
Sweden or Somalia? Social Housing & Trump.
Who is getting Dublin’s social housing—and what can Ireland learn from Sweden’s election? This week on The Irish Question, Nick Delehanty, Elaine Mullally and Paul Treyvaud welcome special guest Donal Byrne, entrepreneur, founder of The Big Red Barn, beef farmer and publican. We examine the Dublin City Council housing figures released by Councillor Gavin Pepper, question the media response, and debate immigration, citizenship and voting patterns in Sweden. Donal explains the pressures facing Irish businesses, his ideas for tackling the housing shortage, and why he believes Ireland faces a “cost of survival” crisis. He also shares his account of the fuel protests and his arrest after introducing antigen testing at his pub during COVID restrictions. Plus: Donald Trump’s Irish visit, whiskey tariffs, tourism, a united Ireland—and the reaction from politicians and protesters. Subscribe, share and tell us what you think in the comments. 00:00 Welcome to The Irish Question 00:45 Meet special guest Donal Byrne 02:33 Dublin’s social housing figures: who gets housed? 05:01 The panel questions the media response 08:24 Factory-built homes, planning and the housing shortage 10:46 Does the system punish people for working more? 14:58 Apprenticeships and bringing back trade schools 17:45 Sweden’s election: immigration and voting patterns 24:32 Ireland, Sweden and the citizenship debate 31:54 The “cost of survival” for Irish businesses 36:39 Minimum wage, employer PRSI and rising employment costs 39:46 Political change, multinationals and funding barriers 42:53 Inside the fuel protests: Donal’s account 47:00 Diesel prices, the Budget and carbon tax 50:52 Donal’s COVID pub arrest and court case 54:44 Trump in Ireland: whiskey, tourism and political reaction 1:02:15 The Ploughing Championships and a message to listeners





