Lunchtime Live

What would you think about your child spending most of their school days learning outdoors?Well, the Green Party want to introduce 'forest schools' to foster a respect for nature among young people in Ireland.The party say the model has been successful in Scandinavia, and want to introduce a pilot scheme in which most of the school day every week is spent outdoors, “rain, wind or shine.”What do you think about this idea?Joining Andrea to discuss is Jennifer Dungan from Dalkey School Projects, Ciara Hinksman, Founding Chair of the Irish Forest School Association and more.

There was a difficult exchange between Taoiseach Simon Harris and disability worker Charlotte Fallon over the weekend during canvassing.In the video, you can hear Charlotte accuse the Government of ignoring the disability sector. However Simon Harris denied that, before walking away from her.Andrea is joined by carers to discuss and give their reactions.

This is Lunchtime Live’s Big Batch. Every Monday we’ll be learning new easy to cook batch recipes to keep you eating well. No more staring into an open fridge looking for inspiration!This week, Andrea is joined by Siobhan Berry, from @mummycooks on Instagram, to look at how you can use a slow cooker to make amazing meals to stick in the freezer! And they’re baby friendly too!Follow the hashtag #LLBigBatch for all our recipes.

Retailers around the country are being urged to boycott Conor McGregor’s stout and whiskey brands.This comes after he was found liable in a civil court for the sexual assault of Nikita Hand.Is it a good idea?Joining Andrea to discuss is Clíona Saidléar, Rape Crisis Network Ireland Executive Director, Aimmée Millar, Senior Public Affairs Advisor with Carr Communications, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Tech Correspondent and Harper Cleaves from ROSA - the Socialist Feminist Movement.

Every Friday, as part of our ‘Ask Me Anything’ series, we put your questions to people from interesting backgrounds or working in different careers.This week, Andrea was joined by Pat Falvey, explorer, adventurer and mountaineer to answer any of your questions, including what it was like to climb Mount Everest!

We’re a week out from visiting our local polling station – often a school – and today the National Parents Council have called for alternative facilities to be used to stop needless disruption to working parents.What are your thoughts, should local GAA clubs or parish halls be used more? Does running an election on a weekend morning facilitate greater turnout and avoid school closure?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

A study by Showcase Cinemas has voted Home Alone as the best Christmas film – but what elements make a good Christmas film?Joining Andrea to discuss and share their favourites is Rory Cashin, Entertainment Journalist, Cara O'Doherty, Film Reviewer and Bella Finn from Newstalk’s Newsroom.Image: 20th Century Fox

From a Grammy winner starting out working in Galway to poems on the menu in Sligo, Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

Noel Gallagher, 33, from Dadreen, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, was sentenced to four years in prison earlier this month.Sometime between 2006 and 2007 when Noel was 15 years old, he raped his cousin Dylan Gallagher, who was 9 years old at the time.Mr Justice David Keane praised Dylan Gallagher's strength, resilience, dignity and perseverance.Dylan joins Andrea to discuss.If this podcast affected you in any way, there are places that can help:Dublin Rape Crisis Centre - www.drcc.iemensaid.ie or National Confidential Helpline – 01 554 3811

Whether you’re an early bird or hanging on closer to December, you’ve probably started to think about putting the Christmas decorations up. From storage to making your room more classy and less tacky – the home squad are here to help!Róisín Lafferty, Founder and Creative Director of Róisín Lafferty and Emma Delaney, Senior Interior Designer from April & the Bear join Andrea to discuss.

Hopefully you heard some of our Election Special yesterday, where we heard from you about what issues you wanted raised in the upcoming vote, and we put those issues to our politicians.One person who was there and heard it all was Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal Consultant Ruth Maxwell, and she joins Andrea to discuss her reaction to what the politicians had to say on crime.

The Lidl or Aldi ‘Middle Aisle’ has become a world of its own.There seems to be so many stories of people getting lost down the middle aisle, spending a fortune and coming home with a kayak when they only went out for cheese!So, what’s the appeal?Andrea is joined by Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Tech Correspondent Laura MullettIN: Fashion Stylist, Journalist and Broadcaster, Damian O'Reilly Lecturer in Retail Management at TU Dublin and more to discuss.

