After a summer of speculation, six-time All-Ireland winning Dublin manager Jim Gavin has emerged victorious in the race to be Fianna Fáil's candidate for the presidency. There was a contest and Billy Kelleher ran him closer than many expected but Taoiseach Micheál Martin got his man in the end. The question now is whether Martin's vision is shared by the public and whether Gavin is the superstar signing the party leader clearly thinks he is.Sinead O'Carroll, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack what all this means and also discuss the shocking threats made against the family of Tánaiste Simon Harris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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30:48
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30:48
The presidential race was just blown wide open
The unexpected withdrawal of Mairead McGuinness has left a massive hole in the presidential race, one that has yet to be filled by any of the three major parties. Where do Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Sinn Féin go from here?In this unscheduled episode, Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy look at what this means for the campaign timeline, whether Gareth Sheridan’s bid is being taken seriously, and ask if Catherine Connolly has a brand recognition problem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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22:10
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22:10
The Candidate Awards: Best row, best clanger and best politician so far this Dáil term
Ministers held their last Cabinet meeting this week, while TDs and senators have already cleared out of Leinster House for their break. That means it's time for us to hand out the report cards. We asked our listeners and readers to help us dish out some accolades for the performance of TDs in the current Dáil so far: Best Politician; Best Newbie; Comeback Kid; Must-Try-Harder Award; Quote of The Term; Clanger of The Term; Row of The Term; Best Political Moment. Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy make the tough decisions on this week's episode.The Candidate will be taking a break for a few weeks until Irish politics starts ramping up again (but don't worry, we'll have you covered if anything major happens). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:00:52
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1:00:52
The government is spending billions (on what, exactly, isn't clear)
The government unveiled its updated infrastructure spending plan this week and its plans to splash billions on projects around the country. But on what projects and where? Well, that type of detail was, oddly, not forthcoming...From MetroLink to housing and health, the National Development Plan was heavy on spin and light on specifics. It was followed by the Summer Economic Statement and a shift in mood: next year’s Budget might not be particularly cheery. Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy unpack the two announcements.Also: the Social Democrats just turned 10. What explains their 'slow burn' staying power, and are they the exception to the rule about small Irish parties? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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30:17
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30:17
TDs are gaslighting us about their holidays
The Dáil has wrapped up for the summer... again. But with a housing crisis, major legislation pending, and just 33 sitting weeks a year, should TDs still be clocking off this easily? Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, and Jane Matthews unpack whether Ireland’s political calendar is stuck in the past, and why a rethink of how the Dáil actually works should be on the cards.Also: the Occupied Territories Bill is drawing increasingly sharp criticism from the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.