Lunchtime Live

Irish doctors have called for “prioritisation” of further e-scooter regulations after a new study found there was a year-on-year increase in injuries related to the motorized vehicles.These injuries are creating a “growing challenge to healthcare”.Should there be more rules and regulations imposed on these e-scooters, or should they simply be banned from Irish roads completely?Andrea is joined by Colin Baker from Back from the Future IT Support, Cian Ginty Editor of Irish Cycle, Dr Mick Molloy and listeners.

We are less than 48 hours away from runners taking to the start line for the 2025 Dublin Marathon.For many, it will be their first time running in the marathon.Andrea is joined by some of them taking it on, Orla Carney, Producer on The Last Word on Today FM, Broadcaster Mairead Ronan, Stephen Robotham, who is running on behalf of Irish Kidney Association and Running Coach Wes O’Brien!

From a lack of Holy Water to a gigantic Limerick pumpkin, Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea Gilligan with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

A new EU pay directive, set to come in next June, would see greater transparency on job listings, aim to help reduce the gender pay gap and allow employees the right to enquire about the salaries of co-workers with similar duties.So, would you welcome this? Would you like to know what your colleagues earn, and would having the salary figure up front encourage you to be more honest in your job search?Joining Andrea to discuss is Caroline Reidy from the HR Suite, as well as listeners.

When you want to make changes to your home, there are some small things you can do that you may not realise can make a big difference!Well, the Home Squad are here to discuss small (but impactful) interior changes!Joining Andrea to discuss is Jenny Sheehan, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year’ (@workerscottage on Instagram) and Emma Delaney from April & the Bear.

When pensions were covered on the show, there were huge reactions from listeners - showing that the demand is there to know more about saving for your future.So, we’ve decided to break it down into three parts, over the next three days.We’ll discuss the various different stages of your pension – and what you need to know or do at each point.Today, Andrea is joined by Co-Founder and Head of Financial advice for Moneycube, Ralph Benson, to discuss handling your pension mid-way through your working life.

Parents up and down the country might be starting to pick up the odd thing for their little ones ahead of Christmas.But, should you reconsider buying a toy gun for your child? Given the unstable times we live in, are we normalizing violence for young people by giving them fake weapons to play with?Freelance Journalist Niamh O’Reilly has been writing about this in the Irish Independent, and joins Andrea, along with Stephanie Rohen from the Newstalk Newsroom, Siobhan O’Neill White from Mams.ie and Lisa O’Sullivan Shaw.

Citywest and Saggart were hit with more riots last night as protesters took to the streets to express their frustration surrounding Citywest Hotel housing of refugees.Last night was the second night in a row in which Gardaí had to take to the streets to control the mayhem. Property was vandalized and people living in the area were afraid of what was happening on their doorsteps…The pent-up frustration of these rioters has caused havoc on the streets in South Dublin. What needs to be done to tackle these problems and prevent further riots from occurring?Joining Andrea to discuss is Deputy General Secretary of the GRA, James Morrisroe.

It’s a difficult time to keep a restaurant afloat, leading to menus that are playing it too safe and a feeling that no matter where you go, you’re eating the same stuff.That’s according to Restaurant Critic Katy McGuinness in her latest review for the Irish Independent.So, have restaurants become too similar? Katy joins Andrea, along with Conor Spacey, Culinary Director of Food Space and author of ‘Wasted’.

We’ve decided to do a deep dive on some of our favourite albums to explore the stories behind them.What did the artists really think of each other? Where did the inspirations from the songs come from?Joining Andrea to discuss is Head Tour Guide at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience, Alan Buckley, who’s going to talk through Radiohead’s ‘OK Computer’!

When pensions were covered on the show, there were huge reactions from listeners - showing that the demand is there to know more about saving for your future.So, we’ve decided to break it down into three parts, over the next three days.We’ll discuss the various different stages of your pension – and what you need to know or do at each point.Today, Andrea is joined by Co-Founder and Head of Financial advice for Moneycube, Ralph Benson, to discuss getting started!

