Fianna Fáil’s hiring of Ivan Yates to help prep Jim Gavin for grillings during the presidential election rate has sparked (or perhaps fanned) tensions with Fine Gael. Then there's the broader questions about media transparency and political training (and let's not forget: who Matt Cooper's new podcast co-host will be?). Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack the past few days.

Also: Simon Harris poorly timed, vaguely worded remarks on migration were not what the country needed right now.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Collison, billionaire Stripe co-founder, lobbed a political bombshell in the direction of Kildare Street with a 2,500-word Irish Times think piece (manifesto, perhaps). Is it a bold vision or simply Silicon Valley naivety?

Sinead O’Carroll, Christina Finn, and Rónán Duffy break down the response to Collison’s 'Make Politicians Powerful Again' call, from ministers nodding along to critics pointing out all the things he left out. They also ask: why can Irish governments deliver for the Ryder Cup, but not for housing? What does that say about leadership, blame, and priorities?

Also: will we have a new taoiseach this time next week?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Catherine Connolly’s presidential victory was more than decisive (but we're not going to call it stonking because Christine hates that word).

In this post-election episode, the team unpack what went so right for Connolly, and but where to even begin about where it went wrong for Heather Humphreys? Between Fine Gael’s incoherent campaign and the truly remarkable scale of spoiled votes, this race was far more revealing that anyone expected.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're turning the corner into the final stretch of the presidential election. Catherine Connolly is pulling ahead in the polls, and it's starting to look a lot like Heather Humphrey's campaign just hasn't landed. She's running out of time to change that.

Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy unpack a (somewhat) turbulent week of resignations and pointed remarks, from the Green Party’s internal backlash to Labour’s at times reluctant support. Is this what unity on the Left really looks like?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first presidential debate is unlikely to be one that anyone will ever really remember, but it gave voters their first real close-up look at how the three candidates perform under pressure. Humphreys tried to steer clear of any mistakes, Jim Gavin attempted to appear less “low energy”, while Catherine Connolly appeared to be in the most control.

Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack who came out strongest (and maybe even who 'won'), if any awkward moments might stick, and whether this campaign will ever move beyond safe talking points.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the presidential election campaign kicks off in earnest, we're back with a new season of The Candidate. However... we have just three candidates in the race: Catherine Connolly, Heather Humphreys, and Jim Gavin. It's the smallest field in years.

Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy examine why Maria Steen fell at the final hurdle, what it says about Ireland’s political spectrum, and whether it signals the need for change in the current system of nominations.

Also: who can avoid making a major mistake in the weeks ahead?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a summer of speculation, six-time All-Ireland winning Dublin manager Jim Gavin has emerged victorious in the race to be Fianna Fáil's candidate for the presidency. There was a contest and Billy Kelleher ran him closer than many expected but Taoiseach Micheál Martin got his man in the end. The question now is whether Martin's vision is shared by the public and whether Gavin is the superstar signing the party leader clearly thinks he is.

Sinead O'Carroll, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack what all this means and also discuss the shocking threats made against the family of Tánaiste Simon Harris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The unexpected withdrawal of Mairead McGuinness has left a massive hole in the presidential race, one that has yet to be filled by any of the three major parties. Where do Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Sinn Féin go from here?

In this unscheduled episode, Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy look at what this means for the campaign timeline, whether Gareth Sheridan’s bid is being taken seriously, and ask if Catherine Connolly has a brand recognition problem.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ministers held their last Cabinet meeting this week, while TDs and senators have already cleared out of Leinster House for their break. That means it's time for us to hand out the report cards. We asked our listeners and readers to help us dish out some accolades for the performance of TDs in the current Dáil so far: Best Politician; Best Newbie; Comeback Kid; Must-Try-Harder Award; Quote of The Term; Clanger of The Term; Row of The Term; Best Political Moment. Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy make the tough decisions on this week's episode.

