HOW TO BE AN ACTIVE CITIZEN, EPISODE 1, HOW TO VOTE

Voting is democracy in action, yet a significant proportion of citizens choose not to cast a ballot in elections and referenda. 

In this programme, listeners learn about how representative democracy works in Ireland, including how to register to vote, how the proportional representation system works, and why every vote counts.

Programme contributors: 
Dr Theresa Reidy, political scientist, University College Cork
Ríona Ní Fhlanghaile, Franchise Officer, Department of the Environment
Jeanne McDonagh, campaign manager for Dáil and Seanad elections and Marriage Equality referendum

Case study:  Nathan, a young member of the LGBT community, describes what it was like to vote for the first time and to be involved the 2015 Marriage Equality referendum campaign.

How to Vote

HOW TO BE AN ACTIVE CITIZEN, EPISODE 2, HOW TO BE A CITIZEN WATCHDOG

There are many ways that citizens can be active in ensuring that public officials are held accountable and that our public services are properly administered. This programme explains how the Ombudsman and the Standards in Public Office Commission work to handle individual complaints and improve services and standards. Experts advise listeners when and how to complain about services or standards in public life.

Programme contributors:  
Peter Tyndall; the Ombudsman
Dr Imelda Higgins BL, a barrister and corruption law expert
Nuala Haughey, Project Manager, TASC

Case study: Elizabeth, a mother from the south east of Ireland, describes how she turned to the Ombudsman for help in reversing a decision by the Health Service Executive to disallow a medical card for her son, who has autism.

How to be a Citizen Watchdog

HOW TO BE AN ACTIVE CITIZEN, EPISODE 3, HOW TO WORK FOR CHANGE

Laws and policies are among the key tools that governments use to answer needs and find solutions to problems in our society, and to define and protect our rights.

In this programme, listeners learn how laws and policies are shaped and made and how as citizens they can engage with the national political process to bring about changes they seek.

Programme contributors: 
Eamon Timmins, Chief Executive of the charity Age Action
Robert Dowds, a former Labour Party TD
Mark Brennock, a lobbyist with Murray Consultants

Case study:  Mariaam Bhatti and Grainne O’Toole of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland share lessons from their successful campaign to end forced labour in Ireland.

How to Work For Change

HOW TO BE AN ACTIVE CITIZEN, EPISODE 4, HOW TO WORK WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT

From planning regulations, to traffic laws, parks, water services and libraries, local government plays a huge part in citizens’ lives. In this programme, listeners learn how our councils work, and how citizens can get involved in solving local problems and issues. 

Programme contributors:
Senan Turnbull, former Fingal County Manager
Victor Boyhan, independent councillor, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
Michael Judd, Back of the Pipes Residents Association, Dublin

Case study:  Gerry Cunnane from the community energy group Transition Kerry and Micheal O’Cuileain from Kerry County Council explain how they worked together to reduce energy costs in Tralee.

How to Work with Local Government

HOW TO BE AN ACTIVE CITIZEN, EPISODE 5, HOW TO SPEAK UP

Whistleblowing takes different forms. Many cases of corruption and abuse of children, disabled, and elderly people that we know about have been exposed by people who have spoken up. In this programme, listeners learn how they can safely report abuse or wrongdoing and the legal protections that prevent whistleblowers from being penalised for making a protected disclosure.

Programme contributors:
Leigh Gath, confidential recipient for the Health Service Executive
Susheela Math, Legal Counsel with Transparency International Ireland
Dr Tom Clonan, academic, journalist and whistleblower

Case study:  Former Health Worker Louise Bayliss shares her experience of speaking up in exposing how patients with mental were treated in a Dublin institution. 

How to Speak Up

Welcome to TASC's  "Thinking Through the Crisis" podcast series where we invite thought leaders to share their innovative strategies for ensuring equality and strengthening democracy during the coronavirus crisis. In this first episode, Liam Herrick, Director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), analyses Ireland's coronavirus response from a human rights perspective. Importantly, he outlines what steps government must take to avoid following the anti-democratic response taken by countries like Hungary.

