Lunchtime Live

Following conversations had here on Lunchtime Live in recent months around bullying and harassment in our health service – there was a commitment made by the Oireachtas Health Committee to look at these issues around the health, safety and well-being of our front-line health workers. The HSE were before an Oireachtas Health Committee again today. Andrea Gilligan was joined by David Cullinane, Sinn Féín TD and party Health Spokesperson...

The GAA are to clamp down and bring sanctions against those involved in providing any form of competition for players under the age of 12. The association has reminded counties that there “is no facility, under association rule, for any competitive aspect within these games”. As it stands all games played at U12 level and below are under the banner of Go Games, which are intended to be non-competitive. This clampdown will mean that any blitzes or events involving players under 12 can no longer include any form of score-keeping or competitive, knockout element, with no finals, winners or losers. Andrea Gilligan was joined by Cahair O’Kane, Sports Journalist with the Irish News and others to discuss...

The ‘miracle’ weight loss drug Ozempic is continuing to see shortages in Ireland The drug has only been approved to treat Type 2 Diabetes but demands from patients with obesity who are prescribed the drug ‘off-label' is contributing to the ongoing lack of supply. Clare McKenna was joined by Ashley and Susie, who are on Ozempic and also Sheena Mitchell, who runs Milltown Totalhealth pharmacy in Dublin – Sheena you have been doing some research into this ongoing struggle for patients...

Steven O'Riordan joined Clare McKenna on Lunchtime Live to discuss an attempt by two men to steal his dog, Molly. Aontú leader and TD for Meath, Peadar Tóibín also joined the conversation to discuss pet thieves and how they are dealt with...

A drug testing regime, introduced at Electric Picnic last year is to be rolled out to other big festivals this year. It is part of the HSE's drug harm-reduction campaign with people encouraged to anonymously surrender drugs for testing. A pilot drug checking scheme at Electric Picnic last September detected high potency MDMA pills, powders and crystals and a new substance 3-CMC. Clare McKenna was joined by Sophie Ridley, the Safety Officer at Life Festival and others to discuss...

From busy hairdresser in her early twenties to undergoing dialysis in hospital three days a week for four to five hours at a time – Trudy Haye’s life changed drastically, all in the blink of an eye. Trudy joined Clare McKenna on Lunchtime Live to discuss her father and mother both donating their kidneys to her...

A survey carried out by Leitrim County Council survey shows 60 per cent of millennial's would think about moving to another part of the country with one in five of them now working remotely. Clare McKenna was joined by Alan Mulrooney, Chief Executive of Western Development Commission and listeners to discuss...

Eoghan, a listener and member of the band The Buachaills got in touch with Lunchtime Live about the lack of late night motorway facilities throughout Ireland. Clare McKenna spoke to Eoghan, and other musicians, truck drivers and night shift workers on Lunchtime Live...

350 bike bunkers had been proposed for Clontarf, but with no sign of them yet. Siobhan Kelly took matters in to her own hands and put her own bike storage in her front garden. All was fine until she received a letter from the council…

Tomorrow night Katie Taylor is having her long-awaited homecoming fight against Chantelle Cameron in the 3Arena in Dublin. This is the first big boxing event to be held in Dublin since the 2016 Regency Hotel shooting, which took place during a weigh-in for an event that would have been held at the National Stadium. You would wonder - has boxing developed a negative image in recent years? Recently retired assistant garda commissioner John O’Driscoll has said that boxing has been unfairly maligned due to its association with criminal gangs. What do you think? Does boxing have a bad reputation?

A charity that deals with addiction treatment says cocaine is now ‘as accessible as packet of cigarettes’. Where are they getting it? Pubs? Nightclubs? And it’s not just our cities – our rural towns and villages have just as big a problem. Are there more young people using the drug now more than ever and what needs to be done to crack down on this problem?

Addressing his parishioners of St John’s Parish Falls Road this week, Fr Martin Magill criticised parents who don’t give money to the church after sacraments such as baptism, communion and confession. Adrian Kennedy was joined on Lunchtime Live by listeners to discuss...

Gardaí are continuing to investigate the assault of a teenage boy in Navan. Gardaí have appealed with people not to re-share footage of the incident that has been circulated on social media. The video highlights the fact that the issue of bullying is alive and well in our schools and amongst our young people. Adrian Kennedy was joined on Lunchtime Live to discuss their experiences of bullying...

Talks are due to take place today over the opposition of some Clare locals to the housing of male asylum seekers at a hotel in Inch.

Plans to recruit 1000 new gardai this year are already 32% behind target- but why are the numbers so low? Is being a Guard still an attractive career?

Author Salman Rushdie has slammed the trend of making PC edits and rewrites to books. Should that apply also to Ian Fleming's novels? Would you like to see James Bond series more politically corrected or you find the idea of revoking older books damaging?

Climate Minister Eamon Ryan is calling for the use of disposable cups and plates to be stopped in public sector canteens. Under a new mandate, being discussed this morning, there are also plans for parking in public sector workplaces to be phased out. Andrea was joined by Mindy O’Brien from VOICE of Irish Concern for the Environment and listeners to discuss...