Are you a hoarder, or maybe just find it difficult to part with certain things? Have you ever considered taking a leaf out of Sweden’s book and doing a ‘death clean’?Kathy Donaghy, Journalist with the Irish Independent is writing about this, and joins Andrea along with listeners to discuss.

From Toy Story to the Kindle, 98fm’s Ciaran O’Connor joins Andrea with plenty to chat about on this week’s throwback Thursday!Image: Disney

Healthcare stu­dents at Trin­ity Col­lege Dub­lin have staged a protest over what they call ‘years of mis­treat­ment’ related to the high cost of going on place­ment.The students said they had issues trav­el­ling cross-country with little notice for clin­ical place­ments, and pay­ing out of pocket for accom­mod­a­tion, uni­forms, trans­port and vac­cin­a­tions.Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union President Jenny Maguire and more join Andrea to discuss.

Lunchtime Live is taking place in the Royal Dublin Convention Centre for its General Election 2024 Town Hall Special, hearing out listeners’ issues and getting answers from candidates face-to-face.Andrea is joined by a live audience to cover topics such as the cost of living, family, healthcare and crime. Also joining is Newstalk’s Political Correspondent, Seán Defoe.The election candidates in the audience are:Jennifer Whitmore, Social Democrat candidate for Wicklow.Emer Tóibín, Aontú candidate for Meath East.Ruth Coppinger, People Before Profit candidate for Dublin West.Shane Moynihan, Fianna Fáil candidate for Dublin Mid West.Ciarán Ahern, Labour candidate for Dublin South West.Hazel Chu, Green Party candidate for Dublin Bay South.Grace Boland, Fine Gael candidate for Dublin Fingal West.Daithi Doolan, Sinn Féin candidate for Ballyfermot-Drimnagh.Fergus McDonnell, Independent Ireland candidate for Offaly.

Welcome to The Pod Squad!We review podcasts every Tuesday so you always have something new to listen to.This week, Entertainment & Culture Journalist Rory Cashin and Today FM Presenter Shelly Gray join Andrea to review ‘How Did This Get Made?’!Image: Earwolf

As the cold weather creeps in, apparently we should be keeping the curtains open to make our house cosier?Jenny Sheahen, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year’ joins Andrea to discuss if that is true, and talk about some other cold weather home hacks!

Bilingual food packaging seems to be the only thing government parties can agree on at the moment: including the Irish language on products has been a key promise on most parties’ manifestos.This is the result of the work of Cian Ward, a 28-year-old Cavan man who thought of the idea when living abroad.Should introducing bilingual food packaging be a government priority?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss, including Ard-Rúnaí of Conradh na Gaeilge, Julian de Spáinn.

Escape rooms, axe throwing, obstacle course… No, they’re not SAS training regimes - these are all examples of the new trend hitting offices across the world: team-building events! Cringe-inducing as they might be, these team building events are sworn by to help improve productivity and communication, but could they also be just a load of nonsense?To discuss, Andrea is joined by Margaret Cox, CEO of ICE Group, Matt Levell, Founder of Axe Club and Damien McCarthy from H.R. Buddy.Image: Axe Club

This year on Lunchtime Live we’ve been looking at things that we can do in order to make ourselves that bit happier and healthier.This week, to talk about being sober-curious, Andrea is joined by Alcohol-Free Performance Coach Siobhan O’Connor.

Gardaí will today publish the pictures of dozens of rioters who took part in the violent disorder in Dublin city centre in November of last year…Around 100 suspects are yet to be identified in the investigation, and Gardai are appealing to the public for information.It is an unprecedented move - the first time in the history of the force that such a tactic has been used on such a large scale.What do you think about this approach from the Gardai? Should they publish photos of Dublin riots suspects?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

Dr Niall Breen from the Portmarnock GP Clinic joined Andrea Gilligan to tackle your medical queries.

