Newstalk Breakfast

“Six months ago, I sold my car and bought an e-bike. So far I don’t regret it one bit”  Those are the words of climate policy researcher Sadhbh O’Neill who explain why to Shane this morning on the show.

The public is urged to remain vigilant as nesting season begins due to the presence of highly aggressive seagulls.  Just how do seagulls behave during the nesting season? We asked Colm Moore, Rentokil's Regional Technical Manager. 

The leader of the Democrats in the U.S. Senate has demanded a "full investigation" following the White House's confirmation that a journalist was included in a group chat. The group chat included U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other senior officials where they discussed planned strikes against Yemen's Houthi group.    We get reaction to this with Larry Donnelly, University...

All things considered could you give up your car? An interesting discussion with Ciara and Shane this morning.

Opposition parties have not ruled out a Dáil “walkout” if the Government forces through changes to speaking times that favour the Regional Independent TDs. For more on this Ciara spoke to Duncan Smith Labour TD and Party Whip.

The State is more likely than ever to reject International Protection applications, with 81% refused at first instance this year, compared to 52% rejected in 2017. To discuss further on the show was John Lannon, CEO of Doras and Peadar Toibín, Leader of Aontú to discuss. 

Consultant child and teenage psychiatrists must be properly recognised as the leader of their CAMHS teams to deliver adequate mental health services. That’s according to the College of Psychiatrists Ireland.  Speaking to Ciara this morning was Dr Maeve Doyle, Executive Member of the Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 

The First Communions are just around the corner and costs this year are higher than ever. But are they worth going into debt over and how can you spend smart this communion season? Newstalk Report Sarah Madden reports for us on this.

House price inflation reached an eight-year high in the first three months of 2025. While a lack of second-hand homes has dwindled supply.  That’s according to the latest Daft.ie report.  Speaking to Shane this morning was Ronan Lyons, author of the report and Economist at Trinity College Dublin.

The National Planning Framework will be brought to Cabinet shortly after being stalled for months. Without it, Ireland will never meet its housing target. That’s according to Paul Mitchell, Co-Founder And Director of Mitchell McDermott, and Co-Author of the report. 

If you’re a social media user, you might be used to seeing #Spon or #AD. but what exactly do the hashtags mean and when are you, the consumer, adding to the bank balance of an influencer?  Newstalk's Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly explains all.

Wegovy, the “wonder drug” against obesity, which is identical to Ozempic will be available in Irish pharmacies from today. We discuss this with Professor Donal O’Shea, The HSE lead for Obesity.

 Finance Minister Paschal Donohue has indicated that government plans for tax cuts may need to be delayed due to the risk of a global trade war, which could threaten tens of thousands of jobs. Speaking to Shane this morning on the show was Peter Burke, Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. 

Today is 'World Flatmates Day' and we’re talking about the dos and don’ts of shared living. All to discuss with Irish Independent columnist Saoirse Hanley.

Fine Gael TD James Geoghegan has called on the Minister for Transport to extend the Luas to Ringsend and Irishtown  It begs the question, are we using the Luas to the full of its potential in the capital?  Ciara discussed this further with Brian Caulfield, Professor of Engineering at Trinity College Dublin. 

Calls are mounting for extra pay for frontline workers such as nurses, teachers and gardaí living in Dublin. We discussed this idea further with Michael Gillespie, General Secretary of Teachers Union of Ireland .  

U.S. officials are meeting negotiators from Ukraine and from Russia in Saudi Arabia to discuss the details of a proposed 30-day ceasefire on strikes on energy infrastructure, as well as a longer-term peace deal.    We get the latest on this with Professor Andrew Cottey, Department of Government and Politics at University College Cork.

Scatter cushions and bedspreads what are they for?  That is the question posed by broadcaster and Guardian columnist Adrian Chiles who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

Panda bin lorries will soon have cameras installed inside them to find out who is putting the wrong waste in recycling bins. Also will charge them more if they continue to do so.  To discuss this further was Conor Walsh, Secretary of the Irish Waste Management Association .  

Ireland’s GDP could drop dramatically if Donald Trump follows through on his plans to introduce tariffs on the European Union.  That’s the stark warning from the Economic and Social Research Institute this morning.   Dr Paul Egan is a Research Officer at the ESRI and co-author of the report discussed this further with Newstalk Breakfast.

All things considered: Bin lorries to check waste segregation with cameras. Is this a good idea? Ciara and Shane discussed this morning.

At least 1,300 flights are expected to be cancelled due to a "significant power outage across Heathrow airport. We get the latest on the situation with Claire Boad, Bauer Media London Reporter is at the power station where the fire broke out, Graeme McQueen, Media Relations Manager for the DAA. Also joining Ciara this morning was Simon Calder, Travel Editor, The London Independent. 

Two local authorities in Dublin have come together to push for national legislation to enable councils to levy taxes on overnight stays by tourists.  So, should Dublin follow other European cities and introduce a tourist tax? To discuss this with Shane was James Geoghegan, Fine Gael TD Dublin Bay South and also Paul Gallagher, CEO of the Irish Hotel Federation.

Conor McGregor will appear before the Court of Appeal today to challenge the civil jury finding that he sexually assaulted Nikita Hand in 2018.  Irish Times Legal Affairs Correspondent Mary Carolan explained to us what evidence may be presented.

What do Gwyneth Paltrow, Will Young and Vladimir Putin all have in common? They all swear by the healing powers of shamanistic wisdom.   So, just what is a Shaman and why are their services spiking in demand? Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports.