...
Zelenskiy’s historic address to Oireachtas, carbon tax increase, Seanad by-election
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh is joined by Jennifer Bray, Cormac McQuinn and Harry McGee to discuss the big political stories of the week, including Ukrainian President Volody...
Ivana Bacik on Labour’s past, present and future
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ivana Bacik’s uncontested election as Labour Party leader came after the swift removal of Alan Kelly from the role and her own relatively recent app...
A disappointing Patrick’s Day for the Taoiseach, Covid’s resurgence, inflation bites
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh catches up with Pat Leahy, fresh from his trip to Washington for Micheál Martin’s ill-fated St Patrick’s Day visit. They’re also joined by...