What to expect from Aughinish Alumina report and the call to ban e-scooters

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Both Micheál Martin and Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly made their feelings known on e-scooters this week. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien / The Irish Times
Both Micheál Martin and Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly made their feelings known on e-scooters this week. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien / The Irish Times

Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

  • The Government’s report into Aughinish Alumina is expected to say that material produced there may or may not have been used in Russia’s war machine, citing a lack of evidence either way. Half of the alumina produced in the plant in the first quarter of this year went to Russia, up from 43 per cent last year. Will the Limerick plant’s days be numbered eventually?
  • The high cost of deportation flights was laid out in figures supplied by the Department of Justice to the Public Accounts Committee. They showed that the State paid more than €1 million for a single deportation flight when returning 42 adults and children from Ireland to South Africa in June.
  • Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan shows no sign of backing down in the row over legal aid solicitor fees. Now more than 100 solicitors have made it known that they intend to resign from the criminal legal aid panel, with solicitors continuing to refuse to provide advice to suspects detained for questioning in Garda stations.
  • And it is goodbye to Keir Starmer as the UK prime minister defended his record and offered his support to Andy Burnham who succeeds him as Labour party leader.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

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