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TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS was sent a lengthy list of 23 pre-interview questions ahead of an appearance on the 2 Johnnies podcast, despite government officials denying such a list had been received.
The advance outline was sent to one of Harris’ advisers ahead of the Taoiseach’s appearance on the podcast in November, just days before the general election was called.
The interview was to be separated into two parts covering the ‘personal’ and the ‘general’, according to an email released under Freedom of Information laws.
The Department of the Taoiseach at first said no records of the podcast existed, and the outline of questions was only released following a request for internal review.
During the episode of the hugely popular Spotify show, the 2 Johnnies were visited in studio by Harris, with the trio discussing the housing crisis, the high level of young people emigrating to Australia and immigration levels in Ireland.
In promotional posts on social media, Johnny B and Johnny Smacks described the episode as “the interview the nation didn’t know it needed”.
The podcast reguarly tops Irish charts, with an average of 750,000 weekly listeners, according to the digital audio marketplace Audio One.
The lengthy list of interview questions were sent in advance to former Irish Examiner journalist and government press secretary Ciara Phelan.
Many of the questions made it in to the official interview, which aired on 4 November 2024.
The ‘personal’ set of questions included such queries as: “When you become Taoiseach, can you have a personal life?”
This was followed by questions about Harris’ family, such as: “Do you still do housework now you’re leader of a country? Who’s harder to deal with, the kids or the Healy-Raes.”
A list of questions provided to Taoiseach Simon Harris ahead of his pre-election appearance on the 2 Johnnies podcast
— Ken Foxe (@kenfoxe) January 16, 2025
"Who's harder to deal with, the kids or the Healy-Raes?"
"Do you still do housework?"
Department of the Taoiseach originally claimed no such document existed. pic.twitter.com/KVwf7rvvxC
As well as broad questions about his sporting and music interests, the Taoiseach was also briefed to expect a question on whether he listened to the 2 Johnnies podcast.
Other items in the outline included: “Do people wreck your head when you’re out an about? Do you have to have security with ya all the time? What do you think of the newspapers?”
The ‘general’ section dipped into more controversial topics including immigration.
A suggested question was: “Johnny Smacks is from Roscrea, thoughts on the situation there? Closing the town’s only hotel to accommodate refugees.
In the episode, Harris said in response that “no one gets a veto as to who lives next door to them”.
Other ‘general’ questions sent in advance to Harris covered the lack of housing, emigration, and rural Ireland.
“Is there an urban-rural disconnect? Why do you think so many young Irish people are going to Australia? Yer plan to get them back,” said one question.
“Housing? Many young working couples are not able to afford to buy or build. Conditions for young nurses and guards.”
The Taoiseach was told of a possible question over ‘catfishing’ including the notorious case where somebody online tried to dupe one of the podcast hosts as well as high-profile GAA players.
“Will we see any changes to the rules of social media?” the interview outline said. “Your own approach to social media? Is it important as a way to communicate.”
The brief said there would likely be a question on whether “we’ll ever see a 32 county Ireland” and one on the Taoiseach’s biggest challenges and ambitions.
Just wear a mask it’s not hard ffs
@bmul: Just get a throat air filter… It’s not that hard
@Franky Jefferson: what?
@bmul: try wearing a mask for a 10 hour shift , its not pleasant
@Paul O’Brien: I’ve been doing it for 12 hour shifts on building sites. A college lecture is less than an hour. Also, not that hard.
@Paul O’Brien: I do
@Paul O’Brien: I do also
@Franky Jefferson: Is being crazy something you affect, or just part of who you are?
@JC: college lectures can be between 2 and 4 hours long actually!
@Paul O’Brien: eh that’s not what these students have to do and I already wear one for 7-8 hours a day. Sucks but…ya know…pandemic.
@Ashling Fenton: plenty shorter than that and they build in mask breaks.
@Graham Manning: our lecturers are all 3 hours long and no issues so far with people keeping masks on. Lecturers are allowed remove their mask as long as 2m distance from class and not moving about room.
@Paul O’Brien: I wear them for 12 hour shifts
@Rebecca Owens: yup. Ours are 9-5 and zero issues.
Wish the shops & shopping centers and supermarket would do the same
@Liam Mc Meel: so sad
@Paul Gorry: The end did come for 30 people in Ireland in the past week because of Covid. It’s people like you and Hugo Bugo need to get over yourselves and stop being so utterly self consumed and selfish.
@Hugo Bugo: Oh no you are? It’s good to share though. What has you down pal?
@Paul Gorry: I’m sure the family and friends of the 30 people killed by Covid announced over the past week really appreciate you and Hugo Bugo laughing at them and mocking them with “so sad” and “the end is nigh”, fair play. Two horrible, horrible scrotes ye are.
