The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast

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  Budget 2027: What's in it for me? 06.10.2026 41хв

  It's Budget Day, and the news is full of facts, figures and disappointed statements from interest groups across the spectrum. Whether you're a parent broken by childcare costs, a renter looking for hope of someday owning your own home, or a commuter with a hefty diesel bill, something in today's measures will impact your wallet. On this bonus budget episode, Irish Examiner Political Editor Elaine Loughlin and Business Editor Alan Healy talk Deirdre through the key points of Budget 2027. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  "Never again means never again for anybody": Ria Czerniak-LeBov on Gaza, Israel and speaking out as an Irish Jew 06.10.2026 39хв

  It's three years today since Hamas attacked the Nova music festival, murdering 1195 people and kidnapping 251 hostages. Israel's revenge, the genocidal invasion of Gaza, has killed an estimated 75,000 people. The true number may never be known, with many bodies vapourised or buried under rubble. A new book by reporters from Israeli newspaper Haaretz suggests that Benjamin Netanyahu was personally alerted by the president of the United Arab Emirates that Hamas was planning a large-scale offensive against Israel a week before the 7 October 2023 attack, but the Israeli Prime Minister did not act on the warning.The three years since that attack has seen international division on Israel's actions in Gaza, condemnation from international organisations and from civilians worldwide, but Western governments have been slow to react. Here, public opinion has been largely sympathetic to Palestine, and the country's vocal condemnation of Israel has led to accusations of anti-semitism.Ria Czerniak LeBov is an Irish Jewish artist and writer. Her grandfather escaped the Holocaust in Poland and she has many relatives in Israel – who have been horrified by her activism for Palestine.On today's episode she talks about the Nova attacks, anti-semitism, and the challenge faced by Jewish people who speak out against Israel's genocide. Ria Czerniak-LeBov: Conflating Zionism with Judaism is the worst antisemitism I faceKnowledge is power, and Israel is intent on destroying both in GazaA month after Bondi attacks, Jewish diaspora remains in shockKhaled’s story, with Amal El Khawaja - The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast | AcastNetanyahu was warned about major Hamas offensive days before October 7 attack, report says Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Comedian Laura O'Connell on crisis pregnancy, post-natal depression, and joining calls for a mother and baby psychiatric unit 02.10.2026 35хв

  Comedian Laura O'Connell is a familiar face to Irish Instagram users for her tongue-in-cheek videos of midwives and public health nurses breezing around shocked new mothers.Her clucky health professional persona is so convincing that she's regularly assumed to be a midwife or nurse herself, but they stem from her own experiences of new motherhood and postnatal depression. Now she has joined forces with the National Women's Council of Ireland to call for better mental health care for new mothers, specifically a mother and baby psychiatric unit.In this episode she speaks openly about her unexpected pregnancy at a time when her life was already in turmoil, wandering the streets of Bray with her new baby, and eventually seeking counselling from Nurture. A psychiatric admission years later made her realise she had never dealt with the pain and trauma she'd experienced as a new mother, and the experiences of a friend she met in hospital showed her the difficulties new mothers face in seeking treatment. www.nwci.iewww.nurturecharity.ieThe year of care campaign, with Aolish Gormley - The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast | Acast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Do predator hunter groups help or hinder Gardaí in convicting paedophiles, with Alex Cunningham 29.09.2026 32хв

  In 2023, Cork man Tim Bowen was caught by a vigilante paedophile-hunting group when he turned up at a café expecting to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex. He was later convicted in connection with the incident. Former RTÉ producer Kieran Creaven was also caught by a vigilante group after contacting someone he believed to be a child online, and later convicted. However, the methods used by some groups have raised concerns about the presumption of innocence, due process and human rights. In Monday's Irish Examiner reporter Alex Cunningham met some of those who hunt paedophile. He also spoke to experts and Gardai about how the groups operate – and whether what they do helps or hinders in convicting child sex offenders. Alex joins Deirdre on today's episode. Murky methods and motivations of ‘predator hunter’ groups Cork man caught by vigilante paedophile hunters jailed for trying to sexually exploit a child Irish Examiner view: Due process remains a vital step Mick Moran: 'Ordinary' porn is now a gateway to child sex abuse material Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The nine money questions we all need to ask ourselves with Caitriona Redmond 25.09.2026 52хв

