In The News

Last week, the Government rushed through a number of priority Bills in a scramble to clear the decks before the next general election.Five Bills were considered and passed, all in under six hours, a process that normally takes weeks.But, are there any risks involved in rushing these Bills so quickly through the Dáil? And, what happens to the pieces of legislation, such as the Defamation or Mental Health Bills, which are not expected to be passed before the election?Meanwhile, opposition TDs are continuing to call for the Occupied Territories Bill, which would ban trade between Ireland and Israel’s illegal settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territories, to be passed without delay. Can that happen before the end of November?Today, on In the News, how the Government is rushing to pass new laws before its term ends. Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy examines the implications of fast-tracking Bills through the Oireachtas.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon.

This episode was originally published in August 2024. Sales of EVs in Ireland collapsed in 2024 with the number of newly-licensed electric vehicles down by 24 per cent in the first seven months of the year.But why? The push towards EVs is a key plank in the Government’s climate strategy and the choice of EVs has never been wider.Early adopters worried about range anxiety but advances in technology has seen that replaced by charge anxiety – concerns about the availability of charging stations, whether that be at home or on the road. But that’s just one worry motorist have before considering an EV.The Government’s Climate Action Plan aims to have almost one million EVs on Irish roads by 2030, comprising 845,000 cars and 100,000 vans, trucks and buses.With just over six years to go before that target date, the falling sales figures raise further questions over what was already an ambitious target.Motoring writer Neil Brisco explains why the shine has gone off EV cars for Irish motorists.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.

The Apprentice isn’t a movie about the reality TV series that made its presenter, New York businessman Donald Trump, a star. Instead it tracks the relationship from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s, between Trump (Sebastian Stan) as a young man desperate for acknowledgment, fame and wealth and the legendary lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), a whatever-it-takes fixer for a host of shady clients, including the mob.It is Trump who is the apprentice here, eagerly learning from an amoral master and latching on to a particular style of “winning”.This vivid, sometimes fun, always compelling telling (written by journalist Gabriel Sherman and directed by Iranian film-maker Ali Abbasi) won an eight-minute standing ovation when it premiered in Cannes in May but as Irish Times culture columnist Hugh Linehan explains, its path to global cinema screens was fraught as distributors backed away from what they feared could be trouble if Trump is re-elected.Screen Ireland came on board to help finance the distribution.But what does the film ultimately say about Trump? And will it have any impact on the election?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and John Casey.

At an event this week, an all-male panel led by Taoiseach Simon Harris, went through the Dublin task force’s 10-point plan.Irish Times Dublin editor Olivia Kelly was there to find out if the task force’s 10 “big moves” offered a new vision for the city – and one where the words might translate into action.She tells In the News what the 10 “big moves” are and how – after she shook off the felling of deja vu – the report, which borrows heavily from the 70-plus such reports that have gone before, might make a difference for Dublin.Presented by Bernice Harrison.

Kinahan gang leader Liam Byrne (43) has been sentenced to five years in prison for weapons charges, while Thomas “Bomber” Kavanagh (57) has been sentenced to six years for similar offences.Both pleaded guilty to the charges, while Kavanagh had also admitted perverting the course of justice. Their co-accused, Shaun Kent (38) from Liverpool, was also sentenced to six years.Observers in the court noticed Byrne’s relief as he realised the sentence would see him out of prison as soon as next year. The court had not heard the full details of Byrne’s criminal past, and Gardaí do not believe Byrne’s claim that he wants to live a lawful life upon release. Conor Lally gives the background to the case and Mark Paul reports from the sentencing in London.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Suzanne Brennan.

Sending Irish prisoners to jails in eastern Europe and letting some sex offenders out early with electronic tags are just two of the 16 recommendations put forward by an expert group to solve the overcrowding crisis in Irish prisons.These two proposals are not being considered by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee but most of the measures in the Prison Overcrowding Response Group’s new report are, including pop-up prison cells and early release for a wide range of offences.So packed are our 14 jails that for the past two years many offenders have already been released early – a drastic move that’s gone almost unnoticed.But the problem keeps getting bigger as Conor Gallagher, Irish Times crime and security correspondent, explains as he outlines the challenges and possible solutions, including building a new prison.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has finally presented his long-awaited victory plan to the world. It’s his blueprint on how to end the war with Russia and achieve a just peace for Ukraine, but as he outlines in this five-step plan, Ukraine cannot do it alone.   Will Zelenskiy be able to sell his proposal to Western allies, and what would really happen if it gets off the ground? Could it mean an end to the war?   Bernice Harrison talks to Irish Times journalist Dan McLaughlin in Kyiv.