First day back in college last week, my son went for lunch in the canteen with a few friends. Two Covid stewards pestered them throughout their meal telling them they had to wear their masks……while eating at the table!
@Ian McDonald: were they stewards with the yellow Hi viz vests?There the worst.
@Ian McDonald: some people have actually stopped using their brains. It is very disheartening.
@Ian McDonald: It wouldn’t be the first time a son hasn’t given the full story
@Mickety Dee: Indeed, sure isn’t he there to learn? If he knows better, he may as well publish his knowledge and they can award him his degree and be done with him.
Well it seems to me that the vast majority of students will do whatever it takes to get back to campus! I’m not sure what this virtue signalling is about! The queues for vaccinations by the young was a testament to that! A better question would be why some colleges including Trinity are not bringing back all students? My daughter who is a 2nd year BioMed student in Trinity will have to continue to have online lectures for the foreseeable future! The only reason it seems, is they couldn’t be bothered to organise the lectures properly.
@John O’Brien: they weren’t so great at organising lectures before covid either. Long tradition of getting students to sprint from one end of campus to the other due to the timetabled location of the lecture, double-booking lecture halls, and in some cases expecting students on electives to be in two places at once.
Global pandemic, and people complaining about wearing a mask , it’s called doing your little bit even if it’s a small gesture like wearing a mask before and after eating and a small bit of social distancing, a thousand years ago you wouldn’t be allowed out of your house at pain of death ,if you don’t stay home we shouldn’t need stewards collective responsibility,
So how about a student who has had Covid,has a recovery cert and has since been vaccinated
@Ann Harman: what is so difficult to understand Ann? Everyone needs to wear a mask at university. It’s that simple.
@JustMeHere: why? if recovered or vaccinated
@alan nolan: masks are required for secondary school pupils who have been fully vaccinated. Why would universities be treated any different?
@Franky Jefferson: Every single person at the top of society does this ? How do you know this ? Sounds to me like you have a grudge against successful people, and to mask your own inadequacies you just make stuff up about them.
@Tommy Roche: just because you’re at the top of society doesn’t mean your successful.
@Ann Harman: They can apply for an exception, if they get 1 great if not tough.
Its time people realised that if they don’t obey the rules then there are consequences.
@alan nolan: Because this will never be allowed to end. Just absolute control of our lives in the name of fear.
@Craig Ledbetter: lol. What’s with the drama. God love ye. You’re asked to wear a mask to save lives during a pandemic and you feel it’s the ultimate course of action in controlling you. You really need to get a life.
@Craig Ledbetter: control of our lives, would you get a grip. It’s a piece of fabric on your face. Try North Korea or Afghanistan for control of your life drama queen!
@Craig Ledbetter: the ones who talk about fear tend to be the anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers who attribute their own emotions to people who are just getting on with their lives. Wear a mask and live your life, nobody is trying to control you.
@Ann Harman: do you expect lecturers to check everyone’s vaccination status to see if they should wear a mask or not? It’s really not that big a deal to wear a mask for lectures
@Ann Harman: It’s airborne. Anyone in a group who can breathe it in, can breathe out again. They’re all right but they could be incubating the virus and why add to the viral load of others?
My daughter is attending UL and some lecturer’s actually have told the students to remove their masks while in the halls,. My daughter was furious about this and lack of social distancing
@Hugh Mc Donnell: did she or you report it?
Call security immediately
@Susan McMahon: Why stop there? Maybe they should be publicly flogged. Maybe they should have their names and addresses printed in national media.
Or instead of all that, maybe people should drop the anxiety, realise the whole mask thing is basically theatre at this stage, acknowledge the fact that we have 90% of those eligible vaccinated and put our trust in the vaccine.
This sounds to me as if people are not trusting the vaccines.
@JedBartlett: Publicly flogged? What are you on. Sore head this morning jed?
@Bill Spill: Do you understand what sarcasm is, Bill? Grab a coffee there and try again.
@JedBartlett: Had to tell with you jed! You’re a bit cuckoo to be fair…
Why would this be written in a way that makes it sound like a world-wide news outlet? Would you not just say “UCC” and be done with it? Why say “an Irish University?” I know it is slightly pedantic but know your audience….
@Seeking Truth: copy and paste????
@Jim Buckley Barrett: surely The Journal can do better than that!! Sad times when an article about your own country is written in the 3rd person.
Wear mask or leave/don’t come in. That simple. Proper order to call security if needed. Selfish tw@ts
Fair enough. Why should everyone else have to leave the room because some clown is too vain to wear a mask? Eighty years ago even children carried gas masks around against mustard gas release. Nothing wrong with protecting your lungs with light, convenient filters.
Security lol
Universities …get on with it fgs.
How about enforcing medical and FFP2 masks… incidence rate would be way lower.
Fair enough if colleges distribute a supply for the many students who can’t afford to buy a monthly supply.
Call security immediately
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