The Hard Shoulder

Writing in today’s Irish Examiner, John Gibbons explored Ireland's food supply writing that “Despite the notion that Ireland is a 'food island', we import four fifths of our food and adding that we could be in a very “bad place if world food supplies dry up”... So, is it time to implement a more natural diet without the need to rely so heavily on  food imports for our diets? Joining Ciara to...

Every week for The Ultimate Guide on The Hard Shoulder, Fionn Davenport takes a closer look at some of the fantastic destinations to visit around the world. This week, Fionn joined Ciara and Shane to give his ultimate guide to the slow route to Bilbao: from Rosslare!

Canada has today hit back with retaliatory tariffs in response to the United States. For more on this, Shane is joined by Sky News International Affairs Editor, Dominic Waghorn.

The company behind the Sphere in Las Vegas, Yankee Stadium in New York and the Aviva Stadium has released computer-generated images showing the design of a planned events arena in Cherrywood in south Dublin. Joining Ciara to discuss all of these plans is Founder and CEO of Prime Arena Holdings, Dermot Rigley. Image: Prime Arena Holdings

Newstalk Breakfast Presenter Anton Savage joins Ciara to place his favourite book on the Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

A Government TD has called on Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien to immediately begin the rollout of new chargers on public transport. Barry Ward, the Fine Gael TD for Dún Laoghaire, has said that Ireland’s public transport has to “keep up with the needs of its passengers” and install USB-C charging ports on buses and trains. He joins Shane to discuss the initiative.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has today told the United Nations that Ireland must urgently close the gap between its human rights commitments and the lived experience of people across the country. Liam Herrick, Chief Commissioner of the IHREC, joins Ciara to discuss.

Lego sales are up by over 20% in the first half of this year thanks to the World Cup, the Danish giant toy maker said today. Lego is beating  Mattel and Hasbro, thanks to tie-ups and film franchises, and producing more sets targeted at adults, as well as boys and girls. Lego's revenue was over €6 billion. But, why is Lego still so popular, even with social media and computer games. Henry McKe...

The Fiscal Advisory Council believes that Ireland’s current strong economy does not need budgetary support and that a large package could fuel further inflation. However, earlier today, the Minister for Finance Simon Harris defended the Government’s spending plan, saying that planned measures would have a “positive effect” on inflation. But what will the effect be on inflation? Joining me now to d...

Over in the UK, breakdowns involving a vehicle’s Body Control Module (BCM) have doubled since 2020, with more than 36,000 incidents now recorded each year, according to the AA. So as our cars get smarter are they becoming more problematic to fix? Joey Donnelly of Crofton Motors joins Shane to discuss.

The HSE has approved the reimbursement of the drug Skyclarys for people with Friedreich's Ataxia. This comes following a substantially improved financial offer by drug firm Biogen to the Health Service Executive. Joining Ciara to discuss this is Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has revealed the most complained about companies for the first half of the year. Garden centre and outdoor furniture retailer Rathwood was the most complained about business during this period, followed by Ryanair and Sky. But, what are your rights when it comes to complaining as a consumer, and are people less likely to complain now due to...

Uisce Eireann has said that the hosepipe ban has been extended until the end of September for 13 counties across Munster and Leinster, as “public water supplies remain under pressure and require continued protection”. Joining Shane to discuss is their Water Operations Manager for the Eastern and Midlands Region, Stephen Burke…

More than eight in 10 women (81%) say hormonal health has impacted their working life, with 62% saying the impact has been moderate or significant, according to new research from The Menopause Hub. Joining Ciara to discuss this is Loretta Dignam, Founder and CEO of the Menopause Hub and Louisa Meehan of Woodview HRM, HR and Dispute Resolution expert.

For this week’s Kids Clinic, Shane and Ciara are joined by Ollwyn Moran, Clinical Director with CogniClinic.ie to discuss what impact video games may have on your child, and how to best manage them in the household.

New CSO figures show that the population of the state exceeded 5.5 million people. Joining Ciara to talk through the stats is Adrian Kavanagh, Geography Lecturer at Maynooth University.

Two big housing related stories are doing the rounds today, with a new Daft.ie report indicating rents continuing to rise, while new research from PTSB finds that 52% of under-35s believe they will never be in a position to buy a home… Joining Shane to discuss this further is Conor Sheehan, Labour Party Housing Spokesperson and Robert Whelan, Managing Director of Rockwell Finance.

It's back! The Traitors Ireland will return to our screens on RTÉ for season 2 on Sunday night. Ciara was joined by host Siobhán McSweeney to discuss her excitement for its return. Image: RTÉ

European leaders rally in Kyiv today to celebrate Ukraine's Independence Day, as Zelenskyy says Ukraine wants peace, but won't give into Russian aggression. Joining  Shane with the latest updates is Emmanuelle Chaze, Ukraine-based Journalist with France24…

Ireland currently has one of the lowest levels of CCTV surveillance, and security camera numbers are set to soar across Ireland as new technology is employed to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. Do we need more CCTV surveillance, or is it an unnecessary encroachment on our privacy? Joining Shane to discuss is Enda Brady, World News Presenter of TRT World and Willie O’Dea, Limerick TD and for...

This week, Ciara and Shane were joined by Off the Ball’s Cameron Hill and Freelance Journalist Niamh O’Reilly, to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists...

The HSE drugs group’s recommendation to refuse reimbursement for the drug Skyclarys is a stark reminder of the devastating human cost that can lie behind bureaucratic decisions. So wrote Consultant in Paediatric Intensive Care, Dr Suzanne Crowe, in The Journal yesterday. She joins Ciara to discuss.

Off The Ball’s John Duggan joined Shane and Ciara on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action…

Just 6% of children say they spend enough meaningful time with people closest to them – that's according to new research from Heinz Beanz & Barnardos. Joining Shane to discuss the findings is Vogue Williams, TV personality, podcaster and mum-of-three & Dr Malie Coyne, Galway-based Chartered Clinical Psychologist. For more information, or if you wish to donate, you can do so at barnardos.ie...

The Government has confirmed that the planned reversal of excise duty fuel cuts in September and October will not go ahead. Joining Ciara to discuss this is Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon. Later, Shane is joined by Pat Leahy, Political Editor of The Irish Times and John Fitzgerald, Adjunct Professor of Economics at Trinity College Dublin.