Lunchtime Live's Reasons to be Happy looks at some of the news stories that you might have missed that will leave you feeling more optimistic.98FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…

After an attack on a young girl occurred in Citywest on Monday evening, protesters took to the streets to express their feelings. It comes after the Citywest hotel has been used as an IPAS center to house refugees.The protests soon turned into riots, and a Garda car was set alight, Gardaí were out in force to control the situation.We want to know your opinions on the riots. Were you there, were you impacted, and do these riots hold any merit?Andrea is joined by local residents, Conor Lally, Security and Crime Editor with the Irish Times and John Lahart, Fianna Fail TD for Dublin Southwest & Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade. Later, to discuss if more should have been done to stop it, she is joined by Newstalk’s Chief Reporter Barry Whyte, James Morrisroe, GRA Deputy General Secretary and Cllr Linda de Courcy, Independent Ireland.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we’ll be talking Making Babies.Andrea will be joined by Professor Shane Higgins, Master of the National Maternity Hospital to cover every area of trying to have a baby. From the very start of knowing how to prepare, right up to pregnancy – and all the bumps in the road in between.This week, Shane joins Andrea to discuss the cervical smear.

In today's digital age, where our lives seem glued to our phones, you might question the relevance of sending greeting cards.But, do they still hold a special place in our hearts?Joining Andrea to discuss is Writer Amanda Brunker and Terry Prone, Chairman of the Communications Clinic.

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea is joined by Managing Director of Insuremyhouse.ie, Jonathan Hehir, to answer all your house insurance questions.

S Club Seven star Rachel Stevens has opened up about ‘still grieving’ her marriage, three years after the divorce. Andrea was joined by listeners who shared their thoughts about 'grieving' past relationships.

Andrea was joined by Meghann Scully, Presenter of Newstalk's 28 Ways to Save the World, and by listeners to discuss whether Halloween has become too wasteful.

Andrea was joined by Valerie Martin,Sharon Maguire and Dr. John Caird to discuss the importance of knowing the signs of Brain tumours.

It's How I live well time! Where someone joins to discuss what they do to improve their life... This week Andrea is joined by Louise Melinn, project coordinator with Fighting Words in Dublin to discuss creative writing...

Andrea was joined by listeners who gave their say on whether STEM subjects should be Compulsory in Schools.

Dr Nina Byrnes, GP at Generation Health Medical Clinic joined Andrea Gilligan to tackle your medical queries…

Running has seen a boom in popularity recently, as people have taken it up not only for its health benefits, but for the social element as well.Many runners use smartwatch technology combined with fitness apps to track their progress, but is this leading to an obsession with stats that takes away from the actual fun of running?Joining Andrea to discuss is Dwayne Edgar, Founder of Inner City Running Club and Laura Burke, online fitness and nutrition coach.

Tomorrow, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan is to seek Cabinet approval for a Domestic Violence Register to be established.‘Jennie’s Law’ will allow those convicted of domestic violence against a partner or former partner, to be publicly named on a Register of Judgements.The law has been named in honour of Jennifer Poole, who was murdered by her ex-partner Gavin Murphy in 2021.Kathleen Correia joins Andrea to discuss…If you were affected by this segment in any way, Women's Aid have a 24 hour National Freephone Helpline: 1800 341 900.

The Health Department announced their long-awaited three-year plan for the treatment of endometriosis over the weekend.For those who don’t know, endometriosis is a disease that affects women, where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows instead on other parts of the body.This can lead to patients suffering from chronic, debilitating pain…So, what is in this plan, and is it good enough?Joining Andrea to discuss is Damien Donoghue. Chairperson of Endo Ireland, Dr Hugh O’Connor, Consultant gynaecologist with the Coombe Hospital, as well as listeners.

Welcome to The Pod Squad!We review podcasts every week so you always have something new to listen to.Host of the ‘What’s Trending in F1?’ podcast Elaine Power and Newstalk’s Ciaran Bradley  join Andrea to review ‘Elis James and John Robins’!Image: BBC

Many aspiring homeowners have been facing multiple challenges. The lack of housing and high costs have left people with no other choice but to look for more affordable housing in different areas across the country. This, however, also has its challenges. One of the major factors limiting potential homeowners are ‘Local Needs’.‘Local Needs’ are where a person cannot build a property if they do not have a local need in that area. Should this be the case, or should it be scrapped to tackle the housing crisis?To discuss, Andrea is joined by Laura Nolan, Professional Dancer from Dancing with the Stars, her partner Matthew McNabb, Town Planner Derek Whyte, Clement Herron from Clement Herron Real Estate and former IFA Deputy, Brian Rushe.

