Christine Loscher, professor of immunology at DCU, joins us on this week's episode to examine the need for booster shots. How much does the efficacy of initial jabs wane, how much does the booster top them up, and what type of lasting immunity could we have against Covid as a result? Also, will they turn the tide of the recent rise in case numbers?

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Why do we need another dose of a Covid vaccine?

It could completely overhaul Ireland’s troubled healthcare system, but what exactly is it? Liam Doran, former general secretary of the INMO, joins us on this week’s episode to give us an insight into Sláintecare. The plan received cross-party support at first, but since then it has been beset by stumbling blocks and resignations. What does it aim to do, and how could it achieve those goals?

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

What is Sláintecare and how does it aim to reform Ireland’s health system?

As summer travel picks up again, Dublin Airport is buckling under the pressure. Editor of Air & Travel magazine Eoghan Corry joins to talk through the scenes witnessed at the airport last weekend and what is being done to tackle it. He also offers advice for passengers who may have missed their flights, or who are jetting off in the coming weeks.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

What’s causing the chaos at Dublin Airport?

Marion McKeone, US Correspondent for the Business Post, joins us to look at how abortion laws in the United States have evolved since Roe v Wade was overturned. What changes have been made, how is it impacting people, and is there anything the Biden administration can do?

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

How have abortion laws changed in the US since Roe v Wade was overturned?

In another episode by Noteworthy, reporter Michelle Hennessy tells Susan Daly about Noteworthy's latest project which examined the impact of the justice system on Travellers.

By Noteworthy: Why are Travellers so overrepresented in prison?

This week we have The42's soccer writer Gavin Cooney in studio to answer some of the many questions surrounding this year's World Cup. Why Qatar? Who are the teams to watch? Is it really going to be a carbon-neutral event? We also examine the human rights abuses during the preparation for the tournament, and what Qatari authorities have said about LGBTQI+ rights.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

What’s happening with the 2022 FIFA World Cup?

This week on The Explainer, we're joined by economist and research affiliate with the ESRI John Fitzgerald to look at how inflation is currently impacting our lives. Is it slowing down, and will we feel that in our own finances? How long before it settles down? And is a recession still inevitable?

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

What is happening with inflation and how is it affecting our pockets?

This week, as a bonus episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with reporter Niall Sargent and Dr Patrick Brodie, an assistant professor in UCD researching the environmental politics of digital infrastructure, about the carbon footprint of the sector.

By Noteworthy: Are data centres ramping up Ireland’s emissions?

This week, in an episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with reporter Alice Chambers and Mindy O'Brien, chief executive of environmental charity VOICE, about soft plastic recycling.

By Noteworthy: What happens to your soft plastic recycling?

Debbie Ging, associate professor of Digital Media and Gender in the School of Communication at DCU, joins us on this week's episode to examine influencer Andrew Tate. He is very well known among some users of the internet - and entirely unknown to others. He has been the focus of numerous headlines over the past few months, before the coverage took a sharp turn earlier this month when he was arrested, alongside his brother, in Romania. We explain more about Tate, the 'manosphere' he is part of, and the potential impact of his content.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Who is Andrew Tate?

We're approaching one year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the war shows no end in sight. DCU professor Donnacha Ó Beacháin, an expert in post-Soviet politics, joins us to examine what the next steps could be. Is a peace deal possible? Or even a Ukrainian victory? How long will Western support continue?

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

How could the war in Ukraine end?

This week, as a bonus episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with reporter Niall Sargent about the latest ASSESSING AUTISM investigation which found chronic delays in supports, with children facing multi-year waiting lists for therapy and other vital services.  We also hear from the head of autism studies at University College Cork, Eleanor McSherry about her personal experiences and her anger over a lack of State action for over two decades.

By Noteworthy: Why is it so tough to access autism services?

Chris Stokel-Walker, UK-based tech journalist and author of 'TikTok Boom: China's Dynamite App and the Superpower Race for Social Media', joins us on this week's episode to look at the growing privacy concerns over TikTok. What's behind its popularity; what can we tell about its connections to the Chinese government; and is it using your data any differently from other tech giants?

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Why is there concern over how TikTok is using your data?

