The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Ciara Carty,  Director of Services at Focus Ireland, and James Flanagan, Focus Ireland Service User, joined The Last Word to discuss the homelessness crisis and the near 4,000 children affected by it as we move closer to Christmas.Listen by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

One of Ireland's most popular festivals has revealed it's headliners for 2024!John Caddell and Dave Hanratty joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Why are the Republicans trying to impeach Joe Biden?Cal Thomas, Nationally Syndicated Columnist, and Marion McKeone, US Correspondent with The Business Post, joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Journalist Lise Hand, and Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform, Paschal Donohoe joined us in studio for their annual rundown of the best non-fiction books of the year!Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Research has found that two fifths of Irish people surveyed believe hate is on the rise.Professor Amanda Haynes, Co-Author with Professor Jennifer Schweppe of Public Understandings of Hate Crime: Ireland, North and South, joined The Last Word to discuss.Listen by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Novelists Edel Coffey and Kevin Power joined The Last Word with a list of the best fiction books of 2023 that you can read over the holidays or give as gifts!Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Retailers are expecting to make about €1.1 billion extra on Christmas spending this year, up 5% on last year.Ian Guider, Business Columnist with The Business Post joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Sarah Slattery from Travelexpert.ie joined The Last Word to discuss some great ideas for travel related gifts this Christmas!Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Priscilla Lynch, Clinic Editor for The Medical Independent joined The Last Word to discuss the recent rise in RSV cases in children's hospitals.Listen by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Vaughan Yates, Founder of TVM, and Alex Morrell, Beverage Director at TVM joined The Last Word to discuss the best non-alcoholic drinks for your festive season!Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Hundreds gather to say goodbye to Shane MacGowan, Swift named person of the year, and baseball caps for Gardaí.Aoife Barry, Journalist and Author of Social Capital, and Lorcan Nyhan, Head of Training at The Communications Clinic joined The Last Word to discuss for The Week TrendingCatch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Gavin Cooney, Journalist with the42.ie , and Michael Foley, Sports Writer with The Sunday Times and Author of The Children of Croke Park, joined The Last Word to discuss the best sports books of 2023!Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Due to an explosion in the population of deer in Ireland, the Government has given the go-ahead to culling in an attempt to control the unsustainable growth of this wild animal.John Gibbons joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland  has estimated that a couple would need a combined salary of €127,000 to buy a house in Dublin in 2023.Edward McCauley, Director of Practice & Policy at the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, and Cian O’Callaghan, TD and Housing Spokesperson with the Social Democrats joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Andy O’Donoghue joined The Last Word for Tech Thursday, to discuss the best tech for pet owners!Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Should tobacco sales be phased out entirely?Mark Murphy, Advocacy Manager for Environmental Health and Tobacco with the Irish Heart Foundation, and Colm Burke, TD and Health Spokesperson for Fine Gael, joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Russell Alford & Patrick Hanlon from Gastrogays & The Sunday Times Ireland, joined The Last Word with their recommendations for the best Christmas cookbooks to get your hands on this festive season!Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

A new survey suggests that many people in Ireland expect to work until the age of 70 before they can afford to retire.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with The Irish Independent, joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Member of Paul McCartney's Wings, and co-founder of Moody Blues, Denny Laine has died aged 79.John Caddell and Dee Reddy joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Judith Boyle, Beverages Lecturer at TU Dublin joined The Last Word with some fantastic beer recommendations for the festive season!Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Liz Cheney has claimed that if Donald Trump is reelected, the United States would be 'sleepwalking into dictatorship'.Cal Thomas, Nationally Syndicated Columnist, and Marion McKeone, US Correspondent for The Business Post, joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Enda O’Neill, Head of Office for UNHCR Ireland, and Daniel McConnell, Editor of The Business Post joined The Last Word to discuss a new weekly payment increase for for asylum seekers who have not yet been accommodated.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page,

