Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray join Hugh for our weekly Irish politics wrap:

• Did Taoiseach Micheál Martin call Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald a liar, in breach of arcane Dáil rules? Our panel of lapsed Gaeilgeoirí struggle to analyse the linguistic nuances of what Martin said, but identify an underlying political attitude.

• Minister for the Arts Patrick O'Donovan this week kitchen-sinked the news that the Arts Council wasted millions on an IT system that didn't work. The story adds to a perception of wastefulness in public spending, but could be an opportunity for the new Minister to prove himself.

• Housing became the other big issue of the week when the Taoiseach hinted at changes to the system of rent pressure zones. The pressure is on Martin to deliver on housing before he hands back over to Simon Harris - can he make a dent?

Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, on P.G. Wodehouse, the art of mingling and what happens when power goes to a leader's head.

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Hugh is joined by political editor Pat Leahy and Brendan O’Leary from the University of Pennsylvania to discuss the latest findings from the North and South project, a study that explores attitudes to a possible future united Ireland.

They discuss recent trends in public opinion regarding Irish reunification, the demographic shifts influencing the movement, and the prospects for planning and compromise in the face of potential unity.

The conversation also covers the varying attitudes between Northern and Southern Ireland on significant issues like NATO and Commonwealth membership, and examines the long-term implications of these societal and political changes.

The North and South series is a collaboration between The Irish Times and ARINS (Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South), a joint research project of the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) and the Keough-Naughton Centre for Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame.

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It is just three weeks since Donald Trump was inaugurated but his impact has been huge. A flurry of executive orders and aggressive actions is already reshaping American life.

On today's podcast Hugh discusses the Trump presidency with conservative commentator Michael Brendan Dougherty.

The conversation covers Dougherty's evolving views on Trump, the impact of Trump's executive orders, and the ideological shifts within American conservatism.

They explore Trump's unpredictable political strategies, the tension within the Republican Party and the challenges facing the Democratic Party in regaining lost constituencies.

Michael Brendan Dougherty is a writer for National Review and the author of My Father Left Me Ireland.

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