Your Politics

By RTÉ News

What's Your Politics about?

The RTÉ team at Leinster House and guests have an informal discussion about what has been happening in the world of Irish politics. New episodes available every Thursday evening.

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Your Politics episodes:

06.22.2023
The latest on Tubridy pay deal
With the revelations about Ryan Tubridy's pay deal making headlines nationwide, Aine and the team look at the latest developments, and cast an eye over the week's other big stories.
06.15.2023
Govt to start neutrality roadshow
With Micheál Martin decrying the abhorrent jack boots of a member of the Opposition - before finally withdrawing the remark - the debate on neutrality is getting ugly. The Govt insists its roadshow offers a balanced slate, but sounded defensive...
06.01.2023
Greens block Robo Cop
What do the Green's have against gardaí using facial recognition tech? And was that Budget fracca just FG trying to grab credit for tax cuts the Coalition partners are likely to agree upon? The team also ask, with investigations into...
05.25.2023
Budget kite-flying: Spat - or looming civil war?
Coalition concerns that they'll soon be fishing for the same votes are boiling over, with FF taking umbrage at a very, very early FG kite. High expectations of a giveaway have guaranteed Michael McGrath's maiden budget will be a serious...
05.18.2023
Stephen Donnelly the Crouching Tiger
Should social media firms take down footage of the Navan attack? As protests intensify, is Roderic O'Gorman being thrown under the bus? Áine and the team reflect on a violent and traumatic week, before considering other matters. Such as, what...
05.11.2023
Govt doesn't get bargain from supermarkets
A cheaper loaf of generic white is nowhere near the sort of result the Govt needs amid public clamours for supermarkets to step up. Food, a bit of GAA and a holiday is all people want, said Charlie McCreevy back...
05.04.2023
Cost of Living, Collins controversy and the Coronation
Áine Lawlor is joined by David Murphy, Sandra Hurley and Paul Cunningham as the government returns after the May Day Bank Holiday. The price of a pint (of milk) is a hot topic and the Taoiseach has a robust exchange...
04.27.2023
Why Michéal Martin isn't on The Ditch
Has Niall Collins done enough? Áine Lawlor talks to Sandra Hurley, David Murphy and Micheál Lehane
04.20.2023
Govt awash with cash - so Watt's the problem?
John Paul Phelan underscores the sense that FG need to put in the hard yards to establish candidates ahead of the next general election. (And just how invested is Leo in the political project?) Áine Lawlor acknowledges George Mitchell's (latest)...
04.03.2023
Inside Castle Buildings - How the Good Friday deal was done
In this third installment of our series marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement Áine Lawlor talks to former Ambassador and Irish Government negotiator David Donoghue and Former advisor to Senator Edward Kennedy and President of the US/Ireland...
03.30.2023
Sturm und drang in heated Dáil debates 'a disgrace'
Plenty of vitriol in the House, prompting the Ceann Comhairle to condemn the ructions. After a week where heat trumped light, Áine Lawlor is joined by Sorcha Ní Riada, Micheál Lehane and Sandra Hurley to reflect on the fireworks, and...
03.26.2023
25th GFA anniversary sees changing N Ireland
For the second of our podcasts to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Áine Lawlor is joined by activist and writer Danny Morrison, former UUP leader Mike Nesbitt, Irish Times columnist Justine Mc Carthy and Stephen Grimason,...
03.23.2023
No confidence motion looms after a bruising week
The lifting of the eviction ban continued to dominate the Dáil. Host Sandra Hurley is joined by Paul Cunningham, Sorcha Ní Riada and Micheál Lehane to discuss a hectic week in which Green TD Neasa Hourigan lost the whip. ...
03.19.2023
The women who were crucial to the Good Friday Agreement
Áine Lawlor is joined by Emma DeSouza, Bríd Rodgers, Monica McWilliams and Liz O’Donnell to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. They pay tribute to Northern Secretary Mo Mowlam's defining role, but warn that sectarianism remains a...
03.09.2023
Eviction ban axed - at what cost?
There was no kicking the can down the road - the no-fault eviction ban is being axed. But at what cost? Áine Lawlor is joined by Sandra Hurley, Paul Cunningham and David Murphy to examine the issue, which Sinn Féin...
03.02.2023
Is Niall Collins home free?
Minister Niall Collins effectively tells the Dáil there's 'nothing to see here', but will that appease the Opposition? Fine Gael try to turn up the heat on Sinn Féin over party finances, but really, is that going anywhere? Host Áine...
03.01.2023
Your Politics Podcast Special with UCD students
Minister of State Neale Richmond and People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett join host Áine Lawlor for a wide-ranging live debate, with questions from UCD students on housing, student fees, emigration and the potential of a left wing alliance
