Lunchtime Live

With the first in a number of Joint Oireachtas Committees on Autism underway, this week calls around representation for neurodivergent people in Ireland are to the fore. A strong advocate in this area is filmmaker Caoilinn Handley. Caoilinn first sought a diagnosis for dyspraxia after she related to a character on TV, and this has led her to explore her autism in recent years. To showcase the importance of better pathways for autistic people in Irish society, Caoilinn most recently auditioned for the Rose of Tralee. To tell us about that, and her wider story, Caoilinn joined Andrea Gilligan on the show.

Does our understanding around grammar, syntax, or phrasing in general leave a lot to be desired? Sarah in Thurles got in touch with the show to bemoan the decline of society in this area, and she spoke to Andrea this afternoon

Well, have you ever been charged for water while out and about? Are venues allowed not to serve you tap water? Would it put you off a venue if they charge for tap water? And, what about bars and restaurants? Are they allowed to charge for water? Aaron got in touch with Andrea on the issue.

Newstalk has teamed up with Ronseal for Fix it Fortnight ,two weeks of top DIY tips from the best experts in the field. It’s the perfect time to freshen up the house. Andrea was joined by Arlene McIntyre from Ventura, to answer your interior design questions. It’s all with thanks to Ronseal. For more see Ronseal.com.

Irish Rail announced that 41 new trains were in transit and heading for Ireland but disability activists say that they’ve been forgotten about as the trains are no more accessible than the current ones.Andrea was joined by listeners Sean,Veron and Jane Cregan from Irish Rail to discuss the accessibility of the Irish rail service.

Technology has made our lives so much more convenient but in the process of simplifying everyday tasks, Hilda Roche, National President of the ICA ,and Noel Cunningham, TV Personality and Author of Guide to Modern Irish Manners, joined Andrea to discuss if we lost our life skills.

Ewan McGregor has made a rare public comment about the breakdown of his first marriage and the impact the split has had on all of the relationships in his life. Andre was joined by life Coach Mark Fennell discuss the impact of divorce on those directly and indirectly involved.

Vaping has traditionally been seen as a “safer” alternative to smoking and is increasingly popular with teenagers. Andrea spoke to Dr Brendan O’Shea, GP in Co Kildare and listeners, to discuss if vaping could pose health risks to those who use them and encourage younger age groups to become nicotine dependent.

Paul Maher from University of Limerick has studied the science behind nostalgia, and he joined Andrea to explain why we love things that make us reminisce on past times or experiences.

Tenants who need to work from home are being refused by some landlords advertising rental properties. Andrea spoke to Amy Molly, Public Affairs Correspondent with Independent News & Media, who has been speaking to renters and landlords about some of the issues that arise with remote working in a rental property.

Evie Nevin from Cork has a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder which can cause dislocations. She’s on disability allowance and explained to Andrea why she is calling for the back to school allowance to be increased.

A new designed to prevent employers from using tips or gratuities to make up wages, is being brought in front of the Seanad this afternoon. Andrea was joined by Adrian Cummins, CEO Restaurant Association of Ireland, hospitality workers and listeners, to discuss how todays changes will redefine tipping culture.

Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss if our streets become too cluttered with street signs. Between signs giving directions, poles, bollards on cycle lanes, they discussed if our footpaths become more difficult to navigate.

Aisling Creegan’s start to life was dominated by alcohol and abuse as the daughter of alcoholic parents. She says that her mission as a child was to get to the next day, alive and safe. She joined Andrea to discuss her memoirs in a bid to help others that might be struggling.

It’s been a long few years for Westlife fans but the end is in sight and next week they are returning to stage for their The Wild Dreams Tour. Shane Filan joined Andrea to discuss how rehearsals are they going and what fans can expect from the tour.

Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer played Marlay Park in South Dublin yesterday, for their Hella Mega Tour but it seems like music fans got a little more than they bargained for. Andrea spoke to listeners who were there who told her about the queues into the venue of up to 2km long and streams of fans left stranded looking for a way to get home.

Today is International Body Piercing Day, Andrea was joined by one of the country’s top piercers Carla Horrana,from Carla Horrana Piercing and Jewellery, to discuss if piercing is still as popular as ever and how she got into the business.

