In The News

A group of MEPs, citing civil liberties, are refusing to present a Covid vaccination certificate when entering the European Parliament. Their ringleader is Romanian MEP Christian Tehres. Tehres is supported in his campaign by his Irish press officer Hermann Kelly, better known for his presidency of the far-right Irish Freedom Party, his advocacy for Irexit and his association with Nigel Farage. Naomi O'Leary speaks to Tehres and Kelly to find out what their campaign is really all about, and what brought Tehres and Kelly together. She also speaks to Bulgarian MEP Peter Vitanov who blames misinformation, in part, for his country's unfolding Covid catastrophe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the 6th of December 1921, the Anglo-Irish Treaty was agreed, paving the way for the creation of the Irish state. A century later, we explore how it was negotiated, the impact it had then and its legacy today. Conor Pope talks to playwright Colin Murphy, author Gretchen Friemann, historian Mícheál Ó Fathartaigh and Irish Times journalist Ronan McGreevy.Produced by Declan Conlon, Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne Brennan.www.irishtimes.com/podcasts Clips from ‘The Treaty’ with thanks to Colin Murphy and the Fishamble theatre company. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The emergence of the Omicron variant has us asking questions about the virus and vaccines. What exactly does it look like when Sars-CoV-2 mutates? Could it really mutate to be a "nicer" virus? Can we ever create a vaccine that remains totally effective against Covid-19 in the long term? To find out the answer to these and other questions, we talk to Dr Gerald Barry, a virologist at University College Dublin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack Horgan-Jones on the new measures announced by the Government yesterday in light of the emergence of Omicron, a potentially more transmissible variant of Covid-19. Plus: If the worst comes to the worst, can our economy weather another Covid-19 wave? We ask economics columnist Cliff Taylor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Leaving Cert system is often accused of being one large memory test, placing high levels of stress on students and failing to prepare them for a life beyond education. Now, academics are calling for change, with plans to reform the system due to be published soon. Education editor Carl O’Brien and Professor Anne Looney of Dublin City University, speak to Sorcha Pollak about how the new system might work, learnings from the pandemic and why the exams have become such a cultural obsession. Produced by Declan Conlon, Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thanks to Argentinian heritage, comedian and TV presenter Stephen Mullan knows how much Diego Maradona meant to the people of Argentina, and how much his death still hurts them one year on. Stephen tells Conor Pope about why the beloved and infamous footballer meant so much to him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last weekend, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of European cities to demonstrate against the introduction of new Covid restrictions. Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary speaks to Conor Pope about the rising unrest and how the authorities are grappling with soaring infections. Produced by Declan Conlon, Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Irish Times features writer Jennifer O’Connell recently spent the day in Dublin’s Mater hospital, speaking to frontline staff. With Covid cases continuing to rise and a surge in demand for critical care, many fear the worst is still to come. O’Connell spoke to Dr Sinead McArdle, Dr Colman O’Loughlin and Prof John McCaffrey. Here she tells Sorcha Pollak what medics are anticipating in the weeks and months ahead.Produced by Declan Conlon, Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week Google, following "right to be forgotten" rules, granted a request from a member of a well-known Irish business family to hide unfavourable news stories about the family from search results. But how much is there to remember about self-made billionaire Sean Quinn and the Quinn family? Quite a lot, actually. Colm Keena, who travelled to Ukraine to investigate the affairs of the Quinns at the height of their legal troubles, reminisces with Conor Pope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thousands of migrants, mainly from the Middle East, are stuck on the Belarus border with Poland, having arrived into the country with the promise of a safe route into the European Union. Instead, Polish authorities have guarded the border, leaving many stranded in makeshift camps and surviving freezing conditions. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has been accused of engineering the crisis in retaliation to sanctions placed on Belarus earlier this year by the EU. How far are politicians willing to push the crisis and what will the human cost be? Reporting from Amanda Coakley and Tania Reut. Hosted by Sorcha PollakProduced by Declan Conlon, Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.