02.23.2023
Hash Wednesday and Holly Cairns' meteoric ascent
The Social Democrats take centre stage to consider who should take the reigns, as Fine Gael top brass reveal that they took drugs. The Ceann Comhairle exhorts Russian MPs to stand up to Putin and end his year-long Ukrainian rampage....
02.16.2023
The perils of social media and fine Italian wine
The solidarity across the House on the Patient Safety Bill was a fitting tribute to Vicky Phelan. Áine Lawlor is joined by Sorcha Ní Riada, Micheál Lehane and Paul Cunningham to ask how the citizens' assembly might tackle the endemic...
02.09.2023
Ireland seen as "soft touch" on immigration - McDowell
"We've got to cop ourselves on", Senator Michael McDowell insists. The former Minister for Justice tells Your Politics that the Irish system is the "least capable" of assessing applications, which is "manna from Heaven" for right-wing extremists, He dismisses the...
02.02.2023
We should remember our inspiring women - Senator Flynn
Independent Senator Eileen Flynn is an activist who values her faith. She speaks of her admiration for St. Brigid, who chose her spiritual truth over a forced marriage, explains how she tries to use the Seanad to speak the truth...
01.26.2023
Former ranger & TD says defence spending 'appalling'
We need a dedicated, stand-alone defence minister who can give hands-on supervision, insists Cathal Berry. The Independent TD joins host Áine Lawlor and Micheál Lehane to consider our not-so-neutrality (from WW2 to the War in Ukraine), and suggest that we...
01.19.2023
No quick fix in Paschal Donohoe debacle
Newly-minted Minister of State Neale Richmond joins host David Murphy, Sandra Hurley and Micheál Lehane to discuss the dangerous territory his party colleague Paschal Donohoe has strayed into. He discusses his recent "decent row" with Brexit diehards in London, who...
01.12.2023
School's back - English is out
The resignation of Damien English was the polar opposite of last year's painful fall of (Robet) Troy. But it's soured the New Year for the Government. Sinn Féin TD Mark Ward says a quick exit was "the right thing" to...
12.17.2022
What the wee shuffle means
Leo Varadkar has chosen his team to tackle the "number of pressing challenges" which he says will define his second term at the helm. After a day of high ceremony - if not drama - at Leinster House, host David...
12.15.2022
The Big Switcheroo - all you need to know
It's the final countdown to the changing of the guard, and the Your Politics team assembles to consider all the angles. We ponder the day's choreography, and consider what to expect from Leo Mk II as he readies to reach...
12.08.2022
The rebel TD who is back in the fold
Despite some "kicking and screaming", Patrick Costello insists climate action is on course. The recently-returned prodigal Green TD reckons his legal challenge to an EU-Canada trade deal has given the Attorney General a "legal headache". Your Politics discusses the logistics...
12.01.2022
Next election will be a clash of ideologies - minister
Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris swears he doesn't know where he'll be after the reshuffle, insists that FG and FF are at one on housing, and says that being in power for over a decade "is a positive". He...
11.24.2022
Busting pot smokers a "waste of time" - TD
The winds of change are blowing & legalisation is only a matter of time, says Gino Kenny, People Before Profit TD, who believes that cannabis use is a personal - not a criminal - matter. Join the team to review...
11.17.2022
SF's Kathleen Funchion on finally buying her home
Sinn Féin's Kathleen Funchion is keen to "get in there to make changes". But she tells Your Politics that she isn't even taking her seat for granted. Warning against "criticism for the sake of criticism", she says the Govt is...
11.09.2022
Offshore wind is the next goldrush - Eamon Ryan
Ahead of attending the COP in Sharm El Sheikh, Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan reveals that the Cabinet has approved an offshore wind programme, and puts his weight behind a loss and damage fund. Amid global unrest, he tells...
10.27.2022
Is Irish politics lurching to the right?
The Govt's on the back foot over shelter for refugees. Leo and Pearse clash horns again, with the Tánaiste executing a "training ground manoeuvre" on "Kwasi Doherty". Are things getting petty in Fianna Fáil over the return of the prodigal...
10.20.2022
Leaks and lettuces: a wild 24 hours
The lettuce lasted longer. Now who will replace Liz Truss as UK PM? The word is, Bojo is just winding us up. Join Áine Lawlor, Sandra Hurley, Micheál Lehane and Paul Cunningham, as they ponder Opposition warnings that the evictions...
10.13.2022
Roderic O'Gorman's Killarney U-turn reveals bigger problem
Unanimous opposition forces a Govt U-turn on moving refugees, as the system struggles to cope. Marc MacSharry heads back to FF for, we think, some "straight-shooting and troublemaking". And Leo shifts posture on banning evictions. The Your Politics team grapples...
