Newstalk Breakfast

The grade adjustment unfairly penalises the Class of 2025, making them bear the brunt of a deeply unjust decision. So says Brian Mooney, Guidance Counsellor, Irish Times Columnist and Editor of Education Matters Yearbook .  

Sean Diddy Combs, the hip-hop entrepreneur whose wildly successful career has been dotted by allegations of violence, was brought to a New York courthouse on Monday to be tried on charges that he used the influence and resources of his business empire to sexually abuse women.   We get the latest on this with Journalist Harriet Alexander.

The Department of Finance is set to publish economic forecasts for Ireland to take account of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.   That’s one of several key issues that will be brought to Cabinet today.  Jack Horgan Jones Political Correspondent with the Irish Times tells us about the busy agenda today.

Today is Special Olympics Collection Day. The Special Olympics can change lives from the first steps to the world stage. Henry McKean met a former athlete who became a coach and 7 year old Ellen, who is just starting out.  It's Special Olympics Collection Day. Keep an eye out for the bucket collectors or log onto Special Olympics.ie. 

U.S. President Donald Trump ousted his national security adviser Mike Waltz and named Secretary of State Marco Rubio as his interim replacement in the first major shakeup of Trump's inner circle since he took office in January.    We discuss this and more with Jennifer Ewing, Spokesperson for Republicans Overseas UK.

Parents are being urged to hire bouncy castles only from companies that are insured and safety-certified ahead of holy communion season. We speak to Glenn Tector, Owner of Sonics Entertainment and PRO for the Irish Inflatable Hirers Federation.

Brendan McDonagh has dropped out of the running for housing czar, after Fine Gael sought to block his appointment at a special Cabinet meeting. Sinn Fein Leader Mary Lou McDonald gives her reaction to Shane on the show this morning.

72% of Irish shoppers say they want healthier, more sustainable products to be more affordable. That’s according to the EY Future Consumer Index  For more on this Ciara spoke to Professor Donal O’Shea, HSE lead for Obesity.

A university lecturer and author of Leaving Cert textbooks on construction studies has resigned from a group tasked with redeveloping the subject over claims that the new syllabus is being “dumbed down”.     To discuss this further Trevor Hickey, Associate professor and Course Director of the Teacher Education programme for construction studies at University of Limerick.

NAMA Chief Brendan McDonagh has pulled himself out of the running for housing czar following controversy over the 400,000-euro salary.  We get the latest on this with Louise Burne, Political Correspondent for the Irish Daily Mirror .  

Esther McCarthy Lifestyle Editor and Saturday Weekend Magazine Columnist with The Irish Examiner joins us for this week’s red carpet round up.

Electricity suppliers should offer customers price plans that allow them to save money, change consumption patterns and reduce emissions. That’s the call from the Climate Change Advisory Council, who are today launching their annual review of the electricity sector. Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast was Marie Donnelly the Council’s Chair.

Katie Amess is the daughter of the late British MP Sir David Amess, who was murdered in 2021 in a brutal terrorist attack.    She’s spoken out in recent days following a video showing Irish rap group Kneecap calling for MPs to be killed. After widespread criticism, the band has issued an apology, saying they “regret any hurt caused.” Shane spoke to Katie this morning on the show.

Pupils from 5 Gaelscoils will be protesting outside Leinster House today, as doubts have emerged around government plans to introduce an Irish language secondary school in the Dublin South City area.    Shane spoke to Julian de Spáinn is Chairperson of the Parents Committee for a Gaelcholáiste in Dublin 2,4,6,8.  

“When my husband told me he voted for Brexit, I thought he was joking. I only realised how different our political views are after our wedding. But we’ve made it work”  Those are the words of freelance journalist Rhiannon Picton-James who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

The new Oireachtas Committee on Drugs must move forward with implementing a health-led approach to drug use rather than a criminal one.  That’s according to the Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign. Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast was the newly appointed Committee Chair Gary Gannon, Social Democrats TD.

The probe into the disappearance of Kerry farmer Michael Gaine has been reclassified as a homicide investigation. We get the latest with Conor Lally, Irish Times Crime and Security Editor.

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan will bring the General Scheme of the International Protection Bill to Cabinet today to speed up asylum applications - including a three-month time limit for decisions  We get reaction to the plans from Nick Henderson, CEO of the Irish Refugee Council and also Cathal Malone, Immigration lawyer and Head of Legal Research at Thomas Coughlan & Co Solicito...

Nuria Zyden, a naturalised Irish citizen who lives in Dublin, receives regular calls from the police in China and believes she is being monitored. Nuria outline why she feels she is being monitored by the Chinese authorities to Shane this morning.

Spain has declared a state of emergency after a massive power cut hit large parts of the country and Portugal, causing widespread disruption. With more on this we spoke to Dr Paul Cuffe, Assistant Professor, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University College Dublin also Editor of TravelExtra.ie Eoghan Corry .

Courses that teach you to budget, make a roast dinner or change a tyre are signs that the transition to adulthood has changed – so wrote a journalist in the Independent this morning.   Could we all do with a crash course in adulting?  All to discuss with Dr. Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin.

More than two-fifths of 25-year-old Irish men and a third of women are drinking at levels the World Health Organization classifies as "hazardous," according to a new CSO report on the wellbeing of young adults. We heard from  CEO of Alcohol Action Ireland Dr Sheila Gilheanys with reaction to this report findings.    

Spain has declared a State of Emergency after it was hit by a major blackout across the country, alongside Portugal which also lost power. We get the latest with Melita Cameron-Wood, freelance journalist in Valencia.

Marks and Spencer is continuing to deal with a cyber attack on its systems, which has caused disruption for customers . We get the details on what happened with Newstalk's Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly.

Following its closure last week amid a heated internal dispute, the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland in South Dublin is set to reopen its national school and creche on Monday, with heightened security in place.   Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast this morning was Founder and Chair of the Irish Muslim Council Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri .