Professor of European Politics at Maynooth University John O'Brennan joins us to look at what the next five years hold for Ireland's new or returning MEPs. What will the priorities be for the European Parliament? And where will Irish politicians fit in? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

The seats are filled, the dust is settling, and the count centre staff enjoying some well-earned rest. To take stock of where we're at now, Laura Byrne is joined on this week's episode by our Political Editor Christina Finn, and Brendan Flynn, a Head of Political Science at the University of Galway.

Virgin Media's political correspondent Gavan Reilly sits down with us to explain what exactly proportional representation with a single transferable vote is all about. Do you need to give a preference to every candidate listed on a ballot paper? How and when do preferences beyond your first come into play? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

On 7 June, you'll have the chance to vote in the European elections - but what exactly will the end result be? For the latest in a special series of episodes, The Journal's Muiris O'Cearbhaill and European Movement Ireland CEO Noelle O'Connell join us to look at how the election process works, what exactly an MEP does, and how you should decide on who gets your vote.

DCU's Paola Rivetti, an expert in Middle East politics, joins us to look at the fallout from the death of Iran's president in a helicopter crash last week. What role did he play in Iranian society? What does the succession process look like - and is there any scope for a more moderate leader? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Presenter Maria Delaney is joined by News Correspondent Órla Ryan who has been leading our year-long ‘Falling Through the Cracks’ investigation into young people with psychosis, which was supported by the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism in Ireland in partnership with Headline, a Shine programme. They're also joined by Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Karen O’Connor who is the HSE’s National Clinical Lead for Early Intervention for Psychosis.

Over recent years, Europe has seen a rising trend of severe weather - some of which can be linked to climate change. This means an increasing need for authorities to respond to life-threatening situations. That's where the European Union’s Department for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), providing support to countries where a crisis overwhelms the resources available locally by pooling the available help. Two experts join us on this week's episode to examine how. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We're joined by Dr Barry Colfer, director of research at the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), to look back on everything from Ireland's nascent relationship with Europe in the 1970s to the country's treatment during the bailout in the 2010s. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We're examining the details of the Dublin Transport Plan to examine its aim and how it will achieve that, as well as the overall reaction. We're joined by Brian Caulfield, transportation professor and Head of the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at Trinity College Dublin, to see what the impacts could be. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We're joined by Paul McCutcheon, a professor of Law at the University of Limerick to examine how exactly sentencing works. What factors do judges take into account? What guidance do they rely on? And how is that some judges deliver sentences that look very different to those of their peers?

Trans healthcare and a dearth of services for trans people have been in the news lately on the back of a major review of UK services. Assistant News Editor Valerie Flynn joins us to explore its findings - and with the care it needs, as it is vulnerable children at the heart of this healthcare story. What did the report say about treatment options like puberty blockers? What type of overhaul of the services did it recommend? And what does it mean for Ireland? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Susan Daly talks with Noteworthy's Steven Fox and German reporter Swantje Furtak about the lack of preservation of bogs in Ireland and Germany. These were part of an extensive cross-border investigation with reporters based in Germany and Italy. Steven focused on actions by two State companies — Coillte and Bord na Móna — and looked at the planting of forestry and development of wind farms on our precious peatland. This comes as Ireland has just been referred by the European Commission to the European Court of Justice over the State’s failure to halt industrial peat extraction.

The Journal's Eoghan Dalton speaks to Laura Byrne about the State inquiry into the abuse of prolific child abuser, Bill Kenneally. It is examining how State agencies and organisations handled reports of his crimes from the 1980s onwards. During his appearance, Kenneally was unrepentant, causing upset to those in attendance, including his victims. So, what did we learn, if anything via this inquiry about the mindset of this abuser and the handling of his case by authorities over many years? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

The European Union has a massive but often unseen impact on our day-to-day life here in Ireland. Despite that, how exactly it all works can remain a bit of a mystery for a lot of people. John O’Brennan, a professor at the Department of Sociology at Maynooth University, leaves the Brussels jargon to one side and focuses on what the core institutions are and how they all interact with each other. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ This work is co-funded by Journal Media and a grant programme from the European Parliament. Any opinions or conclusions expressed in this work are the author’s own. The European Parliament has no involvement in nor responsibility for the editorial content published by the project. For more information, see here.

Thousands of people in need of critical medical care but unable to access it in Ukraine have been sent to other EU states for treatment in a mammoth operation known as Medevac. On this week's episode, supported by the European Union’s Department for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, we look at how this is organised and the impact it has for people on the ground in Ukraine.

We're joined by our Deputy Editor Christine Bohan and Assistant News Editor Rónán Duffy to look at the shock resignation of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Did it really come out of the blue? And who is best placed to take up the mantel? What will his legacy be? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

An Oireachtas Committee is set to recommend that the Irish government introduce laws to allow for assisted dying and euthanasia under certain strict criteria. It follows an in-depth consultation period on the matter. This week, The Journal's Stephen McDermott tells host Laura Byrne about what the committee is recommending and what we can expect to see happen. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We're joined by News Correspondent Niall O'Connor, who has just returned from the contested Golan Heights where he visited the Irish peacekeeping mission there. He shares the day-to-day activity of the troops and examines what the future of Irish peacekeeping might look like. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Fiery appearances before Oireachtas committees are all the rage these days, and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is no stranger to them. What are the latest revelations? What do they say about the future of the FAI? We're joined by Gavin Cooney, sportswriter and podcast host with The 42, to explore why the organisation is making headlines again. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Susan Daly speaks to Noteworthy's investigative journalist Patricia Devlin about her latest dive into threats to our monuments and heritage sites. Also joining the podcast is Ian Lumney, heritage officer with An Taisce.

On 8 March, the public is being asked to have their say in two separate votes - the Family Amendment and the Care Amendment. But are up to speed on what exactly they're about? We're joined this week by News Correspondent Órla Ryan, Political Editor Christina Finn, and Assistant News Editor Rónán Duffy to delve into everything you need to know. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Dr Scott Walkin, a GP in Co Mayo and the Irish College of General Practitioners’ lead for infection control, explains the impact of low uptake of the vaccine, how sick the virus can make you, and shares some crucial advice for parents of young children. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We're joined by our Senior Producer Nicky Ryan, who has just returned from Turkey, and Diego Cupolo, editor-in-chief of the Turkey Recap newsletter, to look at the situation on the ground one year after the devastating earthquakes. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Power sharing in the north has been stalled for two years due to the DUP's reluctance to participate. With the absence of any Stormont Assembly, Northern Ireland's public services have suffered. There are many political challenges ahead. But this week, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson announced that the party’s executive had come to an agreement and voted in favour of restoring the Executive. On Thursday, two pieces of legislation contained in the UK government’s deal to resurrect devolution were fast-tracked through the House of Commons, while Stormont is expected to sit on Saturday. To look back at what was a wild week in Northern Ireland's politics we're joined again by Brian Rowan to give his expert perspectives. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Power sharing talks at Stormont have been going on for some time without ever reaching an agreement, taking its toll on the population. The culmination of this was a mass strike last week, where thousands of workers took to the streets in what’s been dubbed the largest strike in the North for 50 years. We're joined journalist and author - and current The Journal contributor - Brian Rowan to give his expert perspective on the situation in Northern Ireland. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

This week, we're looking at everything about Yemen that might have flown under the radar in recent years with Dr Elisabeth Kendall, the Mistress of Girton College at Cambridge University and an Arabist and middle east specialist. Who are the Houthis? What do they want? Why did the UK and the US act together against them? How has the world barely noticed the war in Yemen? How did it last for so long? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Marian Ryan, consumer tax manager with Taxback.com, joins us on this week's episode of The Explainer to demystify the world of income tax returns, statements of liability, and the Revenue website. She lays out why it's worthwhile for all PAYE workers to sniff around their tax return, and outlines the main tax refunds people are entitled to but often don't look into claiming. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Our team pick their favourite moments from the podcast in 2023. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We're joined in studio by our Political Correspondent Christina Finn and Political Reporter Jane Matthews to dissect the year that was, and to look at what 2024 what bring. Who were the political winner and losers? What was the most important legisilation passed? We also analyse how likely it is that an election will be called in the new year, and what potential banana peels might force the coalition's hand. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Author and arts journalist Aoife Barry takes us through the history of the awards as well as the familiar faces who are up for Best Actor. We also explore what is next for Murphy, Scott, and Keoghan, and what the Golden Globes mean for next year's Oscars. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Will the new international plan to tackle climate change really achieve anything? Ou reporter Lauren Boland explains what the COP28 deal means, the drama of the last-minute agreement, the likelihood of it actually having an impact. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We're joined this week by Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at the University of Galway and a political columnist here with us at The Journal, to look at the issues cropping up for Biden - and Trump - ahead of next year's US presidential election. Larry explains the how Biden is polling among the public, and what they see as the real issues facing Americans right now. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

In an episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, Susan Daly talks to investigative reporter Alice Chambers and a former prison governor of Mountjoy and Portlaoise prisons, John Lonergan, about the latest in-depth series, CALLING TIME. Our investigation found that prison visits have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, leaving children cut off from their parents in prison. We explore how families are coping and if children are being locked out from imprisoned parents.

Shockwaves from the events of last Thursday are still reverberating around Ireland. A knife attack on three children and their carer on a busy Dublin street horrified the nation. Then came riots and looting. Now, the social and political fallout is massive. We're joined by several members of The Journal's newsroom to examine how the day unfolded. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We're joined on this week's episode by Dominic McGrath, PA Media political correspondent, to dissect the former UK prime minister's unexpected comeback. What is Cameron's background, what could he achieve in the role - and what exactly is the end goal here? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Dr Austin O Carroll, a GP who specialises in addiction services, speaks to us about nitazine, a potent synthetic opioid suspected to be responsible for a spike in the number of drug overdoses in Dublin recently. He shares how two overdoses occurred in his own clinic, and gives his insights on what Ireland can do to prepare for the arrival of fentanyl. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We're now a month into a violent conflict between Israel and Hamas, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians and sparking a dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This current spate of fighting is just one in a long, long history of tension between Israel and Palestine, dating right back to the partition of the country in the 1940s. So how did we get here? We're joined by our Assistant News Editor Stephen McDermott to give you a clear overview of the basics of what we're seeing today. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Arts and culture journalist Louise Bruton explores how Taylor Swift became the powerful force in the music industry that she is today. We look at why the billionaire pop star is re-recording her albums, her many feuds, and the history of how she rose from a country music singer to the most streamed artist in the world. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Following devastating floods in parts of Ireland this month, we're joined by Dr Mary Bourke, a flood risk management expert and assistant professor of Geography at Trinity College Dublin. She delves into the reasons why flooding - just like strong winds or extreme temperatures - can never be fully stopped, but outlines the solutions Ireland could consider in order to mitigate against the worst impacts on people's homes and livelihoods. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We speak to our News Correspondent Niall O'Connor this week to discuss what would an Israeli ground offensive look like, as the conflict in the Middle East continues into its ninth day. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

In Budget 2024 this week, we saw the biggest change to the USC in years, with the 4.5% rate cut to 4%. We talk to Barra Roantree, assistant professor of economics at Trinity College Dublin about the history of the USC, the importance of it and why economists like it so much.

Teachers say the new Social, Personal, and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum for secondary schools is long overdue, but some elements of the course have sparked controversy and misinformation. So what will children really be taught? Eoghan Cleary - a secondary school teacher, assistant principal and SPHE & Wellbeing Coordinator - joins us on this week's episode to explain all. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

The algae has left wildlife dead and led to questions over the safety of drinking water at Lough Neagh. Shauna Corr, environment correspondent and columnist with news outlets including The Irish Mirror and Belfast Live joins us to look at the history of the lake, the real-life impacts of the algal bloom, and what the local response has been.

We speak to dog behaviourist Nanci Creedon who tells us more about how these restrictions and bans impact the behaviours of both the dogs themselves and their owners. Is there any evidence that these bans are in any way effective? And is there anything to suggest that certain breeds are inherently more aggressive? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

In an episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, Susan Daly talks to editor Maria Delaney and Trinity College Dublin researcher Soma Gregory about the latest in-depth series, BIRTH PLACE which found that women are still battling for maternity care choices in many parts of Ireland. We ask why that is the case and whether it is set to change any time soon.

Medical journalist June Shannon joins us on this week's episode to explain how the scheme will work, who is eligible, and how you avail of it. She also details how exactly IVF works and shares her own experience of the process. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

This week on The Explainer, we speak to Emma Duffy, sports journalist with The42, to discuss Luis Rubiales and the scandal that has engulfed Spanish football since their women's team won the World Cup Final last month. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Art O'Leary, chief executive officer of the Electoral Commission joins us explain how the changes were decided on and what factors were taken into consideration. We're also joined by our Political Reporter Jane Matthews, Deputy Editor Christine Bohan, and Assistant News Editor Rónán Duffy to dissect the results and take a look at the political ramifications. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

The Journal's Carl Kinsella and Kirsty Blake Knox from the Irish Independent explain the enduring popularity behind the Rose of Tralee. Is it still relevant in 2023? What is the event like to actually attend? What if they were a Rose, what would their special talent be? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Journalist and organic beef and dairy farmer Hannah Quinn Mulligan joins us to look at the growing talk of a farmers' party in Ireland. What are the types of policies they would implement? And what are their chances of success? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We delve into the prosecution faced by the Rohingya minority in Myanmar, and the treacherous journey many make across the Andaman Sea in search of asylum and a better life. We speak with Michelle Cicic, head of the regional office for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) in south-southeast Asia Pacific, as well as Lilianne Fan and Hassan bin Rashid from the Geutanyoë Foundation.