10.06.2022
Govt weighed down by concrete levy
The concrete levy has gone down like a lead balloon; Your Politics anticipates a fudge and some major watering down of the controversial measure. Host Áine Lawlor & Co. discuss the Govt's unforced error in overlooking pay-as-you-go energy users, the...
09.29.2022
Has Paschal's wall of money won over public opinion?
What on earth is Kwasi Kwarteng doing, introducing un-costed tax cuts, and terrifying the markets? And is the wall of money keeping dissent largely under control after the mammoth Budget? Host Paul Cunningham, Political Coverage Editor David Murphy, and Political...
09.27.2022
Budget 2023 digested
A cost-of-living Budget worth €11bn with a raft of once-off measures, including €600 in electricity credits and double social welfare payments. But the Opposition warns that these will be swallowed by rampant inflation, and accuses the Government of blowing a...
09.22.2022
Price caps may worsen crisis - Bruton
It would be "very naive" to hope for a quick fix to the current crisis, Fine Gael's Richard Bruton warns, and we "have to keep something in the tank". He joins Paul Cunningham, Mary Regan and Micheál Lehane to caution...
09.15.2022
Bertie is back
After years in the political wilderness, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has indicated he is open to the possibility of Bertie Ahern returning to Fianna Fáil after his resignation following disclosures in Mahon Tribunal regarding his personal finances. For the latest news...
07.14.2022
Barry Cowen on why FF need radical change
With the Coalition struggling in the polls, discontented Fianna Fáil backbenchers gather. Barry Cowen says there's a need to "crystalise" what sets the party apart. The Laois-Offaly TD wants more action on "the millstone around families' necks", and discusses being...
07.07.2022
"Them's the breaks" - Boris Johnson's exit
"How did you go bankrupt?" asks an Ernest Hemingway character. "Two ways," comes the reply. "Gradually, and then suddenly." The same could be said of Boris Johnson's resignation. On this special edition, Mary Regan is joined by Fine Gael European...
06.30.2022
Have we reached peak Sinn Féin?
Despite a domestic violence "pandemic", Martin Kenny says there are no domestic abuse refuges in Sligo-Leitrim. A member of the Justice Committee, he criticises the "rushed and inappropriate" Government response to the Graham Dwyer data retention ruling. And with his...
06.23.2022
Jack Chambers: why I changed my mind on abortion
Jack Chambers is a keen sports fan and clearly not afraid of a fight. The Sports Minister and Chief Whip tells the Boxing Association to reform or face "complete crisis", and says our Euro 2028 bid is "moving positively". And...
06.16.2022
Children's Hospital costs being contained - Donnelly
Appointed in the midst of a global pandemic, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is again urging people to get their COVID booster as another wave hits. He insists Government will decide the future of Navan Hospital, and recalls marching against Tony...
06.02.2022
Duncan Smith on Labour pains
Labour is struggling despite the heave but Duncan Smith insists Alan Kelly had to go. He vows never "to hurt people again", but admits it's "a long road back" from its coalition "catastrophe". He tells Your Politics that Sinn Féin...
05.26.2022
TDs fight to get on the Passport Express
In the face of massive delays, "Passport Express" gets binned. Housing Minister Daragh O'Brien shows some 'North Dublin swagger' taking Leaders' Questions, but just manages a draw in his bout with Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty. And echoes of Trump as...
05.19.2022
Profit motive "dooms" us - PBP TD
Paul Murphy says the Government has "done the deal" on the National Maternity Hospital, but is not convinced by its reassurances. The Solidarity-PBP TD joins the Your Politics team to discuss the coalition's shrinking majority, its "scandalous" opportunism, threats to...
05.12.2022
NMH puts me in "very difficult position" - Green TD
A storm is raging over the term 'clinically appropriate' and the new National Maternity Hospital. Green Party and Government TD Neasa Hourigan, who sits on the Health Committee, foresees a court challenge if it is not clarified. She joins Your...
05.05.2022
"A taste of burning" - FG Senator in Ukraine
Barry Ward describes the "harrowing" experience of visiting a mass grave in Bucha earlier, where more than 100 people are interred. The Fine Gael Senator recounts the "steely determination" of the population in the face of devastation. A lawyer, he...
04.28.2022
The Bog of War
As a former Environment Minister, Independent TD for Roscommon–Galway Denis Naughten is well-versed in the debate over "dirty, messy" turf. He tells Your Politics that a child having an asthma attack is an indictment of fossil fuels, and urges Eamon...

