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Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn to look back on the week in politics:

· With a general election now likely a matter of weeks away, it is the main opposition party, and not government parties, who continue to dominate the headlines. And they are unwanted headlines relating to former TD Brian Stanley, former senator Niall Ó Donnghaile and former press officer Michael McMonagle.

· And with all those controversies piling up for Sinn Féin, are the Government in danger of overreach should they seek to force a vote on Brian Stanley’s replacement as PAC chair?

· And could former Fine Gael TDs Alan Shatter and Kate O’Connell’s decision to run as independents give their old party cause for concern in Dublin-Rathdown and Dublin Bay South respectively come election time?

Plus, the panellists pick their favourite IT reads of the week:

· Newton Emerson on Britain’s anti-obesity jab plan.

· Kathy Sheridan urges us not to write off celebrity candidates.

· Keith Duggan writes about why a small Democratic stronghold in Detroit is deserting Kamala Harris for Donald Trump.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Tánaiste Micheál Martin sits down with Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy to talk about the timing of the next general election. For the first time he states clearly that he is open to the vote taking place before Christmas - but with some caveats.

Martin also talks about his attitude to Sinn Féin as a potential future partner in government and whether Ireland could take unilateral action

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The resignation from Sinn Féin of Laois TD Brian Stanley on Saturday, and the party's referral to the Gardaí of information it gathered during an internal inquiry into an unspecified allegation made against Stanley, has triggered a fresh crisis for Mary Lou McDonald.

The Sinn Féin leader is now struggling on multiple fronts as the party faces demands for an explanation as to why the Gardaí were not involved at an earlier stage.

McDonald must also be worried that this latest bad news story will combine with other crises of recent weeks to set in voters's minds an image of a party in disarray.

With a general election looming, this latest distraction from Sinn Féin's favoured issues of housing and health has come at the worst possible time.

Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to set out what we know about this fast-developing story and what it means for Sinn Féin.

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Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn to look back on the week in politics:

· With the giveaway budget done, will this government conclude in time for an early general election? Timing is vital, but can the Coalition arrive at a consensus given their advanced preparation for an election campaign?

· Sinn Féin’s difficulties are the Government’s opportunities with the Michael McMonagle scandal rumbling on, and now TD Patricia Ryan’s resignation from the party after hitting out at its leadership for “not listening” to members and TDs.

· US actor and activist Mark Ruffalo was heavily critical of the Green Party in a social media post pointing to the Government’s planning legislation allowing for use of ‘strategic’ liquefied natural gas reserves.

Plus, the panellists pick their favourite IT reads of the week:

· Miriam Lord’s report from Mary O’Rourke’s funeral on Monday.

· Trinity’s Berkeley Library is now the Eavan Boland library.

· A twist in the Tory leadership race suits PM Keir Starmer.

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As the US presidential election nears, Hugh talks to American journalist Ben Smith about the intertwining of media and politics in the United States:

• how political campaigns operate like media companies
• the decline in trust toward mainstream media
• the impact of digital platforms on political discourse

They assess Kamala Harris and Donald Trump's use of the media as a campaign tool in this election cycle and look at how the media landscape is changing, with references to Ben's experiences at Politico, BuzzFeed News, and his current role at Semafor.

Ben also reflects on the consequences of publishing the notorious Steele dossier on Donald Trump's alleged links to Russia during his time at BuzzFeed News.

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Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee to look back on the week in politics:

· The panel paid tribute to former Fianna Fáil minister Mary O’Rourke after her death this week at the age of 87. She was involved in Irish politics for almost a half-century.

· The expectation is that Sinn Féin will run with 65-70 candidates in the forthcoming general election – are they being overly cautious? And there was surprise too at the news that party leader Mary Lou McDonald will run alongside Cllr Janice Boylan in Dublin Central, with Boylan having expressed her dissatisfaction with Sinn Féin in 2022, writing in a letter to party members that she didn’t feel “supported, valued or even really respected”.

· Also, Minister for Finance Jack Chambers and Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe had misgivings around some measures contained in Budget 2025.

Plus, the panellists pick their favourite IT reads of the week:

· Ella McSweeney’s piece on the dire condition of nearly half of our rivers, lakes and estuaries.

· Kevin Courtney on 10 of the best new shows to watch in October – Jen attests to the genius of The Diplomat.

· Keith Duggan wrote of Republican JD Vance getting the better of Democrat Tim Walz in Tuesday’s vice-presidential debate.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Budget 2025, reminiscent of the bonanza Celtic Tiger years, was leaked almost entirely before Ministers Jack Chambers and Paschal Donohoe took to the floor of the Dáil yesterday to deliver it. Political editor, Pat Leahy, believes that's down to the reality of coalition parties needing to publicise their particular wins ahead of an impending election. The 2.2 billion euro spending package is widely viewed as an attempt to curry favour with voters instead of addressing more long-term systemic changes that fall outside the electoral cycle. And he warns that a 'giveaway' budget does not automatically guarantee electoral success. Former senior government advisor, Gerard Howlin, says it will be extremely painful to rein in spending now that the precedent has been set. Political correspondent Jennifer Bray, analyses how the opposition is framing the budget to successfully land political blows to the government's fiscal credibility.

Presented by Hugh Linehan. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

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