Podcasts about Oireachtas

Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: · The assassination of the conservative activist and influencer Charlie Kirk on stage at a college campus in Utah on Wednesday is the latest chapter in America's increasingly toxic political climate. A Donald Trump loyalist, Kirk was instrumental in mobilising younger voters during last year's US presidential race. Unfortunately, the threat of violence is present in Irish politics too, with Tánaiste Simon Harris outspoken on the intimidation and bomb threats directed at him and his family.· The urgency with which aspiring independent presidential candidates have sought support is ramping up, with ten Oireachtas members now said to have given commitments to conservative campaigner Maria Steen to nominate her to enter the presidential election. Council nominations are also a viable route for independents but one that is narrowing all the time.· And EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen's proposal to suspend parts of EU-Israel trade deal could be seen as a significant shift towards the stance Ireland and others have taken as the slaughter in Gaza continues. Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:· Javier Milei's right-wing ‘chainsaw revolution' in Argentina, Ireland's shambolic display against Armenia as their World Cup dream dies, and yet another new prime minister as France's political crisis deepens. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sinéad O'Carroll, Editor of The Journal.ie, discusses the latest developments in the race for the Áras.

D'aontaigh deichniúr ball Oireachtais Maria Steen a ainmniú mar iarrthóir uachtaránachta i ndiaidh ócáid a d'eagraigh ceannaire Aontú, Peadar Tóibín, i mBaile Átha Cliath inné ach beidh uirthi síniú a fháil ó deichniúr eile san Oireachtas má tá sí le bheith ar an pháipéar ballóide.

Dúirt Ceannaire Aontú, Peadar Tóibín inné go bhfuil deichniúr ball den Oireachtas sásta tacú le hainmniúchán Maria Steen don Uachtaránacht. De réir Bunreacht na hÉireann, tá tacaíocht ó fiche comhalta den Oireachtas nó ó cheithre chomhairle áitiúil chun ainmniúchán Uachtaránachta a chinntiú.

Michael Collins, Cork South-West deputy and Independent Ireland leader, discusses whether Independent Ireland will back barrister Maria Steen as presidential candidate. Harry McGee, Irish Times Political Correspondent, assesses whether Maria Steen will be able to garner the required 20 Oireachtas nominations to be on the presidential ballot.

The final line up in the presidential race is taking shape with Jim Gavin joining Heather Humphreys and Catherine Connolly. However, Sinn Féin's intentions remain unclear - while independent Maria Steen is half way to an Oireachtas nomination, and others continue to pursue council nominations.

Tá seisiún eolais le reáchtáil ag Oireachtas na Gaeilge ar líne inniu  faoi dheiseanna agus tacaíochtaí atá á gcur ar fáil do chompántais drámaíochta pobail sa tír seo.

Both parties' TDs gathered yesterday to discuss their main priorities ahead of the start of the new Dáil term on the 17th of September. Fine Gael is meeting in Mullingar, where budget priorities and the strategy for the Presidential election will be up for discussion. Tánaiste and party leader Simon Harris arrives to his party's meeting under the cloud of a further threat against his family - with his home having been thoroughly searched by gardaí. Meanwhile, Sinn Féin has come together in Dun Laoghaire. Party leader Mary Lou McDonald has as described it as the final chance for her parliamentary party to have a say on their Presidential plans, although she has ruled herself out of the race for the Áras. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Joe Cooney, Bodyke Fine Gael TD and Donna McGettigan, Shannon Sinn Féin TD. ©Oireachtas.ie

Tá scéimeanna úra maoinithe fógartha ag Oireachtas na Gaeilge dírithe ar na taibhealaíona teangabhunaithe Gaeilge.

Labhair Cathal Ó Curráin faoi roinnt de na dámhachtain atá ag an t-Oireachtas chun tacú leis na healaíona.