As momentum grows behind a debate on neutrality, we're joined by Diarmaid Ferriter, professor of Modern Irish History at UCD, to look at its opaque history in Ireland. He explains how the seeds of the policy can be traced back far beyond the Free State, right back to Wolfe Tone. We also examine the previous attempts to move away from our 'militarily non-aligned status', how the government could approach the current debate, and also asks if the value of remaining a truly neutral state has been lost in the debate.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

What's the story with Ireland's neutrality?

Robbyn Swan, author of Looking for Madeleine and who featured in the Netflix series The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, joins us to examine the recent developments in this long-running missing person case. This month, in what looked to be a significant development, police announced that a reservoir and the surrounding area in Portugal would be searched as part of their new investigations. But what led to this? Are police making progress? Who is the suspect who has been linked to the case?

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

16 years on, what is happening with the Madeleine McCann case?

Dr Austin O Carroll, a GP who specialises in addiction services, speaks to us about nitazine, a potent synthetic opioid suspected to be responsible for a spike in the number of drug overdoses in Dublin recently. He shares how two overdoses occurred in his own clinic, and gives his insights on what Ireland can do to prepare for the arrival of fentanyl.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

What caused dozens of overdoses in Dublin recently?

Dr Scott Walkin, a GP in Co Mayo and the Irish College of General Practitioners’ lead for infection control, explains the impact of low uptake of the MMR vaccine, how sick measles can make you, and shares some crucial advice for parents of young children. So far in Ireland there have been several suspected cases of measles but at the time of recording just one confirmed in 2024.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Why is measles on the rise again?

Fiery appearances before Oireachtas committees are all the rage these days, and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is no stranger to them. What are the latest revelations? What do they say about the future of the FAI? We're joined by Gavin Cooney, sportswriter and podcast host with The 42, to explore why the organisation is making headlines again.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Why was the FAI in front an Oireachtas committee again?

We're joined by our Deputy Editor Christine Bohan and Assistant News Editor Rónán Duffy to look at the shock resignation of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Did it really come out of the blue? And who is best placed to take up the mantel? What will his legacy be?

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

What next for Leo Varadkar, Fine Gael, and Ireland?

Susan Daly talks with Noteworthy's Steven Fox and German reporter Swantje Furtak about the lack of preservation of bogs in Ireland and Germany. These were part of an extensive cross-border investigation with reporters based in Germany and Italy.

Steven focused on actions by two State companies — Coillte and Bord na Móna — and looked at the planting of forestry and development of wind farms on our precious peatland. This comes as Ireland has just been referred by the European Commission to the European Court of Justice over the State’s failure to halt industrial peat extraction.

By Noteworthy: Why are our peatlands still being exploited?

Trans healthcare and a dearth of services for trans people have been in the news lately on the back of a major review of UK services. Assistant News Editor Valerie Flynn joins us to explore its findings - and with the care it needs, as it is vulnerable children at the heart of this healthcare story. What did the report say about treatment options like puberty blockers? What type of overhaul of the services did it recommend? And what does it mean for Ireland?

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

What does a major review tell us about trans healthcare?

We're examining the details of the Dublin Transport Plan to examine its aim and how it will achieve that, as well as the overall reaction. We're joined by Brian Caulfield, transportation professor and Head of the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at Trinity College Dublin, to see what the impacts could be.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

What is the council’s new transport plan for Dublin city?

Over recent years, Europe has seen a rising trend of severe weather - some of which can be linked to climate change. This means an increasing need for authorities to respond to life-threatening situations. That's where the European Union’s Department for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), providing support to countries where a crisis overwhelms the resources available locally by pooling the available help. Two experts join us on this week's episode to examine how.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Climate-related emergencies are on the rise but how are we dealing with them?

The world of US politics has evolved dramatically over the past few weeks, with the latest curveball being the decision by Joe Biden to step down as Democratic candidate in the November's election and endorse his vice president, Kamala Harris. How will Trump and the Republican party respond? Larry Donnelly, a law lecturer at the University of Galway and columnist with The Journal, joins us on this week's episode to examine what the next steps could be.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

With Biden out and Harris in, what will the Republican party’s next move be?

Senator Tom Clonan, a retired army officer who served as a peacekeeper in Lebanon, joins Lauren Boland on this week's episode to share his insights into the group's history, and what recent escalations mean for the situation on the ground.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

What is Hezbollah?

