Episodes

386
March 30, 2025

386. Dáil Speaking Row and the ESRI Rental Market Report

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic, Rory is joined by producer Tony Groves to talk the continuing fallout from the Lowry Lackeys, the Ceann Comhairle's role, the ESRI housing report and then take your (frankly excellent) questions. The Mexican 'Extermination Camps' podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-125079339 Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-your-124980167
384
March 25, 2025

384. Why the Left are Losing on Housing

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic, Rory is joined by UCD's Dr Michael Byrne (his substack:https://theweekinhousing.substack.com/ is a weekly must read) to discuss the hybrid-housing market that we have and why Mick feels that the Left are losing in their messaging around housing. A great conversation. Support Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-your-124980167
383
March 14, 2025

383. Progress Ireland vs Reboot Republic?

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic, Rory sits down with Exec Dir at Progress Ireland to discuss the (newish) think tanks goals and values, Seán's view that growth is essential and the reaction to their suggestion that small homes should be added to back gardens in an attempt to alleviate some of the housing supply shortage. The Week in Housing Podcast with Dr Michael Byrne is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-124069292
382
March 7, 2025

382. Do the Government Really Want to End Homelessness?

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic episode Rory is joined by guest co-host and Head of Social Justice and Policy at SVP, Louise Bayliss, for a discussion about the latest developments (or disappointments) in our politics, the widening poverty gap, the impact of the housing crisis on other parts of our society and then they answer some of our tortoise shack member questions. The Shed-Sits or Small Homes Reboot is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-e...
381
Feb. 28, 2025

381. Housing Failure as Government Policy

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic pod Rory is joined by producer Tony to discuss the latest Dáil shenanigans, the government’s continued backpedaling on pre-election promises and to answer your (excellent) questions. We will try to do a Question Time segment regularly, so please do send us in yours as well as any ideas, suggestions or feedback on the patreon feed. Thank you. The latest Reboot with the wonderful Lousie Bayliss is out now here:https://www.patreon....
380
Feb. 3, 2025

380. Rebooting Reboot

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic (Reboot) Rory chats with producer Tony about his first few weeks in the Dáil, the new government's attempts at stroke politics, the government misleading the public with phantom new homes, the opportunity for cooperation on the opposition benches and then he answers some of your questions.
Nov. 28, 2024

1373. GE2024 – The Candidates, Rory Hearne

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack I'll be honest, this is not really a candidate interview. There are a couple of mean questions. But it's more touching base with our friend Rory and wishing him well for Friday. How could we not? For all our GE 2024 coverage, including the results podcasts to come please go to patreon.com/tortoiseshack
374
Nov. 21, 2024

374. A Real Housing Solution: Cost Rental Homes

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic, Rory discusses the new (at least new to Ireland) affordable rental housing model: cost rental housing. He talks with authors of the new report, The Impact of Cost Rental Housing: Security, Affordability and Place, Dr Michael Byrne, Dr Cian O Callaghan and Rosemary Hennigan of Tuath Housing and Aengus Hennessy a resident in new cost rental housing. Cost rental housing is public housing for those earning incomes above social hous...
2
Nov. 9, 2024

#2. ‘My Mam Thought I was Mad’ – Sadhbh Coffey Duff

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this episode of Sparks Will Fly, Ray is joined by Reboot Republic Host, Rory Hearne to chat with their very special guest, plumbing apprentice, Sadhbh Coffey Duff. This is a belter of a conversation with a wonderful young woman. Please give it a listen. Music is by the soon-to-be legend, Meryl Streek. The GE 2024 Candidate Pods are here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-115656727
379
Nov. 5, 2024

379. The human toll of the war on Lebanon with Sally Hayden

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Podcast Rory and Tony talk with Sally Hayden, Irish journalist and award winning author of My Fourth Time, We Drowned, about the reality of the Israeli invasion and attacks on Lebanon. Sally has been living in Beirut since January and describes what she has seen and the experiences of people on the ground, as she has written about in her regular Irish Times articles. We talk about Israel's psychological war, the ill state of international human...
378
Oct. 26, 2024

378. Labouring Forward with John Harris

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic we talk once more to award winning journalist and podcaster with the Guardian, John Harris about the tensions, achievements and neoliberal technocracy of the new Labour Government in the UK. We dig into the disconnect between the big parties and ordinary people. We also talk about autism, disability and the waste of energy that are the culture wars. Finally John tells us about his new book that'll be out early in 2025. The GE 20...
376
Oct. 19, 2024

A Green Social Justice Approach for Climate & Inequality

Please join us at patreon.com/toroiseshack In this Reboot Republic podcast, Rory discusses a new approach to addressing both climate and inequality - in changing the narrative and moving towards transformative changes, such as public investment in warmer green homes for everyone, with Dr Ciaran O'Caroll, Lecturer in TU Dublin and climate analyst. We also discuss the Budget, data centres, and a green social justice approach to the climate transition. The General Election Starting Gun podcast:http...
375
Oct. 5, 2024

375. Budget 2025 – Tokenism not Transformational

Please join us on patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic, Rory dissects Budget 2025 with Michael Taft, economist , and Susanne Rogers of Social Justice Ireland and they find more tokenism than transformation, We discuss how the Budget was actually regressive - those on higher incomes gained more - it failed to take transformative action on housing, health or child poverty. Michael points to a broad public retrofitting scheme as one measure that would have used the billions for transfo...
372
Oct. 2, 2024

