697. No Rooms at the Inn: The UCD Student Accommodation Crisis

It was a pleasure to be joined in the tortoise shack by UCD Students Union President, Ruairi Power to discuss their report into the student accommodation crisis. He tells us about the survey they conducted and how it shows a large majority of students are paying unaffordable rents for accommodation that often doesn’t meet their needs. We also discuss the […]

Go to Podcast

693. Public Health Specialist Dr. Marie Casey

It was a pleasure to be rejoined in the tortoise shack by Public Health Specialist, Dr Marie Casey, to talk about the ongoing response to COVID. Dr Casey tells us about some very positive developments in Public Health, including the development of an National Outbreak Response System, and discusses the learnings made from the ongoing pandemic. She outlines the foolishness […]

Go to Podcast

695. Right to Know Back in Court – Gavin Sheridan

Many of our listeners would be aware of the work of righttoknow.ie, but you might not know that they’re back in court next week, this time the Supreme Court, in another battle for transparency. Co-founder and very, very busy guy, Gavin Sheridan joined us to tell us all about it. Then Gavin, who also compiles a excellent substack newsletter, HERE, […]

Go to Podcast

2021 – It Was The Best of Times, It Was The Worst of Times…

This week on another bumper Sunday Special we hosted a brilliant panel of ICCL’s Liam Herrick, Returning Champion, Emma DeSouza, Mr Polls Harry McEvansoneya and Dublin Inquirer Reporter, Shamim Malekmian. This time we talked the week that was and the year in review. We went deep on COVID and civil liberty restrictions, NI progress and the BoJo clown show, we […]

Go to Podcast

686. Trans Rights Are Human Rights

(note, this was recorded on Saturday Nov 27th for tortoise shack members) On Saturday a small anti-Trans protest took place in Dublin, in what looks like a continuation of a tiny section of the country intent on importing UK/US style culture wars to Ireland. Rather than dwell on their nonsense, we decided to talk with activist, Community Development Officer with […]

Go to Podcast

691. Ireland under Investigation – The Mother and Baby Homes Report Fallout

The European Commission has been asking questions about Ireland blocking Mother and Baby Homes survivors’ access to their medical records. Joining us in the tortoise shack to discuss what this all means is solicitor acting for some of the survivors, Simon McGarr. Simon outlines the problems facing Minister Roderic O’Gorman and the solutions available to him today. We discuss what […]

Go to Podcast

13. A Very Unmerry Christmas

We’ve just finished a brilliant Live Sunday Show with Reporter with Noteworthy, Maria Delaney, Social Care Worker, Anne Marie Quilligan and Primary School Teacher, Jana Lyons. We talked Fianna Fáil as a charity, the great news for some undocumented migrants, the Oireachtas Report into Travellers, COVID restrictions, schools aren’t safe, succor for the far right, the arts kicked again and […]

Go to Podcast

688. Mick Finnegan on the St Johns Ambulance Investigation

Late last night Sinn Féin TD, Chris Andrews, asked Minister Roderic O’Gorman why, nine months after it began, St Johns Ambulance have failed to engage with the independent investigation into childhood sexual abuse within the organisation. Joining me to give his reaction to this is one of the victims and friend of the shack, Mick Finnegan. We discuss what this […]

Go to Podcast