Reboot Republic is the innovative Podcast that delves beyond the headlines and soundbites and pulls up the roots of our Social Crises to unearth progressive solutions. We talk to world leading experts, politicians, activists and everyday change-makers. This not about tinkering around the edges. Hosted by Lecturer of Social Policy in Maynooth University and Social Justice Campaigner Dr Rory Hearne and independent podcast nerd Tony Groves, we look beyond the political speak for real, globally tried and tested solutions. Reboot Republic aims to be the podcast for an optimistic and inclusive future and not the polarised present. @RebootPod
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Tackling Air BnB
In this podcast, we talk to Murray Cox of ‘Inside Airbnb’, who provides the data on the impact of Airbnb on housing in cities across the world. Also in the studio, Sasha Brown who, along with Murray and the Irish Housing Network, produced a recent Report on the impacts of Airbnb in Ireland.
Journalist Laoise Neylon informs us about the new legislation and how it will be ineffective in tackling Airbnb and other short term lets. They outline how Airbnb is disrupting housing and communities leading to a reduction in rental home availability, not just in Dublin, but in towns across the country, resulting in homelessness. Laoise describes Airbnb as being like a fast food chain portraying itself as an organic wholesome food restaurant. Airbnb and other short term lets are actually having a major negative impact on housing in cities.
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Cian McMahon
#TheCo-Op
We talk with Dr Cian McMahon, an economics graduate from NUI Galway, former TASC policy analyst and current Postdoctoral research position, Saint Mary’s University Nova Scotia. We discuss cooperatives and heterdox economics with Cian.
Cian’s research has looked at the rise and fall of cooperativist initiatives in Ireland and particularly workers coops and the Irish trade union movement.
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Prof. Richard Wilkinson
#TheSpiritLevel
We talk to the global expert in inequalities and their health impacts, Professor emeritus Richard Wilkinson. Prof Wilkinson is co-author, with Kate Pickett, of The Inner Level: How More Equal Societies Reduce Stress, Restore Sanity and Improve Everyone’s Wellbeing.
His Ted Talk has had almost a million views and he is also coauthor of the ground breaking book The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone.
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Sean Healy
#SocialJustice
We speak with the CEO of Social Justice Ireland and the longest serving member of the National Economic Social Council, Sean Healy.
We discuss Social Justice Ireland’s Budget 2020 proposals, a new framework for a just and sustainable country, Sean’s analysis of Ireland through the decades, his social justice motivations & values and hope for change.
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Ann Marie O’Reilly
Marcella Stakem
This Reboot Republic Podcast talks with Ann Marie O’Reilly, Policy Officer with housing rights and tenant support charity Threshold and Marcella Stakem, Social Policy Development Officer with the St Vincent De Paul.
Ann Marie and Marcella are Authors and researches of the new report and survey ‘Housing Assistance Payment (HAP): Making the right impact?’ carried out jointly by the two charities.
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Tortoise Shack
#RebootBirthday
When the idea to do a podcast came up I imagined it would be a one season, ten episodes kind of thing. Over 70 episodes and 1 year later we are, for my money, Ireland’s number one solutions focused podcast.
So we decided to mark the occasion by answering some patron’s questions, sharing our personal highlights for the first year of this and our hopes for the next year to come. Thank you so much for the listening, sharing, reviewing and supporting.
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Kerry Anthony
Mairéad McGinn
This Reboot Republic Podcast talks to Kerry Anthony, the outgoing CEO of homeless charity, DePaul and their Director of Communications, Mairéad McGinn.
Kerry peaks passionately about housing first, its success in maintaining former homeless in long term secure homes, the value for money of this approach and her own motivational values and those of De Paul.
Dr Niall Muldoon
#ChildrensOmbudsman
This Reboot Republic podcast talks with Dr Niall Muldoon, the Ombudsman for Children in Ireland, whose office investigates complaints about services provided to children by public organisations.
We discuss the key issues affecting children in Ireland & how they are impacted, the importance of giving children a voice in public bodies & society, the goal of ending child poverty & the vision and practical steps needed to achieve an Ireland where all children are cherished equally.
Dr Cara Augustenborg
#ClimateActionPlan
The Climate Laggards of Europe have just launched a Climate Action Plan that aims to make Ireland Carbon Neutral by 2050. But is this just more plans about plans or will there be substance to it?
Joining us to discuss this, via Skype, is Environmental Scientist in UCD, Adviser with the Environmental Protection Agency and commentator, Dr Cara Austenborg.
John Harris
#BrexitBreakdown
The slow moving car crash that is Brexit took some interesting turns recently.
