In The News

On Saturday night, a fire destroyed most of a disused hotel in Co Galway that was set to begin housing up to 70 asylum seekers from Thursday, December 21st.Minister for Integration, Roderic O’Gorman said the blaze, which gardaí believe was started deliberately, was a “deeply sinister” act designed to intimidate international protection applicants.The fire at Ross Lake House hotel in Rosscahill, a remote area between Moycullen and Oughterard, is the latest in a growing list of incidents where buildings – particularly hotels – set aside to house asylum seekers, have been vandalised.Presented by Sorcha Pollak with guests Crime and Security Correspondent, Conor Gallager, and Polical Correspondent, Cormac McQuinn.Produced by John Casey and Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Saturday, May 27th 2023 champion cyclist Gabriele Glodenyte was out on her bike for a morning spin in north county Dublin with her boyfriend Seán Landers.Gabriele was 24 years-old, a vibrant young woman who shone at everything she did.But what started as a typical, carefree day for Gabby and Seán ended in tragedy.Gabriele was killed instantly when an oncoming driver crashed his car.Seán (25) came upon the scene moments later. He recalls finding first her mangled bicycle on the road and then her fatally injured body.As the terrible shock has given way to deep grief, Seán wants to tell the story of that dreadful day in hopes, he says, that motorists will realise just how vulnerable cyclists are.In his 10 years’ cycling, he says it has become increasingly dangerous for cyclists with drivers behaving more aggressively.More than 1,600 cyclists have suffered serious crash injuries on Irish roads over the last seven years.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As lead negotiator on climate finance for the EU at Cop28, Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan was at the table in Dubai when the final agreement was written. The agreement “calls on parties to contribute to transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems”, a historic, if belated, first explicit reference to leaving fossil fuels behind in a Cop text. Critics such as former president Mary Robinson were quick to point out that “transitioning away” is weaker than the alternative “phased out”. Mr Ryan says the difference is minor. “Our advisors, legal advisors and others said it was equally strong, and sufficiently strong, compared to phasing out,” he says, arguing the Cop28 agreement, while imperfect, represents an important step-change. He talks to Bernice Harrison about the rejection of the first draft, how consensus was reached (”fossil fuel lobbyists did not want this text. They fought against it tooth and nail”) and the loopholes that allow continued expansion of fossil fuel production - and defends Ireland’s own record on climate action. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, new figures revealed more than 800 primary school teaching posts across the country were lying empty, with the problem most acute in the Greater Dublin Area. Nearly 90 per cent of Irish schools say they’re experiencing recruitment issues, while many secondary schools have warned they’re being forced to drop or limit access to key subjects such as maths, Irish, biology, home economics, woodwork/construction studies and chemistry.So, where are all our teachers gone and what can be done to attract people back into the profession? And what does this shortage say about how a career in teaching is perceived these days? Irish Times education editor Carl O’Brien discusses the ongoing teacher shortage and measures being taking to tackle this problem.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Israeli Defence Forces deny targeting civilians in Gaza and insist they take all practical measures to protect non-combatants in a war where their enemy, Hamas, hides among the civilian population. But Israeli intelligence sources told journalist Yuval Abraham that the tactics now being used in Gaza are much looser than they were in previous conflicts and are contributing to a huge number of civilian deaths, often in inexplicable circumstances. Yuval talks to Sorcha Pollak about how concepts like "power targets" and AI technology are defining the war in Gaza and increasing the danger for civilians.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A recent closure order issued by the County Council to a registered puppy farm in north Cork saw veterinary inspectors seize dogs worth over €80,000 from the premises. Dog breeding is big business in Ireland.And while the majority of dog breeding establishments here are legitimate enterprises, the sheer demand for puppies means standards can vary hugely from one business to the next. Conor Dowling is today’s guest on In the News, and he is the Chief Animal Welfare Inspector at the Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA). He has seen the absolute worse effects of puppy farming and feels that the current rules around mass dog breeding here have led to a ‘confused picture’ and would like to see ‘a total revamp of the legislation that’s currently in place’.  Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Irish billionaire John Magnier has been steadily accumulating huge tracts of land in south Tipperary. He's entitled to do so. But local farmers say they are being priced out of buying the land they desperately need to stay afloat in a difficult business environment. Ronan McGreevy reports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Boris Johnson appeared in front of Britain’s Covid inquiry for the first time. In its six months, the inquiry has already heard damning evidence about the chaos in Downing Street and specifically Johnson’s failure to understand the enormity of the crisis. Irish Times London correspondent Mark Paul was in the room with the former prime minister, as he faced tough questions on Partygate, missing WhatsApp messages and his decision to 'let Covid rip'. Presented by Bernice Harrison, produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Government received an early Christmas gift this week with the latest exchequer data pointing to another surge in corporation tax as well as increases in income tax and VAT.The figures show total tax receipts for the 11 months to the end of November amounted to €82 billion, which was €4.5 billion (5.8 per cent) more than the same period last year. This puts the Government on course to at least meet or exceed a projected budget surplus of €8.8 billion for 2023 and comes against a backdrop of slowing global growth and tighter financial conditions as a result of the European Central Bank’s interest rate hikes, which had been expected to limit the Government’s tax revenue.Cliff Taylor explains why November is a key month for tax receipts and why these latest figures will calm jitters. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In July 2022 a very public scandal erupted in the normally relatively closed world of Irish dancing. An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG), the oldest and largest governing body for competitive Irish dancing, was informed of allegations that at least 12 Irish dancing teachers in Ireland and overseas were involved in the “fixing” of competitions. And that was the tip of a very grubby iceberg as further allegations emerged – including stories of “unwanted behaviours”, tales of sexual impropriety among the adults and a lack of trust among dancers, parents and teachers. Now 44 individuals are facing disciplinary hearings as the global organisation tries to rebuild trust in the highly competitive world of Irish dancing. Irish Times reporter Shauna Bowers spoke to North Carolina-based Sandra Connick who has taken over as chair of CLRG. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.