US correspondent with the Business Post Marion McKeone delves into RFK Jr's campaign so far. What are his rallies like, and what is he like as a person? Is he in with a chance of becoming US president, or are we simply looking at Trump vs Biden in 2024?

Sinéad O'Carroll is joined by The 42's Gavin Cooney for a wide-ranging discussion on women in football. What does their performance say about how the future of the team? And did they catch the public's imagination enough to keep the fanbase growing from here? And more widely, is enough being done by sports organisations to support women in sport? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We're joined by journalist and author Aoife Barry, who takes us through the hype machine behind Barbie and how this rubbed off on Oppenheimer. Did it translate into box office success? Will this revive the public's interest in going to the pictures? Also, how will the strike by actors and writers in the US impact film and television over the coming months? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Lauren Boland, climate reporter with The Journal, examines what precisely this legislation is all about and why it sparked so much anger. Do environmentalists think the now-watered-down law will have any impact? And how does Ireland fit into the picture? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Presenter Laura Byrne is joined this week by Gavan Reilly, political correspondent with Virgin Media News, to look behind the scenes at Oireachtas committees, from the grandstanding to the selection process, as well as to analyse previous appearances by John Delaney, Angela Kerins, and - of course - Ryan Tubridy. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Ireland has experienced an event unprecedented in recorded history: a category four extreme marine heatwave in our waters. Oceans play a crucial but often underappreciated role in regulating our climate, so how strong a warning signal is this? What could the impact be on marine life? And how does dust from the Sahara desert somehow factor in? We're joined by Lauren Boland, reporter with The Journal and author of our climate newsletter Temperature Check, and Dr Gerard McCarthy, oceanographer working with Maynooth University's ICARUS climate unit. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Eileen Culloty, assistant professor in the School of Communications at DCU, and Rónán Duffy, Assistant News Editor at The Journal, join us on this week's episode to look at the latest scandal to hit RTÉ. The revelations around overpayments of the station's top star, Ryan Tubridy have rippled through the halls of power and onto the country's airwaves, causing untold damage to the reputation of the public service broadcaster. How exactly did the payments come about? Will Tubridy be back on air? And what does it mean for the future of RTÉ? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

James Carton, assistant professor in Sustainable Energy with DCU and an academic advisor to the United Nations on hydrogen, joins us on this week's podcast to discuss this lesser spotted energy source. How do you make it? Where could it be used instead of fossil fuels? Could it be part of a clean energy future, or does it amount to simply greenwashing? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Golf might not appear to be the most exciting sport for non-fans - but it's what's happening off the course that's currently getting the most attention. Gavin Cooney, sports writer with The42, joins us to explain all. The story is one that involves a lot of money, antitrust concerns, and a new - but perhaps murky - future for the world of golf, one in which Saudi Arabian soft power has come to the fore. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Luke Saunders, co-founder and CEO of Studyclix, joins us on this week's episode to give the lie of the land for anyone whose own memory of sitting the Leaving Cert might be fading. We look at the lasting impact of the Covid pandemic on the exams, explain the current points system, dig into recent and future reforms, and also share advice for students and parents alike. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Robbyn Swan, author of Looking for Madeleine and who featured in the Netflix series The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, joins us to examine the recent developments in this long-running missing person case. This month, in what looked to be a significant development, police announced that a reservoir and the surrounding area in Portugal would be searched as part of their new investigations. But what led to this? Are police making progress? Who is the suspect who has been linked to the case? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Another chapter in the story of Ireland's longest-running television programme is coming to a close, as Ryan Tubridy wraps up before handing over the presenter's chair to Patrick Kielty. Mark O'Brien, head of DCU's School of Communications and associate professor in journalism history, and Kirsty Blake Knox, writer with the Irish Independent, delve into The Late Late Show's history, examine its enduring popularity, and ask what its new presenter must do to keep it going strong. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We are now a month into a conflict that has turned Sudan's capital into a war zone. Hundreds have been killed, thousands injured and an estimated 700,000 have been displaced. On this week's episode, we sit down with Dr Sulafa Salama, a Sudanese doctor working in St James's in Dublin, who was trapped in Khartoum when the fighting broke out. We're also joined by Dr Aia Mohamed, assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin, who speaks to us about how her father was visiting Sudan when the fighting broke out. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We've all noticed that we're spending more and more on our weekly shop - but in recent weeks, we've seen price cuts to staples like milk, butter, and bread. But why now? What changed? We're joined by Caitríona Morrissey, news editor with the Irish Farmers Journal. She gives us the background to these recent price drops and explains how cuts to 'loss leaders' might have little impact on your overall shopping basket. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Summer is approaching, which means rising temperatures and an increased chance of wildfires. On this week's episode, Pádraic Fogarty of the Irish Wildlife Trust tells us about the damage caused by wildfires - many set deliberately - in Ireland, while Marcin Pater from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operation (DG ECHO) of the European Commission explains how countries are pooling resources to battle the growing threat posed by these huge blazes. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

This week, in an episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, journalist and Examiner columnist Mick Clifford joins the podcast. He and our reporter Alice Chambers tell Susan Daly about Noteworthy's latest investigation into how the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) handles public complaints. They uncovered a process that is slow and is lacking in transparency and enforcement powers.

You can now get an Irish IBAN for Revolut - so should we start treating it as a traditional bank? Daragh Cassidy of Bonkers.ie joins us to discuss what's next for Revolut - is it on track to dominate Irish banking, or will it remain nothing more than a handy app for splitting a bill? What do the latest changes mean for it customers?

Tensions in Sudan have boiled over into a violent conflict between the country's army and a rival paramilitary group. There is a fear now it could spread to other parts of the region. But how did happen, when just a few short years ago the country began the transition from a military dictatorship to a democracy? Joining us on this week's episode to explain more is Jehanne Henry, a human rights lawyer based in East Africa who was an advisor to Sudan's transitional government in 2020-21. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Frank Greaney, courts correspondent with Newstalk and Today FM, joins us on this week's episode to delve into the trial of Gerry Hutch and the fallout from its verdict. We examine the origins of the feud, explain who exactly The Monk is, look at key moments from the trial, and explore the origins of the Special Criminal Court.

As momentum grows behind a debate on neutrality, we're joined by Diarmaid Ferriter, professor of Modern Irish History at UCD, to look at its opaque history in Ireland. He explains how the seeds of the policy can be traced back far beyond the Free State, right back to Wolfe Tone. We also examine the previous attempts to move away from our 'militarily non-aligned status', how the government could approach the current debate, and also asks if the value of remaining a truly neutral state has been lost in the debate. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Laura Byrne is joined by The Journal columnist and University of Galway law lecturer, Larry Donnelly to delve into Trump's indictment. What are the charges, exactly? Who are the main players? How does the wider Republican party feel about it - and does this elevate or destroy Trump's chances at another term in the White House? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Chris Stokel-Walker, UK-based tech journalist and author of 'TikTok Boom: China's Dynamite App and the Superpower Race for Social Media', joins us on this week's episode to look at the growing privacy concerns over TikTok. What's behind its popularity; what can we tell about its connections to the Chinese government; and is it using your data any differently from other tech giants? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Is this 2008 all over again? As we watch a wave of banking failures, Brooke Masters from the Financial Times joins us on this week's episode to explain exactly what is going on. What caused the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank? How did it cause ripple effects across the world? And although we're hearing a lot about venture capital, how worried should Joe and Jane Doe be about their savings? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

This week, as a bonus episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with reporter Niall Sargent about the latest ASSESSING AUTISM investigation which found chronic delays in supports, with children facing multi-year waiting lists for therapy and other vital services. We also hear from the head of autism studies at University College Cork, Eleanor McSherry about her personal experiences and her anger over a lack of State action for over two decades.

Inflation continues to creep upwards, and so does the price of goods we are buying - but what about the actual value of those items? 'Shrinkflation' is the term applied to when products increase in price, but customer ends up paying more for the same or less. You could also end up paying more for a product of lower quality. This week, we speak to Edgar Morgenroth, professor of economics at DCU Business School, to delve into the subject more.

On this week's episode, we hear from one humanitarian aid worker tasked with coordinating and overseeing relief efforts across Ukraine. Claudia Amaral, head of office with the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operation (DG ECHO) of the European Commission in Kyiv, tells us about her work - what type of assistance do people need the most? What type of stories has she heard from people on the ground? And how long will her work be needed?

Former UK health minister Matt Hancock has been one of the most prominent characters in British politics in recent years - rarely for the right reasons. Now, thousands of his WhatsApp messages to other top politicians have been leaked. Political Correspondent with PA Media, Dominic McGrath, joins us to bring us up to speed on the latest, and gives us an overview of his career to date.

In an episode brought to you by Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats to reporter Anthea Lacchia about her investigation into the environmental impacts of hydropower in Ireland. What impact does Ardnacrusha have on the Shannon? And why are large numbers of fish dying at ESB stations?

The idea of a 15-minute city - where all your daily amenities are just a 15-minute walk away - might seem uncontroversial, but the urban planning concept has been twisted into a conspiracy theory. Stephen McDermott, assistant news editor with The Journal, and architect Camilla Siggaard Andersen join us on this week's episode to explain more - how does a 15-minute city work in practice, is there any truth in the idea of 'permits' being used to control movement, and what are the roots of the conspiracy?

Hyperemesis gravidarum is a debilitating illness that impacts some people during pregnancy, yet the drug used to treat it is still difficult to access. Why? We're joined by our Political Correspondent Christina Finn to look at the issue further - just how effective is Cariban, how expensive is it, and why isn't the scheme the government set up to pay for it working as it should? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Bertie has rejoined Fianna Fáil - but what's his goal here? Journalist and commentator Lise Hand joins to look back over the rise and fall of Ahern, revisiting his role in the Mahon Tribunal, and we ask what happens now - could we see him make a run for president? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We're approaching one year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the war shows no end in sight. DCU professor Donnacha Ó Beacháin, an expert in post-Soviet politics, joins us to examine what the next steps could be. Is a peace deal possible? Or even a Ukrainian victory? How long will Western support continue? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

As Ireland's immigration system comes under increasing strain, CEO of the Irish Refugee Council Nick Henderson joins us on this week's episode to give a clear, concise overview of how it all works. What's the difference between a refugee and International Protection Applicant? Where do people fleeing Ukraine come into it? Also, what type of difficulties exist for people arriving into Ireland? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

This week, as a bonus episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with Niall Sargent and John Walsh, chair of the European Small Islands Federation, about what is needed to help our offshore islands thrive. It follows the ISLAND NATION project, investigative reporter took a deep dive into the key issues facing our islands, causing their numbers to drop and pushing them closer to depopulation.

This week, in an episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with reporter Peter McGuire as well as Dr Anne Dee, chair of the public health committee at the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO)about an in-depth report into public health reform in Ireland. It found that while recruitment of public health staff is progressing, concerns remain, with improved systems and data collection vital.

Our producer Aoife Barry joins us to look at a record day for cinema in Ireland, with Irish films, actors, and production teams receiving more Oscar nominations than ever before. How did this happen, and who might the winners ultimately be? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Debbie Ging, associate professor of Digital Media and Gender in the School of Communication at DCU, joins us on this week's episode to examine influencer Andrew Tate. He is very well known among some users of the internet - and entirely unknown to others. He has been the focus of numerous headlines over the past few months, before the coverage took a sharp turn earlier this month when he was arrested, alongside his brother, in Romania. We explain more about Tate, the 'manosphere' he is part of, and the potential impact of his content. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

In a new in-depth report by Noteworthy, it was revealed that an ambition for tighter scrutiny regarding the investment of pension funds in fossil fuels was quietly rolled back only months after a goal on this was set. In our FUELLING RETIREMENT investigation, reporter Lauren Boland finds that before a working group had met to examine the measure, it was deemed "not prudent". This week Susan Daly chats with Lauren and Ciarán Hughes, financial advisor at Ethico, about these findings as well as the relationship between pensions and fossil fuels.

The ongoing cost of living crisis means many people are looking to make savings and find ways to be more financially secure. Nick Charalambous from Cork-based Alpha Wealth Financial Management joins us on this week's episode to look at what changes from Budget 2023 might make an impact this year, what steps you can take to save the most money this year - and how you can lay the groundwork now for a better 2024. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

This week, the team behind The Explainer look through the back catalogue to bring you some of our favourite explanations from the past year, ranging from what the impact of another recession could be, to why Ireland is so obsessed with Garth Brooks. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at NUI Galway and The Journal columnist, joins us to take a look back at the year that was in US politics. Was it a good year for Biden? What should we make of the fallout from the midterms? And is the Republican party going to pin their colours to Trump? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

This week, in an episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with reporter Alice Chambers and Mindy O'Brien, chief executive of environmental charity VOICE, about soft plastic recycling.

Órla Ryan, creator and presenter of The Journal's new documentary series Redacted Lives, joins us on this week's episode to explore what survivors of mother and baby homes are facing right now. What exactly was the system and how did it work? What were the problems with the Commission of Investigation? And how will the planned redress scheme work? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

This week, as a bonus episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with reporter Niall Sargent and Dr Patrick Brodie, an assistant professor in UCD researching the environmental politics of digital infrastructure, about the carbon footprint of the sector.