The Candidate will be taking a break for a few weeks until Irish politics starts ramping up again (but don't worry, we'll have you covered if anything major happens).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The government unveiled its updated infrastructure spending plan this week and its plans to splash billions on projects around the country. But on what projects and where? Well, that type of detail was, oddly, not forthcoming...

From MetroLink to housing and health, the National Development Plan was heavy on spin and light on specifics. It was followed by the Summer Economic Statement and a shift in mood: next year’s Budget might not be particularly cheery. Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy unpack the two announcements.

Also: the Social Democrats just turned 10. What explains their 'slow burn' staying power, and are they the exception to the rule about small Irish parties?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Dáil has wrapped up for the summer... again. But with a housing crisis, major legislation pending, and just 33 sitting weeks a year, should TDs still be clocking off this easily? Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, and Jane Matthews unpack whether Ireland’s political calendar is stuck in the past, and why a rethink of how the Dáil actually works should be on the cards.

Also: the Occupied Territories Bill is drawing increasingly sharp criticism from the US.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mary Lou McDonald is finally sailing us out of the presidential election doldrums... without saying much at all, really. Her non-denial that she would be throwing her hat in the ring has ramped up speculation around her being Sinn Féin's candidate. But could she actually win? And why are all the other parties playing it so coy?

Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy look at this continued quiet, cautious election tip-toeing that is continued.

Also: could Leo's post-taoiseach persona win over former sceptics?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was already going to be a tense Nato summit, but when the alliance's secretary general referred to Donald Trump as “daddy”, and the White House embraced it, it shifted the tone from awkward diplomacy to something closer to humiliation... but did the move actually work?

Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack the daddy text and what it says about Europe’s willingness to placate Trump. They also ask whether the EU’s inability to act on Gaza and its quiet deference to US policy is becoming a liability for the whole project.

Also: The cost of living remains high, and the government says it won’t bring back broad supports. Is “targeted help” going to be enough?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Ireland on the brink of another wave of public protest, or will it fizzle out, as so often before? Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy explore why movements like water charges and Repeal caught fire, and why complex crises like housing still struggle to spark mass mobilisation. They also examine the blurred line between protest and personal abuse, and what rising tensions mean for political tone.

Also: Ursula von der Leyen’s latest comments on Israel spark backlash from Irish MEPs and reignite questions about who the EU really speaks for.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anticipation had been growing for months over what the government's new rent plan would deliver. Could it bring about solutions that really help renters and ease the pressure they are under? Could it keep landlords happy at the same time? Housing Minister James Browne rolled out his reform of rent pressure zones yesterday — but what he says it will deliver and what it actually does don't exactly line up.

Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack what the new “rent pressure zone for the whole country” actually means, whether it will do anything to help renters in the short term, and why this may be less about impact than impression.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As one of our reporters read through an open letter on Gaza penned by Ciarán Mullooly, one detail stood out: a bizarre reference to Swedish House Mafia. A spokesperson for the journalist-turned-MEP quickly confirmed that artificial intelligence was used to generate portions of the letter. But surely he's not alone in using ChatGPT et al during his official duties? This is a case where it went badly wrong, but to what standards should we hold politicians when it comes to the use of AI?

Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews, and journalist-turned-AI-sniffer-dog Muiris Ó Cearbhaill have an entirely human conversation about the rise of AI and what it means for political discourse.

Also: the clock is ticking, but will any politician give Jane an actual answer on who might be running for president?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the country’s most high-profile workplace, but is Leinster House actually designed to get anything done? What does a week in Irish politics actually look like? This week, we examine what life in the Dáil is really like, and the heady mix of routine, power, and pantomime that make it a dysfunctional place to work.

Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, and Jane Matthews are joined by someone who is a familiar face on television these days, but was also once a familiar byline on The Journal: Gavan Reilly, political correspondent with Virgin Media News. He pays a visit to the people who taught him everything to share insights from his new book, The Secret Life of Leinster House.

Also: why do some politicians not know when to step down?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.