The Explainer

Professor of European Politics at Maynooth University John O'Brennan joins us to look at what the next five years hold for Ireland's new or returning MEPs. What will the priorities be for the European Parliament? And where will Irish politicians fit in?The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The seats are filled, the dust is settling, and the count centre staff enjoying some well-earned rest. To take stock of where we're at now, Laura Byrne is joined on this week's episode by our Political Editor Christina Finn, and Brendan Flynn, a Head of Political Science at the University of Galway. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Virgin Media's political correspondent Gavan Reilly sits down with us to explain what exactly proportional representation with a single transferable vote is all about. Do you need to give a preference to every candidate listed on a ballot paper? How and when do preferences beyond your first come into play?The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 7 June, you'll have the chance to vote in the European elections - but what exactly will the end result be? For the latest in a special series of episodes, The Journal's Muiris O'Cearbhaill and European Movement Ireland CEO Noelle O'Connell join us to look at how the election process works, what exactly an MEP does, and how you should decide on who gets your vote. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DCU's Paola Rivetti, an expert in Middle East politics, joins us to look at the fallout from the death of Iran's president in a helicopter crash last week. What role did he play in Iranian society? What does the succession process look like - and is there any scope for a more moderate leader?The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presenter Maria Delaney is joined by News Correspondent Órla Ryan who has been leading our year-long ‘Falling Through the Cracks’ investigation into young people with psychosis, which was supported by the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism in Ireland in partnership with Headline, a Shine programme. They're also joined by Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Karen O’Connor who is the HSE’s National Clinical Lead for Early Intervention for Psychosis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over recent years, Europe has seen a rising trend of severe weather - some of which can be linked to climate change. This means an increasing need for authorities to respond to life-threatening situations. That's where the European Union’s Department for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), providing support to countries where a crisis overwhelms the resources available locally by pooling the available help. Two experts join us on this week's episode to examine how.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're joined by Dr Barry Colfer, director of research at the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), to look back on everything from Ireland's nascent relationship with Europe in the 1970s to the country's treatment during the bailout in the 2010s.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're examining the details of the Dublin Transport Plan to examine its aim and how it will achieve that, as well as the overall reaction. We're joined by Brian Caulfield, transportation professor and Head of the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at Trinity College Dublin, to see what the impacts could be.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're joined by Paul McCutcheon, a professor of Law at the University of Limerick to examine how exactly sentencing works. What factors do judges take into account? What guidance do they rely on? And how is that some judges deliver sentences that look very different to those of their peers? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.