Newstalk Breakfast

A report by the UK’s Chief Medical Officer has recommended a tax on unhealthy food to tackle childhood obesity and Ireland should follow. So we ask should Ireland introduce a tax on all junk food with HSE Clinical Lead on Obesity Professor Donal O’Shea.

A man is still being questioned in connection with the disappearance and murder of schoolboy Kyran Durnin. We get the latest on the investigation with Conor Lally, Irish Times Crime and Security Editor .  

The average Irish family bins €700 worth of food each year, that’s according to new research by Environmental Protection Agency. So how can avoid food waste over the festive season. Machaela O’ Leary, Too Good To Go explains.

As we’re coming to the end of the first week of government formation talks, are we any closer to seeing white smoke? We get the latest on the talks with Sean Defoe, Newstalk’s Political Correspondent.

A ban on puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria in the UK is to be made indefinite after experts warned of an "unacceptable safety risk". We discuss this move by the UK government with Dr Paul Moran,a Consultant Psychiatrist at the National Gender Service.

Christmas is creeping up quickly, and the more organised among us may have already got their turkeys sitting in the freezer. But no amount of early shopping will make the actual cooking any easier.  We get loads of Christmas cooking advice with Darina Allen, Chef, Author and founder of Ballymaloe Cookery Sc hool. 

The Climate Change Advisory Council has published its carbon budgets proposal for 2031-2040. We discuss the details with Marie Donnelly, Chair, Climate Change Advisory Council. 

Irish house prices are overvalued by up to 10 per cent, the Economic and Social Research Institute has warned, adding that an increasing number of households are carrying “elevated” levels of mortgage debt.  We discuss this further with John Fitzgerald, Adjunct Professor in Economics in Trinity College Dublin. 

Despite opposition from teachers' unions and student representatives, Leaving Cert oral exams will continue during the Easter holidays for the next three years.  We discuss with Michael Gillespie, General Secretary of Teachers Union of Ireland .   

A new report from the Injuries Resolution Board has found that cyclists and e-scooter users are 11 times more likely to sustain severe and serious injuries in road traffic accidents than motorists.  In 2023 a total of € 9.8m in compensation was awarded to personal injury claims. Joining Ciara to discuss this is Martina Callanan, Deputy Chair of Galway Cycling Campaign and member of National I...

A woman arrested by gardaí investigating the disappearance and murder of missing schoolboy Kyran Durnin has been released without charge. Gardaí investigating the murder probe expect to make more arrests in the case.  We get the latest from Conor Lally, Irish Times Crime and Security Editor.

Addressing teachers as “sir” or “ma’am” and calling them by their surname is “Victorian” and it does not fit a modern education system.   So, says Newstalk’s Own Simon Tierney in today’s Irish Independent who spoke to Ciara this morning.

Ireland’s energy-related emissions were down 8.3 per cent in 2023 to its lowest figure in 30 years – but there must be a faster rate of change if we want to meet our legally binding climate commitments.   So says the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Margie McCarthy, Director of Research and Policy Insights with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland .

Eoin Hayes has confirmed he will join the Dáil an Independent TD and try to “earn back the trust” of the Social Democrats after he was suspended from the party yesterday. He was suspended after admitting he only sold shares in a US software company supplying the Israel Defence Forces just one month after being elected as a councillor last June.   We discuss this further with People Befor...

Christmas ramps up consumerism to even sickeningly dizzy heights, building into a crescendo of consumption that sees us spend vast amounts of money to prove we care about each other by swapping items we have no need for.   We discuss this further with Helen Coffey, Senior Features writer for The Independent UK .  

New research by The University of London has found that just 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous daily exercise can boost your memory for up to 24 hours.  Shane spoke to by Ciaran O Fearraigh, a Donegal based GP about these findings.

The head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has sought to reassure the international community about the future of Syria, telling Sky News that the world has no reason to fear a new Syrian government. We discuss this and more with Fawaz Gerges, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics .  

A woman in her twenties has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Kyran Durnin. The eight-year-old boy was reported missing from his home in Co Louth in August, however, gardaí believe he was murdered more than two years ago.   For more on this Ciara spoke to Conor Gallagher, Crime and Security Correspondent with The Irish Times. 

A wider age gap can be beneficial to both parents and children, according to Nell Frizzell, author and Vogue columnist .  

2024, a year of big elections and big sporting occasions. Google ‘Year in Search’ results reveal what Ireland searched for in 2024. We asked what did it reveal with Evelyn Mahon, Sociologist .  

New UCC Research Reveals Alarming Impact of Data Centres on Climate Commitments. Campaigners Call for an Immediate Moratorium on Data Centre Expansion.    To discuss further we spoke to Prof Hannah Daly, Professor in sustainable energy at University College Cork Author of the report and also Mike Beary, Chair of the UCD Governing authority and Former Country Head for Amazon Web...

The live animal crib will return to the Mansion House in Dublin this year. The festive attraction will be officially launched tomorrow    But does it still have a place in today’s society? We debate with  Laura Broxon, Spokesperson for Ireland's National Animal Rights Association and Francie Gorman, President of the Irish Farmers Association. 

The ratio of school leavers who went to university this year has stalled – that's according to the Irish Independent Feeder Schools supplement out today.   Some experts are also calling for reform of Leaving Cert and say a degree isn’t always the right choice. We discuss this with Paul Crone, Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputies.  

Ireland’s midwest has the lowest survival rate for cancers, that's according to the latest National Cancer Registry report. We discuss these findings with Dr Michael McCarthy, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Secretary of the Irish society of Medical Oncology. 

Many of you might have loved ones living abroad and you want to send a gift or letter. But what are the key dates to remember if you want them to arrive in time for Christmas? We get all the details from Anna McHugh, An Post’s Head of Corporate Communication .