A View from the Ditch

James and William discuss the recent by-election for the Seanad Éireann Dublin University constituency; some of the candidates who contested it and the issues raised during the campaign; the elitism of the Seanad in general and the university panels in particular, and the lack of interest in reform; and Tom Clonan's victory and what it might mean.

James and William discuss Ivana Bacik's uncontested election as leader of the Labour party, the reasons for her predecessor's ousting, and the challenges the party faces.

Dr Conor McCabe joined us to discuss the Government's 'Housing for All' plan. Dr McCabe is the author of Sins of the Father: Tracing the Decisions That Shaped the Irish Economy (2011) and Money (2018), and is a co-host of The Week at Work podcast.

Stiofán Ó Nualláin of Trademark Belfast speaks to us about the causes of the riots in Northern Ireland in April; the resignation of First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster; the existential crisis, as he sees it, of political unionism; and the ongoing debates, north and south, about the prospect of a border poll.

We discuss the results of the momentous Seanad by-elections; the split in the Workers' Party; Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond's modest proposal for a united Ireland; and the forcible removal by Gardaí of striking Debenham's workers from the former Henry Street shop; and then we're joined by Michelle Byrne to discuss her campaign for greater transparency in local government - specifically public access to meetings of Waterford City and County Council - as well as her involvement with the Community Action Tenants Union (CATU).

We discuss the upcoming Seanad bye-elections and the controversy they have caused within the Green Party; Paschal Donohue and the touchy subject, for Fine Gael, of children's shoes; a recent escalation in the Debenham's dispute; and we're joined by John McElligott of Safety Before LNG to discuss the long-running local campaign against the proposed Shannon LNG terminal, the government's promise to withdraw support for the project, and the call for a ban on the importation of fracked gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals (the interview begins around 27:50).

First broadcast Saturday 20 March 2021 on Quarantine FM

First broadcast Saturday 13 March 2021 on Quarantine FM

In February, Unite the Union published a report entitled 'Hungry Bellies: Exploring inequality and deprivation in Ireland', which provides detailed evidence of growing inequality in the Republic of Ireland, and challenges the narrative, recently promoted in the Irish media and by the government, that inequality is falling. We spoke to Dr Conor McCabe, the principal author of the report, about that narrative; the misrepresentation of economic data by those promoting it; the concrete evidence that on the contrary Ireland is getting more unequal; and more broadly about the problems with the Irish economic model. Dr McCabe is also the author of Sins of the Father: Tracing the Decisions That Shaped the Irish Economy (2011) and Money (2018). First broadcast Saturday 6 March 2021 on Quarantine FM

Senator Alice-Mary Higgins joined us to explain CETA and its Investor Court System (ICS), and why in her view we should oppose its ratification. She outlined both ethical and practical objections to the agreement and the ICS in particular; described the ‘regulatory chill' effect it would have on future governments; explained why this kind of dispute mechanism is not a necessary feature of trade agreements; and highlighted some of the policy areas likely to be affected if CETA were ratified. First broadcast Saturday 27 February 2021 on Quarantine FM

Stiofán Ó Nualláin of Trademark Belfast spoke to us about his work in anti-sectarianism in Northern Irish workplaces, and in radical political education. We also discussed the destruction of audio recordings of testimony by the Mother and Baby Homes Commission; charges resulting from last summer's infamous Oireachtas Golf Society dinner; and rumours of Bertie Ahern still planning a run for president. First broadcast Saturday 20 February 2021 on Quarantine FM

We spoke to Melanie Steinhardt, who worked for several years in criminal justice reform in New York, about mass incarceration in the United States; the racism endemic to the system, the scale and the cruelty of it, and the prospects for change under the Biden administration. First broadcast Saturday 6 February 2021 on Quarantine FM

As a policy adviser, Barry Kearney worked extensively on the Protection of Employee Tips Bill 2017, which if enacted would have make it illegal for employers to take their workers' tips. The Bill passed all stages in the Seanad and Second Stage in the Dáil, only to be defeated by the Fine Gael-led minority government. Barry spoke to us about the problems the bill sought to address, the work that went into it, and how and why it was ultimately thwarted. First broadcast Saturday 30 January 2021 on Quarantine FM

Sarah Taaffe-Maguire (Twitter: @taaffems), staff writer with the Business Post, rejoins the programme to talk about the recently published Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, and some of the issues with it, as well as with the government's response. First broadcast on Saturday 23 January 2021 on Quarantine FM.

First Broadcast Saturday 16 January 2021 on Quarantine FM

Saoirse McHugh joined us to discuss how she came to stand as a candidate for the Green Party, what she learned from the experience, her decision to break with the party last year, and much besides. We also chatted about the riot by Trump supporters in Washington, D.C., and the ongoing territorial dispute over Rockall. First broadcast 9 January 2021 on Quarantine FM

Our interview with Michelle Gavin, former Debenham's worker and organiser of the picket at the Waterford store. We spoke in the wake of the announcement of mediator Kevin Foley's proposals to resolve the Debenham's dispute. First broadcast Saturday 19 December 2020 on Quarantine FM

We were fortunate to be able to interview Michelle Gavin, former Debenham's worker and organiser of the Waterford picket; and Mary Humphreys, who was an independent candidate in the 1992 general election in Westmeath. We also chatted about Micheal Martin's error and problems with commemoration. First broadcast Saturday 19 December 2020 on Quarantine FM

We chatted about Sinn Féin, Michael McDowell, the government's new press secretary, and some other stories from the week, before being joined by Dublin City Councillor Tina MacVeigh. First broadcast Saturday 12 December 2020 on Quarantine FM

First broadcast Sunday 29 November 2020 on Quarantine FM

We spoke to two former members of Ógra Fianna Fáil, Iarfhlaith O'Donnell and James Doyle, about their time in the party. First broadcast Sunday 22 November on Quarantine FM

We were joined by James Brady (Twitter: @somewordsjames) to talk about some recent developments related to nuclear weapons proliferation, in particular the treaty on their prohibition, which Ireland ratified in August this year, and the future of the Iran nuclear deal, the JCPOA. First broadcast Sunday 15 November on Quarantine FM

On the day the major American news networks called the election for Joe Biden, we chatted to Kentuckian Hannah Slattery about it. First broadcast Sunday 8 November 2020 on Quarantine FM

We spoke to Sarah Taaffe-Maguire (Twitter: @taaffems), staff writer with the Business Post, about Ireland's Mother and Baby Homes, and the controversy around the recent Commission of Investigation Bill and the sealing of the Commission's archive. First broadcast Sunday 1 November 2020 on Quarantine FM

A chat about the political Left in Ireland, its weakness historically, Labour's decline, the rise of more radical alternatives, splits, prospects... First broadcast Sunday 25 October 2020 on Quarantine FM