Journalist and academic Professor Peter Neumann joins us on this week's episode to look at an alleged coup plot in Germany involving far-right extremists planning to start a civil war. How long have "Reichsbürger" been active? What exactly was the alleged plan? And what does a minor aristocrat have to do with it all? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

This week on The Explainer, we're joined by economist and research affiliate with the ESRI John Fitzgerald to look at how inflation is currently impacting our lives. Is it slowing down, and will we feel that in our own finances? How long before it settles down? And is a recession still inevitable? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

In another episode by Noteworthy, editor Maria Delaney and visual journalist Geela Garcia tell Susan Daly about Noteworthy's latest project which found that human trafficking of migrant fishers continues, seven years after the issue was first exposed in Ireland.

It's a virus we never thought about much pre-Covid, but during the first winter with no restrictions in place, RSV has exploded in Ireland. But what is it, who is most at risk, and how do we protect ourselves against it? Joining us this week is Dr Niamh Lynch, a consultant paediatrician in Cork, to explain more. We also speak to Paul Murphy, whose son Liam was recently critically ill with RSV. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

David Kenny, associate professor at Trinity College Dublin Law School, is back with us to take us through the EU-Canada Trade Agreement, or Ceta. What is it, what are the main sticking points, and why did the Supreme Court rule that it couldn't be ratified without a referendum in Ireland (as it stands, at least)? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

This week we have The42's soccer writer Gavin Cooney in studio to answer some of the many questions surrounding this year's World Cup. Why Qatar? Who are the teams to watch? Is it really going to be a carbon-neutral event? We also examine the human rights abuses during the preparation for the tournament, and what Qatari authorities have said about LGBTQI+ rights. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

In another episode by Noteworthy, reporters Cormac Fitzgerald and Stephen McDermott tell Susan Daly about Noteworthy's latest project which examined lobbying by former government officials. They found almost 400 lobbying returns in which former government officials incorrectly appeared as ‘ordinary’ lobbyists on the register.

Elaine Burke, editor of Silicon Republic, joins us on this week's episode to look at what's happening in the tech industry. What's behind the latest wave of layoffs, what does it mean for Ireland - and what exactly is going on over at Twitter? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Our reporter Lauren Boland joins us this week to look at what lies ahead for the climate conference. The UN summit is taking place next week in Egypt and will be attended by a number of world leaders (yes, including Rishi Sunak), but what will it achieve? What new agreements could be struck? And what's Ireland's place in all of this? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

In another episode by Noteworthy, reporter Michelle Hennessy tells Susan Daly about Noteworthy's latest project which examined the impact of the justice system on Travellers.

We're joined on this week's episode of The Explainer by Dr Paola Rivetti, an associate professor in politics and international relations at DCU whose research interests focus on the government of societies and polities in the Middle East and on social and political mobilisations, to examine what exactly has happened since Mahsa Amini's death on 16 September. What exactly is driving so many people out in protest, who are the morality police, and is there anything different about these demonstrations compared to what we've seen before in Iran? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

For the first time ever, Ireland's women's football team are off to the World Cup. The42's Emma Duffy joins us to explain everything you need to know about the upcoming games, and the background to the team's success. How much has changed since they threatened to go on strike in 2017, and what are their chances of more success in Australia and New Zealand next summer? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Senator and retired army officer Tom Clonan joins us to look at what comes next in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The conflict is now in its seventh month, and recent weeks have seen Ukraine make substantial gains against the invading force - so what does Russia do now? How significant is Ukraine's attack on the Kerch bridge, and could Putin resort to using nuclear weapons? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Sam Cowie, a journalist based in Brazil, joins us to examine Brazil's potentially seismic presidential election. The far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro is neck-and-neck with one of the country's former presidents, often referred to as simply Lula. What are their backgrounds, what issues is this election being fought on - and will Bolsonaro even accept the result? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Barra Roantree, economist with the ESRI, joins us on this week's episode to put Ireland's tax system under the microscope. What exactly is a progressive tax regime - and does Ireland have one? Are we too exposed to corporation tax? And what are the biggest takeaways from Budget 2023? This episode is proudly sponsored by Taxback.com The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Our reporter Garreth MacNamee joins us to examine the future of the Kinahan Organised Crime Gang in the wake of significant moves by international police forces to crack down on the gang this year, and recent high-profile arrests. Is it still able to operate as a criminal enterprise, are other gangs filling the void left in Ireland, and what will become of Daniel Kinahan's aspirations to be a boxing promoter? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Our investigations team at Noteworthy examine the use of pesticides by public authorities. They've found that almost all councils still apply chemical weedkillers, particularly glyphosate (known as Roundup). Here, Susan Daly speaks to reporter Anthea Lacchia and campaigner James Walsh about these chemicals and their potential to cause harm to the public. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Joining us this week is Enda Brady, London-based journalist and media consultant, to examine what lies ahead for Britain's new head of state. What changes might King Charles III make to the monarchy, what do the British public make of him - and will he be able to smooth over the numerous controversies facing the royal family? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

RTÉ arts and culture journalist Alan Corr and The Journal's resident Garth Brooks fan Christina Finn join us to look at the return of the country music superstar. Brooks is back in Ireland for five sold-out gigs - but what's the secret to his enduring popularity in Ireland? What happened to the 2014 concerts, and will this year's run be his last in Ireland? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

In another episode by Noteworthy, Niall Sargent and Austrian vet Dr Alexander Rabitsch tell Susan Daly about animal welfare concerns in the growing live export trade to Europe. In TRADE OFF, Sargent also examined the growth of the export trade in line with dairy export and spoke to industry insiders about what solutions, if any, can be offered to limit welfare concerns raised.

Marion McKeone, US Correspondent for the Business Post, joins us to look at how abortion laws in the United States have evolved since Roe v Wade was overturned. What changes have been made, how is it impacting people, and is there anything the Biden administration can do? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

In another episode by our investigations team, Noteworthy’s Maria Delaney tells Susan Daly that though most religious congregations have paid redress offered for institutional child abuse, there is still a shortfall of around €105m, with over 90% of this from the Sisters of Mercy who are in the middle of transferring two further properties. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Dr Kathleen O'Reilly, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, joins us to talk about polio. The virus, long eradicated in many parts of the world, has been detected in the wastewater of several cities, suggesting it is now circulating. How did this happen, what are the risks, and what action needs to be taken? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

ESRI energy economist Muireann Lynch joins us on this week's episode to look at how the energy crisis could impact Ireland. As supply dwindles and what's left becomes more expensive, will we be able to keep the lights on over the coming months? Under what conditions could a blackout happen - and how is the electricity supply managed in the first place? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Cillian De Gascun, head of then National Virus Reference Laboratory, joins to discuss what we know so far about monkeypox. The virus has gained a foothold in many Western countries, and the World Health Organisation has now declared it a public health emergency. How is it spreading, who is most at risk, and why is the vaccine used to protect against it in such short supply? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We're joined by Orlaith Condon, host of the My Pod On Paper podcast, to examine the popularity of reality dating programme Love Island. What's the secret to its success, how has the series developed over time, and how have its creators sought to address the controversies it creates? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Stephen Kinsella, University of Limerick economics professor and chief economics writer with The Currency, joins us to look at the factors leading some to predict that Ireland is heading towards another recession. What caused the last one, what are the main risks this time, what action could the government take - oh, and what is a recession? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We speak to Peter Thorne, a climate change professor at Maynooth University and a coordinating lead author with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, to examine what was different about Ireland's recent hot spell, and what it signals for the years ahead. What type of temperatures could we experience, how frequent will they become, and is Irish infrastructure prepared for it? Also, how quickly could we turn the tide if effective action was taken on global emissions? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Brian Caulfield, associate professor with the School of Engineering at TCD, joins us this week to examine MetroLink, formerly known as Metro North. After years of delays the project appears to be back on track - but will it actually come to fruition this time? How much will it cost and how important it is in terms of the city's development? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

In another episode by Noteworthy, Susan Daly speaks to reporters Ella McSweeney and Niall Sargent about their recent investigation, FACTORY FARM which looks at the waste and governance issues around the growth of the poultry industry.

Daragh Cassidy, head of communications with price comparison website Bonkers.ie, delves into why exactly your electricity and gas bills keep going up and up and up. How much of a factor is the war in Ukraine, what action can the government take, and why aren't renewables taking the edge off the situation more? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Dr David Kenny, associate professor at the Trinity College School of Law, joins us to examine last week's monumental decision by the US Supreme Court. With almost 50 years of abortion law overturned, what does it mean for people seeking a termination in the US? What other key rulings could now be reviewed, and how do Irish laws on abortion compare? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Recently elected senator and former Irish Army captain Tom Clonan joins us on this week's episode to examine the future of EU defence. What structures are in place currently, how does Ireland play a role in them, and in what way could the EU's approach to security evolve in future? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

The number of people homeless in Ireland has passed 10,000 for the first time since before the start of the pandemic - Mike Allen, advocacy director with Focus Ireland, joins us on this week's episode to explain why. What measures were used to reduce the number during the height of Covid, did he expect it to rebound so quickly, and what are the key measures which could be considered now? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

In the wake of the horrific shootings at a school in Uvalde, Texas, discussion has turned yet again to gun laws in the USA. The Journal columnist and author Larry Donnelly joins Michelle Hennessy this week to discuss attitudes to gun laws in the country of his birth, and whether they look set to change. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

As summer travel picks up again, Dublin Airport is buckling under the pressure. Editor of Air & Travel magazine Eoghan Corry joins to talk through the scenes witnessed at the airport last weekend and what is being done to tackle it. He also offers advice for passengers who may have missed their flights, or who are jetting off in the coming weeks. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

It could completely overhaul Ireland’s troubled healthcare system, but what exactly is it? Liam Doran, former general secretary of the INMO, joins us on this week’s episode to give us an insight into Sláintecare. The plan received cross-party support at first, but since then it has been beset by stumbling blocks and resignations. What does it aim to do, and how could it achieve those goals? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We're joined by The Journal's News Editor Daragh Brophy, who was at the Eurovision final in Turin, and Johnny Fallon, strategy director at Carr Communications and Eurovision voting expert, to examine why Ireland has been struggling to win the song contest. What went wrong this year, what were our previous successes down to, and does the fact that we once sent a turkey puppet cast a cloud over our chances of ever winning again? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We’re joined by Press Association reporter Dominic McGrath to dissect the results of Northern Ireland’s election. What will it mean to both unionists and nationalists to have a Sinn Féin first minister - or will the seat even be taken? Who are the Alliance party and what was key to their success? And is this really as seismic an election as it might first appear? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

The Journal's Deputy Editor Christine Bohan and Ciarán O'Connor, analyst with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, join us on this week's episode to examine factchecking - what is it, how does it work, and what impact is it having on tackling misinformation? Are people getting better at spotting false news, or is the situation getting worse? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Our reporter Céimin Burke tells us about his experience reporting from the Polish-Ukrainian border. We examine why some Ukrainians are heading back to their homes now that Russia forces are concentrating their attacks on the east and south, the Tesco reception centre filled with beds, and the stories of those still fleeing Ukraine. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast Ray Flynn joins us to discuss the incredible importance of Ireland’s bogs. With the government proposing to ban the sale and distribution of turf, we examine the damage already done to the island’s wetlands and how some of it can be undone. Ray tells us the value of bogs in mitigating against climate change, and highlights that the scale of peat extraction in Ireland essentially amounts to the largest open-cast mine in Western Europe. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

As evidence of war crimes by Russian forces in Ukraine mount, we're joined by NUIG's Prof Ray Murphy to discuss what could happen next. When is a crime a war crime, how are they prosecuted, and what leaders have previously been responsible for such actions? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We’re joined by our reporter Rónán Duffy and president of Conradh na Gaeilge, Paula Melvin, to put the Irish language under the microscope. What more can be done to support it, are we seeing a bit of a revival, and just how much untapped potential is there? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

It's almost time to fill in your census form - but what's the point in it? Joining us this week is senior statistician with the CSO Cormac Halpin to examine how the questions are set, what changes you might spot on this year's edition, and what exactly the data is used for once collected. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Trevor Donnellan, head of economics and surveys at Teagasc, joins us to examine how secure Ireland’s food supply is. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked concern over global supplies of grain and disrupted the production of fertiliser, vital for growing crops elsewhere. Where do we get most of our food from, how much do we produce ourselves, and how might we be impacted by this latest crisis? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Cyberpsychology researcher Dr Nicola Fox Hamilton joins to examine whether being online as much as we are in modern life impacts on our brain and our behaviours. What does the evidence say, can it impact children’s development - or is there a bit of ‘moral panic’ around the topic? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

The military alliance has been at the centre of world politics - should it intervene in Ukraine, or stay out to avoid a direct clash with Russia? UCC’s Professor Andrew Cottey joins us on this week’s episode to look at what exactly NATO is, how it works, what Ireland’s involvement in it is, and why Putin cites its expansion east as a potential threat. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to cause devastation, we speak to independent journalist Olga Tokariuk about what life is like for people who have remained in the country - the dwindling access to food, incessant air strikes, the possibility that they might have to take up arms, and the psychological impact on children. We’re also joined by UNHCR spokesperson Gabriela Leu who tells us what conditions are like for people fleeing the country across western borders. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

In another episode by Noteworthy, Susan Daly speaks to reporter Maria Delaney about the recent SILENT TREATMENT investigation by Noteworthy which found that the health system is failing people with eating disorders. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at http://www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