According to a report from the Nevin Economic Research Institute, more than a quarter of the jobs in Ireland are of 'poor quality'. What does this mean?Dr. Lisa Wilson, Senior Economist at the Nevin Economic Research Institute, and Senator Marie Sherlock, Labour Spokesperson on Workers’ Rights, joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Is Paschal Donohoe planning to leave Irish politics?Ian Guider, Business Columnist for The Business Post joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue joined The Last Word to discuss a statement he released today which claims 'real, intangible progress' is being made to reach agreed agriculture climate targets.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Are you interested in visiting the the United States' capital city? Sarah Slattery, from thetravelexpert.ie joined The Last Word with all of the information you need to make it a great trip!Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Have you ever wondered what happens to the goods seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau?Conor Lally, Security and Crime Editor for The Irish Times joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Court Reporter David Raleigh joined The Last Word to discuss the verdict of the trial of All Star Limerick hurler, Kyle Hayes.Listen by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Misinformation in the wake of the riots, a water cannon for the Gardaí, and Henry Kissinger's controversial legacy.Journalist Lise Hand and Larry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at the University of Galway and Political Columnist with The Journal, joined The Last Word to discuss the biggest stories of the week.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Long-time friend of Shane MacGowan, Marion McKeone joined The Last Word to pay a special tribute to the late musical icon. Listen by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

What is the best tech to invest in to cut your food waste?Andy O’Donoghue joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

John Gibbons joined The Last Word to discuss the beginning of this year's UN Climate Change conference, COP 28.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Musical icon Shane MacGowan passed away today at the age of 65.John Caddell and Dee Reddy joined The Last Word for a 2 part special, to look back at his iconic career.Listen by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Liam Herrick, Executive Director for the Irish Council for Civil Liberties joined The Last Word to discuss new measures being introduced to aid Gardaí in their duties.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

There is a suggestion that we could run out of accommodation for asylum seekers later this week. How likely is this?John Lannon, Chief Executive of DORAS, and Marian Harkin, Independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim, joined The Last Word to discuss.Listen by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

800,000 people are due to receive a letter from Revenue as a reminder to set up a recurring payment for their Local Property tax.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with The Irish Independent joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

A sequel to the beloved fil Spinal Tap has been announced, with cameos from some of the biggest names in music history!Ed Smith and Dee Reddy joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

According to a new report from the CSO, the Gardaí are now the highest paid workers in the country, passing out IT professionals.Ian Guider, Business Columnist with The Business Post joined The Last Word to discuss.

Could Nikki Haley have enough support to take on Trump in the race for next year's US Presidential election?Cal Thomas, Nationally Syndicated Columnist, and Larry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at the University of Galway & Political Columnist with TheJournal.ie, joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Sarah Slattery, from thetravelexpert.ie joined The Last Word to discuss the best Christmas markets you can visit in Ireland this festive season!Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Dane Galligan, Adventurer and Wilderness Expert, has suffered from severe depression for 20 years. He joined The Last Word along with Dr. Lorcan Martin, Consultant in General Adult Psychiatry to discuss the issue of severe depression, which 150,000 people are facing in Ireland. Listen by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Would Croke Park be the most suitable venue for Katie Taylor's next fight?Kieran Cunningham, Chief Sports Writer with The Irish Daily Star joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

A recent statement made by Leo Varadkar about former Hamas hostage Emily Hand has been received negatively in Israel. What does this mean going forward for Ireland's relationship with Israel? Naomi O’Leary, Europe Correspondent for The Irish Times, and Alan Shatter, Former Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, and Fellow of the Israel Council on Foreign Relations joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Following last week's events in the city centre, Niall Shanahan, Communications Officer with FORSA, and Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants’ Association joined The Last Word to discuss the importance of an open door for immigrants in Ireland.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

With some news from the housing market and the latest in the world of business, Ian Guider from The Business Post joined The Last Word.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

To discuss yesterday's events, The Last Word was joined by Business Owner Paul Gallagher, Conor Lally, Security and Crime Editor with the Irish Times, and Aoife Barry, author of Social Capital.To discuss the cost of the riots, Neil McDonnell, CEO of ISME and Richard Guiney, CEO of Dublin Town joined The Last Word.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

This weekend's fight in the 3Arena has been overshadowed by posts made by Conor McGregor.Kieran Cunningham, Chief Sports Writer with the Irish Daily Star joined The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

With the reaction to yesterday's events, Eamon Ryan, Transport Minister, Jim O'Callaghan, Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Justice and Gary Gannon, Social Democrats TD for Dublin Central joined The Last Word.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor for the Irish Independent, and Martina Hennessy from doddl.ie joined The Last Word for a Personal Finance mortgage special, to discuss everything from vulture funds to first time buyers.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

John Gibbons, Environmental Commentator, and Colm Markey, Fine Gael MEP joined The Last Word to discuss the prospect of sustainable aviation. Is it realistic, and if so, how close are we to it?Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.