Podcasts

The Last Word with Matt Cooper

On Ireland's most cutting edge current affairs show, Matt and his guests provide a running stream of intelligent opinions and heated debates on the issues that matter most to Irish listeners. You might not always agree, but you'll never want to miss a Word.

Latest episodes

The Last Word On The US: Trump And Musk Feud Reignites Over 'Big, Beautiful Bill'

4 hours ago - 18 mins

The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Conor McGregor Withdraws Application To Introduce New Evidence In Appeal

5 hours ago - 13 mins

The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Meath, Kerry, Donegal And Tyrone Advance To The All-Ireland Gaelic Football Semi-Finals

a day ago - 24 mins

The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Last Word On Travel: Dubrovnik

a day ago - 11 mins

The Last Word with Matt Cooper

BBC Says It Regrets Not Cutting Live Stream Of Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury Set

a day ago - 10 mins

The Last Word with Matt Cooper

The Week Trending: The Rise Of Mamdani, The €48m Bezos Wedding & Will The BBC Show Kneecap At Glastonbury?

4 days ago - 26 mins

The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Behind Bars - Restorative Justice And Alternatives To Prison

In the final part of our series on Irish prisons, we looked at the issue of restorative justice and alternatives to prison. How many prisoners could be safely dealt with by non-custodial means, such as community service, thereby reserving prison for the most serious offenders? Should prison be considered a last resort? Are shorter sentences costing the state too much? And can every offender be rehabilitated? These were some of the questions put to Fíona Ní Chinnéide, executive director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust, Ian Marder, lecturer in criminology at Maynooth University, and Mark Kennedy, Head of Recovery Services at the Merchant's Quay Project. Listen to the interview in full by pressing the play button on this page.