Behind the Story

An independent review into the death of Katie Simpson found 'institutional misogyny' at the centre of failings by the PSNI to investigate her murder. In August 2020, the 21 year old showjumper was admitted to hospital, police initially treated her death as suicide however, seven months later, her sister's partner, Jonathan Creswell was arrested on suspicion of murder. He later took his own life, one day after his trial began.
Journalist, Tanya Fowles knew Katie, she had previously encountered Creswell through her court reporting. She flagged his background of assault to the police but it fell on deaf ears. Tanya joins Fran and Paul to discuss the case and why she believes there is more to uncover in this case.

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Many people enjoy trekking hills and mountains on bank holiday weekends but the majority of the country's uplands are in very poor state. A recent report revealed that 90% of our protected habitats are in an 'unfavourable' condition.
Ecologist Pádraic Fogarty joins Fran for a conversation about what can be done to improve nature on the country's hillsides and he shares his favourite spots in the country for a hike.

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A war of words has broken out between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump, with Trump threatening to withdraw US troops from some European countries. Shona Murray of Euronews joins Fran to explain the background to the row and why it's not likely troops would withdraw any time soon.
Later, Professor of Ecclesiology, Massimo Faggioli of TCD discusses the different strands of Christianity influencing the White House and how the intervention of Pope Leo recently was a defining moment for the Papacy.

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The government gave more detail on the latest fuel supports for farmers and agricultural contractors but will it be enough to help the sector? And is there a 'green' divide opening up between urban and rural Ireland? a recent report shows that urban dwellers are benefitting more from sustainability grants.
TCD Professor of Transportation Brian Caulfield joins Fran and Paul to discuss if EV car grants should favour those living in rural areas and how did over 100 new electric buses end up lying idle? [clue: there's no charger]!

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Character references in court have come back under the spotlight after former TD Jim Glennon issued a character reference for Daniel Ramamoorthy.
Ramamoorthy was a former government adviser who was convicted of the sexual exploitation of a 13-year-old boy in 2017.
RTÉ Legal Affairs Correspondent Órla O’Donnell discusses the details of the case, and why details of who gives character references are often not made public.
Senior Counsel Lorcan Staines also talks about how character references can carry different weight depending on the case, and why he believes consistency should be brought in across different courts.
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