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.

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In her book Left Is Not Woke today's guest Susan Neiman argues that the left has taken a wrong turn and must differentiate itself from "wokism".

She talks to Hugh about what she means by "woke" and why its appeal to traditional left-wing tendencies, like solidarity and supporting the underdog, helps disguise its more reactionary elements.

They also talk about Germany's relationship with Israel and how its own history influences German views on what is happening in Gaza.

Susan Neiman is an American moral philosopher, commentator and author known for her work on ethics, the Enlightenment and contemporary politics. She is the director of The Einstein Forum, a think-tank based in Potsdam, Germany, 

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Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       Ireland’s decision to participate in a European-wide initiative celebrating Norman heritage and influence has drawn the ire of Sinn Féin. The initiative is called ’2027 The Year of the Normans – People of Europe’, and Cabinet approved plans to mark 1000 years since the birth of England’s first Norman king William the Conqueror have been labelled “offensive” by the Opposition party.

·       In a move to start the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza after Israel’s near three-month blockade, a majority of EU states have backed a proposal to review the union’s agreement governing relations with Israel.

·       The HSE estimates that the number of children on waiting lists for disability or autism services will grow from 15,000 now to 25,000 by the end of the year, something disability rights campaigner Cara Darmody (14) highlighted with a 50-hour protest outside Leinster House this week.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       Joe Biden’s cognitive and physical decline, hurling at its most biblical, and the four distinct categories that leaders fall into.

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The tenth anniversary of the marriage equality referendum has prompted some reminiscing about how the vote was the first of two pinnacles for progressivism in Ireland, the other being the abortion referendum three years later. For women and members of the LGBT community, the successful campaigns were pivotal moments for an Ireland escaping its oppressive past. But what about those on the losing side? Senator Ronán Mullen, who campaigned for a no vote, joins Hugh and Pat to talk about how those defeats shaped social conservatism in Ireland in the years since.

Click here for our podcast on the legacy of the marriage equality referendum with Gerard Howlin and Ivana Bacik.

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Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       The Public Accounts Committee returned on Thursday and already it was making headlines with revelations about former Children’s Health Ireland boss Eilish Hardiman’s salary. PAC is apt at generating headlines with leaked opening statements and TDs eager to make their name a staple for the Dáil committee.

·       A move towards fiscal caution as Fine Gael's Neale Richmond signals planned tax cuts may have to be abandoned unless a trade deal with the US can be agreed. Will one-off cost-of-living payments be absent from Budget 2026?

·       The plan to introduce mandatory alcohol warning labels could be reconsidered amid the potential impact of US tariffs on the sector. And a ban on the sale of energy drinks to under 18s won’t be a reality until the “necessary evidence-gathering, research and examination of appropriate policy options and stakeholder engagement” is achieved.

·       Plus, Minister for Housing James Browne backed out of meeting with Dublin Lord Mayor Emma Blain to discuss issues relating to the tenant-in-situ scheme.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       What can Dublin learn from San Francisco’s regeneration? Collapsing cottages, dereliction and land hoarding, and should people in Northern Ireland get to vote in Irish presidential elections?

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It is ten years since the country voted to legalise same-sex marriage. This victory for progressive politics was followed by another when abortion rights were won in 2018. But what is sometimes called "the progressive agenda" has since had setbacks, including last year's defeated referendums on family and care.

So how relevant is progressivism to Irish politics now, and where does it go next? Labour leader Ivana Bacik, columnist Gerard Howlin and political editor Pat Leahy join Hugh to look back at the 2015 referendum campaign and assess its legacy.

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Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       On the same day that the US agreed a trade deal with the UK, the European Commission unveiled a second, larger package of retaliatory tariffs – this was in response to the absence of negotiation from the US on what they actually want. Thankfully for Ireland, our biggest export to the US, pharmaceuticals, remained untouched, this is welcome news given the warnings from the Department of Finance this week.

·       The procrastination around the Occupied Territories Bill has been going on for years. Tánaiste Simon Harris has indicated that there may be some movement as he will seek approval from the Government to begin the process of drafting the legislation, but it likely wouldn’t be discussed in the Dáil before autumn.

·       The Catholic Church have a new leader, confirmed on Thursday evening, Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost was an outside bet to succeed Pope Francis and is the first pope from the United States. Another 69-year-old taking up a prominent position is Germany’s new federal chancellor Freidrich Merz.

·       And the panel give their reaction to the decision by People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger to refuse to answer a question posed by a Gript journalist at the Dáil plinth on Wednesday.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       The continued inertia fueling the housing crisis, the misery of Prince Harry, and the story of The Irish Times’ most famous front page.

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