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Path to Power

Matt Cooper

In Path to Power, experienced broadcaster Matt Cooper and guests bring their individual points of view to a lively weekly discussion that sets the agenda and examines all the political and current issues.

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

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23 episodes
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Avg 57 min
English

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S1 · E138
Saturday · 49 min
Bananas and Nuts
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham rules out a United Ireland referendum; John Deasy and Lise Hand join Matt to discuss the Sinn Féin reaction, how happy Taoiseach Micheál Martin is likely to be at the development - given that he recently described the idea of a border poll as driving him bananas - and how much interest there genuinely is amongst Southern Irish voters in the prospects of a referendum. Also, they discuss the Dáil's recall to deal with the issue of excise on fuels and ask whether the deferral will be extended in November. They look at the political implications and reasons for doing this, as well as the budgetary implications. Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening, and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E137
August 22 · 57 min
Our Crime and Punishment Crisis
Daniel McConnell and John Lee join Matt to discuss the political response to the outrageous and horrific crash on the M9. They focus on Jim O'Callaghan’s pronouncements and the likely implementation of new laws and Garda measures. The Healy-Rae documentary and what it revealed about the extent of the split in the Kerry dynasty. Autumn's political dilemma: how does the government deal with reducing fuel excise duties? And the Fianna Fáil TD objecting to a major new housing development in his constituency. Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E136
August 15 · 1 hr 5 min
Rating the Cabinet
John Deasy joins Matt to offer a person-by-person assessment of the performance of each member of the Cabinet. Who’s good and who’s not so good, even bad? Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E135
August 8 · 50 min
Wanting a United Ireland
Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Sinn Féin’s Senator Conor Murphy, a former NI economy minister, join Matt for a full discussion about the possibilities of a united Ireland. Is it the inevitability that some people are starting to suggest, who actually wants it, and would a citizens’ assembly be helpful for preparations in the Republic? The potential economic benefits and challenges assessed. Do the polls give us an accurate representation of public sentiment? How we can learn from German reunification. The British perspective if Reform come to power. And how do we manage to persuade the more extreme elements of loyalism? Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E134
August 1 · 54 min
The Streisand Effect
In hiding a cost-benefit analysis for the Ryder Cup in Limerick next year, is the Government in danger of drawing more attention to the costs of subsidising the event? Lise Hand and Shane Coleman join Matt to discuss this and recall other occasions when ministers spent public money on major sporting events. Matt reveals that planning for Donald Trump’s September visit has accelerated, making it almost certain that he is coming. Lise, Shane and Matt also recall other times when major security operations were put in place for the arrival of foreign dignitaries. They discuss the Stop the Game campaign and whether Ireland should play football against Israel. The hypocrisy of the Aughinish Alumina report gives us another example of the Streisand effect, and they ask whether we take climate issues seriously enough. Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E133
July 25 · 51 min
Overselling Simon
Simon Harris' income tax promises: John Deasy and Brenda Power join Matt to debate the political benefits to the Fine Gael leader of making promises he may find hard to deliver. They also address the controversial issue of inheritance tax. The politics of Jim O'Callaghan's row with the legal profession are judged. The new plans for e-scooters and whether they should be extended to cyclists. And the real local politics of the Aughinish Alumina plant in Limerick. Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E132
July 18 · 53 min
Mary Lou and Micheál's Enmity
Lise Hand and John Lee join Matt to discuss Mary Lou McDonald and Micheál Martin's true feelings for each other after the Sinn Féin leader calls her Fianna Fáil counterpart and Taoiseach a 'tosser'. Lynn Boylan's European Parliament embarrassment on the Irish language. Sinn Féin's position on an engineering plant in Derry that might be supplying the Israeli Air Force. The politics of Intel's increased Irish investment. Why the government must be glad it no longer has to deal with Aer Lingus' decisions. The length of the Dáil summer break, and John teases his cabinet scorecards. Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E131
