Thursday, April 1st

Anglo

Yesterday in the Dail, Taoiseach Brian Cowen was in the firing line over the government’s decision to save Anglo Irish Bank on that fateful night in Aeptember ’08. The Taoiseach reacted angrily to Eamonn Gilmore’s accusations of economic treason.

And it wasn’t just labour putting the pressure on Mr Cowen. Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny wanted to focus on the relationship Brian Cowen had with the board of Anglo Irish Bank when he was the minister for finance, forcing him to defend once again his government’s handling of the banking crisis. Just today on Morning Ireland, Colm McCarthy described Anglo Irish Bank as a “spectacular failure” and “one of the biggest banking collapses in a developed country”. So, should the bank have been allowed to collapse and given the 12 billion loss which was announced yesterday should government policy on anglo change?

Joining Myles was Billy Kelleher, Minster of State at Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Kieran O Donnell, Fine Gael’s deputy finance spokesman.

Mitchel Scholarships

€20 million euro may seem like a trifling amount when compared with the economic black hole that the country's in right now.

But the Oireachtas recently approved legislation that will see taxpayers pay out a maximum of €20 million euro over five years to support a scheme bringing 12 American students on post graduate scholarships to Ireland on an annual basis.

The backers of the scheme believe that it is a solid investment in the future and that educational links will foster relations between the U.S. and Ireland.

Also that it is honouring the extraordinary work of Senator George Mitchell and the Northern peace process. But does it represent value for taxpayers’ money in these recessionary times?

Our reporter Valerie Cox joined Myles

Innovation Taskforce

Earlier this month the Taoiseach launched the report on the Innovation Taskforce which said that up to 250,000 jobs in all sectors could be created through increased innovation. Lauded by some as the way forward, criticised by others as a flight of fancy, its aim is nothing if not ambitious.

The report said Ireland is different from many other countries because it has a lot of multinational firms operating in a small area. It says greater co-operation and openness on the part of Government could help encourage such activity and give us a unique edge. But will it work?

Chris Horn is a co-founder and former chief executive of Iona Technologies and a member of the government’s Innovation Taskforce. Michael Hennigan is founder and editor of the financial website Finfacts and both joined Myles this morning.

Cowboys Full. The Story of Poker.

Author: James McManus

Early in 2000 James McManus a writer, poet and journalist accepted an assignment from Harper’s Magazine to cover the 2000 World Series of Poker. A keen poker player he used a satellite (qualifying tournament) to gain entry into the main event which included all the “greats” of the game. He finished fifth in the $10,000 tournament. He told the whole story in “Positively Fifth Street” which was published in 2003. Since then his writing about poker has been limited to newspapers and magazines. His last book looked at the American Health Care System and was published in 2006. Now he has returned to his great passion poker with “Cowboys full: The Story of Poker”. It’s the story of poker from its roots in China, until Americans took what was a French parlour game and turned it into a national craze by the time of the American Civil War. Although since then poker has been inextricably linked with America, it is now played and enjoyed all over the world.

James McManus joined Myles to tell us more

Dog Registration

There is tension between Fianna Fail and the Green party on a range of issues at the moment. Some of the Fianna Fail backbenchers have reservations about certain aspects of Green party policy. It has led to Coalition tensions which could worsen in the next while. The latest controversy centres around the Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009, which Green Minister for the Environment John Gormley has been addressing in the Seanad.

Michael O’Regan – Parliamentary Correspondent with the Irish Times joined Myles.

Happy April 1st by the way

Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth? Demography and Politics in the Twenty-First Century

Author: Eric Kaufmann
Published by: Profile Books

The last decade and indeed history itself has been marred with atrocities acted out in the name of religion. Terrorism in the name of fundamentalism. According to my next guest, we have embarked on a particularly turbulent phase of history in which the frailty of secular liberalism will become ever more apparent.
In his latest book Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?- Demography and Politics in the Twenty-First Century he argues that this trend is only set to get worse as what no one has noticed is that far from declining, religious populations are actually multiplying against declining secular populations.
Eric Kaufmann, joined Myles in studio today

Maria Doyle Kennedy

Our music guest this morning was actor, singer and songwriter Maria Doyle Kennedy. She was joined by her husband Kieran Kennedy on guitar.