Thinking Through the Crisis - with Liam Herrick of ICCL

Seán McCabe speaks with Professor Alf Hornborg, author of the Power of the Machine and Nature, Society, and Justice in the Anthropocene about the inter-linkages between technology and inequality and how the recovery from the current pandemic might tackle climate change.

Thinking through the Crisis with Alf Hornborg

In this week's edition of Thinking through the Crisis, Seán McCabe speaks with architect Emmett Scanlon about the concept of spatial justice -  the fair and equitable distribution in space of socially valued resources and opportunities to use them. Across Ireland, people are experiencing lock down in different ways and one key determinant of this experience is the suitability of the place they call home and the opportunities available to them in their locality.

Thinking Through The Crisis with Emmett Scanlon

In this episode, Tyler West talks with Eileen Culloty, a post-doctoral researcher at The Institute of Future Media and Journalism (FUJO) at Dublin City University, about misinformation surrounding Covid-19. Listen along as Eileen explains how misinformation and conspiracies become popular, especially in times of uncertainty, and what the average social media user can do to combat them.

Simple Recorder

Thinking Through the Crisis with Misinformation Researcher, Eileen Culloty

Robert Sweeney and Finnish economist, Ohto Kanninen, discuss the Finish experiment in universal basic income. They discuss the successes of the experiment, its limitations, and what lesson can be drawn, for Finland and other countries.

Thinking Through the Crisis with Ohto Kanninen

In the latest episode of Thinking Through the Crisis, Shana Cohen  discusses the future outlook for international relations and global order with Cambridge professor, George Joffe. In particular, Joffe addresses the future of US influence on the world stage and the emerging relationship between the UK and the EU in a post-Brexit reality.

Thinking Through the Crisis with Professor George Joffe

In this episode of Thinking Through the Crisis, TASC's Policy Analyst, Rob Sweeney, and Trinity College Dublin Professor, Ronan Lyons, discuss the ramifications of Covid-19 on the present and future of the Irish housing and rental sector.

Thinking Through the Crisis with Ronan Lyons

In this episode of Thinking through the Crisis, TASC director, Shana Cohen, and Trinity College Dublin professor, Steve Thomas, outline the effect of Covid-19 on the Irish healthcare system and discuss whether the pandemic will encourage government to move away from the vastly unequal two-tier system.

Thinking through the Crisis with Steve Thomas

This podcast explores the nature of care work, its status, its importance, and how care workers have fared in recent times. The conversation is between Robert Sweeny, policy analyst at TASC, and Nancy Folbre, a world-leading scholar in the economics and politcal economy of care.

The Future We Want with Nancy Folbre

In this episode, researcher Tyler West interviews Todd Gitlin, Professor of Journalism and Sociology at Columbia University, on what is causing the explosive growth of misinformation and propaganda, both on and offline, and how societies can counter it.

The Future We Want with Todd Gitlin

In this episode, Rob Sweeney talks with Oral Hegarty, Lecturer at UCD's School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, about what an innovative and sustainable housing market means and how it should operate. They particularly focus on reimagining Dublin's residential areas in a way that ensures adequate quality housing for all.

The Future We Want with Orla Hegarty

Seán McCabe speaks with Judith Hitchman of Urgenci (https://urgenci.net/) and RIPESS (http://www.ripess.org/?lang=en) and Kevin Flanagan of An Áit Eile (https://aae.coop/) about the importance of the solidarity economy in realising food sovereignty and a sustainable future.

The Future We Want - with Judith Hitchman & Kevin Flanagan

TASC is an independent progressive think-tank whose core focus is economic equality and democratic accountability. TASC’s mission is to produce policy analysis and present evidence-based proposals for the achievement of a more equal, flourishing society with accountable government and strong, responsible public engagement. TASC's work focuses in particular on proposals to reduce Ireland’s high and persistent level of economic inequality and to develop the genuine participation of people in decisions that affect themselves and their society, as well as an overall commitment to promote social equality.

TASC

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