The Hard Shoulder

Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Paschal Donohoe joined Emmet Oliver in studio to the resignation of Damian English from his ministerial role, fuel prices and spending for the health service...

From 6pm this evening, Dublin Bus services to west Tallaght are due to be suspended. It’s after reports of over 30 incidents of violence, attacks, vandalism, threats with knives. Emmet Oliver was joined by one of the drivers who has been on the end of attacks and intimidation, Deborah Scadmato. She was joined alongside Charlie O’Connor, who is Fianna Fáil Councillor for Tallaght Central...

Sarina Bellissimo, host of The Bellissimo Files Podcast joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder to take a look at some of the winners and losers of the Golden Globes 2023...

A new AI chatbot has launched that allows users to have any question answered in seconds. The software will write a college essay, a song or answer any random query you may have. ChatGPT launched before Christmas and our reporter Josh Crosbie has been testing it out.

Kieran was joined on The Hard Shoulder by Clare McKenna, presenter of Alive and Kicking on Newstalk, to discuss how much water we should drink every day...

Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the death of Ashling Murphy. The primary school teacher was attacked and killed while out for a run along a busy canal in Tullamore, Offaly on 12th January last year. Kieran was joined by Lisa Chambers, Fianna Fail Senator and Ali Ryan CEO and Founder of Goss.ie to discuss...

Newstalk's own, Simon Tierney joined Kieran again for the series 'The Shopping Trolley Hotline'. The series will give listeners pause when they’re filling their trolleys, to consider their options. This week Simon and Kieran took a look a the different instant cup noodle options on the shelves...

Cabinet is meeting this evening to discuss how to deal with housing for refugees. For more on this Kieran was joined by Eoghan O’Mara Walsh, chief executive of the Irish Tourism Industry Council and Tom McEnaney founder of Effective Aid Ukraine...

The Banshees of Inisherin was the big winner at the Golden Globes overnight, winning Best Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Actor for Colin Farrell and Best Screenplay for writer-director Martin McDonagh. Filmed in Inis Mór and the Achill Islands, we thought we’d find out how the news is being received in that part of the world. Cathy Ni Ghoill Manager of the Community Development Organisation in Inis Mór and Jon Kenny, who played Gerry in the film joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder…

Operation Transformation returned to our screens last week, with episode two airing tonight. Kathryn Thomas, presenter of the show joined Kieran in studio to discuss the new series and one year on from the death of Ashling Murphy...

There's been a calls for workers of all ages to be paid the National Minimum Wage. Mandate Trade Union wants to see the abolition of the sub-minimum rate - which currently sees people under 20 paid less than 11 euro 30 cent per hour. For more on this Kieran was joined on the show by Ross Boyd from the Union of Students in Ireland and HR and Employment Law Consultant, John Barry, who MD of Management Support Services and Member of the ISME National Council..

Ann Marie O’Sullivan spoke to Andrea on Lunchtime Live today about deleting photos of her children that she had posted online over a period of about a decade. Is she right? Should we take a zero tolerance attitude to online photos of our children? Kieran was joined by Stefanie Preissner is a broadcaster and presenter of the ‘Basically’ podcast, and Siobhan O’Neill White, director at mams.ie to discuss... Image: Twitter - Stefanie Preissner @StefPreissner

The Irish Pharmacy Union has said it’s disappointed at the roll out of a new scheme to reimburse women with the cost of a drug that to help with severe sickness during pregnancy. For more on this Kieran was joined on the show by Orla Meaney based in Kilnaboy and 11 weeks pregnant with her second child, and Caoileann Appleby from Hyperemesis Ireland...

Kieran was joined in studio by Fine Gael Senator, Regina Doherty, and Socialist Party TD for Cork North Central, Mick Barry. Continuing the series, ‘Common Ground’, they will debate some of the biggest, most divisive topics around. The series continued with a discussion around 'Should there be billionaires?'...

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Housing Minister, Darragh O’Brien held a housing conference this morning with an aim to find ways to speed up the Government’s housing strategy. Housing Minister, Darragh O’Brien joined Kieran on the show to discuss housing and NCT testing delays...

A new study in the UK has examined how often people change their bedsheets. Research shows around half of single men will wait up to 4 months before changing their bedsheets. Andrea Gilligan, presenter of Lunchtime Live on Newstalk and Shane Hannon, presenter of OTBAM on Off The Ball joined Kieran to discuss...

