The Candidate

Budget 2027 has landed, and the reaction has been... well, extremely flat. There were tax changes, sure, and welfare increases too. Even a new savings scheme and plenty of measures aimed at the squeezed middle. But after months of leaks and promises, did the government spread itself too thin trying to keep everyone happy?Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy look at who actually came out ahead, why renters and younger people may feel particularly short-changed, and whether the lack of serious help with energy costs could come back to bite the government this winter.

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.

An Oireachtas committee spent years researching drug policy in Ireland and came back with a clear recommendation: decriminalise possession of all drugs for personal use, a shift from treating drug use as a criminal justice issue to treating it as a health one. The committee was cross-party and had extensive evidence to draw from. The government's response? Lukewarm at best.Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy unpack what could be next for this proposal - and also the Citizens Assembly process that it originated from.Also: the parking crisis in new housing estates is making people's lives miserable.

Something unusual happened in the Dáil this week when a Sinn Féin proposal to scrap the three-day waiting period for abortion passed. An opposition bill getting through is rare enough, but this one came with a free vote that split the government parties wide open. Micheál Martin and Simon Harris both voted in favour. Most of their TDs voted against. Senior ministers like Jim O'Callaghan, Norma Foley and James Browne all voted no (and said nothing during the debate before doing so).Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews, Christina Finn and Rónán Duffy unpack how a waiting period that was never recommended by the Citizens' Assembly or the Oireachtas committee survived for eight years, and whether scrapping it is the beginning of a bigger conversation about abortion legislation the government doesn't want to have.Also: Ireland is getting a derelict property tax. Again. The government announced it in October's budget and announced it again this week. They love doing that.