Inside Politics

As the US presidential election nears, Hugh talks to American journalist Ben Smith about the intertwining of media and politics in the United States:how political campaigns operate like media companiesthe decline in trust toward mainstream mediathe impact of digital platforms on political discourseThey assess Kamala Harris and Donald Trump's use of the media as a campaign tool in this election cycle and look at how the media landscape is changing, with references to Ben's experiences at Politico, BuzzFeed News, and his current role at Semafor. Ben also reflects on the consequences of publishing the notorious Steele dossier on Donald Trump's alleged links to Russia during his time at BuzzFeed News.

Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee to look back on the week in politics: ·      The panel paid tribute to former Fianna Fáil minister Mary O’Rourke after her death this week at the age of 87. She was involved in Irish politics for almost a half-century. ·      The expectation is that Sinn Féin will run with 65-70 candidates in the forthcoming general election – are they being overly cautious? And there was surprise too at the news that party leader Mary Lou McDonald will run alongside Cllr Janice Boylan in Dublin Central, with Boylan having expressed her dissatisfaction with Sinn Féin in 2022, writing in a letter to party members that she didn’t feel “supported, valued or even really respected”. ·      Also, Minister for Finance Jack Chambers and Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe had misgivings around some measures contained in Budget 2025. Plus, the panellists pick their favourite IT reads of the week:·      Ella McSweeney’s piece on the dire condition of nearly half of our rivers, lakes and estuaries.·      Kevin Courtney on 10 of the best new shows to watch in October – Jen attests to the genius of The Diplomat.·      Keith Duggan wrote of Republican JD Vance getting the better of Democrat Tim Walz in Tuesday’s vice-presidential debate.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

Budget 2025, reminiscent of the bonanza Celtic Tiger years, was leaked almost entirely before Ministers Jack Chambers and Paschal Donohoe took to the floor of the Dáil yesterday to deliver it. Political editor, Pat Leahy, believes that's down to the reality of coalition parties needing to publicise their particular wins ahead of an impending election. The 2.2 billion euro spending package is widely viewed as an attempt to curry favour with voters instead of addressing more long-term systemic changes that fall outside the electoral cycle. And he warns that a 'giveaway' budget does not automatically guarantee electoral success. Former senior government advisor, Gerard Howlin, says it will be extremely painful to rein in spending now that the precedent has been set. Political correspondent Jennifer Bray, analyses how the opposition is framing the budget to successfully land political blows to the government's fiscal credibility.Presented by Hugh Linehan. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones to look back on the week in politics:·      The budget was somewhat overshadowed this week by stories with far less cost involved, but no shortage of outrage – not least the final cost of Government Buildings security hut hitting €1.4 million and the row over the announcement of new sports capital grant funding for local clubs. ·      Sinn Féin’s alternative budget has many worthy pledges but is ultimately futile without the party’s hands actually being on the levers of power.·      And the controversy around a letter of congratulations President Michael D Higgins sent in July to Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian was reignited at a United Nations event in New York last Sunday.Plus, the panellists pick their favourite IT reads of the week:·      Michael McDowell on the Government’s advanced administrative sclerosis.·      Mark Hennesy wrote of former taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s contention that immigration numbers have risen too quickly here.·      And Mary Carolan’s piece on the use of ‘inappropriate’ slang and cultural references in a judgment concerning a Co Clare wind farm.Produced by John Casey.

It's not that long ago that a Sinn Féin-led government after the next election was seen as something of a sure bet. Now, with polls showing the party losing almost half its support in the past year, the party's future seems much more uncertain. So what happened to Sinn Féin's support, can it regain ground and where should it target its resources in the forthcoming campaign? Political scientists Theresa Reidy and Aidan Regan join Hugh to discuss. Aidan Regan is an associate professor of political economy at the school of politics and international relations at University College Dublin. Dr Theresa Reidy is a senior lecturer in the department of government and politics at University College Cork.

Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn to look back on the week in politics:·      Political parties are eagerly pitching eye-catching measures ahead of Budget 2025 with 50 per cent of respondents in the latest Irish Times / Ipsos poll saying they want the Government to prioritise ‘immediate help’ with the cost of living. ·      Has Simon Harris reached peak popularity? The Taoiseach’s surging personal approval ratings mirrors that of his predecessor Leo Varadkar who enjoyed similar peaks, but endured troughs not long after - could Harris be in for similar? ·      The Dáil resumed this week with Sinn Féin going on the attack during leader’s questions, highlighting children with scoliosis and spina bifida awaiting surgery, and the “gold-plated” pension pots of the well-heeled that are set to get a boost. Plus, the panellists pick their favourite IT reads of the week:·      Miriam Lord on the extremely expensive bijou bike shed on Leinster lawn.·      Carl O’Brien wrote about new research from Maynooth University that showed the benefits of much shorter homework tasks.·      And Emer McLysaght swapped tales of air fryers and steam mops on a group holiday to Spain.Produced by John Casey.

Support for Fine Gael has increased, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll, with approval ratings for Taoiseach Simon Harris surging since the last poll in early summer.Support for Sinn Fein has fallen since the last poll, while the personal rating for party leader Mary Lou McDonald also declining sharply.Pat and Hugh analyse all the findings of the poll.

Jack Power and Derek Scally join Hugh Linehan to discuss developments in European politics:Michael McGrath was handed the EU Commission's justice portfolio when commission president Ursula von der Leyen assigned roles this week. How did Ireland end up with this particular job?Von der Leyen's consolidation of power at the centre of the commission may be good for reaching consensus. But as Europe faces an uncertain future in a range of areas from the economy to technology and security, does this approach help?Another feature of the new commission is the presence of a far right politician for the first time, Italy's Raffaele Fitto. Meanwhile in Austria an imminent general election looks likely to return a far right-led government. As Europe's politics evolves, is the EU capable of evolving with it?Jack Power is Europe Correspondent. Derek Scally is an Irish Times journalist based in Berlin.