The Brexit Party, Change UK and the European elections have thrown up all sorts of new variables. So we were delighted to catch up with UK Political Commentator of the year 2017, the Guardian’s John Harris, to discuss all the latest developments.
Emmet Kirwan
#CoLiving
Opening our first ever #RebootLive, Emmet Kirwan walks us through why we must expose and reject the Fine Gael Neoliberal Nightmare that sees people as economic units and instead build communities, families and strong bonds that can lift us all, not just their Golden Circle.
Collectivism and not individualism is the route.
Election Results
The Fallout
As the final votes are counted we sat down to discuss the results, the #GreenWave and the opportunity this has opened up for the broad Left.
Yes, Fine Gael got a kicking and Sinn Féin had a very bad day. But behind those headlines is a message that progressive politics is breaking through.
No swings were hurt in the making of this podcast.
Éilis Ryan
The #MEPshack
Continuing our coverage of the MEP Candidates across The Tortoise Shack we are delighted to sit down with Dublin City Councillor and EP Candidate for the Workers’ Party, Éilis Ryan. We discuss her reasons for running, the need for EU reform and why pointing out the EU’s democratic deficits doesn’t make you anti-EU.
Clare Daly
The #MEPshack
Continuing our series of interviews with MEP Candidates we are delighted to sit down with Independent TD, Clare Daly, who outlines why she wants to go to the European Parliament and bring back the news we need to hear BEFORE decisions are made.
Dr Rory Hearne
#RaiseTheRoof
There is currently a Bill (proposed by Sinn Fein) going before the Dail seeking to enshrine the Right to A Home in the Constitution. Thousands of people will be on the streets this Saturday in Dublin also demanding that right and and that the government changes policy to build public affordable cost rental and social housing on a major scale. In regard to putting the Right to A Home into the Constitution,
Reboot Live Pt2
#RaiseTheRoof
In part 2 of our #RebootLive, Tony chairs a discussion with Michelle Byrne of USI, Niamh Randall from Respond Housing, Michael Taft of SIPTU and Lorcan Sirr of DIT. This panel talks about the realities of a “properly” functioning housing market, the dystopian vista of co-living and what can be done to make housing a home and not just “a place to lay your head after your 18hr work day.”
Reboot Live Pt1
#RaiseTheRoof
Hosted by Rory Hearne, this podcast features Fr Peter McVerry, Orla O’Connor and Aisling Hedderman speaking bluntly about the failures of the current Government, the need for the #Right2Housing in our constitution and why we need a mass mobilisation on Saturday, May 18th for #RaiseTheRoof
Ciarán Cuffe
#ClimateGeneration
Continuing our series with the candidates for the upcoming European Elections with Green Party Councillor and former TD, Ciarán Cuffe. Ciarán wants to put Climate Action at the heart of the European Parliament and sees this as the vehicle to tackle many of the crises facing us both globally and domestically.
Lynn Boylan
The #MEPshack
Lynn joins us to give us an insight into workings of the MEP/EU system, discuss the learnings she has taken from her first term in Brussels and what her ambitions and goals are for the next European Parliament, should she be elected again.
Gary Gannon
The #MEPshack
In this Podcast Gary Gannon joins us to discuss his reasons for getting into the MEP race, why the makeup of this next EU Parliament is so important and the values he’d like to see at the heart of the EU’s democratic structures.
Lorna Gold
#ClimateGeneration
In this Podcast we talk to Dr Lorna Gold, academic, climate campaigner and author of Climate Generation – Awakening to our children’s future. Lorna is an organiser with #FridaysForFuture – the global protest movement highlighting the urgent need for action on climate change.
Dr Sinead Kelly
#NewPublicHousing
Dr Sinead Kelly is a lecturer in geography in Maynooth University specialising in urban planning and finance. She is author of Neoliberal Urban Policy and the Transformation of the City: Reshaping Dublin.
Tanya Ward
#NoChild2020
This Reboot Republic Podcast talks to Tanya Ward, the Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance (CRA) and former Deputy Director at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL). We discuss the CRA’s 2019 Report Card that identifies and evaluates the Government’s progress on actions for Children.
Rob Sweeney
#Inequality
In this latest podcast we talk with plolicy analyst at the inequality think tank, TASC, Dr Rob Sweeney. Rob has a PhD in economics from University of Leeds, which concentrated on financial markets and investors, banking, international macroeconomics, and housing and his current role focuses mainly on issues surrounding the Irish political economy and wealth distribution.
Gerard Howlin
#Chumocracy
This Reboot Republic Podcast talks to the experienced political analyst, Gerard Howlin. Gerard is a Public Affairs Consultant, Columnist, Commentator and Former Senior Political Adviser to Government. Gerard offers interesting insights into the real world of Irish politics and policy making.