On Fridays show, listener Paddy was in touch to discuss how he was taken off a waiting list because he didn’t reply to a letter that he says he didn’t get. Andrea spoke to listener on todays show to discuss the general uncertainty around waiting lists and the length of time people are waiting to receive health care.

Aer Lingus has issued an apology to the customers affected after a number of flights were cancelled this weekend. Andrea was joined by listeners affected by flight cancellations and Eoghan Corry, Editor of Air and Travel Magazine, to advice on what to do if you have had a recent issue with a flight.

Neil Smith was in touch with the show off the back of the Eagles’ concert at the Aviva Stadium, which he attended with his partner. He explained to Andrea, the couple ended up being unable to see large parts of the performance because of the large number of people standing in what was supposed to be a seated part of the stadium.

There was unsavory scenes in Croke Park yesterday in the clash between Armagh and Galway, with a brawl as the players entered the tunnel at the end of normal time. Andrea was joined by Nickey Brennan, former GAA president, to discuss if enough being done to stomp out violence from the GAA.

Every Friday, we search for the definitive answer to some of the most burning questions in The Big Debate. Today on our Big Debate, we want to finally get the answer to the question- ‘Is the idea of marriage outdated?’

Dr. Afif El Khuffash joined Andrea on the show who posted a painting of a breastfeeding mother and her baby on Instagram recently that was promptly flagged as inappropriate. ‘Fighting the Breastfeeding Stigma’ Opening Night takes place on July 28th from 7 pm to 10 pm with a complimentary Drinks Reception and Canapes at Copper House Gallery.

Listener Paddy joined Andrea Gilligan on the show to talk about how he was taken off a waiting list because he didn’t reply to a letter- which he says he didn’t get.

Listeners joined Andrea Gilligan on the show to discuss their travel woes which included everything from car rental costs to hotel prices to missing luggage.

Newstalk has teamed up with Ronseal for Fix it Fortnight, two weeks of top DIY tips from the best experts in the field. This week on the Ask The Expert, Andrea was joined by Jimmy Englezos from Ronseal to answer your woodcare questions. It’s all with thanks to Ronseal, get your garden Summer Ready.

Listener Davey was in touch with Lunchtime Live to discuss the state of the city streets. He told Andrea that he has been shocked by the waste in the city center and the length of time it seems to be taking to collecting the bin bags.

Long gone are the days of just a plain, simple burger, between fancy toppings, brioche buns and being stacked up high,it’s nearly a two man job to eat a burger now. Chef Edward Hayden joined Andrea and Kevin O’Regan ,whose O’Reilly’s Foodtruck in Cork took the Munster title, about the evolution of the humble burger.

The ‘Leave our Leave’ our campaign launched outside Leinster House today, with the goal of changing legislation to allow women to defer maternity leave following a cancer diagnosis. Approximately 60 women per year face a cancer diagnosis during pregnancy, including Erica Tierney , who joinsed Andrea to share her own experience.

Childcare providers, parents are protesting outside the Dail today over funding issues. Andrea was joined by providers and parent's who are out protesting today about what impacts high costs are having on the sector.

Mary, was in touch with the show to discuss the ongoing issues she has faced trying to get a vaccine booster. She told Andrea although she has been able to book an appointment, she finds she has been turned away when she shows up to attend the appointment.

Public servants including medical consultants, CEOs of State bodies, certain members of the judiciary and senior civil servants are to have their pay restored to pre-austerity levels from July. Andrea spoke to listeners who had mixed reactions to the news.

Kerry Councillors are at odds over the county's Rewilding Programme, designed to boost biodiversity in towns and villages by reducing the need to cut grass and hedging. Cllr Donal Grady is concerned that rats are ‘Playing Polka in the long grass and he joined Andrea and Eanna Ni Lamhna, Biologist and Environmental consultant, to debate the pros and cons of rewilding.

Car thefts are rife at the minute, they’re at the highest levels in 7 years. Urufa Abedin, spoke to Andrea and Joey Donnelly from Crofton Motors, about his first hand experience of having his car stole.