A new DCU study published today reveals the hostility and abuse that women in journalism have faced online in Ireland. Andrea Gilligan was joined by former Wexford camogie player and pundit and Ivanna Youtchak from the National Women’s Council to discuss... Image: RTÉ

A new study has shown that most workers would like to retire at 60, with others eager to leave employment at an even younger age. Andrea Gilligan was joined by listeners to discuss...

From the return of the tea trolley to rail routes - Barry Kenny from Irish Rail joined us today to answer your questions.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has condemned the violence that saw a homeless refugee camp set on fire on Friday evening. There was a stand-off between anti-immigration protestors and those who were counter protesting in support of refugees. Has this extremism gone too far? We discussed on the show today.

Are we having enough conversations with our children about pornography? And, are we having these conversations at a young enough age? A new study in the UK shows how porn can link to sexually harmful behaviour in children. Andrea discussed the issue today on the show.

Chinese online fashion retailer SHEIN is setting up a headquarters in Dublin, creating 30 jobs – but should we be encouraging fast fashion companies in Ireland?

Mary Immaculate College have launched a campaign to encourage male school leaver to get apply for primary school teaching on their CAO. Do we have a lack of male teachers in our primary schools?

It seems like every day or every other day in the US now we are hearing about mass shootings. It has come to a point now where it rarely even registers as news anymore. That is part of a longer video which gives advice on what to do if you are in a mass shooting situation in the US. So we asked our listeners today, are they afraid to visit US?

A new NHS Workforce Apprenticeship Scheme plans to fix shortages of staff in the UK. A third of nurses could be trained through this vocational, more hands-on path, as soon as they finish up in school. With an ongoing crisis in our own healthcare system, is this something we should be looking at introducing here?

Klaw - The Seafood Café located in Temple Bar have experienced their third break in four months Andrea was joined by Niall Sabongi, owner of Klaw, based on Sprangers Yard in Temple Bar and Luca from Rosa Madre in Temple Bar to discuss...

Kildare Camogie have expressed their disgust at their county board’s decision to withdraw them from the All-Ireland championship. Irish women continue to create waves in sport across the world, but why are things like the lack of facilities, no showers, no changing rooms still being discussed. Andrea Gilligan was joined by Sinead O’Carroll, Camogie Player and Editor of the Journal.ie and All-Ireland winning Cork camogie player Ashling Thompson to discuss...

Ireland missed out on a place in this year's Eurovision Grand Final. Wild Youth performed 'We Are One' as part of the first semi-final in Liverpool on Tuesday. Ireland has such high heights before but we haven’t been able to get that kind of success again in such a long time. So, if we’re going to keep doing this badly, is it worth entering? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...

A Drag Show event in Carlow, which was meant to be going ahead at the end of this month has been cancelled after receiving a small number of complaints. Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by Charmin Electrik from Queens of the Party, Drag Queen Kara Kalua and Cllr Fintan Phelan, Mayor of Carlow to discuss...

Only 40 per cent of weddings in Ireland last year took place in a Catholic church. Are more people are turning towards a humanist ceremony? Do you think getting married in a church, if you’re not religious, is disingenuous? Andrea Gilligan was joined by listeners to discuss...

Ireland will perform in Semi Final 1 of Eurovision tonight. Ireland has been in Eurovision more than 50 times and has a record seven wins, but has failed to qualify for the final since Ryan O’Shaughnessy entered with his song 'Together' in 2018. But still, we enter it with joy and pure passion every year. So what makes it so appealing? Andrea Gilligan was joined by Dermot, Keith and Michael to discuss...

Cars are to be permanetely banned at College Green from the end of this month. The bus corridor, which currently operates from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday, will become a 24/7 bus corridor from 29 May. Work to provide more space for pedestrians at College Green and Foster Place will begin next week. Taxis spaces will be reduced at Foster Place and increased at the College Green rank. Andrea Gilligan was joined by listeners on Lunchtime Live to discuss...

Independent Senator Eileen Flynn has spoken out about the recent racism she faced when a taxi driver refused to take her home to a halting site. Eileen is the only Traveller representative in the Oireachtas and has campaigned widely on fairer treatment of the travelling community. She joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live to discuss the discrimination she faces...

If you have TikTok, it will be hard to miss the amount of ADHD content on it. The hashtag has over 20 billion views, with creators saying they’re spreading awareness of the condition. But some people are concerned about the number of people self-diagnosing themselves with ADHD after watching the videos. Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by Slaney Foley, Ken Kilbride, from ADHD Ireland, Broadcaster Keith Walsh and other listeners to discuss…

Tracey Corbett Lynch, sister of murdered Irishman Jason Corbett has set up bereavement group to help others in dealing with loss. After losing her mum to covid, her sister-in-law to an illness and her brother in a brutal murder, she received an outpouring of support and is now aiming to support others in their battle with grief. Andrea Gilligan was joined on Lunchtime Live by Tracey Corbett Lynch and Thanatologist Jennifer Moran Stritch. You can reserve your place for Limerick Bereavement Group's support evening below: Living with Loss: A bereavement and support evening

GAAGO is a streaming service that was launched by the association in 2014 and was aimed at the Irish diaspora around the world. The streaming service has now expanded into full TV coverage in order to fill the void left by Sky Sports. The move has raised concerns over a lack of championship matches on free-to-air television. Andrea was joined by Fianna Fáil Senator Timmy Dooley, Former Clare hurler Jamesie O’Connor and listeners to discuss...

