Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

· As Paschal Donohoe departs for pastures new at the World Bank, will his absence weaken Government? And does Simon Harris possess the right skillset for the role of Minister for Finance? It might not matter if the qualified doctors who have run the Department of Health are anything to go by.

· Paschal leaving has led to a Cabinet reshuffle with Fine Gael deputy leader Helen McEntee becoming the first woman to serve as the Minister responsible for both foreign affairs and defence. She will inherit many issues in need of urgent attention, not least the progression of the Occupied Territories Bill.

· And the Oireachtas transport committee was told on Wednesday that Dublin’s planned MetroLink will need about 8,000 workers for its construction. Speaking to RTÉ radio, transportation expert Brian Caulfield suggested that “something like an Olympic village” would be necessary to house workers on the project.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

· Emerson Newton on how the Left are agitating for a border poll when conditions are far from ideal, and Diarmaid Ferriter on why authenticity matters more than spin in politics.

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In his final interview as an Irish politician before leaving for a new role at the World Bank, Paschal Donohoe talks to Hugh and Pat about his decision to leave politics and his record as Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure, both roles he has held since 2016. The wide-ranging discussion looks at:

• The circumstances that have led to Donohoe's departure, including his decision to run again in the 2025 election
• The area "we have really not done well enough" in during his tenure
• The pressure Donohoe faced from other ministers to increase spending
• Fine Gael's shrinking number of Dáil seats and the future of the party
• Why he never wanted to become taoiseach

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After 14 years in Dáil Éireann and a decade in ministerial office, Fine Gael's Paschal Donohoe today announced his resignation. He leaves to take up a senior role at the World Bank in Washington, D.C.

Why did Paschal Donohoe decide to go now, and where is he going?

How important and consequential was Donohoe, as a politician and a minister? And just how prudent was 'Prudent Paschal'?

Where does the move leave Fine Gael and the Government?

They also look at the 'mini-reshuffle' precipitated by Donohoe's departure, including Tánaiste Simon Harris's move to take over in the Department of Finance.

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