A campaign is underway to fund West Cork’s first special needs school. Ray O’Mahony is among those involved in fronting the initiative alongside wife Laura, and he joined Andrea to explain how challenging it has been not having access to resources near by.

With temperatures for 2022 potentially set to peak this week, Dr Catherine Norton, Performance nutritionist and registered dietitian at the University of Limerick, joined Andrea to discuss how much water we should be drinking and what issues can arise if we are not drinking enough.

An email came in from a Lunchtime Live listener, who feels punished in work for being pregnant. Richard Grogan is an employment solicitor and he joined us to talk about your employee rights if you’re pregnant.

Its that time of year again where students begin the hunt for accommodation. Andrea was joined by students who were in touch with the show from various parts of the country to describe how a lack of accommodation and high prices is leaving many of them without a place to live.

A Kerry grandmother, Fiona Griffin, is fulfilling her dreams after heading off on a J1 to America at the age of 66. She spoke to Andrea from America about her trip and decision to head over to the US.

Office workers want to ban telephone calls in the workplace because they find them ‘confrontational’ and ‘aggressive’. That is according to a survey which found that 75% of people would rather communicate by email or social media instead of answering their phone. Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss if it is time to ban phone calls all together.

Famous travel bible The Lonely Plane, has featured a list of problems with the city of Dublin in their latest guidebook. It warns potential visitors about some of the issues they might encounter, including high prices, difficultly finding seats in pubs and airport baggage chaos. Andrea was joined by Joan Scales from travel2ireland.ie and others who work in tourism to discuss if tourists have good reason to dodge Dublin.

Death is never an easy topic to discuss with your loved ones. Baz Ashmawy and his mum Nancy, of 50 ways to kill your mammy fame, have set out to open up the conversation in their new documentary ‘Baz and Nancy’s Last Orders’. Baz joined Andrea and Colm Kieran, Funeral director and former spokesperson for the Irish Association of Funeral Directors to discuss the documentary and the difficulties people face when talking about the end of a loved ones life.

Every Friday, we search for the definitive answer to some of the most burning questions in The Big Debate. Today on our Big Debate, we want to finally get the answer to the question- ‘Should ‘Chuggers’ be banned?’ That’s right – Chuggers, the name given to those people who approach you in the street asking for subscriptions or donations to a particular charity. Should they be banned?

Practicing Catholics here would like to see priests allowed to marry, women ordained, and more respect for the LGBTQI plus community. They also want to see shorter sermons and the removal of 'bloodthirsty' readings from the Old Testament. A survey - carried out among Mass-goers in 26 Irish dioceses - will be reviewed by a national assembly in Athlone this weekend. What do you think?

They may have ended their engagement 25 years ago, but Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt say they still love each other … at least as friends! But how common is it for former partners to maintain a platonic bond? Is it a good idea? Stephanie Regan, Clinical Psychotherapist & author of Relationships on the Edge joined Andrea to discuss some of the considerations around it.

Today is Take Back The Lunch Break Day, an initiative first pioneered in 2018 to tackle the 24/7 culture of the modern workplace. Of course, the rise in remote/hybrid working has obviously had a further impact on this dynamic. Have the lines become too blurred? Are you very particular about taking breaks? Or do you end up at your desk more often than not? Caroline Reidy, Managing Director of The HR Suite and HR and Employment Law Expert joined Andrea on the show.

Should the drinking age in Ireland be lowered to 16 to try combat teenagers drinking in local parks? Speaking on the Breakfast show today- Cork Cllr Shane O'Callaghan said that it should be considered. Andrea spoke to listeners who got in touch on the issue.

Every week, we give you the chance to get access to an expert- this week, we put your motoring questions to Motoring Journalist Geraldine Herbert.

Ireland’s health service is a topic we covered in depth on Tuesday’s programme, with junior doctors and nursing staff among those affected by stretched infrastructure in this country. It has of course had a knock-on effect on patients, including Breda O’Gorman, whose wait for potentially life-saving appointment in Cork University Hospital (CUH) has gone on over a year, her husband joined Andrea to issue an urgent plea on her behalf.

Fiann O'Nuallain The Holistic Gardener joined Andrea to discuss some holistic remedies to protect yourself against summer ailments.