Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Brendan Ogle is the spokesperson for Right2Water, and is Unite the Union’s Senior Officer in the Republic of Ireland.

*****

In the last podcast I had an interview with presidential candidate Gemma O’Doherty, and I have to say that I found the reactions to it pretty depressing. There was a twitterstorm in a teacup  ~ read more ~

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Gemma O’Doherty worked for the Irish Independent for 17 years before being dismissed following her investigation of the penalty points scandal. Since then she has worked as an independent journalist on a number of high-profile scandals and particularly on failed murder investigations. On 19 August, she announced her intention to seek nominations to be a candidate in the forthcoming presidential election.  ~ read more ~

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin is a Labour Party senator and former TD.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

*****

I wanted to comment a bit about the controversy that blew up in the UK last week about Boris Johnson’s comment about Muslim women who wear burkas.

Boris Johnson, in case you don’t know, is the ~ read more ~

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

John Leahy became leader of Renua Ireland in September 2016. I spoke to him about aspects of his policies set out on the Renua website, including the proposal to

Introduce 90-day detention orders for those Gardai suspect of being actively involved in preparations to murder another or of being responsible for directing the activities of an organised criminal gang.

Jailing people for any length of time because ~ read more ~

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Graham Gudgin is a founder of Briefings for Brexit, and a research associate at the Centre For Business Research at the University of Cambridge and the Senior Economic Advisor with Oxford Economics. He was a special adviser to the Northern Ireland First Minister on economic policy from 1998  to 2002.

****

You’ll remember that in the last podcast, I was talking to Steve Hinks from the British anti  ~ read more ~

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

‎Steve Hinks‎ speaks for the UK Association of HPV Vaccine Injured Daughters, and he attended a conference in Dublin in April organised by the the International Federation for Injured Children and Adults. The conference was also attended by Anna Cannon of REGRET and Dr Jesper Mehlsen.

The conference program claimed ~ read more ~

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Natalie Parrott produces the YouTube channel ContraPoints. I highly recommend her videos. I mentioned the interview I did Linda Bellos in February. 

In our discussion, I mentioned the soaring referrals to the UK’s Tavistock clinic (which specialises in ~ read more ~

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

David Quinn is a founder of the Iona Institute, a newspaper columnist and a regular media commentator.

During the marriage equality referendum campaign, David said that

Should the referendum pass, a same-sex couple could demand a right to marry in a church … In Denmark, we have already seen that the Lutheran Church, a State Church admittedly, has been forced to conduct same-sex weddings.

~ read more ~

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Sandra Khadhouri is one of the founders of Renew Britain, a new political party set up to resist Brexit. James Cousins, a former Conservative party member of Wandsworth Council has recently joined their party but they have not yet had a chance to test their electoral strength. 

In our conversation, I mentioned The Road to Somewhere: The Populist Revolt and the Future of Politics by David Goodhart, which charts the cultural gulf that has opened between different groups in Britain and elsewhere.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Linda Bellos is a businesswoman, radical feminist and gay-rights activist. She was a member of the collective that produced Spare Rib, a British feminist magazine, and was a member of Lambeth Borough Council in London and was the leader of the council from 1986 to 1988. 

The term ‘TERF‘ is widely used as a term of abuse by third wave feminists for second-wave feminists, often with extreme hostility and even threats of violence. Linda was invited, and then un-invited to speak to the Beards Society in Cambridge University, as part of a bitter dispute between factions within feminism.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

I talked to Director of Retail and Consumer Services at Comreg, Barbara Delaney.

Yourtel appear to still be advertising to the Irish market, despite being convicted on 88 sample charges (out of 880) of ripping off their customers. They were fined just €750 of a maximum fine of €5,000 in each case – a total of €66,000. Their pricing scheme and the fact that they have ~ read more ~

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Keith Redmond is an independent member of Fingal County Council, having been elected on the Fine Gael ticket in 2014 previously run for the Progressive Democrats and briefly been a member of Renua Ireland. He’s also a founder member of the Hibernia Forum. 

The Libertarian Party in the US is known for its anti-government stance and espousal of Austrian economics.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

I normally wouldn’t do a podcast about a blog post, but this is a blog post that has been signed by almost 500 people, so it’s not an ordinary blog post. 

You might have heard about Dean Scurry, he’s one of the activists who organised Home Sweet Home, the occupation of Apollo House by the homeless. Dean also set up a ~ read more ~

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

In the main interview, I talked to Gino Kenny of the People Before Profit party. 

Gino’s Facebook page shared the Facebook group Medical Cannabis Testimonials Ireland & UK, and encouraged people to share supposed ‘testimony‘ of people benefiting ~ read more ~

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

I interviewed Dr Mariano García de Palau of the Kalapa Clinic about his claims to treat a wide range of ailments with cannabis. As he mentioned, there are no clinical trials to validate most of these cures.

I also interviewed Dr Robert O’Connor, Head of Research for the Irish Cancer Society.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

This podcast is the first part of a major investigation into people selling unlicensed substances that they claim will treat or cure serious conditions. This first part of the investigation, focussing on the Dublin-based Hemp Company. 

The Hemp Company’s page selling the Charlotte’s Web product for up to €5,500 per litre is here, That page contains a link on the text “View Everyday Advanced hemp oil supplement facts” with a link to this page which recommends the oil for treating depression and multiple sclerosis, and a comment apparently from a doctor saying “patient of mine uses this for cancer“.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Derek Mooney is a public affairs and communications adviser as well as a former adviser to the Irish government. He’s a columnist on Broadsheet.ie and Slugger O’Toole. 

***

In the last podcast, I was talking to Tom Geraghty of the PSEU, that’s the union that represents higher level public sector workers. The interview was in the aftermath of the PSEU annual conference, where Tom was demanding a ~ read more ~

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Tom Geraghty is the General Secretary of the Public Service Executive Union. 

Tom disputed  a couple of the references that I made during the interview. The report of MABS staff dealing with an average of two new cases per week here.  The minister for justice has confirmed that there are gardaí suspended on pay for up to seven years. ~ read more ~