The Explainer

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...

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 be...

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?...

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 a...

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...

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 wh...

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 ca...

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 Explain...

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...

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 indu...

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 Du...

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...

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 incre...

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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 j...

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...

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'?Th...

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 final...

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, inv...

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 b...

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 jou...

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 discu...

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...

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. P...

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...