  For a nation obsessed with money, we don’t like talking about our personal finances.Women can be left in particularly difficult circumstances in later life because of financial penalties around motherhood and child-rearing – and tackling that begins with becoming more financially literate.Irish Examiner consumer columnist Caitriona Redmond is guest editor of a special Money edition of Weekend Magazine in the Irish Examiner this week ahead of the budget. On today's episode she goes through the nine financial questions everyone should be able to answer. Covering everything from takeaway coffee to running away money, this is an essential starting point for anyone hoping to get to grips with their finances. Check out Saturday's Irish Examiner Weekend magazine or subscribe to IrishExaminer.com to read the special money edition. Caitríona Redmond: 10 things I've learned from living on a budgetSarah Harte: Belle Burden and I both 'let things happen' — we should have taken Gloria Steinem's advice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Making the hot school meals programme work, with Jolene Cox and Michelle Darmody 22.09.2026 42хв

  The €300m universal Hot School Meals Programme has been running nationally for a full year and a review of the scheme brought to Cabinet this week highlights serious issues with nutritional value and food waste.Critics have been highlighting these problems along with issues like trucks of pre-cooked food being sent across the country and the use of 100 million disposable packaging items per year.The Government has responded to the review by committing to provide a cold lunch option each day and by expanding the range of portion sizes – however, experts say the scheme needs to be re-examined from the ground up.On today's episode of The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast, Irish Examiner food writer and food policy expert Dr Michelle Darmody and children's cookbook author Jolene Cox discuss the scheme's teething problems and look at best practice in other countries.The scheme was originally implemented in order to provide a hot meal with no stigma for children living in poverty, but according to Cox, it often does not reach those children."Just because a child is hungry doesn't mean they're going to eat just anything," says Jolene Cox, "and it's very condescending of us to say that it's those children that are eating the meals, you know, that they're so hungry."Like, what is such a disservice to the hungry child is that they're actually refusing it and they're going home. There's a meal put down there - the standard is that bad that they're actually not eating it."Dr Michelle Darmody has conducted extensive research into how other countries operate school meal schemes – she has visited schools where food is sourced locally and cooked onsite."In the report yesterday, when you kind of take a deeper dive into it, only 7% of the meals meet the five basic nutrition standards that they have set themselves," she explains."14% of the meals meet the standard of serving of two veg or fruit, while 50% of the meals contain no vegetables at all. And 15% of the meals were still said to contain high salt, fat and sugar, even though the minister had announced in April 2025 these were banned," she adds.Community initiatives like the Duhallow Community Food Hub provide a working model that other areas of the country could emulate, says Darmody.Listen to The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.Revamp of free school meals programme to include cold lunch option'Our children need to be fed right': This North Cork organisation cooks 3,000 meals every dayOur school meals programme must use community hubs and on-site kitchens cooking local produceJolene Cox: Hot school meals are a great idea — but we can do it better Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The fake vape shops selling drugs in plain sight in Cork 18.09.2026 29хв

  Across Cork city, homes, businesses and vacant properties have been falsely listed on Google Maps as vape shops. But these aren't genuine retailers. Many direct users to encrypted messaging apps where drugs including THC vapes, ecstasy, LSD and psychoactive mushrooms are openly advertised for sale.Irish Examiner reporter Alex Cunningham spent weeks investigating the issue, speaking to residents whose addresses had been falsely used, contacting those behind the accounts, and uncovering how drug sellers are using online platforms to reach customers.Alex joins the Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast to discuss Cork's fake vape shops problemhttps://www.irishexaminer.com/news/spotlight/arid-41909575.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Killeagh's Finbarr Fogarty on his teenage drug addiction, the guilt of surviving a fatal car crash and finding peace 18.09.2026 48хв

  Killeagh man Finbarr Fogarty hit the headlines in 2001 when he was involved in a horrific car crash in which two of his friends, Cian O'Mahony from Killeagh and Wayne Martin from Hollyhill, died.He survived serious injuries, including a broken neck and had to learn to walk again.Like a lot of young men, he had gone off the rails in his teens, using drugs and alcohol to find confidence and fit in. Adults in the community and in his school were aware of his drug usage, he says, but never intervened beyond a threat to expel him from school, something he now finds hard to understand.Like many teenage boys who become involved in risky behaviour, he believed he was invincible."...I was invincible as a teenager... there was a few times where we were doing 100 miles an hour and we just, you know, thought, there's nothing going to happen. It's grand."But when it happens, that switch has not gone off in our head just yet. This idea, you know, we could die. It's just, you know, we're not going to die."Even the crash did not break the power of his addiction – he was arrested a few months later after a local guard found him on the street in a drunken state."I was arrested, and I remember the bangarda who picked me up, she looked at me and said – are you the guy who was in the accident? The guards have a very tough job."Now, 25 years later, Finbarr lives in Australia where he runs a successful business and volunteers to help other people in recovery.He spoke to Deirdre for today's episode about breaking the cycle of addiction in his family; how recovery works; and how he and his friends were let down by adults who knew they were in freefall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The lasting impact of 9/11 on the people of New York, with Paul Hosford 11.09.2026 58хв

