Lunchtime Live

Last year the State provided over €128 million in funding to private schools, it has been found. Over the last five years payments from the Government to private schools have amounted to €588m. Is it right for private schools to be tapping into the resources of the State? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...

Living with a chronic illness in Ireland can be difficult – from prolonged waiting times for a diagnosis to having to travel abroad for treatment, there are so many challenges to face when you have a chronic illness. Andrea was joined by Ann, Orla, Anne Marie and Emily Larkin, founder of Invisible Disability Ireland to discuss...

Summer can be a stressful time for parents. Children are off school and most parents still have to work. This can often see parents 'shaming' for the decisions they make. Chrissie Russell, Freelance journalist with the Irish Independent and others joined Andrea to discuss...

Fans are lining the seafront in Bray to pay tribute and bid farewell to Singer Sinead O’Connor as her funeral cortege passes by. Newstalk's Chief Reporter Barry Whyte joined Andrea from Bray...

In Cork there are 14 times more short-term lets on Airbnb than rental homes available on Daft.ie. In Dublin it’s 6 times and in Galway there are 23 times more short-term lets on Airbnb than rental homes available on Daft.ie. There are huge differences across the country between the amount of homes available for people to rent, and the amount of holiday properties available. The impact this must be...

Wexford woman Deirdre Bonass is using her experience of skin cancer to urge people to use sun factor. Deirdre is recovering from basal cell carcinoma (BCC) skin cancer and joined Andrea Gilligan on the show to tell us all about her experience...

This weekend is the August is the Bank Holiday weekend. Doubtless, many of you have made plans to head away for the weekend. Keith Walsh, Writer & Broadcaster along with callers joined Andrea on the show to discuss if it's ok to go on holiday without your children...

A picture posted online of the rewilded garden in front of Trinity College in Dublin has sparked a lot of discussion. One commentator said it makes Trinity look like another ‘derelict urban property’, while others applauded the wildflowers. What do you think? Andrea Gilligan was joined by callers to get their views on rewilding...

Is TV still worth it? Irish consumers will spend 1.3 billion euros on streaming services this year – while another report in the UK shows that Broadcast TV audiences have seen the sharpest fall since records began. Andrea asked listeners if they still watch TV.

A new survey has found that 64 percent of homeowners say cost is the main barrier to carrying out an upgrade to their home. It also found that 76 percent of homeowners have, or plan to make their homes more energy efficient. So today we are asking you, is there work you would like to do on your house that you simply can’t afford to do? Architect Roisin Murphy joined Andrea Gilligan to answer liste...

What time do you go to sleep every night? A recent study by Kings College London found that even a 90-minute difference in the time you sleep can massively affect your gut health. Tom Coleman, health scientist, and sleep coach joined Andrea on the show to discuss...

Musicians and stage crew working in Dublin city center say they’re worried that violence in the city will impact our nightlife. It comes after it was announced last night that a man in his 30s after being attacked on Sunday morning and after the attack on US tourist Stephen Termini last month. Musicians and gig-goers say they’re worried about being out late. Rebecca CappuccinI spokesperson for the...

Louise from Cool Running Events, James Coghlan of Astropark, and Linda Murray of Huckleberry’s Den joined Andrea Gilligan to discuss insurance premiums...

Ten years ago a law was passed that compelled tobacco companies to print photographic health warnings on cigarette packets, now as we look set to introduce similar warnings on alcohol some are calling for health labeling to also be displayed on junk food. But would this proposal actually work and what might it look like? Andrea was joined by Doctor Eva Orsmond and listeners to discuss if health la...

It’s World Breastfeeding Week. It’s a topic we cover regularly on this show, and when we do it always gets a huge response – from the lack of help for new mums to Ireland’s low uptake – it seems people have a lot of worries around breastfeeding. Andrea Gilligan was joined by Katie Mugan, Lactation Consultant, Nurse, and mum of 4 who answered all your breastfeeding questions...

It’s that time of the year again when thoughts turn to, back to school. A new survey from Barnardos shows that the average cost for a fourth-class pupil in Primary school is €320, while the amount needed for a first-year pupil is €972 and a fifth-year pupil is €863.

Parents and public representatives in Dublin 8 are calling on the Department of Education to provide new secondary schools for the area to address the dire under-provision of secondary school places locally. The stark shortfall of places in Dublin 8 means many local teenagers face 15 hours of commuting a week to get to and from school. Parents in the area are calling on the Department of Education...

Andrea was joined by mental health campaigner Daragh Fleming because of something he is currently dealing with. Daragh explained to Andrea what happened recently... If you have been affected by anything in this podcast you can contact Men's Aid on 01 554 3811.

As we finally see some sun in Ireland during the tourist season, is the price of a nice meal out just too much to enjoy it? We often talk about the cost of hotels here, but should we be doing more to keep costs down in all parts of hospitality? Andrea Gilligan was joined by callers to discuss the cost of going out for a meal...

New research from Digital Insights has found that almost one in ten people are now using Chat GPT for work High-income owners are twice as likely to use to use ChatGPT for work purposes versus the general population (8%). It is also much more popular among younger age groups. Andrea was joined by Eoghan Tomas McDermott - Managing Director of The Communications Clinic and callers to discuss if they...

A shocking report by the ERSI showed that barely a third of Irish people under 40 own their own homes. With the cost-of-living crisis, the people being hit hardest are our young people who are stuck at home, and their parents who are still housing them. Brian Jordan, president of the TU Dublin Students Union, joined Andrea on the show...

Young people’s shopping habits are increasingly shaped by social media influencers, research shows. Almost two-thirds of 16 to 24-year-olds and almost half of 25- to 34-year-olds have bought goods online because of a recommendation from an influencer or celebrity, according to a survey by An Post. Female shoppers are twice as likely to be prompted to purchase via social media.

Cork City Library on Grand Parade decided to close to the public at 12.30 pm on Saturday following ongoing protests against LGBTQ+ material in Irish libraries. Andrea was joined by Dan Boyle, Green Party Councillor and callers who were at the protests...

Our summer memories series returns where we chat with some well-known faces and reminisce over those long summer days!  Author Sheila Flanagan joined Andrea to discuss...

Our summer memories series returns where we chat with some well-known faces and reminisce over those long summer days!  Singer and Nolan Sister, Anne Nolan joined Andrea to discuss...