The Candidate
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Podcast by The Journal
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
87 Episodes
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Minister James Browne has been in the housing hot seat for four months — and with not much to show for it, he's now facing intense criticism. Is it justified, or just a symptom of political impatience with the biggest crisis in government? Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy debate his performance so far and whether he’s being given a fair chance.Also: Should 16-year-olds be allowed to vote? A new Social Democrats bill proposes just that. Why are some ideas like this popular in theory but dead on arrival in Irish politics? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The government wants e-bike and e-scooter users to wear helmets and high-vis gear, but critics say that’s missing the point. Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy dig into the backlash to this latest safety proposal and why the cycling debate in Ireland seems to hit a nerve every time.Also: Should politicians be using AI to write speeches? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The most powerful political force in Ireland? Flooding.Storm Chandra has kicked off a public row between Housing Minister James Browne and Met Éireann. After Browne suggested Met Éireann 'guarded' information and should change how it issues warnings, question are now being asked: is the warning system fit for purpose, and who is accountable when flooding hits?Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy examine what this tells us about Ireland’s preparedness for more extreme weather - and if politicians are able to handle the fallout themselves.Also: why are defections a running drama in UK politics, but not in Ireland? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The annual St Patrick’s Day trip to the White House used to be a low-stakes photo op. Now? It's a perennial (somewhat tiresome, perhaps) news story and moral dilemma: will we, or won't we? Should Micheál Martin go, and if he does, what does Ireland actually gain and risk?Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews, Rónán Duffy and Christina Finn unpack the political calculations around this, whether there's a 'red line' which we need to accept has been crossed, and how much leverage Ireland really has during Trump's second termAlso: why are most political parties still posting on X? And what could the government’s planned digital wallet could mean for kids’ safety and civil liberties? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's a new Dáil term and a new season of The Candidate, but issues at home are taking a back seat right now. Non-consensual, AI-generated sexual imagery has become the flashpoint after X’s Grok tool made it easier to create and share this content. With gardaí investigating suspected child sexual abuse material, and ministers floating half-formed calls to ban the AI chatbot completely, the government is under pressure to explain what it can and will actually do.Sinéad O'Carroll, Rónán Duffy and Jane Matthews unpack the political response, the muddled messaging, and the question Ireland keeps avoiding: how do you regulate powerful tech firms when the State also relies on them? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy share their favourite political shows - the ones that helped them escape (or make sense of) real-life Leinster House drama. From The West Wing to Veep, The Thick of It to Borgen, they offer recommendations for what to binge over Twixmas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy hand out their now-traditional end-of-year political awards, from the Michael Myers Award for Hanging On In There to the MGMT Difficult Second Album Award. The team reflect on the wins, flops, scandals, and surprises of 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A video aimed at young people moving back in with their parents, shared by the Department of Housing, was meant to be helpful... but it didn't land like that. At all. No sir. Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy unpick why the backlash was so immediate and the lessons needed for the government on talking about the housing crisis. Do decision makers really understand just how hard things have become for an entire generation of renters?Also: If you don't understand why Ireland’s nitrates derogation is controversial, you will after this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s first visit to Ireland was smooth, symbolic, and tightly stage-managed. Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, and Jane Matthews unpack the carefully curated optics of the visit, and examine what was said vs what wasn't.Also: how we are still talking about the Occupied Territories Bill? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A judicial review filed against the long awaited MetroLink has sparked a backlash from both government and a public fed up with delays. Ministers are treading carefully, defending the right to object while clearly hoping the residents of Dublin's leafiest of leafy suburbs back down. Will this be a short planning skirmish or a defining infrastructure war?Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, and Jane Matthews look at why this case has touched a nerve and what comes next.Also: a shift in tone and policy on migration raises questions about what’s driving the government’s tougher stance. Public pressure or EU alignment? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In a move that has raised some eyebrows across Leinster House, Simon Harris has made himself the country's new Minister for Finance. This meant skipping over the entire Fine Gael front bench team in his search to fill the gap left by Paschal Donohoe’s high-profile exit to the World Bank.Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack why Harris did it, and how this could shape the next two years of government. The team also examines what Donohoe’s departure will actually mean for the Fine Gael party, and whether the upcoming by-election means a certain Monk might make another surprise appearance... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Catherine Connolly’s first speech as president was careful, critical, calm, with just a few pointed lines that hinted at how she’ll approach the role. But for such a major democratic moment, it felt stilted and oddly empty.Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy examine why the inauguration itself felt so disconnected from the public, in contrast with Connolly's people-first outlook.Also: Fianna Fáil eagerly await Micheál Martin's promised review of the election campaign. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fianna Fáil’s hiring of Ivan Yates to help prep Jim Gavin for grillings during the presidential election rate has sparked (or perhaps fanned) tensions with Fine Gael. Then there's the broader questions about media transparency and political training (and let's not forget: who Matt Cooper's new podcast co-host will be?). Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack the past few days.Also: Simon Harris poorly timed, vaguely worded remarks on migration were not what the country needed right now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
John Collison, billionaire Stripe co-founder, lobbed a political bombshell in the direction of Kildare Street with a 2,500-word Irish Times think piece (manifesto, perhaps). Is it a bold vision or simply Silicon Valley naivety?Sinead O’Carroll, Christina Finn, and Rónán Duffy break down the response to Collison’s 'Make Politicians Powerful Again' call, from ministers nodding along to critics pointing out all the things he left out. They also ask: why can Irish governments deliver for the Ryder Cup, but not for housing? What does that say about leadership, blame, and priorities?Also: will we have a new taoiseach this time next week? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Catherine Connolly’s presidential victory was more than decisive (but we're not going to call it stonking because Christine hates that word).In this post-election episode, the team unpack what went so right for Connolly, and but where to even begin about where it went wrong for Heather Humphreys? Between Fine Gael’s incoherent campaign and the truly remarkable scale of spoiled votes, this race was far more revealing that anyone expected. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With just days to go before the public go to the polls, we sit down with presidential candidate Catherine Connolly. She joins Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy in studio for a wide-ranging conversation. We delve into her campaign so far - its origins, its controversies, and its future. We look ahead to after the election, and whether the movement she has built up has the strength to continue. The team also unpicks her views on the role of the media, and look back on her time as a barrister. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We're turning the corner into the final stretch of the presidential election. Catherine Connolly is pulling ahead in the polls, and it's starting to look a lot like Heather Humphrey's campaign just hasn't landed - and she's running out of time to change that.Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy unpack a (somewhat) turbulent week of resignations and pointed remarks, from the Green Party’s internal backlash to Labour’s at times reluctant support. Is this what unity on the Left really looks like? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Eh... what just happened? Jim Gavin’s shock, abrupt, and unprecedented withdrawal from the presidential race has sent an earthquake through Fianna Fáil and will reshape the campaign. Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack the landlord-payment story, Fianna Fáil's vetting processing, the big questions this poses for the party's leadership, and what a narrowed field means for Connolly and Humphreys in the final stretch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The first presidential debate is unlikely to be one that anyone will ever really remember, but it gave voters their first real close-up look at how the three candidates perform under pressure. Humphreys tried to steer clear of any mistakes, Jim Gavin attempted to appear less “low energy”, while Catherine Connolly appeared to be in the most control.Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack who came out strongest (and maybe even who 'won'), if any awkward moments might stick, and whether this campaign will ever move beyond safe talking points. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As the presidential election campaign kicks off in earnest, we're back with a new season of The Candidate. However... we have just three candidates in the race: Catherine Connolly, Heather Humphreys, and Jim Gavin. It's the smallest field in years.Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy examine why Maria Steen fell at the final hurdle, what it says about Ireland’s political spectrum, and whether it signals the need for change in the current system of nominations.Also: who can avoid making a major mistake in the weeks ahead? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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