The Healy-Rae political empire has dominated Kerry for decades, but disagreement over support for the government has exposed cracks within the family. This week, we examine the fallout and whether the famous Healy-Rae brand can survive intact. We also discuss Holly Cairns' growing popularity, the good news around her expanding family and what the Social Democrats' momentum could mean for Irish politics.

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A “just delighted” Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats is racing ahead in the Dublin Central by-election, leaving rival candidates from heavyweight parties in the dust.

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A historic day for the Social Democrats proved to be a difficult one for both Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil as Mary Lou McDonald and Micheál Martin lost momentum.

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Meanwhile, events in Galway West have been considerably tighter, with a final result not expected until lunchtime on Sunday.

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As it stands - at least at the time of recording this podcast - Noel Thomas of Independent Ireland is leading the charge, with Fine Gael’s Seán Kyne trailing slightly behind.

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So, what does it all mean?

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Micheál Martin may be putting on a brave face, but he faces a tricky forecast.

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Mary Lou McDonald says there’s no threat to her leadership, but how damaging is this latest election loss under her watch?

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Did the novelty of Gerry Hutch wear off in the end?

And are the Greens back in business?

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It's all up for discussion on this edition of Indo Politics as host Cónal Thomas hears from Irish Independent political editor Mary Regan in Galway, and from Irish Independent political reporter Aisling Moloney in Dublin.

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We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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It has been strongly indicated that fuel supports will be a major factor in this year’s Budget, while we’ve recently learnt that Ireland’s electricity costs are way above the European average. Elsewhere, by-election buzz is building as polls mark the way, and Gerry Hutch stands accused of evoking Donald Trump as he finally outlines his policies.

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Host: Fionnán Sheahan

Guest: Conál Thomas

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Another not-so-quiet week in politics brought us Leo Varadkar’s apologetic climbdown and rumours of in-fighting among the Healy-Rae family, but Catherine Connolly raised tensions as she put pen to paper on the International Protection Bill. Despite signing the bill into law, the President retains concerns about its nature. Are the constraints of her new office beginning to cause problems?

Host: Mary Regan

Guest: Cónal Thomas

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