  25 years after the era-defining day that two hijacked planes hit the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, the impact is still being felt worldwide by countless people.In New York itself, people are still picking up the pieces of their lives, with many of those who helped on that day left to fight for justice.The death toll on the day was 2,996 people, but the death toll in the years since from cancers and other conditions caused by the toxic dust and the cleanup effort is far higher.Irish Examiner Deputy Political Editor Paul Hosford has been in New York meeting firefighters, construction workers, ambulance staff, residents, politicians and journalists who shared their memories of the day and its impact on their lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Jim O’Callaghan’s immigration crackdown, with Louise Burne 08.09.2026 38хв

  On Monday at the Fianna Fáil think-in the Government announced what they called the “biggest reform of Ireland’s citizenship rules in a generation”.Tomorrow, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan will bring to Cabinet a new bill setting out onerous new rules for migrants who want to become Irish citizens.The rules, which will affect people who already live and work here, include an eight year waiting time before applying, a block on people who have received certain social welfare payments becoming citizens, an English (or Irish) language proficiency test, and conditions around habitual residency. They will also impact spouses of Irish citizens.Political correspondent Louise Burne joins Deirdre for a rundown of the new rules, a discussion of the political context behind them and the reaction from politics and civil society groups.Citizenship rules to tighten by end of this yearNew citizenship rules would require eight years’ residence, language test and civics examNumber of people immigrating to Ireland fell by 12% this year, new figures showUkrainians being moved out of Citywest: ‘We need a place to survive, that’s it’ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Criminal courts in turmoil over solicitors’ strike, with Gráinne Ní Aodha 04.09.2026 22хв

  The criminal courts have been in turmoil over the past few months as a dispute between Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and criminal defence solicitors who work for legal aid clients has spilled over into courtrooms. Those accused of a crime are appearing in court with nobody to advise them, cases are being put on the long finger and judges and rights organisations are beginning to speak up about the lack of justice for vulnerable people.Irish Examiner News Reporter Grainne Ni Aodha has been covering this story and is today’s guest on the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.  Solicitors' walkout raises fears of 'covid-level backlog' in court cases as legal aid strike continues'Things need to be moved on': Warning of legal challenges over solicitors' pay disputeOngoing legal aid dispute poses 'grave public risk', solicitors warn‘It’s a siege mentality’: Minister accused of downplaying disruption caused by solicitors' strikeWithdrawal of services by solicitors not justified, says TaoiseachSarah Harte: Jim O'Callaghan should look closer to home to solve legal delays  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Trish Bourke on leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses, being groomed by an older man and finding her place in the world 01.09.2026 54хв

  Growing up a Jehovah’s Witness in rural Co Tipperary was not your typical Irish childhood.Weekends spend proselytising, no Christmas or birthdays and very little interaction with the world beyond the community meant Trish Bourke was a very sheltered teenager when she was groomed by an older man.In her book UnWitnessed, Trish writes movingly about her steps away from the faith that shaped her, the predatory relationship she fell into and a termination she went through as a result, and her eventual discovery of her place in the world.From being called a murderer by her devout family, and a loving but sexless marriage to teaching computer literacy to Martin Sheen, her story is full of twists, turns and contradictions.Trish Bourke is today’s guest on The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast. Her book, UnWitnessed, is published by Menma Books and available at unwitnessed.net.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Is Cork University Hospital unsafe for patients? 28.08.2026 35хв