Have TV shows gone too violent? There have been calls for RTE show Kin to be banned from filming on the streets of Dublin because of the 'damage' it’s causing to the city's reputation. Andrea Gilligan was joined by Tony McDonald from Deke Rivers and listeners on Lunchtime Live to discuss... Image: RTÉ

Residents in a Dublin are saying scrambler bikes are creating chaos and want a crack down on them. Councillors have said that they want green areas in estates to be reclaimed as cimmunity areas and for more laws to be brought in around the bikes. Andrea Gilligan was joined by Fianna Fáil Cllr for South Dublin, Charlie O'Connor, Fianna Fáil Cllr for Dublin Tom Brabazon and Leonard Russell to discuss...

RTÉ One is devoting four hours of televised coverage to King Charles’ coronation this Saturday. It is a move that has drawn criticism from a number of TDs including People Before Profit’s Paul Murphy. Are RTE right to broadcast King Charles’coronation? Andrea Gilligan was joined by listeners on Lunchtime Live to discuss...

Last week Trinity changed the name of the Berkley library following a lengthy back and forth over Berkley’s slavery links. Now people are suggesting we should apply the same standard to the GAA, with the highest profile case being John Mitchel, beloved Irish nationalist, journalist and slavery advocate. Despite his pro slavery stance the Mitchel name is emblazoned on team jerseys in Kerry, Waterford, Belfast, Derry, Monaghan and more. Clare McKenna was joined by listeners, Jim and Greg to discuss...

Is the cost of parenthood putting you off the idea of having children? So many people are struggling at the minute – and with the cost of bringing up a child from the cradle through college is estimated to be well into six figures, per child. Is the idea of starting a family simply out of grasp for some of us? Have you delayed having children due to finances? Clare McKenna was joined by listener Cathie and Margaret O’Connor from ‘Are Kids For Me?’, who is a Counsellor and Psychotherapist who specialises in helping people make the decision...

Trinity College Dublin Professor Brian Caulfield says sport utility vehicles (SUVs) create a “less safe environment” for road users and our climate. They have a 20% higher emissions profile than a saloon car or hatchback car. Should SUVs be banned? Clare McKenna was joined by listeners on Lunchtime Live to discuss...

Adrian, a wheelchair user from County Wicklow got in touch with Lunchtime Live over an issue he had exiting a plane. Over the weekend, he had to crawl down the metal steps off a Ryanair plane when there was no ramp there to help him disembark. Adrian and Bernard Mulvany from Access for All joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder to discuss...

Plans in Brussels for the driving age to be lowered to 16 years of age by installing a speed-limiting device have been met with mixed reactions. Some have welcomed the move citing transport difficulties especially in rural areas, others worry whether 16 year olds will actually use the speed limiting device and the danger they will pose to other motorists. Clare McKenna was joined by listeners to discuss...

Holiday season kicked off in earnest over the bank holiday weekend and Eoghan Corry, Editor of Air and Travel Magazine, joined Clare McKenna to answer any niggling travel questions listeners have...

Australia is to ban recreational vaping in one of the biggest crackdowns on the tobacco industry. The government aims to ban all disposable vapes, which often come in fruity flavours, ban the import of non-prescription vapes and limit nicotine levels, aiming for the sale of vapes to be confined to helping smokers quit. Clare McKenna spoke to listeners on Lunchtime Live...

Last month we heard about how law enforcement is cracking down on illegal TV streaming networks – so called ‘dodgy boxes’. A story making headlines today discussed the case of a Dublin man who sold android boxes allowing cheap access to thousands of TV channels being sentenced to 240 hours of community service. While illegal here – dodgy boxes are extraordinarily common. What do you think about the Government cracking down on dodgy boxes?

This week, Newstalk is partnering with Make-A-Wish Ireland to celebrate Wish Week. All week we've been talking to incredibly brave children and their families. And hearing about how Make-A-Wish has given them hope during the harder times in their lives. Adrian Kennedy was joined by Avril Walsh Evans. Avril's son, Matthew, has adenylosuccinate lyase deficiency. Medical advancements mean the symptoms can be treated but there is no cure...

Sinn Fein's Vice President and First Minister designate, Michelle O'Neill has said she will attend the coronation of King Charles in the United Kingdom next week. Adrian Kennedy was joined by People Before Profit Councilor Madeleine Johansson and other listeners to discuss...