Lunchtime Live

Hen and Stag parties are back with a boom – but have they become too extravagant? Is a weekend away too much? Shane Beatty was joined on Lunchtime Live by listeners Simon, Niall and Inga to discuss...

A Tipperary TD has called for a deer cull after hitting one with his car on his way home. Jackie Cahill says the deer numbers in the country are out of control and are causing issues for farmers and drivers. Is this an issue we need to address in Ireland? Or should these animals be protected? Shane Beatty was joined on Lunchtime Live by John Tierney, Association of Hunt Saboteurs, Damien Hannigan-...

Labour TD and party education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin wants the Government to stop the practice of schools reserving places for the children of past pupils. He claims it’s elitist. Do you agree with him? Or is it important for you to send your child to your former school? Andrea was joined by listeners on Lunchtime Live to discuss…

A cyclist who was knocked off her bike by a truck has been told by a judge that she contributed to her own injuries by not wearing a helmet. The truck hit off her shoulder which made her lose her balance and all control of the bike. She had a head injury which meant she got a concussion and had injuries on her face, shoulder and arm. The cyclist sued the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland because t...

Paris Hilton has announced the birth of her first child with her husband Carter Reum. The baby was born via surrogate. The US socialite and businesswoman announced the arrival on Instagram. However, many media outlets this morning have been mentioning her age in their headlines, with one of them reading: “Paris Hilton Welcomes Her First Child at 41” Andrea was joined by listeners Sarah and Mairead...

There are thousands of houses and apartments outside Dublin not being built, despite a lack of affordable housing in Ireland. Is it time we took a more radical approach to construction in Ireland? Should there be a new approach from the Government to decentralisation in Ireland? Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by listeners to discuss…

This week on Newstalk, we’re shining a spotlight on domestic abuse, in partnership with Allianz and Women’s Aid. As part of this campaign, Andrea was joined now by Jason Poole. Jason’s sister Jennifer was killed by her partner a few years ago. To donate to Women’s Aid and find out more about the Stand Strong movement, go to standstrong.ie

Employers face being charged to keep car parking spaces for their staff in Dublin city under new proposals from the National Transport Authority (NTA). The proposal is one of a series of measures the NTA is likely to take to drastically reduce the number of cars that enter the city centre as the State seeks to meet its climate targets. Andrea was joined by Richard Guiney, CEO of Dublin Town and li...

Yesterday was a huge day for Irish cinema. Films made here and those brimming with Irish talent and scenery received a total of 14 nominations. Martin McDonagh’s ‘The Banshees of Insiherin’ picked up 9 of those nominations. What impact will this incredible popularity have on Irish Tourism? Andrea was joined by Aine McLaughlin, of Aran Island Ferries, Rosemary from Achill Tourism and Mick Lynch, th...

Derry GAA Club, Glen have confirmed that they will appeal the result of Sunday’s All Ireland Club Football final after Kilmacud Crokes had an extra player on the pitch for the end of the game. But is it fair that Glen had to make that decision themselves? Should the GAA have had to make the decision? Andrea was joined by listeners on Lunchtime Live to discuss… Image: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Ministers have rejected a proposal to introduce ‘menopause leave’ in the UK. The move has been criticised from some MPs who say that a lack of menopause legislation leaves women at risk of being driven out of the workforce. Would you like to see menopause leave here in Ireland? Andrea was joined by listeners Katherine, Sylvia, Renee and Mary to discuss…

Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by Seán Burke, a member of the Social Democrats National Executive. Seán spoke about some of the homophobia he has received online since getting involved in politics and expressing his views on social media...

Billboards and banners across the country have gone up advertising Oat Milk, with the slogan - “It’s like milk, but made for humans.” They have caused quite an uproar with some people. Alternative milks can cause quite a firestorm with some, saying it could damage the dairy industry here. Should we all be trying to move towards milk alternatives? Andrea was joined by Liam Lynham from ‘Oat in the C...

There are shocking reports that some refugees could end up homeless because of a lack of places for them. This could be down to some hotels not renewing their Government contracts, and that the refugees staying there would have to leave in the summer. But are the Government really doing everything they can when it comes to housing efforts? Are some stones being left unturned? Andrea was joined by...

A damning interim report into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Ireland has revealed that more than 100 children were left without care for up to two years. Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by parents to hear their experiences of the CAMHS service. Dr Kieran Moore a former Child Psychiatric Consultant with CAMHS also joined Andrea on the show…

Elaine, a listener, joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live to discuss the removal of on street parking on her road in Dublin. The parking will be replaced by a cycle lane, however residents say they had no consultation up until last week..

A Cork TD has been flooded with responses after putting out a call for issues in social housing. Thomas Gould had over 130 replies from tenants with damp and mould problems in their homes. Some of them say they’ve been living in these conditions for years and aren’t being listened to. Andrea was joined by Antoinette and Jennifer who both live in Cork to discuss..

Monica, a listener, got in touch with Lunchtime Live about a recent experience on Irish Rail. A woman wouldn’t move her bags to let her family sit down in the seats they had pre-booked and was abusive towards Monica and her family…

Would you like to see more dogs allowed in pubs, cafes and shops? According to the Belfast Telegraph this morning, making your establishment dog friendly leads to increased levels of trade. Five years ago, a law dating back to the '50s which prevented people from bringing pets into restaurants and pubs was officially repealed. Would you like to see more dog friendly businesses? What do you think a...

Children in Ireland are waiting up to 13 years to see a dentist. That's the stark warning from the Regional Group of independent TDs. It's bringing a motion before the Dáil later today, calling for the government to immediately reform the public dental system. Have you experienced delays in getting a dental appointment? Andrea was joined by Fintan Hourihan, Chief Executive of the Irish Dental Asso...

Newstalk Breakfast presenter, Ciara Kelly spoke candidly this morning about her feelings as her son emigrated to Australia yesterday. What is causing this spike in emigration in Ireland? On Lunchtime Live this afternoon, Andrea was joined by listeners who have first hand experience of how emigration affects families differently...

Local authorities should accelerate programmes to encourage people to downsize their properties, according to the Housing Minister. There are 8,600 under occupied social housing units in Dublin. Minister Darragh O' Brien says there should be increased use of existing schemes to facilitate those who want to downsize. Should people be incentivised to move out of their homes? Should there be grants o...

Paralympian Martin Gordon and his guide dog were refused entry in a Dublin city restaurant over the weekend. Martin joined Andrea Gilligan on Lunchtime Live alongside a listener Fergus to discuss...

What is it like to be gay in rural Ireland? LGBT Ireland is aiming to expand Pride events into rural towns to improve Ireland as a country for members of the community. Did you come out in rural Ireland? What was the experience like? Andrea was joined by Paula Fagan, CEO LGBT Ireland, Paul and Ciarán to discuss...

The Cabinet is to approve a scheme to repair Celtic Tiger apartment defects which could cost the State up to 2.5 billion euro. Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien is bringing the memo which will cover fire, structural safety and water caused defects on apartment buildings and duplexes built between 1991 and 2013. It means that the redress scheme for apartments alongside the upcoming redress scheme fo...