"RED Talks"

This week Barbara Smyth is talking with representatives from a newly formed campaign group called Loved ones lost - Memory stone memorial.

Fidelma Mansfield, Carrie Haskins and Trish Mc Nally, all of whom lost loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic join Barbara to share their personal stories and experiences of coping during such a difficult time with restrictions preventing visits and how this impacted them as families.

Their campaign grew from a support group that was established to help fellow families all over Ireland, and beyond, to share and talk about their experiences, their grief and to remember their loved ones who passed away.

They are seeking to have an official public place in every county where people can remember their loved one.

This is a "Red Talks" podcast series, produced by the Red Network which is an integral part of People Before Profit.

This week we are joined by Darragh Adelaide, a Socialist activist and anti-racism campaigner. Host Barbara Smyth and Darragh discuss the origins of racism and specific examples of how and why it's an unfortunate feature in Irish society. From political policing, Traveller discrimination, cover-ups, outright racism and the very different way "certain" campaigns are treated by establishment Ireland based on class, race and political flavour. It's all teased out in this episode.

This is a "Red Talks" podcast series, produced by the Red Network which is an integral part of People Before Profit.

Solas, the state agency that is responsible for training in the workplace, are gouging workers by charging massive fees for the Safe Pass that all construction workers are required to have.

A high court ruling said that this card should be renewed every 5 years at a cost of €32. But, Solas are making workers resit the whole course (which does not change) every four years and pay several hundred Euro's for the privilege.

"Building Workers Know Your Rights" campaigners Gus MacDonald and Andrew Keegan join Red Talks host Barbara Smyth to discus this outrageous situation and system that costs workers by making them take a day off, without pay, and travel to a training course that they have to pay for themselves in order to renew a Safe Pass that they already have. The Solas procedure is in defiance of the high court ruling.

And, there's more. Listen to this episode in conjunction with episode 5 in this series, because bogus self employment is a massive problem in the construction industry. It's touched on in this podcast, but our last episode was an exposé on it with Whistle-blower Martin McMahon!

This is a "Red Talks" podcast series, produced by the Red Network which is an integral part of People Before Profit.

This week we are joined by Martin McMahon who has spent over two decades exposing this trend that not only allows employers to avoid tax liabilities for workers, but is an aspect of a sick "Status Quo" that both Revenue and Social Welfare have colluded to sustain despite how damaging it is to both the individuals concerned and the economy of our county.

Martin has written a book on this, which is available here, and he recently appeared before the Public Accounts Committee in government buildings to expose the reality of this awful situation that hurts workers, while allowing scrupulous businesses to avoid liability and responsibility to those same workers.

Martin reveals to Barbara that this could be solved overnight, but the vested interests involved just don't want to address it, tackle it or remedy it.

Workers suffer, while corporations profit. It's how Ireland works and it's WRONG! Listen in and please share, thank you.

This is a "Red Talks" podcast series, produced by the Red Network which is an integral part of People Before Profit.

This week we are joined by Éamonn Ó Catháin and Madeleine Johansson to discuss the reality of the recent talk of a border poll and what a 32 county Socialist Ireland could look like. Who's actually discussing this and why? What is it like to live in Northern Ireland under partition and where are we really going with the discussion about reunification? Barbara Smyth teases it all out with Éamonn who lives in Belfast but has personal and business ties to the Republic and Socialist councillor Madeleine who represents People Before Profit on Dublin county council.

It's not as simple as some in the media and various political movements with vested interests would have you think! Another Red Network podcast that asks the questions you really need to know the answers to. Tune in for all the details...

This week we are joined by Gino Kenny TD as well as Socialist activist Tom Hendy and his son Ivan to discuss the case for legalising drug use and the experiences of one family where drug addiction and the prison system failed them hugely.

in the first of our series of RED Network podcasts, Barbara Smyth is joined by author James O'Toole to discuss his most recent book The Irish State and Revolution which was published in April 2021.