The Niall Boylan Podcast (They Told Me To Shut Up)

Niall talks to callers about the death penalty following the disturbing case of Christa Pike, who is reportedly critically ill in hospital after an attempt by the state of Tennessee to execute her went badly wrong.
Pike was just 18 when she brutally tortured and murdered 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995. She was sentenced to death and has spent almost three decades awaiting execution. Last week, she was given lethal injection drugs, but the execution failed, reportedly leaving her with severe swelling and chemical burns and requiring ventilation in hospital.
Nobody disputes the horrific nature of Pike’s crime, but does that justify the state deliberately taking another human life?
Supporters of capital punishment argue that some crimes are so brutal that death is the only appropriate punishment and that victims’ families deserve justice. Opponents say the death penalty is an outdated and barbaric practice that gives governments a power they should never possess.
After an execution attempt that has already caused Pike enormous suffering, should the state be allowed to try again? Has she already been punished enough, or should the sentence still be carried out?
Niall opens the phone lines and asks callers a simple but deeply divisive question: do you agree with the death penalty?

Niall talks to Cormac Lucey, economics commentator with The Sunday Times Ireland, about growing concern that Ireland is becoming increasingly unaffordable for its own young people.
New figures from the National Youth Council make for stark reading. Some 68% of young adults say they are considering leaving Ireland in search of a better quality of life, while 90% believe secure, well-paid work is becoming harder to find and 89% say the housing crisis is hitting young people disproportionately hard.
With rents, house prices and the general cost of living continuing to put pressure on younger generations, many are now asking whether Ireland risks exporting its own skilled and educated young people while relying increasingly on inward migration to fill jobs and support economic growth.
Niall and Cormac examine what is driving the problem, whether current housing and economic policy is failing younger people, and what practical changes could help persuade another generation that their future is in Ireland rather than abroad.
Are we losing our best young talent, and if so, what can be done to stop it?

#895 Artificial Intelligence: Our Greatest Invention or Biggest Mistake?
Niall talks to Podcaster Nick Delahanty about the growing debate surrounding artificial intelligence and whether the technology is advancing faster than society can safely handle.
AI promises enormous benefits, from breakthroughs in medicine and education to major changes in business, productivity and everyday life. But with that progress come serious questions. Could artificial intelligence replace millions of jobs? Could it become powerful enough to shape the information people see, influence public opinion and decide which ideas or conversations are promoted or suppressed?
There are also concerns about who ultimately controls the technology. If the most powerful AI systems are owned by a small number of governments and multinational companies, how much influence could they have over society, politics, the media and even our understanding of reality?
Niall and Peter discuss the opportunities, the risks and whether regulation can realistically keep pace with a technology developing at extraordinary speed.
Should we embrace artificial intelligence and everything it could offer, or should we be genuinely worried about where it is taking us?

Niall talks to housing campaigner Peter Dooley about a proposal from Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne to put a constitutional right to housing before the Irish people.
Hearne is bringing forward a Bill using wording proposed by the Housing Commission, arguing that putting a right to housing into the Constitution would place a legal responsibility on the State to ensure people have access to adequate housing. He has said this could require stronger measures to prevent homelessness and evictions.
Supporters believe a secure and affordable home should be recognised as a basic right and that constitutional protection would force successive governments to take the housing crisis more seriously.
Critics question exactly what such a right would mean in practice, how far the State’s legal obligations could extend and whether the Constitution should guarantee housing rather than access to shelter and support. The Housing Commission itself did not reach unanimous agreement on the issue, with the Government previously describing it as complex.
Niall and Peter debate what a constitutional right to housing could actually mean for homeowners, renters, landlords and taxpayers.
Would you vote Yes to put a right to housing into the Constitution?

Just when you thought there was nothing left to tax, along comes another charge on your online shopping!
Niall Boylan is joined by podcaster and restaurateur Paul Treyvaud to discuss new EU charges on goods ordered from outside the European Union, including popular websites such as Temu and Shein.
With a new €2 handling fee being added to existing customs charges, could cheap online bargains soon become a thing of the past?
Is this about protecting Irish and European businesses from unfair competition, or simply another way of squeezing more money out of hard-pressed consumers?
Niall and Paul debate whether these charges will encourage people to shop locally or simply punish families trying to save a few quid.