Nuacht Mhall. Príomhscéalta na seachtaine, léite go mall.*Inniu an séú lá de mhí Mheán Fómhair. Is mise Barra Mac Giolla Aoláin.Tharla drochthimpiste ar an iarnród cáblach i Liospóin Dé Céadaoin. Maraíodh seisear déag agus gortaíodh duine is fiche eile ar an Elevador da Glória i lár na cathrach, a iompraíonn turasóirí agus muintir na háite idir cearnóg lárnach, Praça dos Restauradores, agus Bairro Alto, ceantar eile a bhfuil siamsaíocht oíche ann. Bhí daoine ó thíortha éagsúla i measc na n-othar gortaithe, lena n-áirítear an Ghearmáin, an Spáinn, an Fhrainc, an Iodáil, an Eilvéis, Ceanada, an Chóiré Theas, Maracó agus Rinn Verde. Deir an Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha nach bhfuil aon saoránach Éireannach i measc na dtaismeach. Tharla an timpiste mar gur bhris an cábla agus gur sciorr an carr den rian. D'fhógair an rialtas sa Phortaingéil Lá Náisiúnta Dobróin agus tá fiosrúchán ar siúl.Tá Conor McGregor tar éis físeán a phostáil lasmuigh d'Fhoirgnimh an Rialtais, ag impí ar dhaoine dul i dteagmháil lena gcomhairleoirí contae chun tacú leis mar iarrthóir uachtaránachta. Chun a bheith ar an mbosca ballóide, caithfidh sé ceithre údarás áitiúla nó 20 ball den Oireachtas a fháil lena thaobh. Osclóidh fuinneog na n-ainmniúchán amárach agus caithfear iad a chur isteach roimh an cheathrú lá is fiche de mhí Mheán Fómhair. I bhfíseán dhá nóiméad go leith, luaigh sé Forógra na Saoirse agus rinne sé comhartha na croise ag an deireadh. I mí na Samhna anuraidh, d'aimsigh giúiré i dtriail shibhialta go ndearna McGregor ionsaí gnéis ar Nikita Hand in 2018, agus tugadh damáistí beagnach €250,000 di. Chaill sé a achomharc sa chás i mí Iúil i mbliana. Tá sé ráite ag Donald Trump, Uachtarán na Stát Aontaithe, go mb'fhéidir go gcuirfeadh sé comhaontuithe trádála ar ceal má deir an Chúirt Uachtarach go raibh na taraifí a thug sé isteach neamhdhleathach. Rialaigh cúirt achomhairc le déanaí nach raibh údarás aige na taraifí a ghearradh gan cead na Comhdhála. Deir Trump go bhfuil muinín aige go rialóidh an Chúirt Uachtarach ina fhabhar, ach d'admhaigh sé go mbeadh caillteanas mór ann dá gcaillfeadh sé. Mhaígh sé freisin go raibh an tAontas Eorpach ag íoc “beagnach trilliún dollar” leis na Stáit Aontaithe, cé gur i ndáiríre is iad lucht iompórtála Meiriceánach a íocann na taraifí sin. Rinne an Seanadóir Mitch McConnell comparáid idir polasaithe Trump maidir leis an gheilleagar agus gnóthaí eachtracha agus polasaithe na naoi déag tríochaidí, agus é ag rá gurb é seo "an tréimhse is contúirtí ó roimh an Dara Cogadh Domhanda".*Léirithe ag Conradh na Gaeilge i Londain. Tá an script ar fáil i d'aip phodchraolta.*GLUAISiarnród cáblach - funiculartaismeach - casualtybosca ballóide - ballot boxcomhartha na croise - the sign of the crosscomhaontuithe trádála - trade agreementsgnóthaí eachtracha - foreign affairs

Agus an tOireachtas ag teannadh linn, labhair muid le hEmer Nic Labhraí chun an nuacht is déanaí a fhail faoina bhfuil i ndán.

Independent candidate Catherine Connolly is now the only person in the race who has already received the 20 nominations from Oireachtas members needed to stand in the election, after securing the backing of left-leaning parties and TDs including the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, the Labour Party and a number of independents.

The Occupied Territories Bill is winding its way through the Oireachtas.Tabled originally in 2018, the bill would ban trade with the illegal settlements in the West Bank.But, considering the ongoing actions of the Israeli government in Gaza, should Ireland consider a complete trade embargo on Israel?John O'Brennan is Professor of European Politics at Maynooth University, and he has been writing about this in the Irish Examiner. He joins Seán to discuss.

The Occupied Territories Bill is winding its way through the Oireachtas.Tabled originally in 2018, the bill would ban trade with the illegal settlements in the West Bank.But, considering the ongoing actions of the Israeli government in Gaza, should Ireland consider a complete trade embargo on Israel?John O'Brennan is Professor of European Politics at Maynooth University, and he has been writing about this in the Irish Examiner. He joins Seán to discuss.

