In The News

As sea levels rise and extreme floods become more frequent, increasing numbers of Irish homeowners are struggling to secure insurance for their properties. Midleton resident Caroline Leahy, who's home was affected by Storm Babet in October 2023, is one of them. In this episode, she talks to Sorcha Pollak about living in constant fear of the next disaster and why the Government response falls short of what is needed to help those impacted. Later on, Environment and Science editor Kevin O’Sullivan on how climate change is impacting the situation.

Verona Murphy made history last December when she became the first female Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann. After just months into that role, she has become the first to face a vote of no confidence.So what does this mean for Murphy? How might her background and experience help her navigate this political storm? And what else do we know about the politician who first made a name for herself in the haulage industry?Political correspondent Harry McGee traces her career and outlines the challenges facing her.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

On March 15th the US military carried out air strikes against the Iran backed Houthis in Yemen. It was an operation that should have been top secret, its planning known only to key Trump administration officials. But it wasn’t.Through an astonishing breach in national security, the editor of the Atlantic magazine Jeffrey Goldberg was invited into a group chat on Signal where US vice-president JD Vance, secretary of defence Pete Hegseth, and national security adviser Mike Waltz, among others were sharing highly-classified information in advance of the military strike.President Donald Trump responded to this astonishing leak, not by initiating a round of firings, but with a robust deny and deflect strategy.Scott Lucas, Professor of International Politics at the UCD Clinton Institute explains how this Signal leak happened and how the story unfolded this week.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.

Garron Noone is one of the country's most popular social media stars, with a combined 3.5 million followers on Tiktok and Instagram. Usually he's gently poking fun at badly made cups of tea or ranking his favourite ice creams, but last week he veered off brand and ended up at the centre of an international culture war. After making comments about Ireland's immigration crisis, he drew support from the likes of right-wing commentator Katie Hopkins and misogynist influencer Tristan Tate. He's since explained his points were not well communicated and he's dismayed by the attention from the far right. But Irish Times media columnist Hugh Linehan says Noone's comments have thrown fresh light on the language and toxic discourse that surrounds discussions of immigration. This episode contains strong language.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

Irish Times education editor Carl O’Brien discusses how a Dublin school investigated claims that the alleged GAA catfish is among its staff.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. 

On March 2nd, two men – one Israeli and one Palestinian – stood on the stage of the Academy Awards in LA and accepted an Oscar for their documentary ‘No Other Land’. Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham spent four years filming Israel’s forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank region. Their documentary was recorded before the war in Gaza, but highlights a reality that Palestinian communities have faced for decades. Life in the West Bank has become significantly more dangerous since Israel launched its Iron Wall operation just days after a the January ceasefire took hold in Gaza. What is the aim and justification of Israel’s Iron Wall operation? And with settler violence on the rise, is Israel working towards a formal annexation of the region?Hanno Hauenstein, a Berlin-based journalist, discusses his years reporting reporting rom the West Bank for the Israeli-Palestinian +972 Magazine.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon.

The biggest shake-up to the primary school syllabus in more than two decades is on the way. It will overhaul the way most subjects are taught, even add new ones, but changes to one subject is proving the most controversial: sex education.It will replace the Stay Safe programme first introduced in the 1980s and as soon as the Department of Education announced it was working on a new approach and opened up a period of public consultation, one subject emerged as the most contentious – gender identities.Gender identity issues are not on the new primary school curriculum – something that has angered those on one side of this polarising culture war, while reassuring those on the other.Irish Times education editor Carl O’Brien explains why the curriculum is changing and how it became caught up in this most contentious debate.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. 

The new Netflix show "Adolescence" has touched a nerve. In its first four days alone, it pulled in 24 million views. The fictionalised account of a 13 year old boy who murders his female classmate shines a light on a growing problem; the dangerous impact misogynist influencers are having on young men. If you've been preoccupied by the show and how you can take action on it, this episode is for you. Originally published in January 2025, Dr Darragh McCashin from the School of Psychology at DCU outlines the best way to speak to the young people in your life about influencers like Andrew Tate. The complete resource for parents and teachers can be accessed for free here.Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by John Casey.Why we can't look away from this hypnotic Netflix hit, writes Laura Slattery in today's Irish Times.

Only a few Irish eyes were smiling when Conor McGregor appeared alongside Donald Trump in the Oval Office on St Patrick's Day. The former UFC star, who is appealing a civil jury's finding that he was responsible for raping Nikita Hand, has long been a darling of the American far right. McGregor used the opportunity to spread disinformation about Ireland on the world stage, falsely alleging that Dublin is unsafe because of the high numbers of asylum seekers. But how did the ex-MMA star go from tweeting "f**k politics" in 2015 and being pro-lockdown in 2020 to teasing his ambitions to run for president this year? Crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher outlines the vague and shifting politics of Conor McGregor and how he's been quietly working moving into politics behind the scenes.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.