Do we think enough about the after care of our prisoners? Are we doing enough to help them rejoin society, and stop reoffending?Andrea is joined by three people who think we can do a lot more to discuss, including Michele Kerrigan, Executive Director at Care After Prison.

Andrea is joined by Independent candidate Dr Tom Clonan to discuss an issue he had over the weekend with people parking in disabled spaces when they shouldn’t be. How often does this happen, and how big of an issue is it? Also joining to discuss is Peter Gohery from the Disabled Drivers Association and listeners.

With Christmas on the way - many people will be putting lights up outside, and city centres will light up like a festive tree. But, are Christmas lights too wasteful, and do they hurt the environment? If so, is it time to drop them?Andrea is joined by John Gibbons, Environmental Journalist as well as listeners to discuss.

This is Lunchtime Live’s Big Batch. Every Monday we’ll be learning new easy to cook batch recipes to keep you eating well. No more staring into an open fridge looking for inspiration!This week, Andrea is joined by Chef and Director of Conbini Condiments, Holly Dalton to learn more about how you can make and use different ice cubes for easy cooking!Follow the hashtag #LLBigBatch for all our recipes.

Is there too much violence in movies and TV shows?Director Ridley Scott has said that TV shows about murder and rape are ‘giving people ideas’...Speaking to the Sunday Times he said: “Entertainment is, to a degree, a little twisted...what’s the matter with good, clean stories? If there’s one more TV show about a girl found in the woods who has been raped and dead for 25 years? Stop. It gives people ideas.”What do you think? Is there too much violence in our entertainment?Joining Andrea to discuss is Patrick Osbourne, author & screenwriter based in Kerry as well as listeners.

Trying to pick the right tiles or wooden flooring can be daunting – or do you go for carpet? There’s a lot to consider, but the Home Squad are here to help!Andrea is joined by Jenny Sheahan, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year’ and Sarah Carroll from Sand and Deliver DIY to discuss.

With Christmas around the corner and lots more waste knocking around the house, do you know what you can and can’t recycle?Dr. Joanne Rourke, Spokesperson from MyWaste joins Andrea to discuss.

Yesterday on the show the topic of fathers and mental health was explored - including a discussion on whether or not it gets ignored. With many strong responses, it needed to be revisited.So, how do fathers deal with pregnancy loss, and is their grief put to the side?Andrea is joined by Tony Owens from Féileacáin, a charity for bereaved parents, Kathie Stritch, Founder of Grief Ireland and more to discuss.

You may have dreamed of leaving the workforce and retiring early, but have you ever worried about getting ‘retirement regret’?Burdened with a slower pace and tighter finances, more & more ‘unretirees’ are heading back to work.According to a survey by financial services company Canada Life, 40% of people have some form of retirement regret, with 1 in 10 saying they wished they had chosen to retire later and that they wouldn’t have left work when they did, if they had known what it was like.So, have you suffered from retirement regret?To discuss, Andrea is joined by CEO of Active Retirement Ireland Maureen Kavanagh, Cellie Irwin, Chair of the New Ross Active Retirement Group, Paul Kenny, Ireland’s former Pensions Ombudsman and Course Leader with the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland and Pat O’Mahony, Author of ‘Rethinking Housing Options for Senior Citizens’.

From the Xbox to the Twilight Saga, 98fm’s Ciaran O’Connor has plenty to chat about on this week’s throwback Thursday!

People Before Profit have said in their election manifesto that they will, if successful, introduce a four-day working week.They also say they want annual leave increased to 30 days with two extra bank holidays.Is it realistic? Would you like to see a four-day working week introduced?Andrea is joined by Grace Williams from the trade union Fórsa as well as listeners to discuss.

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea is again joined by Dermot Goode, Health Insurance Expert with Totalhealthcover.ie to answer any of your questions!

Inspired by her mother’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent chemotherapy treatment, Galway Student Olivia Humpreys created a portable chemotherapy cooling device, which has won the Irish James Dyson Award 2024.Olivia joins Andrea to discuss.