TDs and Senators should have their salaries increased by restoring pre-economic crash allowances, which have been cut since 2008.. That's according to Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell, who has been canvassing his Oireachtas colleagues this week, for support on this issue.

Fiachra O Cionnaith, of RTÉ's political staff, dicusses a joint Oireachtas finance committee report which calls for the Central Bank to carry out an internal review into whether it can turn down requests from Israel to facilitate the sale of its bonds.

Labhair Tomás faoin bonn atá aige ó Oireachtas 1913 agus faoi bhanna píob Dumha Acha.

Scagadh á dhéanamh aige ar na scripteanna a bhí ag an gComhlachas Náisiúnta Drámaíochta.

Is all well between Ireland and the US?The US Ambassador to Israel has recently suggested that the Irish may have “fallen into a VAT of Guinness”, because of our stance on Israel and Palestine.This is all in the wake of the Occupied Territories Bill, which will be continuing to make its way through the Oireachtas.But, what are relations like? Is this souring things?Niall Stanage is White House Columnist for The Hill, and joins Kieran to discuss.Image: Reuters

Clare's senator has spoken in the Seanad for the first time since his resignation from Fine Gael's Parliamentary Party five months ago. Senator Martin Conway left Fine Gael in February of this year after being arrested in Dublin in January for public intoxication which prompted an ongoing disciplinary process within the party. The Ennistymon native has received over €5,200 in Parliamentary Standard Allowance payments since February according to Oireachtas data despite not having spoken in the Houses of the Oireachtas since November of last year. Senator Conway broke his silence on the second-last day of the Seanad term before the summer recess by addressing the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan, on the subject of inclusivity in sport.

The battle to succeed Michael D Higgins is intensifying- with a candidate the outgoing president knows well now officially in the race. Our reporter Barry Lenihan reports from our Oireachtas studio outlining some of the potential candidates.

Legislation to abolish juries in defamation trials will be back before the Oireachtas next week. The Dail has already voted in favour of the bill, but it is before the Seanad next week. Retired High Court Judge Bernard Barton and media lawyer Michael Kealy debate the proposed change.

 A Bill which seeks to end Discrimination against cancer survivors when accessing financial products is currently making its way through the Oireachtas. Fianna Fail TD for Dublin South-Central Catherine Ardagh's introduced the bill and joined Anton to discuss.Listen here.

Reporter, Julitte Gash on the head of the HSE, Bernard Gloster's statement that he wants to see an end to public hospitals using what's known as insource waiting list funding. Health Correspondent, Fergal Bowers, joins Rachael on the same subject.

Fiosrú has decided to avoid further action in the case of Evan Fitzgerald, who fired shots in the air in Carlow before taking his own life. Questions have been raised in the Oireachtas about Gardai's investigation into Mr Fitzgerald. We were joined by Independent Senator Michael McDowell and Former Assistant Garda Commissioner Pat Leahy.

CHI appeared before the Oireachtas health committee today and addressed the hip surgeries and a number of other problems. For more on this Padraig Rice is Chair of the Oireachtas Health Committee, and Social Democrat TD for Cork South-Central.