Guinness owner Diageo is hiking the price of a pint by more than 12c from next month. The company, which also produces Harp and Smithwick’s, said it is “facing significant inflation in input costs” across its operations. Kieran was joined by Vintners Federation of Ireland, Chief Executive, Paul Clancy and Cathal, from Sheridan’s Bar in Milltown, Co Galway to discuss...

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien held a housing conference this morning. The aim was to find ways to speed up the Government’s housing strategy. Is this to be commended or not? Eoin O’Broin, TD and Sinn Fein’s Housing spokesperson joined Kieran to discuss...

Conor Pope of The Irish Times has been looking at how to get the most out of your holidays in 2023, and he joined Kieran to discuss...

As cases of colds, flu and respiratory viruses remain high, over 200 medicinal products are currently out of stock in Ireland, leaving pharmacists struggling to provide care for those in need of medication. President of the Irish Pharmacy Union Dermot Twomey and Sheena Mitchell, who is based at Milltown Total Health Pharmacy joined Kieran on the show to discuss...

Prince Harry spoke to Tom Bradby last night on ITV in an interview ahead of the launch of his new memoir ‘Spare.’ It has been billed as the publishing event of the year. But the well planned launch of Prince Harry's book appeared to fall apart as a leak by its surprise sale in Spain. But finally, bookshops can actually officially sell it. Will the leak hurt sales? Henry McKean has been digging into the fall out for us…

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has said there are 489 patients on trolleys waiting for admission to a bed today. Kieran was joined by Priscilla Lynch, Clinical Editor of the Medical Independent and Diarmuid O’Dalaigh, owner of Oaklodge Nursing Home in Cork to discuss...

New analysis has found a 22% difference in the pass rate at two of the country’s NCT testing centres last year. The Independent.ie study found that the centre in Deansgrange in Dublin had a pass rate of 62.65%, while the centre at Derrybeg in Donegal had a pass rate of just 40.01%. Dave Humphreys, motoring journalist and Road Test Editor for CompleteCar.ie and Shane P O’Reilly, Independent Cavan County Councillor joined Kieran to discuss…

Sean Binder is set to face trial tomorrow, more than four years after he was arrested. He faces charges including people smuggling and being a member of a criminal organisation. Sean joined Kieran on the show from Lesbos in Greece...

Ex-boxer David Haye has set tongues wagging with unconfirmed rumours he is in a throuple with singer and presenter Una Healy and model Sian Osbourne. According to the Irish Sun he told friends and family he was. Posting photographs on social media getting close on a sun holiday and holding hands in London. Henry McKean has been out and about asking how commonplace are these type relationships? Image: : @davidhaye/Instagram

This week has been the worst on record for overcrowding in hospitals here. Between Tuesday and Friday this week the Irish Midwives and Nurses Association say there were almost 3,000 people on trollies. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly joined Kieran in studio to discuss the current crisis...

As January draws to a close, Brianna Parkins, Irish Times Contributor has been writing about alternative New Year's Resolutions as a woman with ADHD. She joined Kieran in studio to discuss...

This week has been the worst on record for overcrowding in hospitals in Ireland. Co-Leader of the Social Democrats and TD for Dublin North West, Róisín Shortall joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder to discuss..

Pete Lunn, Behavioural Economist at the ERSI joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder to chat through the science behind how our brains perception of time...

Dr Peadar Gilligan, consultant in Emergency Medicine at Beaumont Hospital, and Member of IMO Consultant Committee joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder whilst on a break from his shift to discuss the ongoing hospital crisis..

People will remember the sights and sounds and memories of Italia 90 with Toto Schillaci knocking Ireland out of the World Cup. This evening in Dublin Castle a free football sticker exhibition opens celebrating Ireland’s ties with Italy. Henry McKean went along for a sneak peek...

The national trolley figures were at 838 today, down from a peak of earlier this week of 931, but still way above what would be normal for January. The INMO have been reporting nurses in tears at the pressure being put on certain hospitals. Kieran was joined by Finian McGrath is a former Junior Minister at the Department of Health and Keith Walsh, who is a writer, broadcaster and mental health advocate..