As the situation on the ground in Ukraine continues to deteriorate rapidly following last night’s invasion by Russia, we’re joined by DCU professor Donnacha Ó Beacháin, an expert in post-Soviet politics, to try to make sense of what’s going on. What is the background to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, under what pretext was the country invaded, and what is the end-goal here for Putin? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

This week, as a bonus episode of The Explainer brought to you by our investigative platform Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with science and nature reporter Anthea Lacchia about her deep dive into the damage being done to riparian habitats as a result of overmaintenance of rivers and their banks. Joining them is Elaine McGoff, Natural Environment Officer with An Taisce. Find out more about Noteworthy's work at https://www.noteworthy.ie/proposals The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to make sure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at https://www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Alan Regan, a radio producer based in Canada, and Ciarán O'Connor, an analyst from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, join us to examine how a protest by truckers brought Ottawa is a standstill and sparked copycat demonstrations elsewhere. We examine who the groups involved are, what the response from authorities was, and how the truckers involved represented only a small minority of their industry and the wider public. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

This week, as a bonus episode of The Explainer brought to you by our investigative platform Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with reporter Peter McGuire about his recent childcare crossroads investigation which examined the state of Ireland’s childcare system and the funding model it operates. Joining them is Professor Mathias Urban of the School of Language, Literacy & Early Childhood Education at Dublin City University. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to make sure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at https://www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Our business reporter Ian Curran and Tricia Keilthy, St Vincent de Paul’s social policy development officer, join us on this week’s episode to examine what’s driving the rise in the cost of living. What exactly is inflation, is what we're seeing now just a byproduct of the pandemic, and what is the government doing to tackle it? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

We speak to Orla O'Connor, director of the National Women's Council of Ireland, about what more can be done to make Ireland a safer place for women - should we look to education in schools, how the courts operate, or does it require an even more systematic change? We examine how difficult it is to compare Ireland to other countries in terms of the actual level of safety, how online abuse has increased recently, the need for more domestic abuse refuges, and how, ultimately, there is no quick fix. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Behavioural scientist Pete Lunn and immunologist Christine Loscher join us on this week's episode to examine Ireland's unexpected and sudden reopening. Most Covid restrictions have been lifted, so could we see a continued wave of infection? How do people feel about their re-found freedoms and will they easily adapt?

We're joined by four healthcare workers to examine what working during the latest wave of Covid has been like so far - Dr Amy Morgan is a GP based in Drogheda, Brendan Flynn is a paramedic supervisor, Dr Fergal Hickey is an emergency medicine consultant, and Dr Catherine Motherway is head of an intensive care unit. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

An expert on post-Soviet states, DCU politics professor Donnacha Ó Beacháin joins us to examine recent protests in Kazakhstan. The rare unrest left dozens dead and many more injured and also brought new focus to the level of inequality in the oil-rich nation. What is it like as a country, what's the political environment, and what could this mean for Russia? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Mia Malan, editor-in-chief of Bhekisisa - an award-winning health journalism centre in South Africa - speaks to us about what Ireland can learn from South Africa's experience of dealing with an Omicron-fuelled surge in cases. How did the country's hospitals fare, why is South Africa so good at identifying variants - and do we finally have enough evidence to say for sure that Omicron is 'milder'? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

In another episode by Noteworthy, Susan Daly speaks to reporter Maria Delaney about the findings of the team's latest investigation into fertility treatment in Ireland. This forms part of the recent FUNDING FERTILITY investigation by Noteworthy which revealed that the private fertility sector is making millions as patients are left in debt. It also found that numerous decisions have not been finalised by Government on long-promised public IVF services. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

The Explainer team of Gráinne, Michelle, Sinéad, Nicky, and Aoife sit down to pick their favourite clips from the year, with topics ranging from Cuba to data centres and everything in between. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

RTÉ's outgoing Washington Correspondent Brian O'Donovan joins us to look back on Joe Biden's first year in power as US President - what were the big challenges, and what does 2022 have in store? O'Donovan also shares his memories of the attack on the Capitol, what living and working in the United States has been like, and gives us a glimpse of what's next for him. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Shona Murray, Europe Correspondent with EuroNews, joins us on this week's episode to examine the current state of Euroscepticism. Did Brexit give hope to people in other Member States who want their country to leave the EU, or did it make them try another tact? Plus, what are the varying shades of Euroscepticism? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

The Lotto has rolled over yet again - but is it that unexpected? Stephen McDermott, assistant news editor with The Journal, and Michael Cronin, head of statistics at UCC's School of Mathematics, join us to examine the latest controversy surrounding the Lotto jackpot, the regulations underpinning it, as well as just how likely it is that the big prize would go unclaimed for this long. We also discuss whether the hype around it could pose problems to those with addiction issues. If you need help with gambling addiction, contact Problem Gambling Ireland on 089 241 5401. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Virologist Dr Kim Roberts and Dimitri Eynikel from Doctors Without Borders join us to examine the new Omicron variant and vaccine inequality. While richer countries are busy administering booster jabs, others are struggling to get even an adequate amount of jabs for their frontline healthcare workers. We look at the scale of the problem, what the solutions are, and discuss how vaccinating more of the world's population is a way of reducing the risk of new variants. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Christine Loscher, professor of immunology at DCU, joins us on this week's episode to examine the need for booster shots. How much does the efficacy of initial jabs wane, how much does the booster top them up, and what type of lasting immunity could we have against Covid as a result? Also, will they turn the tide of the recent rise in case numbers? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

As the tensions grow on the border between Belarus and Poland, we’re joined by DCU politics professor Donnacha Ó Beacháin, an expert on post-Soviet states, to examine the origins of the current crisis. He gives us a primer on Belarus itself, before discussing the situation faced by migrants on the border right now, and what the end goal could be for Alexander Lukashenko, considered Europe’s ‘last dictator’. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

There has been a lot of attention on Irish cows recently. In this episode, head of economics at Teagasc Trevor Donnellan and our reporter Orla Dwyer, live from the Cop26 climate summit, join us to explain why. How many cows are there in Ireland, why are they dominating headlines, how much do they contribute to Irish emissions, and what can be done to make cattle farming more sustainable? We also take a look at elements of the most recent cycle of The Good Information Project. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ (edited)

In another episode by Noteworthy, Susan Daly speaks to reporter Maria Delaney and Anne Marie Quilligan – a social care worker for the Tipperary Rural Traveller Project - about the findings of the team's latest investigation into supports for Traveller children. This forms part of the recent TOUGH START investigation by Noteworthy and The Journal which revealed poor outcomes and lack of supports for Traveller children across the multiple State systems and policy areas. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at https://www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Our Political Correspondent Christina Finn and Aidan Regan, associate professor at UCD, join us on this week's episode to examine what comes next for Sinn Féin. The party has performed well in recent opinion polls, but what challenges remain between now and the next general election - due to be held in 2025 - for it to lead the next government? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Authors Sophie White and Alice Taylor join us to explain how they entered the world of publishing, share tips for would-be book writers, and answer the all-important question - can you make a living from it? Both Sophie and Alice are nominated for Best Irish Published Book of the Year, The Journal's sponsored category at the 2021 Irish Book Awards. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Nicky Ryan, author of The Journal's coronavirus newsletter, and Dr Gerald Barry, assistant professor of virology at UCD, join us on this week's episode to examine the latest concerning rise in the number of Covid cases. How much pressure are hospitals under, what could the next few months look like, and why is having 94% of adults fully vaccinated not enough to stop the spread of the virus? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

The 42's Gavin Cooney joins us on this week's episode to examine Stephen Kenny's role as manager of the Republic of Ireland men's soccer team - why is he proving so controversial, just how poorly has the team performed recently, and how has he retained so much support from fans? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at https://www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

In another episode by Noteworthy, Susan Daly speaks to journalist Ella McSweeney and reporter Niall Sargent about how the EU's agri-subsidies (Common Agricultural Policy, CAP) are encouraging farmers to cut back on nature. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at https://www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Our reporter Gráinne Ní Aodha and immigration journalist CJ McKinney join us this week to look at how post-Brexit Britain is handling migration. They share insights from the latest instalment of The Good Information Project, which looked at everything from what the situation is for EU citizens living in the UK, to the issues behind the shortage of HGV drivers.

Washington Post reporter Brittany Shammas and our producer Aoife Barry join us to discuss how recent high-profile murders raise questions about the media's handling of missing person cases.

Most people will have heard some talk recently about household energy bills rising and the shortage of natural gas. This week, Sinéad O’Carroll speaks to The Journal's business reporter Ian Curran and Muireann Á Lynch of the ESRI about the perfect storm of events both in Ireland and internationally that have brought us to a winter of energy shortages.

Yes, we're talking about Christmas in September. Our reporter Ian Curran joins us to discuss the strains facing global supply chains and how it could result in some items being hard to find during the busy winter retail season. And it's not just Covid to blame - semiconductors, pallets, and our old friend the Ever Given are in the mix too.

Space expert Leo Enright joins us on this week's episode to look up at the heavens, and examine what role Ireland plays in getting more stuff up there. We discuss how space technology can benefit us on Earth, the ins and outs of how Ireland's first satellite will work, and how we have Dublin's Royal Canal to thank for a fundamental element of space travel.

In a bonus episode, brought to you by our investigative team at Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with reporter Niall Sargent about the state of Ireland’s biodiversity and what needs to be done to better protect it.

Peter Bodkin, formerly of this parish but now editor of AAP Factcheck in Sydney, joins us to look at how Australia is handling its latest Covid outbreak. What is life like right now, how is the vaccine rollout going, and what does Delta mean for Covid Zero strategies? We also take a look at what level of misinformation there is down under.

As Afghanistan descends further into an uncertain future, we're joined by Heather Barr, associate director of the women's rights division at Human Rights Watch, to look at what lies ahead for women in the country. Barr, who lived in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2013, shares her insights on what life was like before the US-led invasion, to what extent the situation improved for women since then, and just what is facing them now.

Journalist John Gibbons and our reporter Lauren Boland join us on this week's episode to look at the recent stark report on climate change from the IPCC and what it means for Ireland. Are Ireland's targets enough for the country to play its part in reducing global emissions, is it even worthwhile if other larger nations fail to do their bit, and what's the best way to help at an individual level?

Our reporter Lauren Boland joins us to examine how Ireland went from having an expansive rail network, with thousands of kilometres of track, to some counties having little or no access to rail services at all. Was it all just cutbacks or were consumer habits at play as well? Also, what's the future for Ireland's railways?

Radio Free Europe's Moscow correspondent Matthew Luxmoore joins us on this week's episode to examine Belarus and the hold of 'Europe's last dictator' on the country. We look at who Alexander Lukashenko is as well as the background to recent high-profile incidents like the grounding of a Ryanair flight in Minsk and the mysterious death of an opposition activist in Ukraine.

Author and former editor of The Observer Magazine Ruaridh Nicoll joins us from Havana to examine what sparked recent widespread protests in Cuba. He shares what life is like on the island right now, how we likely haven't seen the end of the protests, as well as what exactly the people of Cuba want.

David Blevins, senior Ireland correspondent with Sky News, joins us on this week's episode to examine proposals to ban prosecutions for killings that took place during the Troubles - what's the exact aim, what do the families of victims want instead, and how has it caused some rare unity among parties in Northern Ireland?

Travel writer Eoghan Corry and our producer Nicky Ryan look ahead to holidays in 2021 - how will the Digital Covid Certificate work, will I have to quarantine, and what is it actually like to holiday in other EU countries right now?

Our senior reporter Michelle Hennessy joins us to delve into the mica scandal. What exactly is it, how has it impacted the homes - and lives - of those affected, and what are the issues with the support available?

Our reporter Gráinne Ní Aodha sets us straight on everything to do with the new National Maternity Hospital - why is the hospital moving, who will be in control of it, and what are the top clinicians saying?

TCD virus expert Dr Kim Roberts and our senior reporter Michelle Hennessy join us to explain just how much more contagious the Delta variant of the coronavirus is, what the latest data on vaccine efficacy tells us, and why it appears to be a matter of time before it becomes the dominant variant of the virus in Ireland.

BBC Radio Foyle's Dominic McGrath and our own Gráinne Ní Aodha join us to discuss the latest Brexit spat and why it's being dubbed a sausage trade war. How could it be resolved, what is the fallout going to be, and why does it come at such a bad time for Northern Irish politics?

Renowned archivist Catriona Crowe and our reporter Órla Ryan join us to discuss the latest controversy over the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes - what problems are becoming apparent with the report, what did one of its authors say to anger survivors in their first public comments, and what can the government do next?

For the latest instalment of The Good Information Project we are joined by Clifford Coonan to talk about claims of human rights abuses in the Xinjiang autonomous region of China.

Nick Charalambous, managing director of Alpha Wealth, and our business reporter Ian Curran join us on this week's episode to talk cryptocurrencies. Why are they grabbing headlines, what's driving their prices up and down, and is it actually a good way to invest your money?

Brian Honan, cybersecurity expert and CEO of BH Consulting, and our senior reporter Michelle Hennessy join us to discuss the impact of the cyberattack on the HSE. What is ransomware, how do you go about fixing the damage done, and how is it impacting patients on the ground?

Our reporter Cónal Thomas examines what a Covid antigen test is, and why the sale of them in Lidl has sparked such debate. He explains how their results should be (cautiously) interpreted, as well as how they are already being used by the HSE in certain situations.

Our reporters Sean Murray, Adam Daly, and Brian Whelan join us to discuss the latest instalment of The Good Information Project, examining how the pandemic could have a lasting impact on the way we work. How soon might be people be back in the office, and what is the 'right to disconnect' for those who remain working from home?

