Fianna Fáil: In Our Own Words

Behind Closed Doors: How Technology is Helping Identify and Tackle Coercive Control

In this episode, Fianna Fáil Senator for Kildare South Fiona O'Loughlin is joined by Sorcha McAnespy for a powerful and honest conversation about coercive control.
 
Sorcha has developed Fig, a trauma-informed digital safety app which offers support to people experiencing coercive control.
 
The platform helps individuals recognise patterns of abuse early, identify and document behaviour safely and access support discreetly.
 
The focus of this podcast is simple, to raise awareness, reduce stigma and start real conversations about toxic and unacceptable behaviour in relationships.
 
Together, Fiona and Sorcha talk about the reality of coercive control, why it can be so hard to spot and why education and early intervention are key.
 
They examine how technology and policy can work hand in hand to prevent harm before crisis point.
 
This episode shines a light on hidden abuse, empowering people with knowledge and making sure no one feels alone or unsure about what they’re experiencing.

No Ifs, No Buts: Delivering Real Progress in Special Education

In this episode of Fianna Fáil : In Our Own Words Minister for Special Education Michael Moynihan joins Deputy Catherine Ardagh and Deputy Pádraig O’Sullivan to discuss the critical importance of delivering inclusive education for children with additional needs across public and private schools.
 
Minister Moynihan vows that every school "no ifs or buts" regardless of where it is in the country, whether primary or post-primary has an obligation to ensure children with additional needs are properly accommodated. Inclusion is not optional. It requires continued expansion of special classes, increased school places, investment in special schools and a shared commitment from everyone around the table to make it happen.
 
The episode focuses on the first phased rollout of the new Education Therapy Services, with 45 special schools set to benefit from in-school speech and language therapy and occupational therapy supports very soon.
 
By embedding therapists directly within school communities, this initiative will provide more timely, joined-up supports for children right where they learn every day.
 
The discussion also highlights the third phase of special classes being approved for the 2026–2027 school year. A further 38 special classes across 17 counties have been sanctioned, bringing the total number approved so far this year to 301, with additional decisions expected in the weeks ahead.
 
This rollout represents a clear Programme for Government commitment being delivered, strengthening inclusion in schools, supporting families and educators and ensuring children can access the services they need without unnecessary delay.
 
With further expansion planned throughout 2026 and beyond, this episode outlines how continued investment and collaboration will help build a more inclusive education system for every child.
 
Fianna Fáil is committed to delivering real progress in special education ensuring every child gets the support they need to thrive.

Speaking Up on Breast Cancer: Survival, Stigma and Science

This week on Fianna Fáil: In Our Own Words, Senator Teresa Costello, herself a breast cancer survivor, marks World Cancer Day with an open and honest discussion alongside her friend Nicola Guirenne and Aisling Hurley, CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland.
Teresa and Nicola speak candidly about their shared journey through treatment, how their cancer diagnosis has impacted their lives and living with the ongoing fear of recurrence.
Aisling highlights the importance of the triple assessment, particularly for younger women. She notes that 24% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are now under the age of 50 and that the disease can be more aggressive in younger patients.
The conversation also explores World Cancer Day, advances in imaging, the growing role of AI in detecting early-stage breast cancer sooner while stressing that skilled radiographers and clinicians remain central to care.

Effectual Control: Exposing the Reality of Dog Attacks on Sheep.

In this episode of Fianna Fáil:In Our Own Words, Senator Paul Daly speaks with County Monaghan father and daughter Eamonn and Niamh Monahan who he hosted in Leinster House so they could present the results of their survey on sheep attacks.
Dog attacks on livestock have become a devastating and far more common reality for sheep farmers across Ireland. According to their research 73% of farmers reporting attacks on their flocks, an average of 18 sheep killed per incident and more than three‑quarters do not receive compensation.
Eamonn and Niamh, have a family farm in Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan and have endured four dog attacks in just five years.
Last year they lost four pedigree in‑lamb ewes, a pedigree ram and nine unborn lambs in an attack.
They launched a national survey and are elevating the voices of affected farmers across the country. They are calling for urgent change to protect livestock, livelihoods, and rural communities.
This episode is a powerful reminder that responsible dog ownership isn’t just about loving animals, it’s about effectual control and shared responsibility.

Why Our Built and Natural Heritage Matters

In this episode of Fianna Fáil: In Our Own Words, we’re talking about the buildings that tell Ireland’s story and the practical steps being taken to protect them. 
From churches and libraries to windmills, observatories and thatched homes nearly 700 historic buildings are receiving over €8 million in conservation funding in 2026.
Seanad Spokesperson on Heritage Senator Mary Fitzpatrick sits down with Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD on the day he announced this funding, to chat about why built heritage matters
They talk about how the Built Heritage Investment Scheme works and what it means for communities right across the country. It including €1.1 million specifically for thatched buildings.
When asked what heritage meant to him Minister O’Sullivan said it was once described to him as  Inherited knowledge. 
"So I thought that was an interesting definition but I would have always thought, and I think if you ask most people on the street what it means, they would they would consider a heritage built heritage.
"So those old buildings, old castles, old churches and ecclesiastical buildings, dotted around country, and we have such a wealth of that. It's extraordinary."
This is a relaxed, informative conversation on Fianna Fáil's commitment to funding restoration, supporting traditional skills and making sure Ireland’s built heritage is protected, used and valued for generations to come.

