Irish Times Inside Politics

A new Irish Times / Ipsos MRBI poll brings badly needed good news for Simon Coveney as he tries to overhaul Leo Varadkar's early lead in the race to lead Fine Gael. But will it be enough to sway the TDs and Senators who have already declared for Varadkar? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The chances of Simon Coveney becoming the next leader of the Fine Gael party are slim, but Dublin Bay South TD Kate O'Connell, who is supporting him, says the race is not over yet. She tells Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy and Fiach Kelly that she's backing Coveney because she wants a statesman and not a celebrity for Taoiseach, and why she would be "very, very" worried about the direction that Fine Gael might take under a Leo Varadkar leadership. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Leo Varadkar seems to be pulling away in the race to succeed Enda Kenny. But does it really matter whether it is Simon or Leo? Fintan O'Toole talks to Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy about a race he says is not even a struggle for the soul of Fine Gael, let alone the soul of Ireland, between two candidates who have failed to show real leadership on major social problems. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Enda Kenny's leadership of Fine Gael and the country is over. Who will replace him? Fiach Kelly has canvassed every TD, Senator and Councillor to get the most detailed picture possible of the state of the race between Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney, the two known contenders. You can find the Irish Times Fine Gael leadership tracker here: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/fg-leadership-race See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How has Enda Kenny's long goodbye impacted on the Oireachtas? Fianna Fáil TD and chair of the Dáil's Public Accounts Committee, Seán Fleming joins Mary Minihan and Hugh Linehan to discuss the lingering limbo of Enda Kenny's leadership, the future of the confidence and supply arrangement with his party and Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan's appearances before the PAC. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eurovision time is here again, and this year it's taking place in Ukraine. Is the tense political context impacting the annual carnival of national pop? And more importantly, why can't Ireland pick the right kind of song to get to the final? Irish Times Eurovision Correspondent Patrick Freyne is in Kiev.You can find more information about Irish Times podcasts at irishtimes.com/podcastsTweet about the podcast @hlinehan See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Will Nóirín O'Sullivan eventually be invited to follow sacked FBI director James Comey into early retirement? To discuss that developing story, plus the new tradition of silence in the Dáil, Leo Varadkar palling around with councillors and Paschal Donohoe's clever political positioning, Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Sarah Bardon. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Independent Alliance has been in Government for one year, already longer than many observers predicted at the outset. How has it been doing? Very well, according to its five TDs. Led as ever by Shane Ross, they gave a press conference yesterday in which they proudly outlined their achievements and their undiminished belief in New Politics. Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan listen to some of what was said and assess the group's impact on the Irish political landscape. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What's going on in Leinster House? Not much, but at least we can argue about why that is the case. Today's Irish Times editorial was a little harsh, says Harry McGee - the lack of legislative achievements this term has not been all the Government's fault. And Fiach Kelly says useless bills destined to fail are clogging up the works. Also on the agenda today: what is likely to be a highly unusual 8th Amendment committee, Dáil prayers, Harry's ministerial scorecard and the "worst dinner party in history". See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The row over ownership of the new Maternity Hospital may be dying down, for now, but it has revealed some interesting things about the politics, people, and institutions involved. Mary Minihan and Pat Leahy discuss the story with Hugh Linehan. Later in the podcast they look at the outcome of the Citizens' Assembly. That's after we hear from Cora Sherlock and Breda O'Brien, both campaigners for the retention of the 8th Amendment. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's been a torrid few months for the institutional reputation of An Garda Síochána. Some members of the force believe the various controversies have undermined confidence in, and respect for, the force. Is this jeopardising their safety as they do their work? A spate of recent attacks suggest it could be. For a small section of society, the uniform is now “like a red rag to a bull", as one garda told Conor Lally. