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The David McWilliams Podcast

Subsidies, Strikes and the Coming July Clash

21 Apr 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.031 - 26.228 David McWilliams

Just a quick heads up on what's coming up on the podcast. It is going to be hot July. We're going to be talking about the implications of throwing money at problems in Ireland and why July this year will be a perfect storm. One, the subsidy to the truckers will have evaporated by July. Two, it's going to be warm and hot and long nights, which are perfect for rioting and protesting.

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Chapter 2: What recent events led to the current tensions in Ireland?

26.709 - 46.701 David McWilliams

And three, the European presidency is here and the Irish government will be at its most vulnerable. That's all coming up in a couple of minutes. Just before we start a big announcement, it is Doki Book Festival week. The tickets are on sale at dokibookfestival.org.

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47.022 - 82.275 David McWilliams

We have an extraordinary lineup, 100 events, more than 100 writers from 21 different countries bringing, I think it's fair to say, a little bit for everybody. So that is Doki Book Festival, third weekend of June. Tickets are now on sale, dokibookfestival.org. To understand the economy, you have to understand human nature. How are you doing there?

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82.495 - 94.069 David McWilliams

It is time for the podcast and we have a little bit of a gem. Not least because John is back in the room from his Australian podcasting.

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Chapter 3: How will the expiration of subsidies impact the Irish economy?

95.711 - 97.033 David McWilliams

Without going overboard, John.

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97.053 - 97.293 John Davis

Yes.

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97.333 - 98.835 David McWilliams

Because it isn't a travelogue.

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98.855 - 99.136 John Davis

Right.

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Chapter 4: Why are summer protests more likely in Ireland?

99.336 - 106.284 John Davis

I can tell you about the birds I've seen. I know. And all that kind of stuff. Crimson what? Oh, no, that was the Crimson Rosario.

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106.424 - 106.805 David McWilliams

Okay.

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107.005 - 128.595 John Davis

Which I came across in the forest in Otway National Park, and I nearly lost my mind. It's the most beautiful bird. Like, it's a really brilliant crimson red. You should see him. And electric blue, and it flew in front of the car. It was down this little dirt track. And I got out of the car and I was trying to take pictures and everything.

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129.156 - 142.071 John Davis

And I was going back to trying to look it up, this rare bird and all the rest. And then I discovered that they're common as muck. But they're beautiful, beautiful.

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142.051 - 143.874 David McWilliams

But you really enjoyed it, didn't you?

143.894 - 152.888 John Davis

Really enjoyed it. Yeah, yeah. Drove a lot and saw a lot. But when you say you saw a lot of Australia, I didn't. I saw a tiny little piece.

152.968 - 179.213 David McWilliams

Yeah, yeah, yeah. By the way, dear listener, this podcast is not going to be about Australia. It is going to be all about the legacy of and the reaction to those... strikes, blockades, protesters, what it says about Ireland, why we are going to have the hottest 12th of July on both sides of the border. We're going to talk about that in a couple of minutes. But it is lovely to have you back.

179.233 - 183.24 David McWilliams

I was kind of, I was missing you. You know, it's not the same. It's not the same.

183.26 - 187.206 John Davis

I know. We did a couple of pods from Australia, but it's never the same.

Chapter 5: What lessons can Ireland learn from Australia's response to fuel crises?

698.944 - 712.962 David McWilliams

What we're going to have is we're going to have the 12th of July for Catholics. Right? Now imagine what's going to happen. We're going to subsidise the petrol bombs. No! Subsidise the bonies up north. No, so what's going to happen? These subsidies are going to be phased out.

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713.462 - 714.083 John Davis

Yes.

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714.063 - 739.102 David McWilliams

the farmers and the truckers are going to scream yeah we can't do business because yeah because in effect we're subsidizing private business which is again a ridiculous idea right and it's coming up to harvest season well july it's warm yeah the nights are long yeah the chances of rioting are much nicer in the warmth than in the cold yeah you know that what copper has always looked for is rain.

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739.502 - 741.705 David McWilliams

Yes. That's what a cop loves. A cop loves rain.

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741.946 - 742.286 John Davis

Yeah.

742.306 - 754.061 David McWilliams

Because rain pisses off rioters and protesters and they go home and they watch EastEnders, right? Okay. But imagine subsidies phase out on the 12th of July.

754.742 - 755.083 John Davis

Yeah.

755.103 - 762.134 David McWilliams

It's warm. The nights are long. People are bored. These guys realize the Straits of Hormuz are open.

762.735 - 762.955 John Davis

Yeah.

Chapter 6: What strategies did protesters use to gain leverage in Ireland?

1371.836 - 1390.176 David McWilliams

Which is that once you start solving everything by throwing money at everything, One is that you're assuming that the pot of money remains flush. But the second is you're assuming that people will change their behavior.

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1390.636 - 1390.917 John Davis

Yeah.

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1390.937 - 1399.69 David McWilliams

Which is that I reward you, you don't come back to the trough looking for more. Yeah, yeah. But of course, if I reward you, you do come back looking for more.

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1399.71 - 1402.414 John Davis

Yeah, well, there is supposed to be some sort of social contract, isn't there?

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1402.529 - 1415.717 David McWilliams

But this is the point, is that there isn't a social contract. As far as I can see, they didn't say to these protesters, if we do this now, you will be on your best behavior. They just said, here's the money. Problem solved. Move on to the next dilemma.

1416.077 - 1416.558 John Davis

Yeah.

1416.578 - 1421.128 David McWilliams

And there's no organizational consequence for what is going on.

1421.108 - 1450.019 John Davis

So yeah, like I was saying, so this is part of the same old ding dong as my mother used to say, you know, just throw money at it and it will go away. But let's talk about that after a bit of this. So, Mac, we're talking about throwing money at problems as the kind of, it seems like the only fix that the government seems to be able to come up with.

1450.039 - 1450.68 David McWilliams

They have the money.

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