What's Your Politics about?

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Your Politics episodes:

The latest on Tubridy pay deal

Govt to start neutrality roadshow

Greens block Robo Cop

Budget kite-flying: Spat - or looming civil war?

Stephen Donnelly the Crouching Tiger

Govt doesn't get bargain from supermarkets

Cost of Living, Collins controversy and the Coronation

Why Michéal Martin isn't on The Ditch

Govt awash with cash - so Watt's the problem?

Inside Castle Buildings - How the Good Friday deal was done

Sturm und drang in heated Dáil debates 'a disgrace'

25th GFA anniversary sees changing N Ireland

No confidence motion looms after a bruising week

The women who were crucial to the Good Friday Agreement

Eviction ban axed - at what cost?

Is Niall Collins home free?

Your Politics Podcast Special with UCD students

Hash Wednesday and Holly Cairns' meteoric ascent

The perils of social media and fine Italian wine

Ireland seen as "soft touch" on immigration - McDowell

We should remember our inspiring women - Senator Flynn

Former ranger & TD says defence spending 'appalling'

No quick fix in Paschal Donohoe debacle

School's back - English is out

What the wee shuffle means

The Big Switcheroo - all you need to know

The rebel TD who is back in the fold

Next election will be a clash of ideologies - minister

Busting pot smokers a "waste of time" - TD

SF's Kathleen Funchion on finally buying her home

Offshore wind is the next goldrush - Eamon Ryan

Is Irish politics lurching to the right?

Leaks and lettuces: a wild 24 hours

Roderic O'Gorman's Killarney U-turn reveals bigger problem

Govt weighed down by concrete levy

Has Paschal's wall of money won over public opinion?

Budget 2023 digested

Price caps may worsen crisis - Bruton

Bertie is back

Barry Cowen on why FF need radical change

"Them's the breaks" - Boris Johnson's exit

Have we reached peak Sinn Féin?

Jack Chambers: why I changed my mind on abortion

Children's Hospital costs being contained - Donnelly

Duncan Smith on Labour pains

TDs fight to get on the Passport Express

Profit motive "dooms" us - PBP TD

NMH puts me in "very difficult position" - Green TD

"A taste of burning" - FG Senator in Ukraine

The Bog of War

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