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The Candidate

How do you tell Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil apart?

Season 4, Ep. 1

We're back with a new format for The Candidate, with weekly episodes that will take you behind the scenes and beyond the headlines to focus on what’s really happening in Irish politics right now. This week, Christine Bohan, Rónán Duffy, Christina Finn and Jane Matthews examine how the country's two biggest parties are going to navigate their same-but-different personas on the doorsteps in the run-up to the general election. Also, we read the Budget tea leaves and try to figure out who it was really for (spoiler: not young people).

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  • 26. Mary Lou, Mairead and Catherine would be the election we've been waiting for

    36:08||Season 9, Ep. 26
    Mary Lou McDonald is finally sailing us out of the presidential election doldrums... without saying much at all, really. Her non-denial that she would be throwing her hat in the ring has ramped up speculation around her being Sinn Féin's candidate. But could she actually win? And why are all the other parties playing it so coy?Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy look at this continued quiet, cautious election tip-toeing that is continued.Also: could Leo's post-taoiseach persona win over former sceptics?
  • 25. The government brought this student fees mess on itself

    29:14||Season 9, Ep. 25
    As Micheál Martin woos Japan with harp performances and pints of Guinness, back home the government is floundering over student fees. Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy dig into the communications mess that’s dominating headlines and angering parents (and is it simply a communications mess, or something more?). Also: what Rachel Reeves’ tears in the UK parliament say about the intensity of media scrutiny brought by the British press.
  • 24. How to talk to Trump: call him daddy, apparently

    25:39||Season 5, Ep. 24
    It was already going to be a tense Nato summit, but when the alliance's secretary general referred to Donald Trump as “daddy”, and the White House embraced it, it shifted the tone from awkward diplomacy to something closer to humiliation... but did the move actually work?Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack the daddy text and what it says about Europe’s willingness to placate Trump. They also ask whether the EU’s inability to act on Gaza and its quiet deference to US policy is becoming a liability for the whole project.Also: The cost of living remains high, and the government says it won’t bring back broad supports. Is “targeted help” going to be enough?
  • 23. The housing crisis needs a movement, not a moment

    28:19||Season 5, Ep. 23
    Is Ireland on the brink of another wave of public protest, or will it fizzle out, as so often before? Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy explore why movements like water charges and Repeal caught fire, and why complex crises like housing still struggle to spark mass mobilisation. They also examine the blurred line between protest and personal abuse, and what rising tensions mean for political tone.Also: Ursula von der Leyen’s latest comments on Israel spark backlash from Irish MEPs and reignite questions about who the EU really speaks for.
  • 22. A long-term bet on housing that renters can’t afford

    25:10||Season 5, Ep. 22
    Anticipation had been growing for months over what the government's new rent plan would deliver. Could it bring about solutions that really help renters and ease the pressure they are under? Could it keep landlords happy at the same time? Housing Minister James Browne rolled out his reform of rent pressure zones yesterday — but what he says it will deliver and what it actually does don't exactly line up.Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack what the new “rent pressure zone for the whole country” actually means, whether it will do anything to help renters in the short term, and why this may be less about impact than impression.
  • 21. Politicians probably shouldn’t let AI do all the talking

    29:13||Season 5, Ep. 21
    As one of our reporters read through an open letter on Gaza penned by Ciarán Mullooly, one detail stood out: a bizarre reference to Swedish House Mafia. A spokesperson for the journalist-turned-MEP quickly confirmed that artificial intelligence was used to generate portions of the letter. But surely he's not alone in using ChatGPT et al during his official duties? This is a case where it went badly wrong, but to what standards should we hold politicians when it comes to the use of AI?Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews, and journalist-turned-AI-sniffer-dog Muiris Ó Cearbhaill have an entirely human conversation about the rise of AI and what it means for political discourse.Also: the clock is ticking, but will any politician give Jane an actual answer on who might be running for president?
  • 20. Inside Leinster House: The unspoken rules of a really odd place to work

    38:13||Season 5, Ep. 20
    It’s the country’s most high-profile workplace, but is Leinster House actually designed to get anything done? What does a week in Irish politics actually look like? This week, we examine what life in the Dáil is really like, and the heady mix of routine, power, and pantomime that make it a dysfunctional place to work.Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, and Jane Matthews are joined by someone who is a familiar face on television these days, but was also once a familiar byline on The Journal: Gavan Reilly, political correspondent with Virgin Media News. He pays a visit to the people who taught him everything to share insights from his new book, The Secret Life of Leinster House.Also: why do some politicians not know when to step down?
  • 19. James Browne: struggling with housing, excelling at celebrating the Normans

    31:10||Season 9, Ep. 19
    Minister James Browne has been in the housing hot seat for four months — and with not much to show for it, he's now facing intense criticism. Is it justified, or just a symptom of political impatience with the biggest crisis in government? Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy debate his performance so far and whether he’s being given a fair chance.Also: Should 16-year-olds be allowed to vote? A new Social Democrats bill proposes just that. Why are some ideas like this popular in theory but dead on arrival in Irish politics?
  • 18. The big difference between Keir and Jim on immigration

    31:42||Season 5, Ep. 18
    This week, we look across the Irish Sea to Keir Starmer's decision to lean Labour into much blunter rhetoric around immigration. Back home, a similar policy shift is happening, but behind a much quieter tone. How are both countries are handling political pressure on migration, and is Ireland is heading in the same direction, just with fewer dog whistles?Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Rónán Duffy contrast the differing strategies and look at how language and tone are shaping the conversation.Also: The cost of living crisis won't go away. Can Ireland fix the underlying systemic issues?