WITH THE ELECTION widely expected to be called at the end of this week, Taoiseach Simon Harris looks to be in full campaign mode as he joins the 2 Johnnies on their podcast today. 

In the latest episode of the hugely popular Spotify show, the 2 Johnnies were visited in studio by Taoiseach Simon Harris, with the trio discussing the housing crisis, the high level of young people emigrating to Australia and immigration levels in Ireland.

Harris is widely expected to visit Áras an Uachtaráin this Thursday to dissolve the Dáil and kick-start a 3-week general election campaign, with voters expected to go to the polls on Friday 29 November. 

Although the firing gun hasn’t officially sounded yet, Harris and the leaders of other political parties have for the last number of weeks been out on the doors campaigning for their parties. 

Harris looks to have gotten a jump on the competition with his appearance on the 2 Johnnies podcast, with Johnny Smacks prefacing the interview by saying: “We don’t usually talk politics on this podcast but the opportunity to talk to the political leader of our home country Ireland has come our way and we just can’t pass it up.” 

The Taoiseach spoke of the need to attract young Irish people back to Ireland by building more houses and said he understands that many people have emigrated because they feel like they can’t buy a home. 

During a discussion on rural services and immigration, Johnny B told the Taoiseach that it feels like local communities are not being consulted when it comes to the location of international protection accommodation centres, arguing that “it feels like we would have no veto”.

The Taoiseach said in response: “So look, I think no one can have a veto, right? No one gets a veto as to who lives next door to them.

“No one asked my next door neighbour was it okay for me to live beside them, but I do think there has to be better engagement with a community and we need to show communities what process do we actually go through when we are considering opening a new facility.”

“Is there a number that’s too many?,” Johnny Smacks then asked. 

“Is there a point when as a government you turn around and say services are overflowing, we’re swamped?”

“So we’re not. We’re not swamped, we’re not ‘full’ or anything like that, I know you haven’t used that language… the population has grown but the challenge here isn’t that, the challenge is we need to be much more organised.

“The challenge is to have a much fairer system,” Harris said, adding that Ireland’s international protection system needs to move from an emergency response to a more organised one. 

Elsewhere, Harris said despite the role of Taoiseach being difficult he “loves it” and “gets energy from meeting people across the country”. 

During a quick fire round of questions he also revealed that the music he listens to is Oasis (wonderwall) and Coldplay; he would rather go for a pint with the Healy-Raes than Mattie McGrath; his favourite biscuit is a custard cream; and his hobbies are walking, podcasts, following rugby, and hanging out with his family and friends.