  Management, clinicians and staff at Cork University Hospital are in a mounting disagreement with the HSE and Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill over staff and resources at the South-West region’s biggest hospital.Trolleys are mounting up at the hospital’s Emergency Department and as the health service faces into the winter season, staff and management fear a tragic incident if resourcing is not urgently addressed.Last week CUH boss Jennifer Kearney wrote to Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to say the hospital was unsafe for patients and staff.“My responsibility as chief executive is not simply to comply with a process," she wrote. "It is to speak clearly when I believe that process is creating a foreseeable risk to patients and staff."I would rather raise that concern now, when there is still an opportunity to act, than remain silent and explain afterwards why we did not.”The Minister hit back in an interview on RTE radio, saying there was “no evidence” the hospital was unsafe - but medical staff at the hospital have since rowed in on the CEO’s side.So, is the hospital safe or not?Irish Examiner Health Correspondent Niamh Griffin gets into the detail of the dispute at CUH on today’s episode.Health minister says no evidence of increased patient safety concerns at CUHHiqa seeks clarity over Cork University Hospital safety fears  CUH boss says hospital 'unsafe' for patients amid shortfall of over 1,000 staff Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Wild Swans author Jung Chang on growing up in Mao’s China, her new book Fly Wild Swans and her mother’s death 25.08.2026 57хв

  Jung Chang achieved worldwide acclaim for her autobiographical work Wild Swans, published in 1992.The book told the story of her grandmother, a warlord’s concubine whose feet were bound, her mother, a Communist Party official who suffered under Mao, and herself, one of the first students permitted to leave China to study in the West in the 1970s.Since its publication Jung has become a prolific writer and historian of China but her biography of Mao, written with her Irish husband Jon Halliday, put her on the wrong side of the Communist Party’s propaganda.Her new book, Fly Wild Swans, tells the story of her life since Wild Swans’ publication – particularly her increasingly difficult relationship with the Chinese authorities.In this interview with Deirdre O’Shaughnessy recorded in front of a live audience at the West Cork Literary Festival, Jung describes how her life changed when the Party became displeased with her; her difficulty in visiting China since the publication of the Mao book; and, for the first time, she discusses the death of her beloved mother, whose life story inspired millions in Wild Swans.This episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast was recorded live at the Maritime Hotel Bantry as part of the West Cork Literary Festival 2026. See westcorkmusic.ie.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Putting parenting advice under the spotlight with Colman Noctor 21.08.2026 43хв

  The world is awash with parenting advice – every newspaper and TV show has a parenting slot, and once the algorithm notices something up with your menstrual cycle you will be bombarded with it, from pregnancy right through to parenting young adults, with strong opinions on attachment styles, feeding advice, gentle parenting and more.But Irish Examiner columnist Dr Colman Noctor, who is a child and adult psychotherapist and a mental health lecturer, argues in a new series, every child needs to be parented differently – but crucially, this isn’t just up to their own parents.In his new series he looks at important parts of childhood – school, sports and friendships – through a lens of parenting different children according to their needs. And his recommendations might surprise.“If your child is thriving and they're popular and they're bright and they're clever, there's an onus of responsibility on them to be nice about that, to be a little bit gracious about it, because you have that power to include,” he says.He believes that a lot of modern parenting advice is treating challenges as an isolated challenge for one family –when, in fact, community is often what’s missing from modern parenting.The reliance on AI and online advice, meanwhile, means many parents are missing out on real connection.“Parenting is a very lonely journey for many people. And if you don't have the village of people saying, you're doing a good job and you're doing great and this is working and all that sort of stuff, you're going to turn to the advice,” he adds.Supporting children with friendships, promoting inclusion so that parents aren’t fighting problems in isolation, and making sure more capable children include others across school, sports and friendship is key to the advice in his new series.In this episode Colman and Deirdre discuss the importance of community and connection in parenting, inclusion, and how to be consistent when every child needs you to show up as a different parent.You can read Colman’s column in ieParenting every Tuesday.Read Colman’s weekly columns in ieParenting here: Columns - Irish ExaminerThe Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast: School holidays and the motherhood penaltyThe Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast: The year of care campaign, with Aolish Gormley   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Syed Haque, attacked by a teenager in a Carrigaline park 18.08.2026 22хв

  Syed Haque moved to Ireland from Bangladesh in 2003, working in restaurants for many years. The political science graduate is now an Irish citizen and a married father of two, with a good job in a logistics company.Until July, he had never experienced any racism in Ireland. But all that changed when he was randomly attacked by a teenager while out walking with friends and family in his local park in Carrigaline. A community rally against racism was held in the town last week, prompted by the attack.On today's episode of the podcast Syed Haque joins Deirdre to discuss life in Ireland, the attack's impact on his family, and the solidarity of their local community in Carrigaline.Victim of racist attack in Cork ‘grateful’ as locals unite to promote inclusion and solidarityCarrigaline event to be held in solidarity with victim of racist attackWinner of 2018 Rose of Tralee would not enter competition now due to level of racist sentiment in societyRecord number of hate crimes reported to gardaí in 2025 as incidents rise 15% Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Five years after the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan's women are silent, with Mahbooba Faiz 14.08.2026 42хв