Action on Housing: From Plan to Delivery

In this episode Deputy Catherine Ardagh speaks with Minister for Housing James Browne TD and the party’s housing spokesperson Deputy Seamus McGrath about the Government’s Housing plan Delivering Homes, Building Communities. They outline and examine the work being done to achieve delivery of 300,000 new homes by 2030, including 72,000 social homes and 90,000 affordable supports.
 
Fresh from his first call for projects for the €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund, Minister Browne explains how the new Housing Activation Office is a pivotal part of how we are going to activate and unlock shovel-ready housing projects across the country.
 
They discuss needs in their local constituencies and how Government is activating land, delivering key infrastructure, adopting modern construction methods and creating the conditions for private and public sector delivery to accelerate housing at scale.
 
This is an informative and must-listen episode, an in-depth conversation focusing on how Fianna Fáil in Government is turning policy into real homes.
 

The Digital Safety Gap: Protecting Our Children Online

In this episode of Fianna Fáil: In Our Own Words, Senator Anne Rabbitte and Deputy Chap Cleere are joined by world-renowned cyberpsychologist and author of The Cyber Effect, Dr. Mary Aiken, to dive deep into the findings of the Fianna Fáil Online Safety Survey.
The discussion explores the hidden pressures of "social reciprocity"—the constant digital weight of likes and unanswered messages that keeps a generation of children "always on" and sleep-deprived. Dr. Aiken explains why sleep deprivation is the common thread linking anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem in youth today.
The panel also offers vital advice for parents: why confiscating a device can feel like "taking a limb" and may unintentionally isolate a child from their entire support network during a crisis. Instead of digital isolation, the conversation suggests constructive discipline and highlights the ongoing work Fianna Fáil is doing in Government to hold platforms to account and strengthen online safety across Ireland.

Preventing Illness, Promoting Health: Fianna Fáil, the party of preventative healthcare

In this episode of Fianna Fáil: In Our Own Words, Albert Dolan TD and Malcolm Byrne TD are joined by Darina Dunne, Chairperson of the Irish Physical Activity Alliance, to discuss the urgent need to shift from reactive healthcare to prevention-first policy.
With life expectancy in Ireland now at 83 – and rising – the conversation explores how longer lives must also mean healthier lives. From the growing importance of physical activity and strength at every age, to tackling osteoporosis and preventing fragility fractures, our guests challenge the myth that ageing inevitably means decline.
They discuss dementia, cardiovascular health, a tax rebate on gym membership while  examining how smart investment in preventative healthcare can deliver better outcomes for individuals, reduce pressure on the health system and help ensure that future generations can remain active, independent, and well throughout their lives

The Irish language. How can we help it flourish?

In this episode we discuss how the Irish language is taught in our schools, what changes can be made to improve the curriculum and the emphasis on spoken Irish over written Irish in the Leaving Cert. We also talk about how we all have more Irish than we realise and we should be practising our native language at home, with friends and in our daily routines.Senator Shane Curley is joined by Meghan Scully, Broadcaster & Author as well as Shane Moynihan TD.

Tackling Vacancy & Dereliction

In this episode of Fianna Fáil:In Our Own Words, we examine how tackling vacancy and dereliction can deliver homes faster and strengthen communities, as set out in the Government’s Delivering Homes programme.
Fianna Fáil Housing Spokesperson Séamus McGrath TD is joined by Marion Jammet, Director of Policy and Advocacy  with the Irish Green Building Council, to discuss the scale of vacant and derelict properties across Ireland and how new measures under Delivering Homes are designed to bring these homes back into use.
The discussion covers expanded Croí Cónaithe supports, including the Vacant Above the Shop Grant, which is helping to unlock homes in town and city centres by supporting the conversion of unused space over shops into much-needed housing. It also looks at stronger powers for local authorities to acquire long-term vacant properties, the use of compulsory purchase where necessary, and a renewed focus on town and village renewal.
The episode explores how sustainable retrofit and the reuse of existing buildings can deliver homes more quickly, cut emissions, and make better use of existing infrastructure.
Together, they outline how Fianna Fáil’s approach is focused on turning empty buildings into homes, cutting red tape, supporting homeowners and communities, and ensuring vacancy and dereliction are central to increasing housing supply under Delivering Homes.