Tom Healy
#Hope
This latest Reboot Republic Podcast is with Tom Healy, Director of the Nevin Research institute & leading economist – we talk to him about his forthcoming book ‘An Ireland Worth Working For: Delivering the Democratic Programme a Century later’ and the concrete & visionary policies, solutions and changes required to make Ireland’s economy ensure a decent fair and dignified standard of living for everyone.
Frank McDonald
#TrulyFrank
This Reboot Republic Podcast talks to author, campaigning journalist & gentleman- Frank McDonald. Frank is the former Environment Editor of The Irish Times and author of the books, Chaos at the Crossroads and The Builders.
We talk to him about Dublin – the city it has become and his latest book, Truly Frank: A Dublin Memoir.
Darragh O’Brien
#RaiseTheRoof
Fianna Fail spokesperson for Housing, Planning and Local Government and TD for Dublin Fingal, Darragh O’Brien talks candidly about apologies, learning the lessons of the past, the current housing crisis, state-lead solutions and exclusively for the first time about his view on the constitutional right to housing. This is an honest and sometimes combative conversation with Darragh delivering some spicy moments of his own!
Prof PJ Drudy
#NewPublicHousing
The New Public Housing Conference took place in Maynooth University in Feb 2019. The first of these short talks is with Professor Emeritus of Economics, TCD (and more importantly Tortoise Shack Alumni) PJ Drudy.
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Colm O’Gorman
#Stand4Truth
Our guest in The Tortoise Shack is Executive Director of Amnesty Ireland, Colm O’Gorman. He joins us to discuss the Rights-Based-Society and some of the obstacles and challenges facing us here and across the globe.
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Leilani Farha
#MakeTheShift
In this weeks podcast we talk to The United Nations Special Rapporteur for Housing Leilani Farha about the global housing crisis and why governments & cities must #MakeTheShift to guaranteeing the right to housing ensuring everyone can live in dignity.
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Rebecca Keatinge
#HousingFirst
In this Reboot Republic Podcast we talk to leading human rights lawyer with the Mercy law Resource Centre, Rebecca Keatinge, if it would help address the housing crisis if we put it in the constitution?
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Róisín Shorthall
#Integrity
Róisín walks us through her time in government, explains why she was willing to act on her principles and shares with us a fascinating insight on the reasons behind her resignation.
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Wayne Stanley
#HomelessnessIsNotNormal
Our guest is research and policy analyst with Focus Ireland, Wayne Stanley, who discusses working on homelessness, its causes and the underlying issues.
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Seamus Coffey
#Choices
Seamus outlines that there is the money to invest in a major public housing programme- it’s just a question of priorities.
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Mary Lou McDonald
#Unity
Getting behind the sound bites in an open and honest conversation with President of Sinn Féin, Dublin TD and potential future Taoiseach, Mary Lou McDonald.
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Michael Taft
#BrexitProof
Brexit is almost upon us so what should the Government be doing? We are joined by Researcher and Economist for SIPTU, Michael Taft, to talk about the steps we can take right now.
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John Harris
#BrexitBreakdown
We are delighted to welcome back Guardian Columnist and British Political Commentator of the Year, John Harris, to talk us through the current state of the Conservative Party made mess that is Brexit.
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Orla O’Connor
#Feminism
Director of the National Women’s Council of Ireland Orla O’Connor joins us to talk challenges and hopes of women in Ireland today.
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Emmet Kirwan #DublinOldschool
Emmet tells the stories of Austerity that you cannot see on a spreadsheet. His play Dublin Oldschool captures the highs and lows of the drug scene, without glamourising it.
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Ciaran Cuffe
#ClimateJustice
Green Party Councillor, Ciaran Cuffe, joins us to talk about his time in Government, the possibility of a Left Alliance, the Carbon Tax, a Just Transition and all things Climate Action related.
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JP Swaine
#FirstFortnight
Our guest, Mental Health Social Worker, Cognitive Psychotherapist and co founder of mental health charity First Fortnight, JP Swaine, believes in the potential for art, music, film and literature to help us deal with some of the issues and traumas life puts in our path.
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Catherine Connolly
#IndependentThinking
We are delighted to round out the year with Independent TD for Galway West and many people’s Best Dáil Performer in 2018, Catherine Connolly – one of the sharpest minds in Leinster House.
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Fr. Peter McVerry
#Solidarity
Father Peter McVerry has dedicated his life to helping those impacted by homelessness and is able to speak with an authority higher than any Housing Minister or Rebuilding Ireland Spokesperson.
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The Archive
#MuchMore
Enjoying our podcasts and want to hear more? Just visit our Archive Page where you’ll find links to many more hours of top quality content.