Do we ignore men’s mental health when they become fathers? A new report says that both fathers-to-be and new fathers should be given as much emotional support as women in the run up to parenthood.What was your experience?Joining Andrea to discuss is Dave, CEO of Lads to Dads, Comedian Steve Cummins, Psychiatrist Brendan Kelly and more.

What is it like to be a woman in business in Ireland? Are doors open or closed, and what kind of help is out there?Andrea is joined by two business women, Chupi Sweetman-Durney, Founder of Jewellery brand ‘Chupi ‘ and Oonagh O'Hagan, Owner and Managing Director of Meaghers Pharmacy Group to hear their stories...

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.Today FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…

Ugly buildings have left people feeling dejected, lonely and unable to form friendships. That is according to a report in the UK by the Centre for Social Justice, who say that there is a clear link between social problems, a lack of community spirit and poor building design.Half of the adults surveyed said that architects and planners were out of touch with what local people wanted.So, does Ireland have an ‘ugly building’ problem?Andrea is joined by Robin Mandal from the Dublin Democratic Planning Alliance, David O’Brien from the Limerick Civic Trust and more to discuss.

Welcome to The Pod Squad!We review podcasts every Tuesday so you always have something new to listen to.This week, Presenter of Tech Talk on Newstalk Jess Kelly and Off the Ball’s Cameron Hill join Andrea to review ‘Kill List’!Image: Wondery

You may have seen the videos of Simon Harris and Mary Lou McDonald out on the campaign trail yesterday. They both visited Sound Quality Gifts in Monaghan, where Manager Helen treated them to a jive.Andrea is joined by Helen Drumm, Manager of Sound Quality Gifts in Monaghan to discuss how this came about, and Kelly Smyth, Owner of Dance Craft joins Andrea in studio to talk about how popular the dance has become.

Craig Ballentine from Co. Tyrone is currently stranded in Dubai after he was arrested over a negative review he posted online relating to a dog grooming centre.He could be facing up to 2 years in prison if found guilty…Radha Stirling, CEO of campaign group Detained in Dubai is working on getting Craig home, and joins Andrea to discuss.

For Lung Cancer Awareness Month, two listeners, Samantha and Gillian, join Andrea to share their stories.They are both fighting the same disease, but are both non-smokers.

This year on Lunchtime Live we’ve been looking at things that we can do in order to make ourselves that bit happier and healthier.This week, while you’ll usually hear her on the Pod Squad, Shelly Gray from Today FM joins Andrea to discuss climbing Mount Kilimanjaro!

Gym owners say they are baffled at a Fine Gael proposal to increase VAT on gym memberships. Would an increase from 9% to 11% force gyms to increase their prices?Darina Dunne is the Chair of the Irish Physical Alliance, and this is something that she and the IPAA have been critical of...She joins Andrea, as well as Karl Dunne, Chief Executive of Ireland Active and more to discuss.

Dr Niall Breen from the Portmarnock GP Clinic joined Andrea Gilligan to tackle your medical queries.

Doing just five extra minutes of exercise a day could help lower blood pressure.So, if you usually go for a 20 minute walk, make it 25!If your cycle to work is about half an hour, could you do another 5 minutes around the corner? Could that really make that much of a difference?Joining Andrea to discuss the benefits is John Belton, Wellness Coach and owner of No.17 PT, Human Performance.

You have probably noticed that election posters have popped up all over the country throughout the weekend.The General Election has been called for Friday, November 29th and between now and then you will certainly receive a flood of candidate leaflets and election paraphernalia.What do you think about election posters? Are you fine with them, or are you sick of them already?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

A new survey commissioned by An Post reveals that young people between the age of 18-24 have emerged as the biggest users of cash.Do you use cash? Does it help you to budget better?Joining Andrea to discuss is Sinead Ryan, Consumer Expert and Presenter of the Home Show on Newstalk as well as listener James in Donegal.