In The News

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.
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Bomb threats against Irish media organisations earlier today were just the latest in a series of disruptive acts targeting European citizens in the past fortnight. Could these acts be connected and who could be behind them? Bernice Harrison talks to UCD's Edward Burke.

Dr Edward Burke is a military and security expert at UCD, where he is assistant professor in the history of war.
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Since the Garda raid on the Liberty Recycling charity on October 20th, Aengus Ó Snodaigh’s name has been in the news.

Luxury goods to the value €300,000 were seized by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau at locations associated with the successful social enterprise as part of an extensive investigation into alleged money laundering.

The Sinn Féin TD is a decades-long board member of the charity and is its current chair. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on his behalf and the Dublin TD is not under criminal investigation.

On Monday, Ó Snodaigh wrote to Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy to request to make a statement on the matter in the Dáil. That was refused and instead he released a statement.

What did it say? What is the reference to a forged signature in that statement? What is his role in the charity and how is his board performance, which stretches back 20 years, viewed by the Charities Regulator?

Irish Times political correspondent Harry McGee outlines Ó Snodaigh’s career and his relationship with Liberty Recycling.

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