Last week, Arlene Foster abstained in on a vote on banning gay conversion therapy. That decision snowballed this week into Foster being effectively ousted as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party following a letter of no confidence from a majority of the party's elected representatives. We're joined by BBC Radio Foyle's Dominic McGrath, who explains what led to this decision, who could take over as leader of the party, and what it all means for Northern Ireland's fragile political landscape.

It was impossible to escape the news of plans for a European Super League this week - plans which soon fell apart. The42's Gavin Cooney is on hand to explain the ins and outs of the brief saga, how much money is on the line, and what it means for the future of soccer.

Our deputy editor Christine Bohan and Ciarán O'Connor of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue join us on this week's episode to look at how the spread of misinformation has evolved in Ireland over the past year. Who is it targeting, who benefits, and how did QAnon crop up on this side of the Atlantic?

Ronan Lyons, associate professor of economics at Trinity College Dublin, joins us on this week's podcast to examine what impact the pandemic is having on housing prices. Are prices being pushed up, or were they drifting up anyway? And what's the best advice for someone considering buying a home right now?

Our reporters Rónán Duffy and Gráinne Ní Aodha examine the possibility of - and the appetite for - a united Ireland in the next decade. How would a border poll work, and what's this Shared Ireland Unit the government set up? This episode is part of The Good Information Project - we're also joined by Brian Whelan to explain more about this new initiative from The Journal.

Our reporters Gráinne Ní Aodha and Michelle Hennessy join us to examine why vaccines are causing tensions to almost boil over between the European Union and the United Kingdom. The former is now weighing up plans to halt exports of jabs to countries with higher rates of vaccinations than its own member states. We look at the origins of all this (it's not Brexit again, is it?), what it has to do with the 1970s oil crisis, and why a single pharmaceutical plant in the Netherlands is in the spotlight.

Co-director of Wolfwalkers, Tomm Moore, joins us on this week's episode to discuss the film's nomination for an Academy Award. What type of groundwork goes into it, what does it mean to even get close to winning an Oscar, and what is it like for Cartoon Saloon to grow from a small Kilkenny-based studio to a name respected worldwide in animation?

Our business reporter Ian Curran joins us to look at recent stories about banks and brokers, from Ulster Bank pulling out of Ireland and Bank of Ireland closing branches, to Davy being fined over a 2014 transaction. Should we be concerned that we're hearing so much about them?

Nick Henderson, CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, our reporter Cónal Thomas, as well as Ola Mustapha, who lives in Direct Provision, join us on this week's episode to explore the new plan to bring the current regime of Direct Provision to an end by 2024. What are conditions like current, and how feasible is the new plan?

Is there anything to be said for another Covid plan? Our Political Correspondent Christina Finn and Senior Reporter Michelle Hennessy join us to examine the latest changes to the Living With Covid framework. What are the government's aims for the next few weeks, and when might lockdown be lifted?

Our reporters Órla Ryan and Michelle Hennessy bring us to speed with the latest on Ireland's Covid vaccine rollout. What happens once the over 70s are vaccinated, what's the latest estimate on when the entire rollout might be complete, and how do we compare to other countries?

TheJournal.ie's Brexit reporter Gráinne Ní Aodha and BBC Radio Foyle's Dominic McGrath (formerly of this parish) join us on this week's episode to examine Article 16, and why it has lead to problems in Dublin, Belfast, London, and Brussels. What exactly is its function in the Northern Ireland Protocol, and why was the triggering of it so unexpected?

Our reporters Ian Curran and Michelle Hennessy lay the entire AstraZeneca vaccine saga out on the table and go through it piece by piece - from the initial questions over its clinical trials, its success in the UK, to the delivery woes and Brexit complications now impeding the vaccine's rollout in the EU. Read more of Ian and Michelle's reporting on the vaccine roll-out here https://jrnl.ie/5339732

Larry Donnelly, NUIG lecturer and TheJournal.ie's columnist, joins us on this week's episode to look at Trump's second impeachment. What happens next, how likely is it that he will be convicted in the Senate, and what does it all mean for his future?

Dr Ciara Breathnach, associate professor at the University of Limerick, and our reporters Cónal Thomas and Órla Ryan, examine the findings of the mother and baby home report, and how it could provide more questions than answers.

Ireland's third wave of Covid-19 is putting the health service under unprecedented strain. We speak to those on the frontlines about what they're experiencing.

Our reporters Michelle Hennessy and Cónal Thomas bring up to date on the latest restrictions; the discussion over what led to the rocketing Covid-19 case numbers; how vaccination is going; and how the healthcare system is coping.

As this tumultuous year draws to a close, The Explainer team sits down to pick their favourite clips from the year.

Sinéad O'Carroll chats to RTÉ Washington Correspondent Brian O'Donovan about reporting on the ground in Trump's America and how his achievements compare to his 2016 promises. We also look ahead to 2021 and the uphill battle Joe Biden faces one he enters the White House.

Our senior reporter Michelle Hennessy shares all the detail you need on the plan to roll-out Covid-19 vaccines in Ireland, including who gets the first doses, who will be administering the vaccine, where you'll get it, and a rough idea of when it all might happen.

Ireland could start its rollout of a Covid vaccine as soon as next month, but how exactly do they work? We're joined on this week's episode by head of the National Virus Reference Laboratory and NPHET member Dr Cillian De Gascun. We examine the main differences between the leading vaccine candidates, why mRNA could be a significant gamechanger in medicine, and more.

RTÉ legal affairs correspondent Órla O'Donnell and Fianna Fáil's Jim O'Callaghan join us on this week's episode to discuss a surprise ruling which means that Irish media can no longer report the names of children who have been murdered. We examine Section 252, and the impact it has both on reporting cases like this and on survivors of abuse who want to tell their story.

We speak to doctoral researcher Hilary Hogan to examine the 27th Amendment. Unanimously passed in 2004, it meant that children born to non-Irish citizens would no longer be entitled to birthright citizenship. New legislation proposed by Labour seeks to provide a path to citizenship for these children.

NPHET's modelling expert Professor Philip Nolan joins us on this week's episode to discuss the recent trends in the Covid-19 cases at this halfway point in Ireland's second lockdown, as well as answering some of your questions.

Dr Kevin Cunningham, lecturer in politics and in the School of Media at TU Dublin, as well as an independent pollster, joins us on this week's website episode to examine whether the polls accurately predicted the results of the US election - or whether that's even possible within the electoral college system.

Sinéad O'Carroll is joined this by our reporter Órla Ryan, co-director of the Clann Project and NUI Galway lecturer in human rights Dr Maeve O’Rourke, as well as solicitor and director of Data Compliance Europe Simon McGarr. The government has received a copy of the findings from the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, but it has already attracted significant controversy before it has even come near to being published, as fears were sparked among survivor and campaign groups that the records would be sealed for 30 years. We look at what exactly a mother and baby home was, what the Commission of Inquiry was investigating, how this spiraled into a controversy as well as what exactly the GDPR says about access to records like these.

We recorded this week's episode live on Zoom. Presenter Sinéad O’Carroll was joined by our columnist Larry Donnelly of NUIG, associate professor at Trinity College Dublin Dr Daniel Geary who has a special interest in political ideologies and the intellectual and cultural history of America, and Seana Davis of Euronews, who examines how misinformation and American politics have intertwined over the past four years. We focused on what Trump's legacy could be - either from his first term or his entire presidency, depending on how Tuesday falls.

Our reporters Michelle Hennessy, Cónal Thomas, and Nicky Ryan join us on this week's episode to examine what led to Ireland moving to the highest level of Covid restrictions. We discuss the available capacity in our healthcare service, whether our contact tracing system is up to scratch, and what WHO's position is on lockdowns.

Our reporter Stevie McDermott talks us through the new assisted dying legislation and explains what happens next. He speaks to presenter Sinéad O'Carroll about why this was a somewhat unexpected Bill, how it got to the stage it did, and the importance of the free vote. He also gives an insight into what how other countries treat assisted dying, and how their legislation differs from what's proposed in Ireland.

TheJournal.ie contributor Dominic McGrath joins us from Tyrone to discuss the escalating situation in Northern Ireland. What has led to the sudden surge in new cases, and what have authorities done to rein it in? What were the early days of the pandemic like there compared to the Republic, and is there much co-operation between governments north and south?

Author of 'How To Be Good With Money' Eoin McGee and travel expert Eoghan Corry chat through the new Stay and Spend scheme. How will it work in practice, how do you claim that money back in tax credits, and how much do you need to spend in the first place?

For this week’s episode, we sat down with filmmaker Seán Murray to talk about the Glenanne Gang, fighting for justice and the reaction to Unquiet Graves.

Reporters Michelle Hennessy and Cónal Thomas look at the various levels and what is allowed under the new Living With Covid plan; NPHET's relationship with the government and how this has evolved; and what the restrictions mean for the arts, sport, and weddings.

Shona Murray, reporter from EuroNews, joins us this week to talk us through exactly why Brexit is back in the news this week. After a story broke in the Financial Times about new Brexit legislation, British PM Boris Johnson found himself in hot water. Senior EU figures are not happy, and neither are Irish political figures. Here's what's going on.

Sinéad O'Carroll is joined this week by TheJournal.ie reporter Gráinne Ní Aodha who has drilled down into the detail of how students will be awarded calculated grades for this year's Leaving Cert exams. We also look at what students can do if they're unhappy with their points, and how Ireland aims to avoid the angry scenes witnessed in the United Kingdom by pupils whose results were downgraded by an algorithm.

Behavioural scientist with the ESRI, Pete Lunn, chats to us in the wake of Golfgate about whether the behaviour of politicians can trickle down to others. He also tells us what the ESRI's studies show about adhering to regulations, and how we can make life easier for ourselves this coming winter.

Professor Philip Nolan, chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, talks us through the reasoning behind the new restrictions in Ireland aimed at preventing community transmission of Covid-19, and what the government means when it says we are a 'critical time' for the country. We're also joined by author of The Journal's coronavirus newsletter Nicky Ryan to talk us through the ins and outs of the restrictions.

On this week's episode of The Explainer, journalist with the Irish Farmer's Journal, Hannah Quinn Mulligan, talks us through what the Covid-19 outbreaks tell us about the meat industry in Ireland. She talks Sinéad O'Carroll through how the clusters emerged in Kildare, Laois, and Offaly; how important the meat processing industry is to Ireland; the conditions inside the plants; and the issues that staff might face. We also examine international clusters, and what this situation could mean for the future of the meat industry in Ireland.

Political correspondent Christina Finn and reporter Sean Murray join us to talk through the decision to delay Phase 4, and in turn delay the reopening of pubs that don't serve food. Why was the decision made, and what does it mean for pubs?

It has been a fraught subject for months - when will Ireland's schools be reopening? And when they reopen, what measures will have to be put in place to keep the risk of Covid-19 low? Yesterday, we got our answer, when the new Minister for Education Normal Foley unveiled the plan for schools. Under the €350m plan, we'll see 'bubbles' and 'pods' introduced, along with a number of other measures designed to allow children return to the classroom. In this week's podcast, we look at what the plan lays out. We also take a look at how Ireland's plan compares to other countries, like Denmark and Germany. Are we doing anything radically different? And what does the latest research tell us about children and Covid-19 risk? The Explainer's assistant producer and author of TheJournal.ie's coronavirus newsletter Nicky Ryan joins presenter Sinéad O'Carroll to explain more.

Dr Teresa Lambe from the Jenner Institute at Oxford University, one of the researchers behind the British Covid-19 vaccine trials, joins us on this week's episode. She talks to presenter Sinéad O'Carroll about how the UK trial in particular is going, and gives us an insight into this week's good news that this vaccine was found to be safe and induce an immune reaction in the early stages of the trial. Features a clip from Lancet Voice.

We're joined by TheJournal.ie's senior reporter Michelle Hennessy to examine this further - she breaks down just how tourists can arrive in Ireland, and what their legal requirements are. With presenter Sinéad O'Carroll, we also look at how the legal requirement to quarantine on arrival is murky, at best, and what the appetite for potential solutions are, such as testing on arrival.

A flood of misinformation and disinformation followed Covid-19's arrival to Ireland. You likely saw a lot of this firsthand. Maybe it was the rumours of the Irish military being deployed to enforce lockdown, or a suggestion that drinking water would prevent you from catching Covid-19. It has become a significant feature of public discourse on the crisis in recent weeks and months, but is it here to stay, or as we begin to live alongside the virus until a vaccine arrives, will it simply ebb away? TheJournal.ie examined this in a webinar last week, organised in partnership with the European Parliament Office in Ireland. Presenter Sinéad O'Carroll was joined by our own Deputy Editor, and the lead of TheJournal.ie's FactCheck project, Christine Bohan as well as FullFact’s Nicola Aitken, Per Enerud of the European External Action Service and MEP Billy Kelleher.

Former government press secretary Feargal Purcell gives us an insider-look at how one government hands over the reins to next. Would Leo have left a 'how to' guide for Micheál? How do you transfer staff between newly created Departments, or even start one from scratch?

Is it a "one-in-a-million chance"? Professor Paul Moynagh, Head of the Department of Biology at Maynooth University and Director of the Human Health Research Institute, joins us to discuss how we can start to figure out how common Covid-19 is in Ireland right now, as well as what studies will help us learn the true number of people infected and the most important things to bear in mind during phase three.