As Ireland takes home what seems to be an ever-growing pile of medals, the Olympics has also been navigating a headline-grabbing controversy in the world of women's boxing. Two boxers were deemed ineligible to box at the World Boxing Championships last year are competing at the Games in Paris. On this week's episode, we're joined by sportswriter with The 42, Gavin Cooney, who is currently covering the Olympics from Paris and has been taking an extensive look at what exactly is going on.


The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

What do we know - and don't know - about the Olympic boxing controversy?

Arts writer and Sunday Times columnist Aoife Barry joins us to explore the world of Kneecap. The bilingual hip hop trio are surging in popularity, changing attitudes towards the Irish language while drawing both praise and consternation (depending on which Northern Irish tradition you talk to) along the way. Now, with the release of their semi-fictional biopic, they're set to make an even bigger mark on the international stage.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Who are Kneecap?

This week, The Journal has published a series of in-depth interviews with a number of victims of convicted paedophile, Michael Shine.  Editor Sinéad O'Carroll joins to explain why they are waiving their anonymity to call for a public inquiry.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

Why are the victims of paedophile Michael Shine speaking out for the first time?

Tech journalist and author Chris Stokel-Walker joins us to examine what's going on with messaging app Telegram and its owner Pavel Durov. Telegram is touted as a secure, privacy-focused app, and while that is appealing to many and useful in countries where free speech is curtailed, it has also led to the platform being used as a base for a range of illegal content and activities. Durov was arrested in connection in France and is now under formal investigation.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

What is Telegram and why was its founder arrested?

To look at what emergencies can tell us about how connected, or not, our healthcare systems are, we're joined on this week's episode of The Explainer by Jean Paul Jemmy, a health expert specialising in nutrition with European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. He has been a humanitarian worker for the last three decades with direct experience in healthcare in conflict-affected areas across the world such as Syria, Iraq, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

What is the reality of health crises in places like Palestine and Sudan?

The numbers alone stopped the country in its tracks this week: 2,395 allegations of sexual abuse of children in schools run by religious orders. 844 alleged abusers. 308 schools. 42 religious orders. A new report revealed stories of abuse across many schools. But how are we back here again? And has enough changed to stop it from happening again? We're joined by Dr Joe Mooney, an assistant professor of social work at University College Dublin who has a specific focus on child protection, and our own News Correspondent Órla Ryan, who is also creator and presenter of the Redacted Lives documentary podcast series, which explored the stories of those who passed through mother and baby homes.

One in Four provides support for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse; you can call 01 662 4070 or email info@oneinfour.ie.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

How is Ireland still uncovering stories of widespread abuse?

The village of Dundrum in Co Tipperary has been the site of protests and division in recent months over the housing of international protection applicants. To look at exactly is happening on the ground — and, after similar incidents elsewhere, what the government can learn from the approach it has taken — we're by our reporter Eoghan Dalton, who has reported extensively from Dundrum in recent months.

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

What can be learned from the government's handling of an IPAS centre in Tipperary?

The 42's Gavin Cooney joins us to examine where it all went wrong for Casement Park. The redevelopment of one of Northern Ireland's largest stadiums was on the table until the UK government pulled the plug on promised funding. Will Northern Ireland still have a role when the UK and Ireland host the Euros in 2028? And is there still hope for those who want to see the stadium returned to its former glory?

The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/

How did the plan to redevelop Casement Park fall apart?

On this week's podcast, we look at chemsex: what is it, what accounts for its rise in popularity in Ireland, and what is its connection to the drug GHB? 

To find out more, we speak to the experts: Dr Kiran Santlal, registrar in psychiatry of substance misuse at the National Drug Treatment Centre (NDTC) and Graham Ryall, treatment services coordinator at the Rialto Community Drug Team. They join our reporter Órla Ryan, who has been writing about chemsex, and presenter Sinéad O'Carroll to discuss the topic.

Why is chemsex in the news in Ireland and the UK?

The Explainer is a weekly podcast from The Journal that takes a deeper look at one big news story you need to know about. What's the background?  Why is this in the news?  Get the facts behind the story from Ireland's biggest news website.

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