The Mick Clifford Podcast

There is a lot going on in the world at the moment and not a lot of it is good. Irish Examiner Political Editor Danny McConnell is this week’s guest and he takes the temperature in Leinster House and beyond, looking at how this country is addressing the war in Ukraine, dealing with the cost of living crisis and chewing the fat over carbon taxes. And there is also the matter of the new spring in the step of the Taoiseach Micheal Martin. Where did he get it and how long will it last? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the focus of the world is on the war and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, there is an ongoing refugee crisis in southern Europe. Thousands fleeing war and persecution in the developing world are arriving on Europe’s shores but now a new regime is in place which has been compared to Ireland’s Direct Provision system. Detention centres are being built on Greek islands in order to house refugees ahead of any decision on their status. But the system has come in for severe criticism. Oxfam Ireland’s Aideen Elliot spoke to Mick about this and the wider problems around how refugees are regarded within Europe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Claire Ryan bought her home in 2006 but within a year she knew that she was living in a dangerous development. Fire safety defects in the building were discovered. What followed was a fifteen year odyssey of stress and worry while no action was taken against the developer and the authorities appeared to turn the other way.Claire’s experience is not unique but it is one of the more shocking examples of a problem that is believed to affect up to 100,000 homes built during the Celtic Tiger years. Also on the podcast is Pat Montague who represents the Construction Defects Alliance, a group of stricken homeowners who are seeking resolution to a problem that is not of their making. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the current housing market there are some who will use the crisis to exploit vulnerable people. One phenomenon that has come to light in recent times is the advertisement of rooms for rent at a low cost in exchange for sexual favours. Irish Examiner reporter Ann Murphy has done extensive investigative work in this area which has culminated in the introduction in the Dail of a private member’s motion to outlaw the practice. But how prevalent is it and what lengths will some go to exploit young women to such a degrading extent. Ann is this week’s guest on the podcast.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Natalya Summar has been living in Cork for twenty years but since 24th February she has been focused on doing what she can for her native Ukraine. She is now embarking on a journey to rescue her niece who has made it to Poland from her home in Kyiv. Natalya talks on the podcast about how her family are coping, and the guilt she feels being so removed from them and her friends. We also talk to Tatiana Vargramenko, an anthropologist and UCC academic, about the history and culture of her native Ukraine and the ties the country has with Russia.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Housing is the defining issue of Irish politics at the moment but what do we talk about when we talk about housing? Lorcan Sirr has assembled a collection of experts to give their views on how housing impacts on all aspects of life, from attitudes to land to whether planning takes account of gender, health, aging and the environment. The book, Housing In Ireland – Beyond The Markets may well be a staging post for a national conversation on what exactly we need right now. Lorcan Sirr is this week’s guest on the podcast.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exactly one hundred years ago this month meetings took place in the Gresham Hotel to shape a new police force. Michael Collins chaired the first meeting and what emerged from the discussions was a new force that still had some hurdles to mount before settling down to be guardians of the peace. In the force’s centenary year, Conor Brady, former chair of the Garda Ombudsman and former editor of the Irish Times, assesses how AGS has got on and is getting on.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this decade of centenaries, some of those who made their mark a century ago have had their lives and contributions critically examined. However, there has also been an acceptance that a number of women who lived through those times had not heretofore been recognised for their contributions. Marie Comerford is one such woman and her recently published memoir is probably the last first person account we are likely to see written by a witness and participant in extraordinary times.On Dangerous Ground: A memoir of the Irish Revolution is edited by Hilary Dull and she is this week’s guest on the podcast.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The government is examining how to cut down on protracted objections to planned projects and some people are up in arms about it. Peter Sweetman is, by his own admission, a serial litigator against planning decisions. He has a record of being successful in the actions he has taken – in some instances all the way to the European Court of Justice. This week, he spoke on the podcast about why the proposed changes to planning legislation would be illegal, what drives him and whether, on the cusp of 80, he has any intention of slowing down.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just over sixty years ago the morning sickness drug Thalidomide was withdrawn from the market when it was discovered that it was causing major foetal damage in the expectant mothers to whom it had been prescribed. Tens of thousands of mothers across Europe miscarried and at least another 5,000 babies were born without limbs, with limbs foreshortened and other serious medical issues. In Ireland the drug remained on the market for nine months after it was withdrawn by its German maker. Today there are about forty Thalidomide survivors and they are still seeking a state apology. Finola Cassidy is one such survivor and spokesperson for the Irish Thalidomide Association.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.