Our own political correspondent Christina Finn and Professor Gary Murphy from Dublin City University's School of Law and Government join us this week to examine the programme for government. Yesterday, we finally received the news that Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party had made an agreement and drafted a list of what they planned to do together. That document is known as a programme for government, and is currently in its draft stage - it has to be voted on by each party's members. If they all agree on the contents, FG, FG and the Greens will all be going into government together. It's been over 100 days of waiting for this moment. But what does the draft programme for government promise? That's what we're looking at in this week's episode of The Explainer.

Vox reporter Matthew Yglesias joins us from Washington on this week's podcast to talk to presenter Sinéad O'Carroll about what the phrase 'defund the police means'. We've heard this phrase used in the US a lot during Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the tragic killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. But why is this phrase being used, and what does it mean? In addition, what can it tell us about how policing currently works in the US? That's what we discuss on this week's podcast.

On this week's episode, Glenn Burkins joins us from North Carolina to talk about the impact of the protests in the US following the death of George Floyd. On 25 May, a man named George Floyd went to buy cigarettes in a corner store. After the transaction, he was accused of using a counterfeit €20 bill, and when he denied the accusation the police were called. Part of what happened next was captured on video by a bystander: the incident ended with a police officer spending almost nine minutes with his knee to the neck of a handcuffed Floyd. George Floyd died after the incident. The release of the video led to huge outcry, not just in the US but globally. The police officer, Derek Chauvin, was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on 29 May, which was upgraded to second-degree murder on 3 June. Three other officers are to be charged in relation to George Floyd's death. With protests against the death ongoing, the conversation has turned globally to how George Floyd's treatment was part of the long history of racism and discrimination against black Americans. On this week's The Explainer, Glenn Burkins, editor of the Q City Metro in North Carolina, joins us to give an American perspective about the events. He tells us about what the protests mean for African Americans, what they could mean for the Trump administration, and his feelings as an African American reporter and publisher.

On this week's podcast, The42's Gavan Casey and TheJournal.ie reporter Garreth McNamee join us to look at why Daniel Kinahan is back in the news again.

Gavan Reilly, Virgin Media political correspondent and host of On The Record on Newstalk, and TheJournal.ie's political correspondent Christina Finn join us on this week's episode to discuss we still have no government more than 100 days since the general election. We discuss what the main sticking points have been through the talks between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, and whether we'll definitely see the Green Party joining them to government, as well as examine how a 'caretaker' government works, what role the Seanad plays in all this, and how things might play out for the next few weeks - or months.

Late last month, a national alert was issued in the UK for healthcare professionals, warning them about potential links between a life-threatening syndrome being seen in children, and Covid-19. Over a month earlier, doctors in Italy started to notice cases of the same syndrome. In the intervening time, cases were seen in France, Spain and Portugal. The World Health Organization put out an alert about the potential links between the syndrome and Covid-19. Cases of the syndrome in children escalated in New York, where there's thought to be some 100 cases. Three deaths in the state have been linked to the syndrome. But what is this syndrome - similar to Kawasaki Syndrome - and how could it be connected to Covid-19? That's what we're looking at in this week's episode of The Explainer. Our reporter Sean Murray gives presenter Sinéad O'Carroll the most up-to-date information on what we know about the syndrome, and what Irish medical experts have to say. Some further reading on this topic: • What to Know About Kawasaki Disease and Coronavirus (TIME) https://time.com/5832461/kawasaki-disease-covid-19/ • The Pandemic Doesn't Have to Be This Confusing (The Atlantic) https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/pandemic-confusing-uncertainty/610819/ • How coronavirus attacks the human body (The Washington Post) https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/10/coronavirus-attacks-body-symptoms/?arc404=true • ‘Finally, a virus got me.’ Scientist who fought Ebola and HIV reflects on facing death from COVID-19 (Science) https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/05/finally-virus-got-me-scientist-who-fought-ebola-and-hiv-reflects-facing-death-covid-19 • Covid-19 impacting patients' kidneys with many ending up needing dialysis (TheJournal.ie) https://www.thejournal.ie/coronavirus-kidneys-5089817-May2020/

There's five dates to mark on your calendar: 18 May, 8 June, 29 June, 20 July, 10 August. These are the tentative dates for each phase of the government's roadmap for the lifting of restrictions. The situation is going to be closely monitored. If the virus starts spreading widely again, some elements might be pushed back or suspended. If good progress is made in keeping it at bay, elements could be brought forward. Right now cafes and restaurants will reopen - with social distancing measures in place - from 29 June, but this is a problem for publicans and anyone who is looking forward to a drink in their local, as pubs are currently slated to open on 10 August. Our senior reporter Michelle Hennessy joins presenter Sinéad O'Carroll to examine this situation. We take a look at how the roadmap might work, how it's a 'living document' with changes being made on the fly, but also whether it is possible for pubs to open before August. We also talk through the proposals released by publicans on how it might happen, and how likely the government is to overrule the advice of the health experts in favour of an early return to normality.

Testing for Covid-19 is an essential part of fighting against the spread of the disease, and the Irish government has pledged to process 100,000 a week. But it isn't easy to get to that number - so are we there yet? Why is testing important? And what about the future?

The coronavirus crisis has seen important figures like Ireland's chief medical officer, Tony Holohan, become household names. At a time of crisis like now, the State has to assess carefully how it will communicate with its citizens. It needs to be clear and in charge, and listen to the people affected by what it's telling them. How is Ireland doing this, and how effective is it? That's what we're looking at in this week's episode of The Explainer. We talk you through how the HSE and Department of Health communicates the latest facts and figures to people -

People living in Ireland do not have to wear masks as part of the effort to curb the spread of Covid-19 - but people in New York and the Czech Republic do. So should we be wearing masks, or not? What does the science say? And are homemade cloth masks any use? On this week's episode of The Explainer, we take a look at the question of mask-wearing.

There are a lot of numbers flying around the place that tell us things about the coronavirus outbreak - but analysing them can be tricky. Is it possible to read too far into some numbers, and too soon? Or is tracking the trajectory of death and diagnosis tolls our best way of getting a handle on how the coronavirus is affecting Ireland?

Skip to 0:58 for Germany, 19:23 for the United States, 41:48 for Sweden, and 1:01:47 for South Korea. The world is united in fighting the spread of the coronavirus, but every country has had its own journey. This week for The Explainer podcast we speak to reporters from four different countries to find out how things are going where they live. When did the restrictions come in? How have their country leaders been dealing with it? Are there any local customs or habits which make have helped or hindered the actions being taken there?

While every country has had its own individual response to the coronavirus, there has been a fairly consistent approach of acting as soon as the issue became apparent. However, the UK stood out for taking a slightly different approach, and introducing social distancing and a shutdown at a later point than countries like Ireland. Stories in the UK press suggesting the country had initially aimed to pursue herd immunity and encourage vulnerable and older people to stay at home were much criticised. So why did the UK take the approach it did, and what has it meant for the people living there?

The country is in the middle of an unprecedented crisis - schools are shut, people are working from home when they can, and the government has been reassuring people that it's doing all it can to stop the spread of Covid-19. But besides the very obvious unusual things about this situation, there has been something else people have had to contend with: the spread of misinformation. On this week's episode of The Explainer podcast, we look at the spread of misinformation, and at TheJournal.ie's work of debunking the claims.

With the Covid-19 outbreak comes significant challenges, including huge pressure on our health service and disruption to our day-to-day lives. Minister for Health Simon Harris has already flagged that we are likely to see significantly more cases in Ireland, but many would be hoping that we can avoid what's happening in Italy. Italy has the second-highest number of cases in the world, after China, and the number of cases continues to spiral into the thousands. The entire country was put into lock-down on Monday night in an effort to contain the virus This week on The Explainer we're looking at how Covid-19 virus spread so fast there, and what can be learned from the approach of the Italian government. Joining presenter Sinéad O'Carroll is our senior reporter Michelle Hennessy as well as Professor of Health Systems at DCU Anthony Staines to examine what exactly happened in Italy, whether Ireland might have to implement a similar approach to contain the virus, what our other options might be, and how other countries are approaching the challenge.

Super Tuesday has come and gone, and it's impact is already being felt - we've a comeback kid and already one hopeful has dropped out(that would be billionaire Michael Bloomberg). People in 14 states voted for their preferred Democratic candidate, which means that we get a greater sense of who could face Donald Trump in the 2020 election. But what is Super Tuesday exactly, what states were involved, and what could it mean for Trump?

You might have many questions about the situation around this coronavirus – is it a pandemic? If it becomes one, what does that mean for Ireland? How can you keep yourself and your family safe? What does ‘self isolation’ mean? In this week’s episode, we cut through the scaremongering to answer your questions with facts and the most up-to-date information from experts. In studio we have Noteworthy investigative reporter Maria Delaney and Dr Kim Roberts, Assistant Professor of Virology at Trinity College Dublin.

The general election has come and gone - so why don't we have a government? The Dáil has sat for the first time, but party leaders were unable to gather enough votes to become Taoiseach, leading to Leo Varadkar's resignation. There's talk of a left-wing coalition let by Sinn Féin, but there's also talk of a grand coalition between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Where do we go from here? Nicky Ryan is joined by Gavan Reilly, political correspondent with Virgin Media News, DCU politics professor Gary Murphy, as well as our own political correspondent Christina Finn to figure out what exactly is going on.

The exit poll indicated we'd be talking about Sinn Féin throughout count day but it didn't point to the absolutely huge first preference votes its candidates would get across the country.  The party has topped polls in multiple constituencies, with popular sitting TDs, deputies who had feared for their seats and unknown names who came from seemingly nowhere.  Storm Ciara brought turbulence in more ways than one. We know a number of ministers will lose their seats, with Shane Ross the first formally eliminated in the fifth count in Dublin Rathdown.  What else has been happening and what should we expect on Monday?

For our first live episode, recorded at Crow Street in Dublin's Temple Bar, we're looking at how Ireland ends up with the politicians it has. How much do polls, debates, and social media have to do with it - and how much is people voting for party or country? Sinéad O'Carroll is joined by journalist and broadcaster Lise Hand and Professor Gary Murphy, Associate Professor of Politics at DCU, and Maynooth University’s election guru Adrian Kavanagh.

On this week's episode, we look at the novel coronavirus outbreak and ask - how worried should we be in Ireland about it? What is a coronavirus? How can you stop its spread? And is the Irish health system prepared for a possible outbreak here? Joining Sinéad O'Carroll in studio are Noteworthy investigative journalist Maria Delaney and Nigel Stevenson, associate professor in immunology at Trinity College Dublin. We also hear from John Cuddihy, Director of the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre, about how the Irish health system is dealing with the coronavirus threat.

Last year, we brought you the story behind the Drogheda feud. This week, we take another look at the feud, in the wake of the shocking death of teenager Keane Mulready-Woods. The young teen's remains were found in a holdall in Coolock on Monday 13 January. Two days later more remains were found in a burning car in Ballybough. The shocking discovery and subsequent garda investigation showed that the Drogheda feud had reached north Dublin. Keane disappeared on Sunday 12 January and gardaí described what happened to him as “a brutal and savage attack on a child and is completely unacceptable in any normal democratic society”. In this week's episode, TheJournal.ie reporters Garreth McNamee and Conal Thomas discuss with Sinéad O'Carroll the circumstances that could have led to this latest twist in the feud. They examine the response to gangland activity and how the garda investigation into Keane Mulready-Woods' death is going.

Update: Since we recorded this episode, it has been announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will no longer be working members of the royal family. This month is a significant one for the British Royal Family. In an almost unprecedented move, Prince Harry and Meghan announced on 8 January that they plan to step back as senior members of the family, removing themselves from frontline royal duties. They want to, they said, carve out a "progressive role" in the monarchy. The rest of the family were seemingly left in the dark over the decision, but Queen Elizabeth has confirmed that they will be 'entirely supportive' of the pair. But what happens now? In this week's episode of The Explainer, presenter Sinéad O'Carroll is joined by David McClure, royal finances expert and author of Royal Legacy, journalist and broadcaster Conor Behan and TheJournal.ie reporter Rónán Duffy to look what happened since 8 January, what the future holds for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, what money - public or otherwise - they currently receive, how they could grow Brand Harry and Meghan. They also look at the couple's fractious relationship with the media and how that could have played into their decision.

It was supposed to be fairly straightforward - a commemoration for those who served in the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP), to be held in Dublin Castle. But due to the varied complications of Irish history over the past centuries, as soon as the event was publicised the criticism and questions began to roll in for the government over the past week. We're joined by two experts to discuss what went wrong and what we can learn from it.

In Ireland, we really do love talking about the weather - and often guiding the importance of these conversations is Met Éireann's colour coding system. It has been in use over the past decade, but it's often not that straight-forward. Some weather conditions with lower ratings have felt the same as others with higher ratings, sometimes they're announced at the last minute, or others seem to signal impending doom pass without incident. Joining us in studio is TheJournal.ie reporter Sean Murray, and we speak to the national meteorological service's head of forecasting Evelyn Cusack, who talks about what goes on behind the scenes when meteorologists are looking at looming bad weather, what considerations are made when deciding to alert the public on bad weather - and why Storm Lorenzo seemed like it was going to be worse than it actually was.

