With debate ongoing about the best way to cast a protest vote in the upcoming election, Ben reminds viewers of some of the intricacies of that particular course of action.
A green NGO which receives almost 60% of its overall funding directly from the Government is lodging a High Court challenge against Uisce Éireann wastewater project. Taoiseach Micheál Martin is asked about this broader phenomenon.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin won’t rule out the idea of an Irish peacekeeping mission in Gaza: “We’ll wait and see.”
IFAC and the Climate Change Advisory Council, both of which were set up to advise Government, say Ireland could face fines of up to €28bn if 2030 EU climate targets are missed. Climate Minister Darragh O’Brien says it’s conjecture: “This is back of the envelope stuff”.
“Whether I like it not, it’s happening…we are where we are”: Minister Michael Healy-Rae explains why he’s part of a Government that’s hiking carbon tax given his previous criticisms of the tax, saying that even if he was “dead”, it would remain in place until 2030 regardless.
Darragh O’Brien on the Jim Gavin fiasco: “We’ll learn from this…learnings need to be made.” Timmy Dooley: “It’s an internal issue for Fianna Fáil…The vast majority of the public have moved on.”
“You’re not addressing the substance of the point…You’re filibustering”: Ben Scallan grills Charities Minister Jerry Buttimer on the Government’s policy of only funding activist NGOs that are in line with the Government’s agenda. https://youtu.be/bzMDZn2l4UM
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin says he takes “full responsibility” for the Jim Gavin debacle. Asked if this means he should face some consequences, Minister James Lawless says he already has faced consequences, because now Fianna Fáil won’t have a candidate in the election.
“ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING? YOU’RE BLAMING EVERYONE ELSE:” Jack Chambers, Fianna Fáil’s Director of Elections for the presidency, gets grilled by the media about the implosion of Jim Gavin’s campaign.
Asked if he accepts that carbon tax is unpopular with the public, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe says it’s a tax that “needs to be explained” to people. He says in a few years carbon tax will be bringing in “important and significant” amounts of revenue for the State.
“I certainly wouldn’t be laying blame”: Housing Minister James Browne says population growth is a big driver of the housing crisis. When Ben Scallan puts it to him that most population growth is due to migration, he says migration is only a “small part” of the housing issue.
“That has nothing to do with the question I asked.” “Every time I meet you, you ask me the same questions.” Ben Scallan bumps heads with Media Minister Patrick O’Donovan on the Government regulating “mal-information” – information that’s true, but allegedly “harmful”.