In The News

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, after days of fraught discussion, the Government and trade unions agreed a €5.2 billion deal that will deliver pay increases of at least 10.75 per cent to more than 400,000 workers by the end of March 2029.

The immediate result is that the public sector strike planned for Thursday has been called off – a relief for the Government as the timing coincides with the biggest set-piece in Ireland’s EU presidency when nearly 50 heads of state and other dignitaries arrive in Dublin for meetings.

So what happens now? When will the 400,000 workers represented by the 19 unions see an increase in their pay packets? How much will that increase be? And will workers in the private sector eye this double-digit pay rise and begin pressuring bosses to match the Government’s apparently deep pockets?

Irish Times work correspondent Emmet Malone was at the talks until they concluded at 3am and he explains.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
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With media speculation growing and investors getting nervous, on Sunday Jensen Huang issued a statement.

The chief executive of US tech giant Nvidia acknowledged having an extra-marital relationship with a woman suspected by US intelligence of being a Chinese spy.
Huang is close to US president Donald Trump. He is one of the billionaire tech elite frequently seen at meetings and business events with the president.

On Monday, Trump was on Huang’s side, acknowledging the admission of an affair but saying he believed Huang when he said he had no idea that the woman, Alice Huang, might be a spy.

But with the liaison viewed as having national security implications, how long has the president known?

China correspondent Denis Staunton writes in his Irish Times Global Briefing newsletter that as Xi Jinping and Trump prepare to meet next week in China, a spy scandal should be the last thing either of them need.

So can Jensen Huang weather this very public scandal? What prompted him to issue that all-staff email? And will the internal investigation in Nvidia into his actions oust him from the company he founded?

Denis Staunton explains the scandal and the view from Beijing.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon.
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On Monday evening, the Defence Forces’ PC9 aircraft practised their drone interception drills over Leinster using an Air Corps helicopter as a target.

By Tuesday, road closures in the city centre hinted at a much larger no-go cordon to be put in place on Thursday and Friday.

The security operation, the largest in the history of the State, will bring parts of the city to a standstill.

The Republic took its turn at the EU presidency in July, and the final and biggest events are set to take place this week. Dublin is hosting back-to-back summits on Thursday and Friday, with up to 50 European leaders and heads of European organisations set to visit the Convention Centre Dublin and the National Gallery of Ireland.

Conor Lally, Irish Times crime and security editor, explains how the security operation will work, and what threats are feared.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon
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Táiniste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris has denied “punching down” on the long-term unemployed in his speech at Fine Gael’s annual party conference in Cork at the weekend.

The accusation came from Sinn Féin but was mirrored by other opposition parties in the wake of his comments that " the dole is a safety net, not a way of life."

The mention was brief relative to the thirty minute ardfheis speech, but its pointedness was notable in the context of the address overall.

In it, Harris raised several other traditional Fine Gael talking points; emphasising that it’s the party of law and order, income tax cuts, enterprise and in favour of tighter migration controls.

The sharpening of tone compared to his 2024 ardfheis speech has not gone unnoticed, but what has prompted it?

It may be an internal party report that was circulated to Fine Gael members in advance of the conference. The Commission for Renewal found many people “do not have a clear idea” of what Fine Gael is about, what it has achieved and what it stands for.

Then followed a debate about whether to allow a motion at the ardfheis proposing the party reassert its centre-right position as a member of Christian Democrat family of European political parties.

The motion was not allowed to go ahead over concerns it would overshadow the internal report, but Harris’ speech clearly reflected the themes.

Was Simon Harris punching down on a vulnerable group when he made his dole comments? Is Fine Gael facing an identity crisis? And is it capable of delivering policies that would reflect its centre-right principles?

To discuss this political editor Pat Leahy, who attended the ardfheis in UCC’s Mardyke Arena, joins the In the News podcast.

Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by John Casey.
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EU regulators have begun an investigation into Booking.com, alleging that the travel website has not done enough to protect consumers from scams, phishing and fake listings.

The news came as no surprise to consumer correspondent Conor Pope whose Pricewatch email received a growing number of complaints from Irish Times readers.
They contact him when they have been unable to resolve a complaint. Typically the issues revolve around booking problems, phantom listings or refunds. And it’s the website responsiveness to consumer complaints that is at the heart of the European Commission investigation.

The site has millions of accommodation listings, from hotels to rooms to villa rentals, and customers from all over the world. The vast majority of customers have positive experiences with the site.

Pope gives examples from his mailbox, explains the various scams associated with the site, and how the EU-wide investigation will explore if Booking.com has breached the EU’s Digital Services Act.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.