The Candidate

The Garvaghy Road standoff has dragged Northern Ireland back into a dispute many thought we left in the 1990s. A proposed way out has failed, the Orange Order still wants to complete its parade, and residents remain opposed to it passing through their community.Sinéad O’Carroll, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy ask whether years of relative peace allowed complacency to set in, and what Dublin and London can realistically do when neither side is willing to give way.Also: Simon Harris is preparing to deliver his first budget as Finance Minister. Has the government already talked it up too much?

Donald Trump came to Ireland for 36 hours, watched a lot of golf, charmed the crowds at Doonbeg, promised to scrap tariffs on Irish whiskey and unexpectedly declared that he'd love to see a united Ireland. The government thinks the visit was a success. We're a little less sure: was it smart diplomacy, uncomfortable fawning, or all just a bit grubby?Sinéad O'Carroll, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy unpack what Trump's comments actually mean for the unity debate, why Micheál Martin is frustrated that his Shared Island work gets dismissed, and whether Ireland risks waiting too long to prepare for a referendum that could arrive faster than expected.Also: Why won’t Eoin Hayes answer questions?

Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan joins us in studio for a sit-down interview. We asked him what needs to change after the M9 collision, whether the State is failing the small group of young people its youth justice system can't reach, and why the government's approach to migration has changed.He also spoke about his stand-off with criminal legal aid solicitors and why he won't revoke the new regulations. And, when we asked about the future of Fianna Fáil, O'Callaghan was clear: he still wants to lead the party.

The Dáil has risen, Leinster House is quiet, and TDs are all off doing constituency work (as they tell us every year), so it's time for our political awards. Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews and Sinéad O'Carroll analyse Christina Finn's report card naming the winners and losers of the term just gone: why Jennifer Carroll MacNeill won the term by picking fights with everyone from the Rotunda to BAM, whether Jim O'Callaghan really belongs on the losers' list, and how Holly Cairns turned the Social Democrats into the party with a buzz about them.

Nigel Farage resigned as an MP on Tuesday to trigger a byelection in which he's going to run in, and waited for the establishment to line up against him. They didn't. A handful of minor parties have put their names forward, but the candidate getting all the headlines is Count Binface, an Oxford graduate in a bin costume who has previously stood against Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Theresa May. It would be funny if there wasn't so much riding on it (and even at that... it is still pretty funny).Christine Bohan, Christina Finn and Sinéad O'Carroll dig into why the stunt hasn't gone to plan, why the five million pound "unconditional gift" is following Farage around, and what a Reform UK prime minister would mean for Ireland.

Housing Minister James Browne has announced the biggest shake-up to rural planning rules in two decades. It should be easier for people to build homes in the countryside, but there's no target for how many new homes this will deliver and no new transport or services to go with it. These changes were "imminent" in 2021. Now, five years and one Green Party exit later, here they are.Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy ask whether this is real policy or vibes-based housing.Also: Ireland took over the EU Council presidency this week and most of the country barely noticed. The ceremony at Dublin Castle was lovely but it was Zelensky who made the headlines.