  Five years on from the dramatic scenes of desperate people clambering onto planes at Kabul Airport, the Taliban are back in power and Afghanistan's women have been silenced.No singing, talking or showing their faces in public. No education, no work, no access to healthcare in most cases.A small number of Afghan women travelled to Ireland in the direct aftermath of the US departure, under a specific refugee scheme opened by the Government.Mahbooba Faiz was a lawyer in Afghanistan. After years of further study, she is now a paralegal with the Cork based law firm RDJ and has written for the Irish Examiner about the importance of DEI schemes in the workplace. She is the founder of the Irish campaign against gender apartheid.She speaks candidly in today's episode about leaving Aghanistan, her campaign against gender apartheid, her time in Ireland and her fears for the women she has left behind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Victim blaming in the Patrick Faulkner rape trial, with Ann Murphy 11.08.2026 21хв

  The case of a 15 year old girl raped by 18 year old Patrick Faulkner at a Limerick birthday party caused outrage last week after defence counsel raised the victim's clothing choices in court.Speaking to the Irish Examiner, representatives from women's rights groups called for guidelines to be introduced in relation to 'victim blaming' in rape and sexual assault case.This is not the first time this issue has arisen. In 2018, protests erupted after a Cork defence barrister held up the complainant's underwear in court. The #thisisnotconsent campaign was reported internationally, but no legal change ensued.Reporter Ann Murphy has been covering the response to this case and she joins Deirdre on today's episode to discuss victim blaming, sexual assault cases, and the various campaigns underway to make the court proceedings less traumatic for victims. Ann has also been writing about the lack of Sexual Assault Treatment Unit in Limerick city – another difficulty facing complainants there.  Young Limerick man who raped teenage girl jailed for seven yearsRape victim's dress was shown during Limerick rape trial in 'blatant form of victim-blaming''It is disgraceful': Showing rape victims' clothes in court 'weaponising against women''Abhorrent and barbaric': Calls for sexual assault treatment unit in Mid-West after rape victim had to travel to Galway   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Nancy Reilly speaks out about husband Mark Reilly's tragic death by suicide at CUH and the HSE apology she received 07.08.2026 33хв

  Nancy and Mark Reilly had a charmed life together. Irish-American retirees based in Kinsale, their 36 year marriage saw them travel the world teaching English refugee children and getting involved in community projects in their adopted home. That idyllic life together came to a sudden, tragic end, when Mark Reilly hanged himself while in isolation at Cork University Hospital on 19 March 2022. He had been brought to Bandon Garda station after a suicide attempt four days prior, in the midst of what Nancy believes was a psychotic episode. He had no history of mental health difficulties before that. Ms Reilly is deeply critical of the systems failures that led to Mark's death, identifying a number of issues including the lack of a consultant psychiatrist on duty during St Patrick's weekend; availability of ligature points in the acute mental health unit; isolation of a patient who was supposed to be on suicide watch. "There were going to be no psychiatrists on duty all weekend because it was St. Patrick's Day. Now, right there that raises a question. You don't wait to have a heart attack. There would be a cardiologist available if you had a heart attack on St. Patrick's Day."Why was there not a psychiatrist on duty?"Nancy's case against CUH and the HSE was settled at the High Court last month, with the clinical director of South Lee Mental Health Service, Dr Thomas Cronin, writing a letter of apology for shortcomings in Mark's care. Wife of man who took his own life in CUH unit calls for change in mental health treatmentPieta.ie The Samaritans  116 123 24  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  From rat infested flats to 'thanking God' for Cork City Council – Cork's 12,000 social houses, with Donal O'Keeffe 04.08.2026 33хв

  Cork City Council is responsible for almost 12,000 homes – ranging from state of the art modern builds to the now notorious rat-infested 1960s O'Byrne flats.With a budget of approximately €147m, an average rental payment of E80 per week, and 5,000 people on the social housing waiting list, the City's housing department is led by Assistant Chief Executive Brian Geaney, who acknowledges the challenge.This week the Irish Examiner is publishing an extensive investigation into Cork City Council's housing stock – how many, how much, who lives there, how it's managed - and what the future holds.Reporter Donal O'Keeffe is the guest on today's episode of the podcast.This episode was funded by Coimisiún na Meáin.This podcast was funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.