The Candidate

Sinn Féin's Dublin Central selection convention was meant to be a formality. Campaigner Gillian Sherratt was widely tipped to get the nod. Instead, the party's own members backed long-standing local councillor Janice Boylan. Was it a grassroots revolt against a parachute candidate?

Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews, Christina Finn and Rónán Duffy dig into why Irish politics keeps rejecting outsiders, what it means for the Dublin Central by-election,

Also: 'Gougers’, ‘hooligans' and a plague on all our rents.
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The government's plan to review how SNAs are allocated lead to a U-turn that was almost as sharp as the backlash. Letters landing in principals' inboxes triggered a political firestorm, TDs lined up to call it an own goal, and the plan was shelved. Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy ask: how did the government walk into this one?

Also: is there a snobbery problem with how we talk about hot school meals?
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Another St Patrick's Day trip to the White House, another thorny issue to navigate. This time, it's the detention of an Irish citizen in a US immigration centre. Despite reports of grim conditions and rising concerns for other undocumented Irish people, Micheál Martin seems reluctant to put it front and centre with Donald Trump.

Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews, Rónán Duffy and Christina Finn unpack whether the Taoiseach can really afford to sidestep it.

Also: Once again tourists trump renters in the eyes of the government.
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The government wants e-bike and e-scooter users to wear helmets and high-vis gear, but critics say that’s missing the point. Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy dig into the backlash to this latest safety proposal and why the cycling debate in Ireland seems to hit a nerve every time.

Also: Should politicians be using AI to write speeches?
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The most powerful political force in Ireland? Flooding.

Storm Chandra has kicked off a public row between Housing Minister James Browne and Met Éireann. After Browne suggested Met Éireann 'guarded' information and should change how it issues warnings, question are now being asked: is the warning system fit for purpose, and who is accountable when flooding hits?

Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy examine what this tells us about Ireland’s preparedness for more extreme weather - and if politicians are able to handle the fallout themselves.

Also: why are defections a running drama in UK politics, but not in Ireland?
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