372. Early Childhood Education: A Public Model

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic podcast Rory discusses the crisis in childcare and how a public system of Early Childhood Education and Care would work, with Orla O Connor and Eilish Balfe of the National Women's Council of Ireland, and Lynette Monk, manager of a Community Childcare and Afterschool Service, who was also involved with SIPTU's Big Start Campaign. The childcare and early years education sector is in a crisis -from lack of places, unaffordable fee...
373
Sept. 26, 2024

373. Factchecking the Taoiseach’s Homelessness Claims

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack n this Reboot Republic, Rory alongside Adam Boyle, Solicitor with the Mercy Law Centre, factcheck Taoiseach Simon Harris' claims that "homelessness numbers are heavily impacted by the fact we are seeing many people seek protection in our country, seek asylum in our country". We highlight how asylum seekers are not included in the homeless numbers the Taoiseach references, how the majority of people presenting as homeless are doing so due to evictions f...
371
Sept. 22, 2024

371. Budget2025 – We Can End Child Poverty & child Homelessness

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this podcast Rory discusess the issues of rising deprivation and homelessness amongst Ireland's children, with Tanya Ward, Director of the Children's Rights Alliance. The number in children experiencing enforced deprivation has increased from 200,000 to 257000 between 2021 and 2023, while the number of children homeless with their families has increased by 87% since 2021, yet we have billions in Budget Surplus. We discuss how the lifting of the evic...
369
Sept. 13, 2024

369. Budget 2025 – Boston, Berlin or Copenhagen?

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this podcast Rory talks to Dr Tom McDonnell, Director of the Nevin Economics Research Institute, about the state of the Irish economy, and the upcoming Budget, why it is wrong to frame it as a 'give-away' budget, how we have record economic growth and yet deprivation has increased to 17%, why the Budget should invest in a wellbeing economy - in housing, a public construction company, public childcare, universal healthcare and climate transition. We ...
370
Sept. 8, 2024

370. Highest Ever Homelessness: What can be done?

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic, Rory talks with Louise Bayliss, Advocacy and Campaigns Coordinator with Focus Ireland. The latest homelessness figures show that we have the highest recorded homeless in Ireland, with the number of children homeless with their families at 4,401 children, an 87% increase since the Governments plan Housing For All in 2021. We discuss the traumatic impact of homelessness on children and families, and what are the solutions: includ...
368
Sept. 2, 2024

368. Trauma informed solidarity with Anne Marie Quilligan

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic, Rory talks with Anne Marie Quilligan, a qualified social worker and Traveller activist about her experiences growing up in Limerick, community, discrimination, Traveller homelessness and the Carrickmines tragedy, the parallels between anti-asylum seeker and anti-Traveller racism, and what a trauma informed approach to exclusion and solidarity means, we discuss the need to build cross society connections to challenge the rise in...
367
Aug. 28, 2024

367. More Landlords Than Ever!

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic, Rory chats with Tony about the latest data that rips up the long running “landlords are fleeing the market” narrative and shows how the lifting of the no-fault eviction ban is having such a devastating impact in terms of homelessness. They also discuss Rory’s decision to try and retain the Soc Dem seat currently held by the soon-to-retire Roisin Shortall. Tickets for our Live Show:https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-tortoise-shack-...
366
Aug. 21, 2024

366. With Proper Planning, Healing Can Happen

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic podcast, Rory speaks with a brilliant panel of Ber Grogan of Mental Health Reform, Charles O’Mahony NUIG lecturer and Mental health, human rights & disability law & policy researcher and Ciara Glynn, mental health peer, activist and of the wonderful team at Solace Cafe, to discuss the issues facing people in need of mental health services and those who are struggling to deliver in this unequal and unfair financially driven socie...
365
Aug. 13, 2024

365. Inequality: What Can We Do with Profs Kate Pickett & Richard Wilkinson

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic, Rory chats with Professors Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson, authors of several ground breaking and massively influential research on inequality including the Spirit Level (2009), the Inner Level (2015), and Act Now ( 2024, multi-author). We discuss how and why more unequal societies do worse in terms of trust, health, wellbeing, and environment, and what can be done to achieve more equal societies. A must-listen for anyone i...
364
Aug. 5, 2024

364. Dereliction Blues

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic episode Rory talks tackling Ireland's blight of dereliction and solutions, with Jude Sherry and Frank O Connor of Anois. Four years on from Jude and Frank's first Derelict Ireland tweets, we look back and see the cultural change in attitudes, as the public has demanded action on Ireland's scandal of huge numbers of derelict buildings while a generation are locked out of a home. This is a podcast of hope and solutions. The Gaza A...
363
July 30, 2024

363. Ireland Says Yes – Inequality & NAMA

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic, Rory is joined by Tony Groves to discuss the big issues of recent weeks including , the anti-immigrant protests, Sinn Fein's statement, rising inequality and the Government, and a history of NAMA and how its land should be immediately transferred to a public home building agency. Derelict Ireland Podcast here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-108852398 Gaza Appeal here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/look-what-you-us...