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How the forthcoming UK election could leave the Conservatives with a whopping majority and consign Labour to as much as another decade in the political wilderness. And in Northern Ireland and Scotland, already marginalised by Brexit, will this vote put even more distance between citizens and Westminster? Today's guests are Professor Tim Bale, a political scientist and author of 'The Conservative Party: From Thatcher to Cameron' and Peter Geoghegan, a Glasgow-based journalist and author of 'The People's Referendum: Why Scotland Will Never Be the Same Again'. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Part one: Could water finally be a political issue of the past? Sarah Bardon has the latest on the negotiations that briefly threatened to topple the Government but now seem to have been solved to the relief, if not satisfaction, of most parties. Part two: In Sallins, County Kildare, local people and politicians are not too exercised about who pays for excess water usage. But they are worried about crime, housing, services and amenities in a commuter town whose population has increased tenfold in the past decade. Harry McGee met the good people of Sallins and a few of their representatives: Catherine Murphy of the Soc Dems and James Lawless of Fianna Fáil, and local councillor Fintan Brett of Fine Gael. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Does Brexit threaten peace in Northern Ireland? Simon Carswell asked four ex-IRA men their views. Their answers show that they, like many others, are prepared to contemplate the previously unthinkable as Britain's historic departure from the European Union draws closer. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The arrangement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil is getting ropier by the week, with continued disagreements over water and how to deal with the crisis facing the Gardaí. Pat Leahy has the latest from Leinster House. After that Catherine Martin of the Green Party is here to talk about the effort to rebuild the party after its calamitous experience in power and her private member's bill to reform maternity leave. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There's a distinct lack of confidence emanating from the opposition benches of late, as the Dáil gets to grips with the latest Garda controversy.Speaking on today's episode of Inside Politics, Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesperson Jim O’Callaghan said public confidence in the force has been undermined once more, by the recording of one million breath tests that never happened.Mr O'Callaghan was critical of the Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald for not dealing with wrongful convictions in the courts arising from difficulties with the fixed charge notice system, when she first became aware of the issue last year.The Dublin Bay South TD also accused the government of staying silent on the latest revelations over the weekend and said it has further damaged the relationship between his party and Fine Gael.Hugh Linehan was joined in studio this week by Sarah Bardon and Fiach Kelly from the Irish Times political team. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Testifying against an abuser in court is a harrowing experience for a woman. When defence barristers ask questions about that woman's personal sexual history, it gets even worse. Why does this have to happen, and does it happen too often? We talk to court reporter Conor Gallagher about what new figures reveal. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Fianna Fáil’s newest recruit Stephen Donnelly talks about why he has never been more convinced of the need for the government to appoint a Brexit minister.Donnelly, who has been Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson the issue for the last six weeks, lays out what Ireland’s priorities should be ahead of the triggering of article 50 by Britain next Wednesday and what demands should be made.He also speaks about his decision to join Mícheál Martin’s ranks, saying that while being part of the Social Democrats “did not work”, he still believes that the best way for him to achieve his political goals is from within a party, and Fianna Fáil are the best fit. Asked about the party’s conservative stance on issues of conscience like the Eighth amendment, Donnelly, who is clear in his belief it should be repealed, said he has found there is a freedom within the party to advocate on such issues.Hugh is also joined in studio by Irish Times political correspondent Harry McGee. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald joins us to pay tribute to the late Martin McGuinness. She calls him a person of grit and remarkable skill, who leaves Ireland at a crossroads and his party with the determination to carry on what he started.Also on the podcast, Mick Fealty, the editor of the Slugger O’Toole blog, discusses McGuinness's role in the Troubles and the peace process, and the legacy he leaves behind. Hugh is also joined in studio by Irish Times Political Editor Pat Leahy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Author Colm Tóibín believes compromises must be made on all sides and by all traditions to give Northern Ireland the best possible future, one that looks very unlike what exists today, and one neither nationalists nor unionists will much like the sound of. He tells Hugh Linehan about his idea, and why he is not optimistic it can be achieved. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.