Malcolm Byrne: Fianna Fáil's Future, Housing Policy & Artificial Intelligence in Ireland

In this episode, I sit down with Richard Boyd Barrett - TD for Dún Laoghaire, leader of People Before Profit and one of the most recognisable figures on the Irish left. Richard reflects on the experiences that shaped his life and political outlook, including growing up adopted and later reconnecting with his birth parents. We discuss his early activism, his formative time in Palestine, the campaigns and movements that eventually brought him into electoral politics. We also cover his thoughts on U.S. President Donald Trump, stepping away from politics during his cancer treatment, and whether that period changed his perspective on life.

In this episode, I sit down with Prof. Luke O’Neill - One of Ireland’s best known scientists and one of the world’s leading immunologists. Luke reflects on the experiences that shaped his life and career from his early fascination with science and the influence of his parents to the discoveries that helped establish him internationally in the field of immunology. We discuss what science has learned about the immune system, the medical breakthroughs that could transform the treatment of disease and the challenges facing science today. Luke also looks back on the Covid-19 pandemic, the lessons that should be carried forward, vaccines and whether the world is better prepared for potential public health crises in the future. Along the way, we talk about the personal side of a life in science, including family, music, the pressures of public life during Covid and what continues to drive his curiosity after decades of research.

In this episode, I sit down with Cian O'Callaghan - TD for Dublin Bay North and deputy leader of the Social Democrats. In our discussion, Cian reflects on his childhood, the experiences that shaped his outlook and the path that eventually brought him into national politics, including his time in the Labour Party and the early conversations that led him to join the Social Democrats. We also talk about the party’s growth in recent years, its place in Irish politics today and what it would take to translate its ideas into lasting change.

In this episode, I sit down with Roderic O’Gorman — Leader of the Green Party, current TD and former Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. We reflect on his political journey, from early activism to serving in Cabinet during a historic coalition government. Roderic shares insights from his time in office including the Green Party’s decision to enter coalition in 2020 and what it was like taking on one of the most complex ministerial portfolios. We also discuss the emotional toll of public life, his experience coming out and how leadership has shaped him.

In this episode, I sit down with Denis Naughten — former Government Minister, long-serving TD, and one of the most prominent Independent voices in Irish politics. From his early days in Fine Gael to his time as Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis has been at the centre of some of Ireland’s most significant political debates including broadband access, health care and rural representation. We talk about the highs and lows of his political career, his decision to leave Fine Gael, the realities of going independent, and what drives his work today outside politics.