July 11 · 51 min
From Count Binface to Conor McGregor
Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Áine Kerr join Matt to address the challenge to Nigel Farage being posed by a comedy candidate in the Clacton by-election. They give suggestions on how to revitalise O'Connell Street and the GPO. They offer a cost-benefit analysis on the MetroLink and wonder why it has taken so long. All three are outraged by the decision of the US Ambassador to Ireland to visit Conor McGregor's pub. Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E130
July 4 · 1 hr
Sex, Alcohol, and Irish Politics
Matt is joined by Danny McConnell and John Lee, who distinguish between Jeffrey Donaldson's illegal acts and his inappropriate ones, but ask how often inappropriate acts by Irish politicians get overlooked by the media. They examine some of the most high-profile events of the 21st century that did get media attention and why others didn't. Micheál Martin's erosion of authority, security issues with Trump's likely September visit, the strange results of the Red C poll on immigration, and the discrepancies on the Mayor of Galway's website. Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E129
June 27 · 58 min
Donaldson's Depravity and His Toxic Politics
Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Áine Kerr join Matt to discuss Jeffrey Donaldson's appalling crimes and what he put his victims through by denying his guilt. They look at his political career and how he was a malign influence for more than forty years. They discuss Nigel Farage and whether his acceptance of a £5 million gift has scuttled his chance of becoming a prime minister. They discuss the departure of Keir Starmer, assess the likelihood of Andy Burnham doing a good job, and the timing of the general election he will call. They debate whether the decriminalisation of the possession of drugs would be a good idea or not, and weigh in on the importance or not of Ireland hosting the EU Presidency. Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E128
June 20 · 1 hr 7 min
Remembering Veronica Guerin
Lise Hand joins Matt to remember their great friend who was murdered 30 years ago in June 1996. They recall their friendships with Veronica, how they got to know her, and her early years in journalism. They swap stories about what a great character she was, but also how she was a trailblazing journalist. They turn to the circumstances of the horror of her death and assess the reaction of the politicians of the time and what they did in response to what was a national outrage. They address her legacy and wonder what Veronica would be doing now if she were still with us. Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E127
June 13 · 51 min
The Racists Among Us
Lise Hand and Shane Coleman join Matt to discuss the race riots in Belfast and how racism is also a major issue throughout the island, how fire bombings have not been restricted to Belfast, and how a blind eye is turned to the island's native criminals. The political posturing over the EU Migration Pact and its implementation. The politics of the Ireland-Israel soccer international. Further developments on the Triple Lock for peacekeeping. And how Jennifer Carroll MacNeill faced down the Rotunda Hospital. Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E126
June 6 · 56 min
From Here to Maternity
Brenda Power and John Deasy join Matt to discuss the controversy about hospital consultants employed by the State doing private work in public hospitals. Two bulls in a Kerry Field: division between the Healy-Raes, what's really going on? The new EU scrappage scheme: more than a PR stunt? The politics of the declining birth rate. Bungalow blitz or bliss? John and Brenda have very different views. Supplying the Russian war machine from Shannon. And the latest on Ireland-Israel relations. Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E125
May 30 · 1 hr 6 min
Climate Targets and Immigration Politics
Danny McConnell and John Lee join Matt to discuss the concession that our 2030 climate targets will be missed, and ask if we need to apply the Tony Blair analysis for Britain that net zero is inappropriate. They offer their by-election analysis of the real significance of the outcomes of two by-elections for the national picture. They discuss the changing conversation on immigration and Jim O’Callaghan’s position on deporting criminals. They return to the thorny problem of financing RTÉ, and debate whether the Government is as much to blame as management for the current crisis. Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E124
May 23 · 57 min
Ireland's Racism Issues