For this week’s Ask Me Anything, Pitch Manager of Croke Park, Stuart Wilson, joins Andrea to answer any of your pitch managing questions!

In some very positive news to bring us into the weekend, Westlife have announced they will be touring across Ireland next year to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary.The first string of five consecutive concerts will take place next September in Dublin’s 3Arena, followed by another three day run in Belfast’s SSE Arena.Shane Filan joins Andrea to discuss!

Ireland ranks as the best country in Europe for ‘work-life balance’.Ireland tops the European index for the second year, thanks to its generous minimum wage and shorter working week compared to 2024 - beating countries like Iceland, Spain and Denmark by a generous margin.But, how accurate is this really. Do you think we have the best work life balance in Europe?Joining Andrea to discuss is Damien McCarthy, Managing Director of HR Buddy, as well as listeners.

A new plan for the treatment of endometriosis in Ireland is set to be announced over the weekend by the HSE.As it’s been discussed before on this show, endometriosis is a disease that affects women, where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows instead in other parts of the body.This can lead to patients suffering from chronic, debilitating pain.The Health Minister has previously acknowledged that endometriosis care in Ireland has been underfunded, under-researched, and is not widely understood.This new plan is set to address these new issues, but what provisions does it need to include?Joining Andrea to discuss is Cate O’Connor, Co-Founder of MISE, an educational programme for Irish schools, as well as listeners.

From broken ankles to safe family places, Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea Gilligan with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

A third of children say that they can use screens “whenever they want”. This comes after new research carried out by CyberSafeKids asked children aged between eight and twelve years of age about their screentime habits.With children having access to screens, be it laptops, tablets, phones and TV: do we try to minimise their usage ,or is it an easy life just to leave them to their own devices (literally)?So, do you minimise your child’s screen time?Lecturer in Psychology and author of ’Perfectly Imperfect Parenting: Connection Not Perfection’, Dr Mary O’Kane and listeners join Andrea to discuss.

You have to start somewhere, and when you’re thinking about doing the floor in your home, what is the right way to go about it?Well, the Home Squad are here to discuss rugs and flooring!Joining Andrea to discuss is Jenny Sheehan, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year’ (@workerscottage on Instagram) and Kate O’Driscoll, @victorianrathmines on Instagram.

We’re only in October, but if you think about it, Christmas is only 10 weeks away! And with Christmas comes the Christmas expenses…To get ahead of the panic buying and the overall stress of spending, Andrea is joined by Michelle O’Hara, National Spokesperson for MABS to give a step-by-step guide on budgeting for Christmas.

HSE Dental Surgeons will head to Kilkenny today to voice their concerns over Government proposals to divert children's dental care to private clinics.It comes after a recent survey found that 90% of private dentists would not sign up for a new Government scheme for children’s dental care.Many feel that they cannot afford to access private dental care and as a result, many children are being left untreated…Joining Andrea to discuss this is Chair of the GP Committee of the Irish Dental Association, and a Dentist at Kiwi Dental in Carlow, Caroline Robbins, as well as listeners.

Emma Fogarty is the oldest living Irish person born with Epidermolysis Bullosa: an extremely rare and painful disease.When she was born, she wasn't expected to live beyond a week, yet 41 years later she has just released a book called ‘Being Emma: Living my best life with Butterfly Skin’ in which she details the resilience she and those around her have shown throughout her extraordinary life…She joins Andrea to discuss.

We’ve decided to do a deep dive on some of our favourite albums to explore the stories behind them.What did the artists really think of each other? Where did the inspirations from the songs come from?Joining Andrea to discuss is Head Tour Guide at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience, Alan Buckley, who’s going to talk through Christy Moore’s album 'Ride On'!