We are back this week in the National Museum of Ireland, Archaeology, on Kildare Street, in Dublin City centre, which is open 7 days a week and free to the public. We are joined by Maeve Sikora, Keeper of Irish Antiquities, and Assistant Keeper Matt Seaver. In addition to chatting more about the Words on the Wave exhibition, Maeve and Matt tell us about their jobs preserving Irish material heritage and culture and many of the cool artefacts the public can view in the museum including the Ardagh Chalice, the Faddan More Psalter, the Springmount tablets, the Tara brooch and some of the precious items on display from medieval Clonard.The Words on the Wave exhibition is running May 30th to Oct 24th. For more details see https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Museums/Archaeology/Exhibitions/Words-on-the-Wave-Ireland-and-St-Gallen-in-Early-MExhibition Advisors: Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, Cornel Dora, Philipp Lenz, John Gillis, Bernard Meehan, Raghnall Ó Floinn, Pádraig Ó Macháin, Timothy O'Neill.Lending Institutions: Stiftsbibliotek St. Gallen; L'abbaye de Saint Maurice d'Agaune; Cork Public Museum.Lead Partners: Department of Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport; Office of Public Works.Supporting Partners: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; The Embassy of Switzerland in Ireland; The Embassy of Ireland to Switzerland; The Houses of the Oireachtas, The Discovery Programme; The Inks and Skins Project, Department of Modern Irish, University of Cork; The Royal Irish Academy; The School of Genetics and Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin; The School of Archaeology, University College Dublin; National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; Department of Archaeology, University College Cork; Transport Infrastructure Ireland; Limerick County Council; Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit; Archaeology Plan; Courtney Deery Archaeology; Icon Archaeology; Archaeology Management Solutions; Vikingeskibmuseet, Roskilde; The Hunt Museum, Limerick; Eureka Secondary School (Kells, Co. Meath); Flade Klosterschulhaus (St. Gallen); Gallen Community School (Ferbane, Co. Offaly); Coláiste Muire (Ballymote, Co. Sligo).Expert Assistance: Edward Bourke, Daniel Bradley, Sadbh Carrick, Ian Doyle, James Eogan, Silvio Frigg, Fenella G. France, Anna Hoffman, Pádraig Ó Macháin, Pierre-Alain Mariaux, Ursula Mattenberger, Valeria Marriangeli, Griffin Murray, TImothy O'Neill, John Sheehan and Andrew Woods.Replicas: Potted History; Laura Quinn Design; John Nicholl; Brendan O'Neill.Regular episodes every two weeks (on a Friday)Email: medievalirishhistory@gmail.comProducer: Tiago Veloso SilvaSupported by Maynooth University, especially the International Centre for Irish Cultural Heritage, the Dept of Early Irish, the Dept of Music, the Dept of History, & Taighde Éireann/Research Ireland.Views expressed are the speakers' own.

PJ talks to Minister of State for Transport Jerry Buttimer about what we learned when the RSA were grilled by the Oireachtas Transport Committee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Reynolds, Crime Correspondent looks at the latest from the committee meetings

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this episode Martin is joined by RTE worker Maebh Keary and his workers rights comrade, Matt McGranaghan to discuss RTE's latest day in the Oireachtas. Whilst there seems to be media consensus that they emerged unscathed, Maebh, Matt and Martin pick out some of the most interesting moments and go a little deeper into what some statements actually mean for workers at RTE, the govts comfort levels with rogue employment practices and for the public purse. An exclusive interview with Liam Cunningham on Displacement in Gaza is here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-131053187 The Des Cahill Top Talent podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-131076785

Week Trending: Trump V MuskLarry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at the University of Galway, and Sinead O'Carroll, Editor of thejournal.ie, discussed some of the biggest stories of the week including a guest Influencer at Leinster House who slagged off the Oireachtas food, Amazon testing humanoid delivery bots and planning exemptions for granny flats.As Trump V Musk has dominated the headlines, Marion McKeone kicked off the chat to explain how the feud between the US President and the Richest Man In The World exploded overnight, and what the rift could mean for both parties.To catch the full conversation, press the ‘play' button on this page.

Mothers Against GenocideThis column makes no apologies for writing so much about the genocide in Palestine and the urgent need for ceasefires and a peace process.  At least 14,000 babies face imminent death from starvation. Over 60,000 Palestinian children, women, men have been killed, including more than 4,000 since Israel ended its ceasefire in March. One especially harrowing example of Israel's murder machine at work was the deliberate targeting last Friday of the family home of Hamdi and Walaa al-Najjar, two doctors who work at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. As Hamdi was at work nine of her ten children were killed. Her husband and a 10th child was left critically ill.Mothers Against Genocide have stood up against this savagery and for the rights of the Palestinian people. Sue Pentel and Martine McCullough are active in this campaign. Sue has been a political activist all her life. My earliest memory of her is as a member of Women against Imperialism over 40 years ago. Sue is a Gaeilgeoir who has worked for decades promoting the education of our young people through the medium of Irish. She is also a committed advocate for the rights of the people of Palestine and last weekend she and her friend Martine were arrested by the PSNI and charged with ‘criminal damage' to an ATM at Barclays Bank in Castle Place in Belfast City Centre. The so-called criminal damage was the placing of a sticker on the machine as a reminder of Barclays role in selling Israeli war bonds.‘If I Must Die'There will be a public event this Saturday – 31 May - about the ongoing genocide. The venue is St Comgalls/Ionad Eileen Howell and it starts at 7.30pm. Chairing the meeting, which is sponsored by the Bobby Sands Trust, will be Dr Brendan Ciaran Browne, Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution. The main speaker will be Yousef M. Aljamal On the International Wall in Belfast there is a poem by Refaat Alareer, ‘If I Must Die' which he wrote for his daughter, Shaymaa, who would grow up to be an accomplished illustrator. It is very poignant because the Israelis went on to kill Refaat, along with his sister, brother and four of nephews and nieces, eighteen months ago. Give the vote to 16-year-old citizens. The debate on reducing the voting age to 16 is gathering momentum. Twice in the last decade the Assembly – minus the DUP - has endorsed the call for the vote to be reduced in the North from 18 to 16. Several years ago Sinn Féin introduced a Bill in the Oireachtas to allow for this in southern elections and last week An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that he had an “open mind” on such a proposition and would give it “serious consideration.”The Commission on the Future of Ireland are hosting 'Health & Care in a New Ireland' on the 6th of June, 1pm at St Comgalls, Belfast.Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/health-care-in-a-new-ireland-tickets-1354804690299 

Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· Committees of the Oireachtas are indeed back, but rigor and insight seem to be missing in some of the questions posed by politicians during RTÉ's appearance in front of the Oireachtas media committee on Wednesday.· Independent TDs Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole, who support the Government, put a dent in the Coalition's majority by voting in favour of a Sinn Féin Bill in support of Palestine.· Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams was awarded €100,000 after a jury found he was defamed by a 2016 BBC TV programme and related article that falsely accused him of sanctioning the murder of a British agent.· And is it time to disband Children's Health Ireland? Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill is considering subsuming the statutory body into the HSE following several controversies during its six years in existence.Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:· The tight Polish presidential race, looming climate fines, the rise of the campervan, and the wonderful Cáit O'Riordan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Matt Seaver, Assistant Keeper of Irish Antiquities and Dr Diarmuid Ó Riain, curatorial researcher, welcomed us in to the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare St. to see the unique new exhibition: Words on the Wave. This is an incredible display of precious manuscripts from the Abbey of St Gall, Switzerland — some returning to Ireland for the first time in 1000 years — alongside spectacular objects from the Irish world from which they emerged. Running May 30th to Oct 24th. For more details see https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Museums/Archaeology/Exhibitions/Words-on-the-Wave-Ireland-and-St-Gallen-in-Early-MExhibition Advisors: Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, Cornel Dora, Philipp Lenz, John Gillis, Bernard Meehan, Raghnall Ó Floinn, Pádraig Ó Macháin, Timothy O'Neill.Lending Institutions: Stiftsbibliotek St. Gallen; L'abbaye de Saint Maurice d'Agaune; Cork Public Museum.Lead Partners: Department of Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport; Office of Public Works.Supporting Partners: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; The Embassy of Switzerland in Ireland; The Embassy of Ireland to Switzerland; The Houses of the Oireachtas, The Discovery Programme; The Inks and Skins Project, Department of Modern Irish, University of Cork; The Royal Irish Academy; The School of Genetics and Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin; The School of Archaeology, University College Dublin; National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; Department of Archaeology, University College Cork; Transport Infrastructure Ireland; Limerick County Council; Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit; Archaeology Plan; Courtney Deery Archaeology; Icon Archaeology; Archaeology Management Solutions; Vikingeskibmuseet, Roskilde; The Hunt Museum, Limerick; Eureka Secondary School (Kells, Co. Meath); Flade Klosterschulhaus (St. Gallen); Gallen Community School (Ferbane, Co. Offaly); Coláiste Muire (Ballymote, Co. Sligo).Expert Assistance: Edward Bourke, Daniel Bradley, Sadbh Carrick, Ian Doyle, James Eogan, Silvio Frigg, Fenella G. France, Anna Hoffman, Pádraig Ó Macháin, Pierre-Alain Mariaux, Ursula Mattenberger, Valeria Marriangeli, Griffin Murray, TImothy O'Neill, John Sheehan and Andrew Woods.Replicas: Potted History; Laura Quinn Design; John Nicholl; Brendan O'Neill.Regular episodes every two weeks (on a Friday)Email: medievalirishhistory@gmail.comProducer: Tiago Veloso SilvaSupported by Maynooth University, especially the International Centre for Irish Cultural Heritage, the Dept of Early Irish, the Dept of Music, the Dept of History, & Taighde Éireann/Research Ireland.Views expressed are the speakers' own.

