The Echo Chamber from Tortoise Shack

In this Reboot Republic podcast, Rory, talks with Hugh Brennan of O Cualann Co Housing Alliance, about the housing situation, where it is going, and how we can provide genuinely affordable homes through not for profit housing associations, local authorities and community-led housing.

This is an inspiring podcast that shows there is an alternative to the current private developer and investor fund dominated housing system. We discuss how to provide affordable housing, funding it, the use of land, current challenges, how to keep affordable housing permanently affordable, and how individuals and communities can get involved in making this happen and building their homes and communities.

Have a listen and check out community led housing such as Self Organised Architects and Common Ground in Wicklow.

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Benjamin Netanyahu is back and he's brought some of the most controversial people with him. So much so that tens of thousands took to the streets in Israel in protests, and yet this January has been the most deadly for Palestinians since records began.

Joining me to discuss the new government, their priority of expanding illegal settlements and what that means for Palestinian's is Gaza-based journalist, Issam Adwan. We discuss life under the blockade, the EU/Israel relationship and the dangers he faces while simply trying to do his job.

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In this Reboot Republic podcast, Rory talks to writer & actor, Clare Dunne. Clare co-wrote, and starred in, the award winning film, Herself (2020), in Kin, and in many other TV & Theatre productions. This is an open, inspiring engaging discussion about where Ireland is today, our values, history, trauma and hope in new action for change.

We talk about Clare's motivation to engage in social issues, and researching and the story behind Herself, where a young mother, Sandra, escapes her abusive husband and fights back against a broken housing system. She sets out to build her own home, and in the process rebuilds her life and rediscovers herself. And how we can, through positive action and conversation, end homelessness and the housing crisis.

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With far right elements pushing blame for the housing crisis towards people seeking international protection, rather than decades of bad government housing policy, 2023 could be a very volatile year. Joining us to discuss where the Govts Homes For All plan is at and what might be ahead, is Senior Business Reporter with the Business Post, Killian Woods.

We talk REIT's slowing down, Air BnB non-compliance, construction costs, who was at the recent housing summit and more importantly, who was not.

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In this Reboot Republic podcast, Rory, talks to Niall Muldoon, the Ombudsman for Children, about life for Ireland's most vulnerable children today. We talk about children and families in homelessness, the trauma and state failure, how we cannot accept these levels of child homelessness as normal, the importance of a referendum on a right to housing, mental health and children, therapy in schools, disabled children and services.

We also discuss the individual pathologising of children around mental health, rather than looking at what is wrong with our economic system and society - that doesnt value care and wellbeing, just profit. We also highlight how refugee children should not be subject to even more trauma from protests being organised by the far right, and the need to tackle homelessness and housing with real urgency.

Listeners will recall Executive Director with Irish Rule of Law, Aonghus Kelly, last spoke to us about taking a sabbatical from his role and going to Ukraine to work with the EU's Advisory Mission into war crimes and other atrocities taking place following the Russian invasion. Well he's home for a few days and dropped into the tortoise shack to tell us how it's going and what life is like in Kyiv.

We also discuss the state of human rights law internationally, discussing Palestine, Morocco, Afghanistan, Iran, the Climate Crisis and the role Law plays or doesn't in addressing the various challenges.

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It was fantastic to sit down with musician, spoken word poet, artist and Ballymuner, Adam Mohamed. We talk about growing up in Ballymun as a Black person, telling his truth and not accepting the narratives imposed on him, finding expression in poetry and creating an anthem for himself.

We also discuss the protests in Ballymun, his disappointment with them and how punching down only serves to let those in power off the hook for decades of neglect and bad political policies.

The track at the beginning is here: https://www.youtube.com/@adammohamed9592/featured

Follow Adam here: @Adamm_Official

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It was great, as well as timely, to have Vice Deputy Leader of the Portuguese Socialist Party (Party of Govt), Joao Pina, back on the the tortoise shack. His government are currently undergoing another reshuffle as resignations and allegations engulf the body politic.

We talk all about it, the health service under pressure, their ambitions for 2023 (a year of big plans) and the extreme climate events experienced their in the last few months. As always, Joao, is very open and honest.

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Matt McGranahan is one of Ireland's best known trad musicians. His talent is appreciated far and wide and he has played alongside the best known names in the industry. He's been on TV, played in the Aras, was involved in cross border music collaborations bringing trad music to all traditions on the island. It's fair to say that Matt is at the top of his game, composer, musician and live performer.

But the music has all but stopped for Matt now. If he walks on stage, the power players in the music industry will pull all their performers, financial input and advertising from whatever gig Matt turns up at.

Matt's crime? He challenged his 'self-employed' status and was determined to be an employee and not self-employed as his employer had claimed. Matt is now blacklisted. This is the story of one brave man standing up for his rights, this is the reality of bogus self-employment fraud.

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In November, Ireland took in almost as much corporation tax as it did in the entire year of 2015. Many paint this as a success story where everyone is a winner. But it's not as simple as that. Bizarrely much of our success is built on the type of creative accounting that means Ireland is the single largest export market for U.S. software, while we don't actually manufacture most of it.

Rejoining us on the podcast to discuss how it all works is economics lecturer and author of Tax Haven Ireland, Brian O'Boyle. We look at tech and pharma and the price paid by citizens elsewhere for Ireland's hugely successful on-shoring of Intellectual Property. We also look at what it means for those within those industries and the tax servicing industry versus the rest of the country.

Sounds a bit heavy? It's not. Brian breaks it down. A great listen.

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