The EU is pushing to scrap seasonal clock changes, risking the creation of a “time border” between Northern Ireland and Ireland.If it does become EU law, it would mean two different time zones on the island of Ireland for six months of the year.What do you think? Would this affect you? Is this a good idea?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss…

David Crosby has been through a lot. He has had a double lung and kidney transplant, fought skin cancer, and was placed in a coma from complications after getting Covid-19…And yet, a few days ago, David completed the Chicago Marathon!He joins Andrea to discuss this amazing feat…Image: Road Runners Club of America

Should bonfires be left in the past, or do they just need better regulation? While there are obvious health and safety concerns associated with them, there’s a lack of public Halloween events in Dublin.So, could regulated bonfires fill the gap?Joining Andrea to discuss is Independent Councillor for Dublin Central, Cieran Perry, Connor Ó Buachalla from the Leap Scarecrow Festival in Cork and listeners.

Lunchtime Live's Reasons to be Happy looks at some of the news stories that you might have missed that will leave you feeling more optimistic.98FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…

We are just 9 days out from the Presidential election. For many young people around the country, it’ll be the first Presidential election they have voted in.There has been an increase in influencers posting about who they are voting for and the importance of voting.This brings up the question: what role social media will play in the election?Andrea is joined by Stephen O'Leary, Founder of Online News Media and Social Media Monitoring and Analysis company Olytico, and listeners, to discuss.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we’ll be talking Making Babies.Andrea will be joined by Professor Shane Higgins, Master of the National Maternity Hospital to cover every area of trying to have a baby. From the very start of knowing how to prepare, right up to pregnancy – and all the bumps in the road in between.This week, Shane joins Andrea to answer any of your questions!

A survey shows that a third of Irish workers failed to make full use of their holiday entitlements last year.It also shows that 1 out of 4 people leave over 5 days or more of annual leave…These figures may come as a surprise to you; do you use all of your holiday leave?Andrea is joined by Broadcaster and Celebrant Ruth Scott, as well as listeners, to discuss.

Fáilte Ireland has come out to say that Dublin needs more hotels to reduce the risk of hotel room price inflation. It comes after Dublin City Council has supported plans for a new 143 bedroom apart-hotel for Donnybrook, Dublin 4.With the hospitality sector receiving a VAT cut in the Budget 2026, does this really reflect how this industry is struggling?Does Dublin need more hotels?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea is joined by Dr Ellen McSweeney, IBTS Donor Consultant, to answer any of your blood donation questions!

Doping is usually a taboo topic in the world of sport, but one new competition is bringing it right into the spotlight.The Enhanced Games not only allow, but encourage athletes to take performance enhancing drugs to boost their performance.They are set to take place next May in Las Vegas, with a number of high-profile athletes already set to compete, including one of Ireland's most celebrated swimmers, Shane Ryan.Sport Ireland has expressed disappointment at his decision to take part, so with the games splitting opinions across the sporting world, what are your thoughts?Managing Editor of Off the Ball Adrian Barry, Sport Editor with Tipp FM Paul Carroll and listeners join Andrea to discuss.

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. The month serves to honour these babies, support grieving families, and raise awareness about this deeply sensitive issue. The Global Wave of Light will take place tomorrow; people are encouraged to light a candle at 7pm local time in membrane and solidarity.Andrea’s guest sadly lost his baby girl Aodhla when she was just 8 weeks and two days old. Peter and his wife Sarah were out for a walk on the Hill of Tara when Aodhla passed away.Peter joins Andrea to discuss.

Irish actor Brendan Gleeson has said that he is tired of watching fatherhood portrayed in negative terms on screens.This comes after he starred in ‘H is for Hawk’ alongside Claire Foy, this film follows Cambridge academic Helen MacDonald who, while coping with the grief of her father's death, builds an unlikely friendship with a stubborn hawk named Mabel.Gleeson went on to say this particular film is so beautiful in the way that that’s what it’s trying to do. The memory of this man is that he was a proper, good man who gave love to his daughter.What do you think? Is fatherhood negatively portrayed on screens?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.