The lads discuss the Kneecap terror charge, whether Oireachtas scrutiny of IPAS spending is likely to make any difference, and whether or not the Basic Income for the Arts scheme is a good idea after it was publicly backed by Minister Patrick O'Donovan.

A meeting between the ESRI and the Oireachtas Committee on Housing to discuss housing supply for the coming year has just finished up.Joining Kieran to discuss the latest is Newstalk Reporter Jessica Woodlock.

RTÉ Reporter, Juliette Gash brings the latest news on further delays of the new Children's Hospital. RTÉ's Political Coverage Editor Joe Mag Raollaigh joins from the Oireachtas.

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport is having its first meeting today. The Dail speaking rights row has effectively stalled it for weeks; it was initially to be up and running before St Patrick's Day.What will be on their agenda? We discussed further with Conor Faughnan Transport Commentator.

The report into the Oireachtas bike shed names no-one and, quelle surprise, vows that lessons will be learned. While the minister in charge has - boldly - promised to cut driving test times in 10 weeks, one person felt they had no option but to go to Georgia to get theirs. The hip surgery crisis gathers pace as another health scandal looms.

An independent report commissioned by the OPW says there was no value-for-money assessment before work began on Leinster House's infamous €336k bicycle shed.According to the report by Deloitte, the OPW did not tell the Oireachtas what the shelter would cost.Joining Kieran to discuss is Newstalk's Political Correspondent, Seán Defoe and Mairéad Farrell, Sinn Féin TD for Galway West/South Mayo, Chair of Oireachtas Finance Committee and Spokesperson for Public Expenditure.

Shauna Connolly, who launched the 'Shorts not Skorts' campaign in 2023; Alan Kelly, Chair of the Oireachtas Sport Committee and Labour TD

An Oireachtas Group will aim to develop a national action plan that will support 15,000 Clare people living with Cardiovascular disease. The group which will specifically focus on heart and stroke issues was established by the Irish Heart Foundation in conjunction with Clare TD Cathal Crowe. The condition accounted for 27% of all deaths in Clare in 2023. Irish Heart Foundation Senior Policy Manager Mark Murphy says most instances of the diseases are preventable.

The Dail debated this morning the ongoing controversy surrouding the report into the Grace case. Forreaction to these latest developments Fianna Fail's John McGuinness, former Chair of the Public Accounts Committee who played a key role in uncovering the case almost a decade ago.

Bhain mac Eimear, Tiernan Ó Biataigh, atá dhá bhliain déag d'aois, an ceathrú háit sa rince Gaelach ina aois ghrúpa ag comórtas damhsa Oireachtas na Cruinne san Ionad Comhdhála i mBaile Átha Cliath le gairid.

Clare County Council is calling for a dedicated Oireachtas committee to scrutinise ambulance response problems here. The local authority is seeking a full investigation into an incident which resulted in a woman waiting three hours by the roadside following a single vehicle crash in Doonbeg. It's also requesting a probe into the awarding of the new Coast Guard Search and Rescue Aviation contract to Bristow Ireland, amid concerns over training, which it's understood has restricted operating hours to between 8am and 8pm. Kilrush Independent Councillor Ian Lynch says hard questions need to be answered.

Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· The ‘Golden Age of America' came and went over the course of a week as US President Donald Trump decided on Wednesday to pause his reciprocal tariffs for most countries for the next 90 days. · The status of suspended Social Democrat TD Eoin Hayes was up for debate this week with the party successfully pushing for representation based on election result rather than current Dáil numbers in order to secure two Oireachtas committee chairperson roles. So, is Hayes a Soc Dem TD or not? Some are making understandable comparisons with the recent speaking rights row.· And Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has signalled a new Bill to overhaul the asylum system here with the latest data showing a surge in deportation orders and a substantial fall in applications in early 2025, both attributable to O'Callaghan's predecessor Helen McEntee. Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:· The best way to resurrect a graveyard, humanitarian efforts in Chad, and Richard Boyd Barrett's cancer diagnosis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michéal Lehane, Political Correspondent, discusses the formation of the new Oireachtas committees, and how the Social Democrats are counting their TDs.

Fionnán Sheahan, Ireland Editor with the Irish Independent

Fionnán Sheahan, Ireland Editor with the Irish Independent, discusses when Oireachtas committees might return.