Earlier this year, TheJournal.ie launched a new podcast - The Explainer. Aimed at taking a deeper look at one big news story each week, we've now hit episode #44 and was named as one of the Best Listens of 2019 by Apple Podcasts. Since March we've covered everything from the trouble Prince Andrew has caused for the Royal Family to Patrick Nevin and the 'Tinder rape case', as well as looking at whether Ireland can grow its own medicinal cannabis and why exactly there's so much controversy over the Public Services Card. In today's special edition, the whole team sit down in studio - presenter Sinead O'Carroll and the show's producers Christine Bohan, Aoife Barry, and Nicky Ryan - to run through our favourite explanations, the moments from the past year when our expert contributors set something clear in our minds or offered a new piece of information that stuck with us.

How possible is it to have a green - or environmentally-friendly - Christmas? That's what we've been looking at in our Green Christmas series on TheJournal.ie over the past few weeks. In this week's episode of The Explainer, our producer Aoife Barry steps into Sinéad O'Carroll's shoes and presents the show. She interviews reporter Dominic McGrath and Pat Kane of Reuzi.ie about how listeners can have a 'green Christmas'. They examine what exactly 'green' means, and whether big changes are necessary at your dinner table this 25 December. Our Green Christmas series is supported by Volvo, a car manufacturer which has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2040.

Boris Johnson was in jubilant form after the election result. "We broke the deadlock," he told reporters early this morning. "We ended the gridlock. We smashed the roadblock." This was a momentous election for the future of the UK. Boris Johnson will be Prime Minister with a huge Conservative majority, and Brexit will almost certainly happen next month. Jeremy Corbyn will not lead Labour into another election after a disastrous defeat. But beyond the headlines, there is a lot more to unpack. In this week's episode of The Explainer, recorded this morning as the final results were coming in, we're joined by TUD lecturer and polling expert Dr Kevin Cunningham along with TheJournal.ie staff Ronan Duffy, Dominic McGrath and Christine Bohan, who were following the events overnight. We give you the low-down on everything you need to know about this election. We look at whether the polls got it right; how Northern Ireland now has more nationalist MPs than unionist MPs; and how this was an unusually siloed election, with the main parties focusing on the issues important to them rather than engaging with each other.

Dublin is set to gain a new tourist attraction in the coming years, but it's one that caught many people by surprise. A white-water rafting facility was given the green light by councillors this week. It's expected to cost in the region of €22 million and take 18 months to complete. The location earmarked for the project is George's Dock in the city centre, adjacent to the CHQ building and a short walk from Connolly Station and Busarus. The facility has received support from athletes and emergency services who will be able to use it for training, as well as those who say it will attract thousands of visitors to Dublin, but has also been criticised as an outlandish project at a time when the country grapples with a homelessness crisis. In this week's episode of The Explainer, we're joined by TheJournal.ie reporter Conor McCrave, Green Party councillor Patrick Costello, and kayak slalom champion Samuel Curtis to discuss the ins and outs of this project - what the facility itself would consist of, its main benefits, how the scope for developing the site in other ways is somewhat limited, as well as the main criticisms it has faced.

On this week's episode, Sinéad O'Carroll is joined by Anton Savage of the Communications Clinic and reporter Rónán Duffy to discuss the recent news stories around Prince Andrew, and what impact they might have on the royal family.

The term antibiotic resistance might sound a bit futuristic - but it's something that's very much an issue in the here and now. It refers to certain bacteria becoming immune to the antibiotics that are usually used to treat them. This can result in health issues for patients, and dangerous superbugs. In this episode, Maria Delaney, investigative reporter with Noteworthy, is joined by Professor of biology Fiona Walsh from Maynooth University to talk us through the topic.

In this week's Explainer podcast, we take a look at what the situation with RTÉ is right now: what the financial issues are, what it's planning to do about it, and what the future looks like for the broadcaster. Is the key to fixing the crisis in a broadcasting charge, or is this deflecting conversation from other cuts that need to take place? Joining presenter Sinéad O'Carroll in studio are reporter Stevie McDermott and Steve Dempsey, the Sunday Independent's media and marketing columnist.

This week saw the two teenage boys convicted of the murder of 14-year-old Ana Kriegel sentenced at the Central Criminal Court. Boy A was also convicted of aggravated sexual assault. A term of 12 years was imposed for that count, to be served concurrently. Boy B is to serve a term of 15 years, with the sentence to be reviewed after 8 years, the judge said. Due to the age of the teenagers and the nature of the crime, Mr Justice Paul McDermott would have given careful consideration to the sentences imposed in this difficult case. In this week's episode of The Explainer, we're joined in studio by reporter Garreth MacNamee and barrister-at-law Marc Murphy to examine how the judge reached his decision and what precedent in Irish legal history he could have looked at, as well as looking at what the next steps are for Boy A and Boy B, who will both be held in Oberstown Children Detention Campus.

We look at why people are risking their lives to travel to Europe by sea and by land - what are the 'push and pull factors? What faces people on their journey, and what are the huge risks they take? And what is Europe doing about the migrant crisis? Host Sinéad O'Carroll is joined by former Economics lecturer from TU Dublin, Sean Byrne, reporter Órla Ryan and Médecins Sans Frontières nurse Aoife Ní Mhurchú to discuss the issue.

Sometimes, there's so much happening with Brexit that it's hard to keep up. So if you're still wondering 'what was Super Saturday?', 'Who is this Letwin fella?' or 'is there going to be a general election in the UK anytime soon?', we're here to answer your questions. Joining presenter Sinéad O'Carroll in studio to discuss all things Brexit are our reporters Gráinne Ní Aodha and Rónán Duffy.

Northern Ireland is going through a lot politically right now - although there is a Brexit deal, there are still a lot of questions about what life will be like for those living in the north afterwards. On top of that, there is no Stormont Assembly - and there hasn’t been for over two and a half years. There has been a little talk of direct rule. But that will all change soon, because over the summer MPs in Westminster voted for an amendment that would extend same-sex marriage and abortion to Northern Ireland unless power-sharing is restored by 21 October 2019. With that date falling in just a few days' time, for this week's podcast we wanted to ask: What does all this mean? Does the amendment have wider implications for how laws are made for NI? And how would the laws be implemented?

It's been some week for Brexit. On Monday, we knew one thing: that the pressure was on for a deal to be struck between the EU and the UK on Brexit. After all, there was the Benn Act which meant that should no Withdrawal Agreement be agreed on, Boris Johnson would have to approach the EU and ask for an extension (something he really, really did not want to do). Then there was the EU summit that was due to begin on Thursday, tightening the pressure further. And beyond that, the looming 31 October deadline. But still, in these Brexit days no one really knows what's going to happen. Yet when the chatter started to ramp up on Tuesday and Wednesday, it was really looking like all involved wanted things to come to a swift and positive conclusion. Downing Street was working hard; Barnier believed an agreement was still possible; Donald Tusk was hopeful; Leo Varadkar was confident. Then, on Wednesday night, we heard rumblings that an agreement was about to be struck: all that remained was getting the DUP on board for one thing. By Thursday morning, that had changed to the DUP being against the legal text. And yet, just a few hours later, we got word: the deal had been agreed. But what's in this agreement, what does it mean, and what are the next steps?

Budget 2020 didn't set the world on fire - but it did contain an element that's aimed at making sure the world doesn't burn in climate change hell. That was an increase in the rate of carbon tax, by €6 a tonne (bringing the carbon tax rate up to €26 per tonne). The tax hike came into effect at midnight on Tuesday, meaning that petrol and diesel prices have now risen across the country. Meanwhile the rise in the tax for home-heating fuels will kick in from May 2020. Finance Minister Patrick Donohoe said the increase in the carbon tax will raise €90 million in 2020. But what does the carbon tax do, and how much will you end up paying? That's what we look at in this week's The Explainer podcast. Joining presenter Sinéad O'Carroll is reporter Gráinne Ní hAodha and Muireann Lynch, Research Officer at the Economic and Social Research Institute.

There has been talk of impeaching US president Donald Trump since he was first elected back in 2016, but the wheels began to move in earnest over the past week. It all centres around a whistleblower revealing details of a call last July between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A 'favour' was requested, one which could amount to interference in the 2020 election campaign. This was enough to spark impeachment proceedings, launched by by US Democrat and speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. But what happens next?

On Tuesday 17 September, Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) director Kevin Lunney was abducted on his way home. He was taken to another location where he was savagely assaulted. Lunney was then left at the side of the road in Co Cavan. Gardaí now believe that a gang led by a former IRA member with a string of convictions was behind the planning of the attack. QIH is a well-known company in Cavan - it was established in 2014 and comprises elements of businessman Sean Quinn’s former businesses. This latest attack was the most severe of a number of incidents which have targeted QIH in recent years. There have been over 70 reported incidents, including arson attacks and bullets being sent to a contractor. What has been happening with these attacks? Do investigators know why QIH is being targeted? And what do locals think about things have progressed?

On this week's podcast, we look at chemsex: what is it, what accounts for its rise in popularity in Ireland, and what is its connection to the drug GHB? To find out more, we speak to the experts: Dr Kiran Santlal, registrar in psychiatry of substance misuse at the National Drug Treatment Centre (NDTC) and Graham Ryall, treatment services coordinator at the Rialto Community Drug Team. They join our reporter Órla Ryan, who has been writing about chemsex, and presenter Sinéad O'Carroll to discuss the topic.

In 2011, the Public Services Card (PSC) was introduced in the form of a pilot scheme for some social welfare recipients. The idea was simple: Streamline the delivery of multiple services such as social welfare by confirming the user's identity on a simple card. But in recent years, it has become nothing but a headache for government. Criticism grew over the use of the card for more services than originally intended, sparking concerns it was quickly becoming a de-facto national ID card backed by a database of citizens' biometric data, accessible by dozens of agencies. It has come to a head after the Data Protection Commissioner ruled in a landmark investigation that there was no lawful basis for anyone to be required to get a PSC for anything other than social welfare payments and benefits. So where did it go wrong with the card? Was this inevitable or could it have been avoided? And why exactly is it so controversial?

Dominic Cummings: Is he, as some suggest, the disruptor's disruptor - a strategically single minded and ideologically iconoclastic man? Or is he an unelected foul mouthed liability who has no place at the heart of a conservative Downing Street? On this week's episode of TheJournal.ie, we look at Boris Johnson's special adviser and his career. To help make some sense of Cummings and his very important and strategic role, presenter Sinéad O'Carroll is joined in studio by our Brexit reporter Grainne Ni Aodha, and Dr Kevin Cunningham, TU Dublin politics lecturer. We also chat to Tom Chivers, science writer and journalist, to get his thoughts on what makes Cummings tick.

In this week's episode of The Explainer, we look at the issues around climate change, meat eating and farming in Ireland. Reporter Cormac Fitzgerald, who has written our week-long climate change series this week, gives the latest updates on the three major reports which recommend people cut down on meat. Meanwhile, Dr Jesus Frias, Academic Leader Environmental Sustainability and Health Institute (ESHI) at TU Dublin, tells us more about meat, health and food trends. And journalist and beef farmer Darragh McCullough gives us the farmer's perspective.

Tom Humphries was known as one of Ireland’s finest sports writers when he was accused of grooming and the defilement of a child. He was released last week after spending 22 months in Midlands Prison. Cases like the Tom Humphries case can be an opportunity to focus the national conversation on the more difficult aspects of the justice system. It’s an incredibly complex policy area that is fraught with emotion – not just on the part of victims and their families. Humphries’ release also comes against a background of a number of vigilante attacks on other convicted sex offenders in Dublin. So how does a country deal with all of the facts and emotions around such a topic? To explain to us what currently is done in Ireland with sex offenders after their release from prison, host Sinéad O’Carroll is joined in studio by TheJournal.ie reporter Michelle Hennessy, Eileen Finnegan, clinical director of One In Four, creator of the Phoenix programme for offender treatment/intervention and Fíona Ní Chinnéide, executive director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust.

Newgrange is one of Ireland's most incredible sites - but despite it and the surrounding Brú na Bóinne complex being an area of intense historical interest, and having been studied now for hundreds of years, it is still revealing more and more discoveries. Just last week, a team of archaeologists lead by UCD's Dr Steve Davis uncovered around 40 previous unknown sites of interest. In this week's episode of The Explainer, presenter Sineád O'Carroll is joined in studio by editor of Archaeology Ireland Dr Sharon Greene, Dr Jessica Smyth of UCD's School of Archaeology, and TheJournal.ie's editor Susan Daly to examine why, including the new techniques that have led to recent discoveries and the roadblocks that archaeologists face when they want to examine a site in-depth.

'The backstop' is one of the most contentious parts of the Brexit agreement. But it's also something that can fall foul of bad explanations, misunderstandings, and being used as a political football. This week on The Explainer podcast, we're taking a good and proper look at the Backstop. What is it? Why is it so controversial? Is everything that's being said about it true? To help guide us through the conversation, joining host Sinéad O'Carroll in studio is reporter Gráinne Ní Aodha and Euronews reporter Shona Murray.

Whether you are a gamer or not, you'll most definitely have heard of the game Fortnite. Earlier this week, the hugely popular game hit the headlines after an Irish teenager picked up $50,000 while competing in the Fortnite World Cup. Joshua Juliano, who is just 17, came 58th out of 100 gamers. So what is Fortnite? Well for starters, it's an online first-person shooter game that involves dropping 100 players on to an island where they have to find weapons, build bases and try to eliminate the competition until only one player is left standing. It's hugely popular and a big revenue driver for its creators. In this week's podcast, our reporter Órla Dwyer explains what the game is, while tech reporter Quinton O'Reilly talks us through why it's so popular, and the concerns that some parents and people have about it.