The death of Yves Sakila on a Dublin street - is this the Irish version of George Floyd, but do enough people care? Brendan Ogle joins Matt, and they have a wider conversation on the impact of migration on Ireland, Brendan's personal experiences of listening to racist comment, and they discuss work visas for non-EU citizens. What are the real issues in the latest RTÉ hoo-ha? Reaction to Israel's illegal kidnapping of flotilla members and why a football international with Israel cannot take place in Dublin. As a former train driver, Brendan reacts to Irish Rail's failed €50 million IT investment, and Matt asks if the DAA should be allowed to spend €5 billion on extending Dublin Airport. Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E123
May 16 · 50 min
Analogue Bertie Hobbled by a Digital World
Matt is joined by Lise Hand and Shane Coleman to discuss the controversy involving former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and his views on immigration, as expressed to a voter who recorded and disclosed them. They offer a detailed assessment of the way in which Bertie Ahern operates and why he is an analogue 20th century politician in a digital world. Discussions on; the appropriate use of our national flag - the tricolour, how immigration will be a factor in next week's by-elections and whether constituency polls are accurate predictors of what will happen. They also discuss Jack Chambers attempts to impose fiscal discipline on his ministerial colleagues, Simon Harris’ obsession with savings plans for the well-off and Revenue’s approach to taxing sheds for beds. Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E122
May 9 · 58 min
Ireland’s Antisemitism Debate
John Deasy and Brenda Power join Matt for a spirited exchange about Patrick Kielty’s Late Late Show comments and how they have sparked wider allegations that Ireland is antisemitic. Before that, they discuss why Ireland won’t ever go nuclear and why the country’s abortion laws are likely to remain unchanged. The impact of Gerry Hutch in the Dublin Central by-election and how Sinn Féin addresses his immigrant and race-baiting. How is the unity of the Left in the by-elections? Our pullback on Ukrainian support, character references from TDs for the convicted, and are student fee reductions the next Fianna Fáil/ Fine Gael split? Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E121
May 2 · 52 min
Why Not a Mini Budget?
Matt is joined by Danny McConnell and John Lee to discuss the changing government generosity towards Ukrainians and how this may have been influenced by the by-election in Galway West and Dublin Central. On the latter, they explore why a Sinn Féin win in Mary Lou's home constituency is not the slam dunk it should be, due to the presence of Gerry Hutch and possible voter confusion about what Sinn Féin stands for. They discuss the potential for Dara Calleary to become the leader of Fianna Fáil. Matt condemns the failure to get electric buses on the road and expresses bafflement at dust in the ducts at the National Children's Hospital, and they finish with praise for the financial generosity of former President Michael D. Higgins. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
April 25 · 56 min
How Protest Should Be Done - The Expert’s View
Long-time protest activist Brendan Ogle takes issue with the conduct of the diesel protests and the government’s capitulation to unlicensed protesters. He details his own experiences with the Locomotive Drivers' Association, the Right2Water campaign, and the Apollo House protest against homelessness. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E120
April 25 · 1 hr 1 min
Leo's Rural-Urban Divide
Shane Coleman and Lise Hand join Matt, and they start with the suggested split in the Healy-Rae dynasty. They discuss all the issues related to the rural-urban divide, with particular emphasis on deprivation in urban areas. What would the public reaction be if people living in the inner cities did what the farmers did? Could the protesters bring us towards having an Irish Trump? Is the government, awash with cash, going to be a soft touch to further protests? A debate on the merits of bringing back social partnership, are we on the road to anarchy, and have we forgotten the crash? They discuss the controversy caused by Leo Varadkar’s comments about the rural-urban divide and who really pays the bills. The highly paid Robert Watt, cause he’s worth it? And how clever has Catherine Connolly’s immigration legislation position been? Brought to you by The Greenman Group. PTP+ To enjoy early access, ad-free listening and weekly bonus episodes, sign up at pathtopowerpodcast.com Get in touch: mail@pathtopowerpodcast.com Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/cooper_m https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cooper-615a1317 https://www.instagram.com/mattcooperlastword/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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