This Week

It was a dramatic victory at the High Court on Friday for the former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams in his month-long defamation case against the BBC. We hear from Enda McGarrity, the solicitor for Denis Donaldson's family, and Seamus Dooley, Irish secretary for the NUJ.

An 84-year-old man, whose son was shot dead while serving with the Irish Defence Forces, has been told that he is not entitled to keep an allowance which was granted to his late wife. John McNeela speaks to This Week, and then we hear from Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú.

On Wednesday, Richard Satchwell will be sentenced to life in prison for killing his wife Tina at their home in Youghal in County Cork in 2017. One of the journalists who interviewed him on a number of occasions was Prime Time's Barry Cummins.

The numbers of people living in homeless shelters across the country reached a new record on Friday. We hear from Marian, a healthcare worker based in the Mid West who has lived in a rented home for 18 years, as her landlord has decided to sell the property. We later speak to Labour Party housing spokesman Conor Sheehan.

So far this year, more than two thousand people who applied for their driving test failed to show up. Tens of thousands of people are waiting months for tests. So why are there so many no-shows? Our reporter Peter O'Connell travelled to Clare to find out more.

A review is to be conducted into hip surgery carried out on around 1,800 children, after an audit found that a high number of surgeries at two hospitals did not meet the clinical criteria for surgery. We speak to Bernard Gloster, Chief Executive of the HSE.

A new implementation plan for the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which is due to come into force next year, raises concerns that Ireland “may not be able to adequately conduct screening” due to the country's exclusion from the Schengen Area and the related IT border security systems.

In a social media post on Friday, the US President said he would recommend 50% tariffs on the EU to begin on June 1st.

Earlier this month the Residential Tenancies Board warned of "concerning trends" of rent increases in Galway that needed further investigation. In the last 12 months alone, rents in Galway have increased by 12.6% and the average monthly rent in Galway city is now €2,304. So how are tenants coping with these increases?

Aontú membership voted this weekend to make it party policy to limit the numbers of asylum seekers in the country until the housing crisis is addressed, to ban anyone entering Ireland if they purposely destroy travel documents, and to outlaw so-called Sharia law.

56 days after he was officially reported missing, there was a breakthrough in the Michael Gaine investigation. We get the latest from Southern Editor Paschal Sheehy, followed by Michael Healy Rae, the Minister of State for Agriculture, who visited the farm yesterday.

The government has abandoned its plans to house asylum seekers at the former Crown Paints plant in Coolock in Dublin. Colm Brophy, Minister of State for Migration, and Labour Party MEP Aodhan O'Riordan debate the U-turn.

Over 20 water supplies around the country are officially in drought status due to the recent spell of warm and dry weather. Uisce Eireann is asking people to reduce their water usage as the good weather is expected to continue into next week. Margaret Attridge, Uisce Eireann's Head of Water Operations, speaks to us from our Cork studio.

The State should carry out an urgent review of its approach to child protection and welfare. That was the recommendation of a jury following the inquest into the death of Daniel McAnaspie, a teenager who was murdered while in the care of the state. Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children's Rights Alliance speaks to This Week.

More than five years on since the UK officially left the European Union, tomorrow a summit will be hosted in London to mark a "reset" in relations. Our London Correspondent Tommy Meskill reports.

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 100 Palestinians across Gaza overnight, local health authorities said, as the enclave's health ministry said public hospitals in the north of the territory were now "out of service". We get the latest from Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East Correspondent for the Economist.

The audit report on hip surgeries on children is expected to be ready by the end of next week. It examines whether the criteria used for surgical intervention varied between the three hospitals where hip operations were carried out on children. Niamh Griffin, Health Correspondent with the Irish Examiner, explains.

As the population of the country shifts from rural to urban areas, GAA clubs in the West of Ireland are struggling to field teams because they don't have the numbers. There has also been an increase in clubs amalgamating. Peter O'Connell reports.

Eight days after a row over the wearing of skorts at camogie matches first hit the headlines, the issue continues to anger players. We are joined in studio by Brian Molloy, the President of the Camogie Association.

A second teenager has died after getting into difficulty while swimming off the coast of Buncrana, in Co Donegal yesterday. Northern Editor Vincent Kearney brings the latest update on the tragedy.

Robert Francis Prevost - now Pope Leo - is the first American born head of the Catholic Church. So how will he tackle the significant issues facing the institution? We hear from Bishop of Waterford and Lismore Phonsie Cullinan, Theologian Gina Menzies, campaigner Colm O'Gorman, and the Irish Times Religious Affairs Correspondent Patsy McGarry.

