Lunchtime Live

Do you expect a thank you from your boss? Or is your pay check enough? A fifth of workers surveyed say they’ve never been thanked and over half say they don’t feel valued… Joining Andrea to discuss this is Terry Prone, Chairman of the Communications Clinic, Patrick Scanlon, HR Business Consultant at The HR Buddy and Ian O’Doherty, Columnist with the Irish Independent.

Welcome to The Pod Squad! We review podcasts every week so you always have something new to listen to. Laura Mullet Journalist and Stylist and Tom Douglas from the Newstalk Newsroom join Andrea to review ‘Jane Austen Stories’! Image: Noiser

A new report from environmental law and policy group Opportunity Green has said that The Government should scrap Irish aviation’s “free pass” on climate by introducing an air travel tax. By doing this it will ensure the sector pays its fair share for pollution. Many people in Ireland only fly once a year, while others are frequent flyers. Should people be expected to pay this levy and how would it...

For this week’s Ask Me Anything, former Meteorologist Evelyn Cusack joins Andrea to answer any of your weather-related questions!

By this time tomorrow, a €5 bottle of e-liquid will cost over €10 thanks to a tax that was introduced as part of last year's budget… A flat rate of 50c per millilitre of e-liquid will be applied, so for some, their vape fix will more than double. We’re told this is causing a rush to vape shops today so people can get in ahead of the increase. Do you have any sympathy, and is the price hike too muc...

You may have been listening to our piece about the Kildare Ladies Camogie and Football Finals on Wednesday. It got such a huge response, that we decided to come back to it today… Joining Andrea to discuss is Pat Mc Dowell, Manager and Chairman of Muckalee Ladies Gaelic Football Club in Kilkenny and Rachel Sheehan from Off The Ball.

Tourism Ireland has been marketing Ireland around the world as the ‘Home of Halloween’, and it seems like it’s been a pretty big success: it's generated €50 million! So, was it the right move? Joining Andrea to discuss is Tom Lawlor, Co-Director of Dublin City Council’s Bram Stoker Festival, Head of Culture for Derry City and Strabane District Council, Aeidin McCarter and Historian and Journalist...

Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea Gilligan with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

New figures from The Central Bank of Ireland have shown that motor insurance premiums rose by an average of 9% to €623 last year. Despite a drop-off of 1,000 in the number of private motor claims last year, the total cost of settlements rose by €42 million to a record €896 million, up 38% on the pre-Covid average… If there are less claims, why is car insurance on the rise and how can we tackle the...

When you make changes to your home’s interior, there are some mistakes you can make that even a professional can fall into. This week, the Home Squad are here to discuss those mistakes, and how you can avoid them! Joining Andrea to discuss is Jenny Sheehan, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year’ (@workerscottage on Instagram) and Tanya Neufeld Flanagan, Interior Designer...

Parents who have children in hospital have enough worries to deal with than to think of what they should have for lunch. With catering in hospitals, staff would have no problem but to help ease the burden by providing something as simple as tea and toast to parents. However, if you are not breastfeeding your child, you must fend for yourselves. Joining Andrea to discuss is Consultant in Pediatric...

Hurricane Melissa has been called the “storm of the century”. It’s one of the most powerful in Atlantic history, and has left a path of destruction in the Caribbean, hitting the Bahamas, Cuba and Jamaica. So far, dozens of people have been confirmed dead. In Jamaica, it's estimated up to 90% of homes in the devastated town of Black River have been stripped of their roofs. Orlagh Kilbride lives in...

Would you give your seat to the disabled or elderly on public transport? Newstalk Reporter Kyle Butler noticed some worrying behaviour after he moved to Dublin, and joins Andrea, as well as Mark Fennel, Author & Life Coach, to discuss.

We’ve decided to do a deep dive on some of our favourite albums to explore the stories behind them. What did the artists really think of each other? Where did the inspirations from the songs come from? Joining Andrea to discuss is Head Tour Guide at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience, Alan Buckley, who’s going to talk through some of Westlife’s greatest hits as the band celebrates their 25t...

Nearly €450,000 was spent on an ad campaign to entice Irish builders to come home. Ads were posted on billboards and on social media with tag lines like ‘You’ve built Sydney, now come and build back home’. Is this money well spent? Or an enormous waste when housing targets here aren’t being met? Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

As Halloween week creeps in, many people are getting into the spirit by settling in for a good scare with their favorite horror movies. For some, that means spending most of the film peeking through their fingers, bracing for whatever terrifying moment might jump out from the screen. Well, if you are in any way anxious, scary movies may be your best friend. Research carried out has discovered that...

Lunchtime Live's Reasons to be Happy looks at some of the news stories that you might have missed that will leave you feeling more optimistic. 98FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…

Kildare Freelance Photographer Aisling Hyland posted on Instagram in recent days to voice her disgust over the lights being switched off at both Camogie and Football Ladies County Finals in St. Conleth’s Park… She joins Andrea to discuss, as well as Deirdre Hurley, Chair of Laurence's Ladies, Ciara Wheeler, St. Laurence's player, Niamh Tallon, Founder of Her Sport and Róisín Forde, Maynooth Camogi...

Every Wednesday afternoon, we’ll be talking Making Babies. Andrea will be joined by Professor Shane Higgins, Master of the National Maternity Hospital, to cover every area of trying to have a baby. From the very start of knowing how to prepare, right up to pregnancy – and all the bumps in the road in between. This week, Shane joins Andrea to answer some listener questions!

With Halloween week well underway, many parents and children are decorating their homes and prepping their costumes to take to the streets on Friday night to Trick or Treat. The dreaded fear for most parents is just how many sweets their children will consume on Friday night. Is there a way to manage the amount of sugar our children will eat this Halloween? Joining Andrea to discuss some healthy t...

Noel is the primary carer for his father. After becoming his father’s carer, he had to reduce the amount of hours that he works so he can spend time at home looking after his dad. Noel works 18.5 hours per week. He has no option but to work remotely so he can be there when his father needs him. Noel has since received a letter from the state to say that he owes them €22,000, as they have told him...

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Anna Daly is joined by Dermot Wells, Head of Health & General Insurance at Cornmarket and Health Insurance Broker to answer your health insurance questions!

You may have heard this shocking story over the weekend, as well as the video that accompanied it. It shows two Drag Queens recording a video during Cork Jazz Festival where they are being homophobically abused... They are Krystal Queer and Lucina Schynning, and they join guest host Anna Daly to discuss.

Today, we're diving into the world of live music and concert-going, and asking you: How much would you be willing to pay to watch your favourite band? Has dynamic pricing crowded you out from getting to a gig – and have escalating costs changed the atmosphere in the crowd? For many, live music is the ultimate experience. But, how much are you really paying for the love of music? Joining guest host...

According to a recent survey 1 in 3 people allow their dog to sleep in their bed. Many people say it's great company, it's great for the cuddles and, as our heating bills creep up, sharing the bed with a furry friend is certainly one way of staying warmer! But, is sharing a bed with your dog hygienic? Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Dr. Primrose Freestone, Associate Professor in Clinica...