Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

Pat Leahy and Sarah Burns join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:·       The Dáil will enter uncharted territory next Tuesday as a motion of no confidence in Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy will be debated in the Dáil. Mary Lou McDonald and Labour leader Ivan Bacik are united in their insistence that Murphy’s position is no longer tenable with new speaking time slots for coalition-supporting Independents and Government backbenchers on Dáil schedule.·       Donald Trump has pledged to unveil his new tariffs on April 2nd, dubbing the event “liberation day”, but how will they impact new investment here and the spectacular corporate tax receipts that have been rolling in for the last few years?·       And the ‘desperate state’ of the State’s water system was highlighted by Uisce Éireann this week with “extraordinary complacency” and “passive indifference” around investment to blame. They also explained the clear link between future housing growth and good water services. Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:·       Top US officials sharing military strike details in group chat with a journalist, the Web Summit case and the friendships ruined, and five years on – where did the Covid virus originate?

Sally Hayden talks to Hugh Linehan about her experiences reporting from Syria and Lebanon.

Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:Jack reports from Brussels where EU leaders have been meeting to discuss issues including defence and rearmament.Paschal Donohoe used the sidelines of an EU summit to deliver a stark warning on the impact of tariffs on the economy. Conor McGregor’s appearance at the White House on St Patrick’s Day has heightened anticipation of a presidential run of his own.This week also saw more bad news on the issue the Government can’t get away from.Plus the panelists pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including Miriam Lord on Web Summit, Gerry Thornley on Ireland’s Six Nations and Newton Emerson on Unionism discovering its Irish identity. 

The idea that a country can't increase the size of its territory by taking it over another has been a principle of Western foreign policy for decades. If that changes it will be a profound shift. "Once that genie's out of the bottle, it will be very hard to put back in", says Tom Wright, the Irishman who was a member of Joe Biden's National Security Council and is now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a foreign policy think-tank. He talks to Hugh about foreign policy under Biden and Trump.

Cormac McQuinn and Sarah Burns join Jack Horgan Jones to look back on the week in politics: ·       Most analysis of the Taoiseach’s extraordinary meeting with US president Donald Trump this week has called it a success - but the underlying economic threat remains. ·       A brief intrusion by three members of the Burke family at a gala dinner attended by the Taoiseach in Washington DC made headlines. But how did they get in? Pat Leahy was there. ·       This week marked five years since Covid lockdowns began. Has the pandemic had any lasting impact on politics? And where is Ireland’s long-awaited inquiry? Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week.

Pat Leahy reports from Washington where Taoiseach Micheal Martin met US president Donald Trump this afternoon. How did the Taoiseach do?In part two, Harry McGee talks to political scientist Dr Kevin Cunningham about the evolution of polling and what data reveals about Irish political trends.

A report last week made a stark forecast: Ireland will be subject to EU fines and costs ranging from from €8 billion to €26 billion for failing to meet its 2030 climate goals. So why are we not taking more action, more swiftly to avoid this fiscal calamity - or indeed to avoid the underlying catastrophe of climate change? Hugh talks to Hannah Daly, Professor of Sustainable Energy at University College Cork, and former Green Party leader Eamon Ryan.

Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to look back on the week in politics: ·       Did Simon Harris put his foot in his mouth when he contradicted the US account of a phone call between him and Donald Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio? The comments added to jitters over the Taoiseach’s visit to Trump’s White House next week. ·       Security and Ireland’s defence have roared onto the political agenda. Is our political system ready for the debate about how to respond? ·       This week left wing parties including Sinn Fein, Labour, Social Democrats, People Before Profit and Greens held talks to explore running a joint candidate in this year’s presidential election. But will the idea fly? Plus, the panellists pick their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week, including Ireland’s unintelligent intelligence services, the fight back against Ireland’s Covid grade inflation and hope for Ireland at next year’s Oscar winners.