Peter Mandelson has weathered scandal before — but this time the reaction has been visceral. His resignation from the House of Lords follows intense public anger over revelations about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender whose crimes continue to reverberate through global politics.

Allegations that Mandelson shared sensitive information, lobbied on Epstein’s behalf, and accepted financial support connected to Epstein have triggered fierce scrutiny. UK prime minister Keir Starmer has referred elements of the case to British police, while honours and privileges linked to Mandelson are being withdrawn, amid growing pressure that this is not just about judgment but accountability.

With Epstein’s victims never far from the public mind, questions of power, access and moral blind spots are unavoidable. Guardian policy editor Kiran Stacey joins Ciara Doherty to examine why this scandal has cut deeper than the rest — and whether the ultimate survivor of British politics has finally run out of road.

The future of Ireland’s Triple Lock is moving from political argument to legislative reality. Following a Cabinet decision last week, the Government is preparing to bring the Defence Amendment Bill before the Oireachtas — setting up one of the most consequential debates about Irish neutrality in decades.

The Triple Lock currently requires Government approval, a Dáil vote, and a UN mandate before Irish troops can be deployed overseas. Ministers argue the UN Security Council is increasingly paralysed, making the system unworkable in a world of rising global tensions. Critics say removing the UN element would quietly weaken neutrality and lower the threshold for overseas military involvement.

On today’s Newstalk Daily, Ciara Doherty is joined by John O’Brennan, Professor of European Politics at Maynooth University, and Niamh Ní Bhriain from the Transnational Institute. They debate whether this is a technical reform or a fundamental shift in Ireland’s foreign and defence policy.

Have your say by emailing newstalkdaily@newstalk.com.

It’s one of Ireland’s most baffling missing persons cases.

And it’s in the news again with Gardai confirming that they now believe the couple in question never left the country despite numerous reported sightings abroad.

So what really happened to Conor and Sheila Dwyer?

And what, if anything, has a renewed investigation uncovered?

Ciara is joined by Southern correspondent with the Irish Independent, Ralph Riegel