Euroscepticism a whisper that’s ‘growing louder’ in Ireland, says McEntee www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

I spoke to some teenagers about how they feel about a social media ban for under 16s, and I took a closer look at the controversial digital wallet app that has been built by the Govt as part of its age verification plans www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...

A big 😮‍💨 for EU and Nato

Coco’s Law may be strengthened in Government bid to tackle AI deepfakes www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Ireland invited to join Donald Trump’s ‘board of peace’ for Gaza www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...

Trump’s tariff and Greenland threats against EU put Ireland in an uncomfortable position www.irishtimes.com/world/europe...

Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee has just issued a statement expressing solidarity with Denmark and "with the six EU Member States that may now face increased tariffs from the United States." The UK: 🧍

Jack Power on how European governments are preparing to drop the don’t-upset-the-toddler approach that has governed relations with Donald Trump www.irishtimes.com/world/europe...

Ireland co-ordinating closely with EU in response to tariff announcement, says McEntee www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Friday wrap: Grok and AI, data centres and infrastructure, defections to Reform, book news and my CONTROVERSIAL opinion about dogs open.spotify.com/episode/06RL...

Ireland should use EU presidency ‘to ban AI tools for generating intimate images’ www.irishtimes.com/technology/2...

More than €650,000 in tax collectively owed on pensions of some former politicians www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Independent MEP Michael McNamara, the new Rapporteur of the European Parliament on a key artificial intelligence law, said he will use his role to lobby for a member bloc wide ban on so-called “nudification” apps. www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

For clarity: I know what an LLM is! The reason I asked Grok is because xAI does not engage with the press, and Grok's answers matched its output. When it was generating intimate images in Ireland, the chat function said it was legal. When it geoblocked that function, the chatbot's answer changed.

What happens when you ask AI to regulate itself? Within ten minutes on Thursday morning, the controversial artificial intelligence tool Grok swung wildly between believing it could and could not legally generate intimate images of Irish women. www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Gráinne Seoige, who has personal experience of deep-fake intimate images, has called on politicians to conduct an urgent review of apps that allow “sexual abuse imagery” to be made and shared online www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Dublin City Council has rejected a repeated claim by Tánaiste Simon Harris that a significant number of people presenting as homeless do not have a housing right in Ireland. The tanaiste was defended by Malachy Steenson, who said "for once" he agreed with him www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Simon Harris has doubled down on comments he made to The Irish Times last month, when he said that a “significant number” of people in homeless accommodation do not have a housing right in Ireland. www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...

Musk’s Grok restricts image generator to paid users after outcry over sexualised AI images An Irish Times journalist was still able to use the Grok app to partially undress pictures of herself, including some of her as a teenager and a child. www.irishtimes.com/technology/c...

It's our first Friday wrap of 2026 🤸 open.spotify.com/episode/5PB8...

Grok was one of the most downloaded apps in Ireland this week. Here's my explainer on the generative AI tool that is now creating illegal images of women and children Regulation too slow to stem tsunami of AI-generated child sex imagery www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Students having a bathroom each would be “wasteful”, and the Government is moving towards a co-living model involving communal space for university accommodation, Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless has said. www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Calls to fast track Bill to criminalise harmful misuse of someone’s voice or image www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...

Attorney General examining laws on sexualised AI images amid X backlash www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/20...

Two more US naval aircraft flew over Irish airspace on surveillance missions in the Atlantic. One just off the tip of Donegal. Another over the centre of the country (taking in Doonbeg along the way). Simon Harris says he "imagines" rules were followed www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

One in five vape shops selling addictive products to children, inspections reveal www.irishtimes.com/health/2026/...

Calling for a “rules-based” immigration system is a “classic left-wing position” for a party that supports the working class, Mary Lou McDonald has said. Sinn Fein leader contests claim her party is not left wing www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Happy NYE - here's part two of our festive inside politics AMA open.spotify.com/episode/2Y68...

Today's splash: my interview with Simon Harris, where he said that a number of people in homelessness don't have a housing right in Ireland. The tanaiste also claims he was shut down on the issue of immigration www.irishtimes.com/ireland/hous...

What is it like when an IPAS centre suddenly leaves a town? And why is it so hard to find out why there's been a sharp increase in cancelled contracts with these centres? www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...

Merry Christmas from Inside Politics 🎅🏼 it's our festive AMA part 1️⃣🎄 open.spotify.com/episode/6G18...

‘No doubt’ migration has played part in housing crisis and homelessness, says Taoiseach Our interview with Micheál Martin in Cork this week www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Like the townsfolk of Whoville, the Taoiseach seems to have survived an attempt to steal Christmas out from under him. Not unlike the Grinch, his detractors seem to have come unstuck by maths. Was their abortive heave two sizes too small? 🎄 www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

True scale of domestic abuse in Ireland to be established through new national study www.irishtimes.com/ireland/soci...

Plan to cap value of homes eligible for vacant property grant scrapped www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

New data centres in Ireland could need additional energy supply that is almost equal to the peak electricity demand for the entire country. 5.8GW = almost record peak winter electricity demand for the entire country www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

open.spotify.com/episode/4rNg... That interview, digital wallets, mercusor, assessments of need and everything else that made it into our wrap of the week 🗞️ 🎙️ 🎧

Fourteen cases taken against State over age verification of international protection applicants www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

In my *personal* opinion, the second half of this podcast is a testament to Hugh's seemingly limitless patience as a presenter. open.spotify.com/episode/1FUH...

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202... Why is the government trying to get rid of assessments of need for children who need to be in a special class or a special school?

The failure to agree European-wide online child protection laws is to the “collective shame” of political institutions, the Minister for Media has said. www.irishtimes.com/politics/oir...

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has warned that the European Court of Human Rights is interpreting “inhuman and degrading treatment” too broadly, which is limiting the ability of member states to deport foreign criminals. www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Legally binding age classifications for websites and apps, similar to age ratings that exist for films and television shows, could be introduced under reforms proposed by a Government taskforce. www.irishtimes.com/health/2025/...

This would be a massive change for parents of children with additional needs - Children with additional educational needs will not need assessment to access classes or schools www.irishtimes.com/ireland/soci...

Looks like the Government could be set for a privacy row over its plans to introduce age-verification for social media with a new digital wallet. Echoes of the Public Services Card controversy here ... www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

New digital wallet to be tested within months to restrict social media access in Ireland for under-16s www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Plan to verify ages of children who use social media in Ireland to be considered by Cabinet www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

People objecting to infrastructure projects could be offered damages to avoid delays www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

New infrastructure plan: Government expects legal challenge to judicial review reforms www.irishtimes.com/ireland/hous...