Last week, a shock ruling saw an Irish judge rule that citizenship cannot be granted to an applicant if they have spent a day outside Ireland in the past year. But how did this come about - and can it be appealed? And does it really mean what it seems to? That's what we're discussing in this week's The Explainer podcast. Reporter Dominic McGrath talks us through everything you need to know about what this ruling says and how it came about. David Kenny, Assistant Professor in Law at Trinity College Dublin, explains the ruling's impact, and what could happen next.

When tickets for US singer Lizzo's debut Irish show at the Olympia this coming November went on sale last week, people knew there would be demand. But there were questions raised when fans found it difficult to get their hands on tickets via the Ticketmaster website, and when, hours later, 'Platinum tickets' went on sale for €140 each. In addition, resold tickets were immediately on offer as soon as the original tickets went on sale. Some asked: Did a presale earlier in the week have a major impact on what tickets were available? This week, we look at what this situation tells us about ticket selling in Ireland. Do the issues stem from the ticket-selling company, or is Ticketmaster being used as the focus of people's ire when there are more systemic issues to blame? What are Platinum tickets and what sales model do they follow? And what's happening with the legislation being planned to fight back against ticket reselling at inflated prices? Joining presenter Sinéad O'Carroll in studio this week, our assistant news editor and podcast producer Aoife Barry outlines what went on when Lizzo tickets went on sale. Fine Gael TD Noel Rock explains what stage his and Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Donnelly's legislation on ticket reselling is at, and music guru and RTÉ Brainstorm editor Jim Carroll talks us through the world of ticket sales.

It's not every day that a video of a politician talking about insurance at an Oireachtas committee goes viral. You've likely seen the clip of Sinn Féin's finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty grilling insurance company bosses - if not, you can watch it here. Its virality has prompted more people to look at their insurance premiums and ask: Why do they keep going up, and up, and up? Many are feeling the pinch, with several summer festivals under threat due to the large sums of money now required to cover public liability insurance. This is at a time when the insurance industry is recording profits of more than 1,300% and is blaming fraud for the increase, something which Doherty's contribution at the committee disputed. But what exactly is going on? That's what we examine in this week's podcast as Sinéad O'Carroll is joined in studio by TheJournal.ie reporter Orla Dwyer to discuss her FactCheck looking at the rate of fraudulent claims in Ireland, Peter Boland of the Alliance for Insurance Reform who talks us through the complications in how a claim is processed, and Pearse Doherty, who speaks more about his questioning of insurance chiefs while also examining the finer points of insurance industry in Ireland - and what can be done to fix it.

On 5 July last year, Owen Maguire was shot four times in Drogheda, Co Louth. This is seen as the start of a feud between two gangs in the town. By November the situation began to boil over with a range violent attacks taking place. Locals are becoming increasingly fed up of the feud, and efforts are now underway to bring it to an end. Gardaí have stepped up armed patrols, and the town is eager to make next month's Fleadh Cheoil pass without a hitch. However, ending a cycle of violence like this isn't easy, and often requires a community-wide approach. In this week's podcast, TheJournal.ie reporter Garreth MacNamee and Ged Nash, a Labour senator who has represented Louth for two decades, join Nicky Ryan in studio to examine the origins of the feud, the scale of the violence so far and the impact on the local population, but also how gardaí and the community can take action to prevent the situation spiraling.

On Monday, Patrick Nevin was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He had been found guilty of attacking two women in the space of 11 days, after meeting them on Tinder. He was found guilty of raping one of the women, and sexually assaulting the other. For the rape, he was given a 14-year sentence, with two suspended on a number of conditions. For sexual assault he was sentenced to eight years, which will run concurrently. Nevin is currently in prison on another term for sexually assaulting another woman who met in similar circumstances to the above women - on Tinder. The courts heard that in all of the attacks Nevin would convince the women to meet him for a drive and he would pick them up at their home in a blue BMW. The court heard the women were fearful after the attack because Nevin knew where they lived. In this week's podcast, we talk Declan Brennan, managing editor of court reporting service CCC Nuacht, who was present when Nevin sat trial, and Noeline Blackwell, the CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.

Note - some of the details in this podcast might be upsetting to listeners. On 14 May 2018, teenager Ana Kriegel went out for a walk with a boy now known as Boy B. Hours later, when she had not returned home, her parents reported her missing to the gardaí. What began as a missing teenager case turned into a murder case when Ana's body was discovered in a derelict house three days later. Two boys - Boy A and Boy B - were arrested in connection with her disappearance. On Tuesday of this week, Boy A and Boy B were found guilty of the schoolgirl's murder. Boy A was also found guilty of aggravated sexual assault. The jury reached the verdict after over 14 hours of deliberating. The case was an unprecedented one, and an upsetting one. Ana Kriegel's family were present in court for every day of the trial. Journalists who reported from the trial described it as one of the toughest jobs of their careers. TheJournal.ie reporter Garreth MacNamee was present in court throughout the trial. On this week's episode of The Explainer podcast, he speaks to Christine Bohan (stepping in for Sinéad O'Carroll) about the details of the trial, what we know about Boy A and Boy B, and about the tributes paid to Ana Kriegel.

Last month, a woman who died in Direct Provision was quietly buried by the State without ceremony. Sylva Tukula, originally from South Africa, died in August 2018. All efforts by gardaí to find her next of kin, a process with included with assistance of Interpol, had been exhausted. Friends and colleagues of Tukula had previously been told they would be notified of arrangements for her burial. This did not happen. In this week's episode of The Explainer, we examine the chain of events that led to this situation. We're joined in studio by TheJournal.ie reporter Cónal Thomas, who broke many details of the story surrounding Tukula's death last week, and Nick Henderson, CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, to discuss the timeline leading to the burial, the current scale of the Direct Provision system in Ireland, as well as how deaths are currently recorded in Direct Provision.

Katie Taylor was crowned undisputed lightweight champion on Sunday. But almost immediately, there was controversy. In this week's The Explainer, we're joined by The42.ie's Gavin Casey to talk us through what happened. He was ringside on the night and wrote the definitive examination of the aftermath of the win for The42.ie. Joining him in studio is presenter Sinéad O'Carroll, who also interviews longtime boxing US-based promoter Lou DiBella about the boxing world, Katie's win, and how judging works.

The Healy Raes are a clan to be reckoned with. The Co Kerry family has not one one but two TDs in it, and recently saw three more family members elected to Kerry County Council. The family political dynasty was kicked off by patriarch Jackie Healy Rae, who after many years working with Fianna Fáil went independent and got elected to the Dáil in 1997. But why are they so popular, and what makes them so beloved in Co Kerry? That's what we're looking at in this week's episode of The Explainer. Presenter Sinéad O'Carroll is joined by reporter Rónan Duffy, columnist and former Irish Independent editor Gerry O'Regan, and author Donal Hickey to discuss what makes the Healy Raes so successful. http://jrnl.ie/4663189 Image: RollingNews.ie / Palash Somani

Irish MEPs have recently been raising concerns about a future 'EU army'. While this isn't surprising, given the issue of Irish neutrality and the EU, it is a topic that garners strong opinions. Added into this is the issue of Pesco, – the EU’s permanent structured cooperation arrangement that 25 states have signed up to. Ireland's one of those countries. But what is Pesco, why do some people criticise it, and what does it mean for our defence forces? We looked at the subject of an EU army and Pesco for this week's edition of The Explainer podcast. Joining presenter Sinéad O'Carroll in studio is TheJournal.ie reporter Rónán Duffy and former Irish soldier, defence analyst and author.

Last week, a restrictive abortion law was signed in the US state of Georgia which banned terminations after six weeks gestation. This week, another state followed suit: Alabama's governor signed a law on Thursday which banned abortions in nearly all cases. With a Supreme Court dominated by conservatives and a pro-life president, this type of shift in abortion legislation in the US had been expected for some time - so what happens now? In this week's episode of The Explainer, TheJournal.ie's Aoife Barry and Christine Bohan, with contributions from NUIG law lecturer Larry Donnelly, look at the legislation which has been introduced in Alabama and Georgia and examine what the next steps might be. Why do supporters of the bills want them challenged? Could a bill end up in the Supreme Court and potentially lead to an overturning of Roe vs Wade? And could Trump simply ban all terminations across America?

On 1 May, the longest-running murder trial in the state's history came to an end when Tipperary farmer Patrick Quirke was found guilty of the murder of Bobby Ryan. A jury of 12 people found Quirke guilty of the murder of Ryan – known by locals in Tipperary as DJ ‘Mr Moonlight’ - by a majority verdict of 10 to 2. Quirke had pleaded not guilty but was sentenced to life in prison after the 13-week trial. Details of the DJ’s life, circumstances surrounding his death, as well as an affair involving the two men and Mary Lowry, were laid out in the court room. In this week's episode of The Explainer, we look at Patrick Quirke's conviction: what evidence did the jury hear? What do we mean by 'circumstantial evidence' and how big a role did that play in the case? How usual is it to have a majority verdict in a murder trial? To help us answer those questions, host Sinéad O'Carroll speaks to our reporter Gráinne Ní Aodha and barrister-at-law Marc Murphy.

2019 will likely be the year when it becomes significantly easier for patients to access medicinal cannabis in Ireland. The government has found a supplier, and Minister for Health Simon Harris is due to bring his plans for a cannabis access scheme to cabinet. Currently it is only available to a small number of patients. This will make it significantly less of a grey area in Irish law - and it could also herald the start of the Irish cannabis industry. In this week's episode of The Explainer, we're examining whether Ireland will be able to grow its own medicinal cannabis. TheJournal.ie's Political Correspondent Christina Finn examines the legal hurdles the government would still face, with Minister Simon Harris explaining where they currently stand on the issue and how he's open to 'Ireland Inc' taking control of its own supply. We also speak with the CEO of Cannabis Danmark Rikke Jakobsen to look at how the industry was set up in Denmark.

Imagine popping down to your local newsagents with this shopping list: Bread, milk, eggs, Lotto quick pick, an official government porn pass. That's the situation anyone living in the United Kingdom could face from July if they want to view pornography online, when the British government brings in radical new laws. Websites which primarily host porn will be required to carry out age-verification checks to ensure anyone visiting the site is over 18 years old. It's a world first. Because of that, it's not clear how it will be implemented or if it will even be effective in preventing children from accessing pornography. In this week's episode of The Explainer, Caroline West, a doctoral scholar in sexuality at DCU, and TheJournal.ie's Senior Reporter Michelle Hennessy join us in studio to examine all aspects of the new law, from privacy concerns if age verification is carried out online, the impact accessing pornography has on children under-18, the question over whether certain sexual acts are banned under the legislation, and whether Ireland is considering following the UK's lead on this.

Back in 2015, the then-government announced that the first supervised drug injection centre in the country would open within two years. The centres - known as medically supervised injecting facilities (MSIFs) - provide drug addicts with a safer, sterile environment in which to inject heroin, cocaine or others drugs under the supervision of a medical professional. Users source their own drugs and inject themselves in booths in the centre It's more than four years since that announcement was made. It was included in the Programme for Government, the enabling legislation was passed - and yet the first centre still hasn't opened, currently stuck in planning permission limbo. Why has it taken this long? In this episode of The Explainer, TheJournal.ie's Cormac Fitzgerald and Christine Bohan delve into the current situation around supervised drug injection centres in Ireland, how Irish politicians have lagged behind on drug policy, the concerns expressed around opening the pilot scheme in Dublin city centre, as well as the facts behind their effectiveness.

On Wednesday night, the latest stage of the Brexit saga began: The Flextension. The United Kingdom and European Union agreed a flexible Brexit extension until 31 October following marathon talks in Brussels. This now gives UK prime minister Theresa May extra wiggle room to get her Brexit deal over the line - but we've already been hearing about this for more than two years, and for many people, there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. In this episode of The Explainer, presenter Sinéad O'Carroll is joined by TheJournal.ie's Gráinne Ní Aodha and Christine Bohan as well as executive director of European Movement Ireland Noelle O'Connell to look at exactly what is happening with Brexit now, and what it means for Ireland and the upcoming European elections.

He's not a professional sports person, but John Delaney is one of the most well-known names in Irish sport. The longtime head of the Football Association of Ireland - the FAI - followed in the footsteps of his father Joe to get involved in the organisation. He held the role treasurer of the FAI before moving on to become its chief executive. However, earlier this month he moved from the role to become executive vice-president of the FAI. Around the same time, Delaney became the focus of a number of news articles. In the latest episode of The Explainer, we look at the media attention around John Delaney, alongside his achievements in the FAI, how he rose to power within the organisation, and his appearance before an Oireachtas committee next week.

Daylight Savings Time has been a fixture in Ireland for as long as most of us can remember, but MEPs recently voted to scrap it - and Ireland has 12 months to say if it will follow suit. That's what we look at in this week's episode of The Explainer, where we dive into why this is happening, the history of daylight savings in Ireland (including why Dublin Mean Time isn't a thing any more), and whether Ireland will be getting longer, brighter evenings or mornings...

In the episode, we look at the case of Irish Islamic State member Lisa Smith, who is Irish and was married to an Islamic State member. We examine the current state of play regarding Islamic State in Syria, why its members are leaving the country, and what Ireland's options are for returning citizens.

Measles is on the rise in Ireland. We examine the latest outbreaks and discuss how linked it is to wider anti-vaccination trends.

In the week where the major decisions will be made about what Brexit will look like, TheJournal.ie looks at your shopping basket to see what will happen to prices and supply in Ireland after 29th March