Israeli air strikes overnight killed 11 people in the Gaza strip. Meanwhile, the blockade by Israel of food and medicine - described by the Taoiseach as a war crime - continues. We hear about the situation on the ground from UNICEF's Jonathan Crickx.

Dozens of former Eurovision contestants have signed an open letter calling for Israel and its national broadcaster KAN to be banned from this year's contest. One of the artists to sign the letter was Charlie McGettigan, co-winner of the contest with Paul Harrington back in 1994.

Fianna Fáil's housing spokesman and TD for Cork South Central Seamus McGrath.

Fionnan Sheahan, Ireland Editor with the Irish and Sunday Independent

The Leinster Senior Camogie Semi Final was almost abandoned yesterday after 30 players lined out wearing shorts, which are not permitted under the rules. After a conversation with the referee, they returned to the dressing room and changed into skorts, a hybrid between skirts and shorts. Journalist Sarah Slater tells us more.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Mark Kelly.

Complaints of wrongdoing from whistleblowers have led to many important reforms in the areas of health, justice, and care services. But is the current “protected disclosures” regime working properly? With Protected Disclosures Commissioner Ger Deering.

Earlier this week one of the country's most violent and dangerous criminals was put behind bars. Glen Ward, the leader of a north Dublin organised crime group, was jailed for five-and-a-half years for firearms offences. Ward was known as "Mr Flashy" and his gang were known as "The Gucci Gang".

The GPO is one of the country's most significant historical buildings. A charity which helps Irish veterans wants it to be turned into a National Veterans Centre. The government has signalled its intention to reimagine the role for the building, but no decision has yet been taken on its future.

After the death of Pope Francis, 135 cardinals are tasked with choosing his successor. We hear from Edward Pentin, Senior Correspondent with the National Catholic Register and EWTN analyst; Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent for The Irish Times; and reporter Peter O'Connell asks the public for their views.

The US President Donald Trump has questioned whether Russia's leader Vladimir Putin is serious about ending the war in Ukraine. We get analysis from Iulia Joja, Professor of European Security at Georgetown University and Thomas Byrne, Minister for European Affairs.

Dr. Ann Dee, the incoming president of the Irish Medical Organisation, told her colleagues at a conference yesterday that the government and the HSE appear to hate doctors. She joins This Week from our Limerick studio.

Tusla, the child and family agency, has said that it is currently unable to fully meet its legal obligations to provide secure special care for children in danger. We hear from Dr. Conor O'Mahony, an expert in Child Law at UCC and former special rapporteur on child protection.

In one video clip, a member of the group appears to call for the death of British MPs, and a second clip appears to show a member of Kneecap expressing support for Hamas and Hezbollah. Northern Editor Vincent Kearney provides this update.

The Freemasons of Ireland are to donate the money they were paid for hosting an interview at their hall in Dublin involving Conor McGregor and Tucker Carlson to charity. Philip Daley, The Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons, speaks to This Week.

The interview between Tucker Carlson and Conor McGregor has amassed over a million views on YouTube since it was broadcast on Friday evening. We speak to Ciarán O'Connor, a Senior Analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, whose work specialises in tracking and monitoring disinformation and extremism.

How much focus does the government really have on the question of Irish Unity? Our reporter Peter O'Connell gauged opinion in Banbridge, Armagh, Warrenpoint and Newry. Then, we discuss the topic with Deirdre Heenan, Professor of Social Policy at Ulster University, and Mark Hennessy, Britain Editor for The Irish Times.

Just over a year after Fine Gael installed Simon Harris as its leader… the party has suffered its worst opinion poll in 30 years. To look at what might be behind this slump, we are joined by the former government advisor, Irish Times Columnist and Public Affairs Consultant, Gerard Howlin.

As more and more people turn to digital offerings for their news - there are big questions about the future of newspapers. After five years at the helm, the Sunday Independent Editor Alan English is stepping down from the publication. He looks back on his tenure during a turbulent period for media.

Over the next seven weeks, more than 300,000 people will attend one of the eleven Munster Senior Hurling Championship matches. In the aftermath of the pandemic, Munster hurling has attracted record crowds and tickets will be at a premium for the season. Fintan O'Toole, sports journalist for the42.ie joins us.

With volatile markets and recession forecasts resulting from Donald Trump's new tariffs, how will Ireland navigate through the tumult? This Week speaks to Jack Chambers, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.