All this week, we’re commemorating the fact that it is 50 years since Ireland joined the then EEC - now the EU. And plenty of different characters have walked through the corridors of power in Europe. Kieran was joined by John O’Brennan, Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration at NUI Maynooth to discuss...

Fine Gael TD for Galway East Ciaran Cannon and Minister for State, Anne Rabbitte had bags of excrement thrown at them at a meeting last night. It’s lead to calls for the perpetrators to be caught and prosecuted. Ciaran Cannon joined Kieran on the show to discuss...

According to a new survey of millennial and Gen Z workers, some of the perks that create a better workplace include life coaches, cakes and pets in the office. Kieran was joined by Peter Cosgrove, Managing Director of Futurewise, Niamh Maher, Creative Director with Journal Media and Ciara Murran, Head of Communications at Dogs Trust Ireland to discuss...

Sarina Bellissimo, host of The Bellissimo Files Podcast joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder to take a look at some of the film and TV coming to our screens over the next year...

There are 838 patients on hospital trolleys across the country today, the second highest figure on record. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly's asked the HSE to source all available capacity from private hospitals - including beds and diagnostics. Kieran was joined by Liam Doran, former head of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and former member of the Slaintecare Implementation Council to discuss the current crisis...

Newstalk's own, Simon Tierney joined Kieran again for the series 'The Shopping Trolley Hotline'. The series will give listeners pause when they’re filling their trolleys, to consider their options. This week Simon and Kieran took a look a the different baked beans options on the shelves...

According to Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Beaumont Hospital, Peadar Gilligan, five thousand more beds are needed in the acute hospital system. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says 700 people are on trolleys according to the HSE. The INMO say yesterday there were more than 900 patients were waiting for a bed. This has dropped to around 800. Meanwhile the INMO have called for mandatory mask wearing in congregated areas. Henry McKean has been meeting with patients and doctors outside Beaumont Hospital in Dublin and he joined Kieran in studio to discuss...

As of January 1st, Canada enacted a wide-ranging ban on the purchase of residential property by non-Canadians for two years. It’s all with a view to tackling surging house prices in the country, but what does this policy hope to achieve? And how exactly does it work? Kieran was joined by May Warren, Housing Reporter with The Toronto Star to discuss…

Today marks one year since the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing in Ireland. Was it the right decision and how has it been working? Kieran was joined by CEO of Drink Aware Sheena Horgan and Columnist for the Irish Times, Ian O’Doherty to discuss the effect of minimum unit pricing…

With the New Year comes a new batch of technology trends for people to get their heads around. Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder to chat through some of the pieces of making waves in the tech world... Image: PA

Research from the Road Safety Authority has raised concerns that increased fines may not be an effective way of curbing reckless driving, with the suggestion that drivers are of the belief that they were unlikely to be caught, due to a perception of “not enough [gardaí] policing the road.” Kieran was joined by Michael Healy Rae, Independent TD for Kerry and Shane Ross, Former Minister for Transport to discuss..

Kieran was joined on The Hard Shoulder by Clare McKenna, presenter of Alive and Kicking on Newstalk, to discuss the some the alternative ways to make New Years Resolutions...

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has recorded the highest number of patients waiting without a hospital bed since 2006. Maurice Quinlivan, Sinn Fein TD for Limerick joined Kieran on the show to discuss...

John Lee, Executive Editor of the Daily Mail Group joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder to look towards the 2023 political year and what can be expected...

Rolling Stones’ contentious new list of 200 Greatest Singers of All Time has been released with some notable omissions. Kieran was joined by Pat Carty of Hot Press to discuss some of the rankings and those who missed out...

50 years ago in January 1973, Ireland formally joined the European Union. Kieran was joined by EU Special Representative for Human Rights and former Labour Party Leader and Tánaiste, Eamon Gilmore to reflect and analyse on Ireland's EU membership, the legacy of the European Union and Ireland's place in it...

Jill O'Mahony, Sociology Lecturer at South East Technological University joined Kieran on The Hard Shoulder to discuss the findings from the review of the year by the Central Statistics Office...

An Bord Pleanála have given the green light on the country’s first ever drug injection facility on Merchants Quay. Will this clear up drug usage on the streets of Dublin’s City Centre? And will we see it implemented across the country? Kieran was joined by Labour Party TD for Dublin Bay North, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and Independent Councillor for Dublin City Council Mannix Flynn to discuss…