The Floating Voter

On this week's show, Kevin Doyle is joined by INM's Philip Ryan and Niamh Horan and Niamh discusses her time spent with Eric Trump at Doonbeg golf course recently.

Defending the Trumps she says, 'There’s so many people that you interview who are difficult and it costs nothing to be nice or mannerly. Eric Trump is someone who faces so much criticism and I thought is that the life he has to put up with every day? 99% of people criticise the Trumps and nobody is stopping to ask maybe there is some good there?'

Also on the show, the panel discusses Enda Kenny's history-making as Fine Gael's longest serving Taoiseach. 2,234 days and counting....how the time has flown....

On this week’s show, Solidarity TD, Paul Murphy, joins INM's Kevin Doyle, Niall O'Connor and Philip Ryan to discuss the 'agreement' over the water report and FF's u-turn, why a swimming pool tax is actually needed and should the Dail prayer be abolished?

On this week’s show: the future of water – water charges are dead and buried but in the fallout of the report, is new politics over? Labour’s Alan Kelly joins INM's Kevin Doyle, Niall O'Connor and Philip Ryan decrying 'populist politics' by Fianna Fail and responds to Barry Cowen's charge that he is 'an angry man'.

On this week’s show Political Editor, Kevin Doyle, is joined by INM Political Correspondents, Niall O’Connor and John Downing, as they discuss Martin McGuinness’ legacy, Enda’s endless departure, and ask if a dress code is really needed in the Dail?

Fine Gael chairman, Martin Heydon, joins Kevin Doyle, Philip Ryan and Niall O’Connor to discuss the week in Irish politics.

Up for discussion are water charges again – there’s just no getting away from it, the government is forced into a climbdown over the Grace inquiry, and as St Patrick’s Day approaches, it's ministerial junket time...

The Floating Voter is Independent.ie’s weekly politics podcast that cuts through the political soundbytes and burst some of the bubble that surrounds Leinster House.

On this week's show, Kevin Doyle, Philip Ryan and Niall O'Connor look back on the week in Irish politics including round 52 in the water charges debacle, Shane Ross at the back of the bus, and the Enda farewell tour.

"It's the biggest sham fight we’ve had so far but the reality is no one has the bottle to pull the plug," said O'Connor, while 'considerably more likely than not' is not exactly a definitive ruling from the Attorney General that Simon Coveney is claiming now is it? argued Ryan.

In politics at least, this week Enda Kenny is still the only show in town and in true Enda fashion, a decision to prepare for the decision is being prepared while he decides to make a decision about preparing to step down.

Meanwhile, the front-runners, Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney, are holding their fire until the Taoiseach returns from the White House after St Patrick's Day.

So is this a typical Fine Gael fudge and faux pas, not even able to hold a leadership succession properly? asked the Floating Voter panel of Kevin Doyle, Philip Ryan and Nicola Anderson on this week's show.

Fine Gael’s Noel Rock was first out this week to call upon Enda Kenny to set out a timeline for stepping down and subsequent events have shown that he wasn’t too early in his calls on the Taoiseach.

However, speaking on this week’s Floating Voter, Rock has denied that Leo Varadkar was behind his outspoken views.

“No not at all,” said Rock. “The situation was becoming increasingly unsustainable and it was clear we needed a new leader.”

“I’ve told the Taoiseach why I said what I said. We shouldn’t have blind, unquestioning loyalty to anybody. I’m sure the message was received loud and clear and now there’s a queue of people making the same call but more need to come out and say it for the public record. We need a timeline in the next two weeks.”

On this week's show, discussing the week in Irish politics was INM's Niall O'Connor, Philip Ryan and Niamh Horan.

Topics included: the pressure increases on Garda Commissioner, Noirin O’Sullivan, how much longer can she last? Was Brendan Howlin right to use Dail privilege to name the allegation against Maurice McCabe? Plus, should Enda Kenny really be extending an invite to Donal Trump to visit Ireland?

On this week's show, Kevin Doyle was joined by Nicola Anderson and Niall O'Connor looking back on the week in Irish politics, including: will an Irish version of Trump emerge if political rhetoric continues with empty promises? The visit of Theresa May - just another PR stunt? And does anyone really have a clue what a border with Northern Ireland will look like post-Brexit?