Newstalk Breakfast

It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but Christmas can hit you hard in the bank! So how can you make the most of the festive season without overspending? We asked Money Mindset Coach Kel Galavan.

The new Dáil will sit for the first time later this morning, with plenty of new faces arriving at Leinster House.  There might also be a new face sitting as Ceann Comhairle. We spoke to Ceann Comhairle candidate and Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh .  

Cork’s English Market Boss has said that the competitive nature of Dublin’s retail scene is the primary obstacle to similar markets setting up in the capital. But is this true? We asked Richard Guiney CEO of Dublin Town.

The Russians have detained a person from Uzbekistan who was supposedly filmed confessing to the assassination of Russia’s chemical weapons chief Igor Kirillov in Moscow. We speak to Sean Bell, Former Fighter Pilot, Military Analyst and Co-Host of the Red Matrix Podcast. 

More and more young people are cutting back on their alcohol consumption at Christmas. A survey by Budweiser has found that almost half of Gen Z drinkers who were asked are considering a ‘dry Christmas’.   Our reporter, Josh Crosbie has been finding out if people here in Ireland are thinking of opting for fewer drinks over the festive season.

Hamas has said a Gaza ceasefire deal is possible if Israel does not set new conditions, while Israel has denied Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on his way to Cairo for talks. Shane discussed with Sky Middle Eastern Correspondent, Allistair Bunkall. 

Public childcare must be a priority for the next Government – that's the call from Together for Public campaign group led by the National Women’s Council. Joining me now to discuss this is Orla O Connor, Director of the National Women’s Council and Elaine Dunne, Chair of the Federation of Early Childhood Provider.

KPMG today launches their research celebrating an inspiring year for women’s sport in Ireland. The study underscores the significant societal impact of female athletes, with a remarkable 92% agreeing that female sports stars have a positive impact on Irish society.  Speaking to Shane this morning was KPMG ambassador and Olympian, Rhasidat Adeleke .

Ireland's first medically supervised injection facility is due to open its doors in the coming days at Merchant Quay Ireland's Riverbank centre in Dublin city. To discuss further we heard from  Dr Garrett McGovern Medical Director at the Priority Medical Clinic in Dundrum and GP addiction specialist. 

Education Equality is calling on the Government to compel schools to confine religious instruction and worship to a period at the end of the school day, outside core hours, in order to uphold families’ human and constitutional rights to freedom of religion and belief. We discussed further with  Simon Lewis, Primary Education Officer with Education Equality and Principal. 

Israel's foreign minister has accused Taoiseach Simon Harris of antisemitism as he defended Israel's decision to close its embassy in Dublin over Ireland's policies.  For more on this Ciara spoke to Avi Mayer,former Editor-In-Chief of The Jerusalem Post and Barry Ward, Fine Gael TD .  

An internal audit investigation of the National Ambulance Service’s has found that the HSE has no clear picture of the size and roadworthiness of Ireland’s ambulance fleet. We hear from David Hall, Owner of Lifeline Ambulance Service.

Could the decision by The Irish Times group to implement charges for death notices on RIP.ie cause boycotts to the website? We discuss to David Fanagan, Director of Fanagan’s funeral directors.

The Central Bank has today published its final quarterly bulletin for 2024, which showed Steady growth and lower inflation in the Irish economy. We discuss the findings with  Austin Hughes, the Chief Economist at KBC Bank.

Uncertainty continues for travel as Holyhead port remains closed. Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast was James Lawless, Minister of State at the Department of Transport.

We are just mere days away from Christmas and Newstalk's Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly joins us now with her top 5 tech tips for a stress free festive period. 

Israel has ordered the closure of its embassy in Dublin, citing anti-Israel policies from the Irish Government. We get reaction from  Daniel Epstein O’Dowd, Spokesperson for the Ireland Israel Alliance. 

Social Democrats councillor Elisa O’Donovan has stood by her claim that women who ran for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in Limerick were “handmaidens” whose only jobs were to get men elected.  The Limerick City councillor claimed she was being subjected to a “witch-hunt” and embarrassingly poor journalism when asked to comment on the remarks. We get reaction from Erin McGreehan, Fianna Fáil...

 The hospitality sector has outlined four key priorities it urges the next government to address. We ask what are those priorities with Eoghan O'Mara Walsh, Chief Executive at Irish Tourism Industry Confederation.

The Environmental protection agency has today published its Circular Economy and Waste Statistics Highlights Report 2022. We discuss the findings with Warren Phelan, Programme Manager with the EPA. 

Yesterday the Israeli Foreign Minister announced they would be closing the Israeli Embassy in Ireland because of supposed “extreme anti-Israeli policies” from the Irish Government.   We discuss this move further with Seán Fleming, Minister of State for International Development and Lynn Boylan, Dublin MEP and Chair of EU Delegation for Relations with Palestine .  

Women are still finding it hard to find balance and fairness at work and at home that's according to Alana Kirk, Author and Midlife Coach.

Schools under new guidance may no longer use seclusion as a way of dealing with challenging behaviour involving vulnerable students. We discuss with Carl O’Brien, Education Editor for The Irish Times .

The Dutch Central Bank has issued an unprecedented warning to the public to keep cash in their homes because of the increasing risk of cyberattacks, particularly from Russia.  So is it possible that our own digital payment structure could be disrupted in a potential cyber-attack? We discuss all with Paul Dwyer CEO of Cyber Risk International.  

Irish stores will see shortages of goods in the run up to Christmas as Holyhead Port remains shut 'indefinitely', following Infrastructural damage which was caused to ferry berths during Storm Darragh.  We speak to David McRedmond An Post CEO on how they are trying to clear the backlog on deliveries and also by Eugene Drennan, Spokesperson for the Irish Road Haulage Association.