Newstalk Breakfast

More than 50 Irish citizens and their dependents have evacuated Lebanon in recent days as violence escalates. Maeve Murphy, Head of the UN Refugee Agency Sub-Office in North Lebanon is still there supporting refugees  and Mary spoke to us on the show this morning.

Angry business owners in Bantry will contact Cork County Council today to demand a commercial rates waiver, following a pummeling from the torrential rain over the weekend that left more than 40 premises flooded. We speak to Cllr Danny Collins from Independent Ireland. 

The Taoiseach said yesterday he “wasn’t surprised” by allegations that Russian intelligence recruited an Irish politician as a spy. To discuss why that might be is a former deputy of Military Intelligence Michael Murphy.

A pub in Cornwall has started charging customers extra for large amounts of food they do not finish from an all you can eat roast dinner buffet. Darina Allen ,Chef, Author and founder of Ballymaloe Cookery School gave us her reaction. 

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel, marking one of the deadliest days in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent decades. We hear from Eylon Levy, Former Israeli Government Spokesperson.  

From today Security Guards will be deployed as part of a new 20-week pilot programme aimed at enhancing security across the Dublin Bus network. We speak to Fianna Fáil Senator Mary Fitzpatrick is based in Dublin City.

Today marks the beginning of Irish Road Safety Week. Motorists and pedestrians are being reminded to take precautions and be mindful of others using the roads. Recently on the programme, there was a call for more ‘black-box’ styled devices to be fitted in cars to monitor driver behaviour.  Our reporter, Josh Crosbie has been looking into this.

Ireland should have built 200,000 homes this year to match the UK’s population, according to a new report by MyHome.ie. We get reaction to these findings with Property District CEO Carol Tallon .

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel, marking one of the deadliest days in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent decades. Shane spoke to Dr Jilan Abdalmajid, Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland .  

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and the Irish Cancer society is launching their Big Pink Breakfast initiative urging people to be breast aware and remind people that breast cancer can affect anyone.    Joining Ciara and Shane this morning was Dr Mariana Cervantes, Dr in Immunology and now a stage three breast cancer patient, Sonya Carr, Cancer Awareness Co-Ordinator Irish...

Over a million people have been displaced in Lebanon since the beginning of Israeli strikes. We get the latest on the situation there with Sherzada Khan is the Concern Worldwide Country Director leading the teams in Lebanon .  

Why do the mass killers of the fossil fuel industry walk free while the heroes trying to stop them are imprisoned? That’s the view of Environmental Activist George Monbiot who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast.

The Swedes are calling time on begging should we follow suit?  Newstalk Reporter Sarah Madden reports for us on this.

Ahead of Irish Road Safety Awareness week, MCL insurance is calling for all new drivers to have a black box in their car to reduce the crash rate. We discuss with Gary McClarty, director of MCL Insurance.

Mary O'Rourke, a towering figure in Irish politics and a long-serving Fianna Fáil TD, has passed away at the age of 87. We remember her with Conor Lenihan, Former Fianna Fail Minister and Mary’s Nephew .

Experts are predicting that long lost species will be brought back from the dead by 2028. Scientists in Texas are using gene-editing technology to bring back dodos, Tasmanian tigers and woolly mammoths. To discuss further we spoke to Rodger Highfield, Science Director of the Science Museum London.

As the mornings get darker and colder, the temptation to hit the snooze button and stay in bed a little longer becomes even more appealing. But is that snooze button a hindrance or help? We asked Tom Coleman, Sleep Expert and Health Scientist.  

Progress, economic prosperity, and health are all at risk unless Ireland improves its  environmental action – that’s according to the Environmental protection agency’s State of the Environment report. We discussed the findings with the EPA Programme Manager and is one of the Editor’s of the report Andy Fanning.  

Minister Helen McEntee will today announce €9 million in funding for up to 100 new speed cameras to enhance road safety. Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae calls it a waste of money and he explained why to Newstalk Breakfast.

Six killed in Israeli airstrike on medical centre in central Beirut. We get the latest on the tensions in the Middle East with Alistair Bunkall, Sky’s Middle East Correspondent along with Declan Power, Defense and Security Expert.

The Government will invest €9 million to prevent phone use in schools, but how else can you prepare children for the digital world?  We discuss with CyberSafe Kids CEO Alex Cooney.

By-laws to restrict busking in Limerick City were blocked by Fine Gael Councillor Olivia O’Sullivan. Olivia explained why to Newstalk Breakfast.  

Public health workers will begin a series of protests today as the staff shortages reaches a boiling point. We speak to Damian Ginley SIPTU’s Health Sector Organiser.

Research in DCU found that, almost a quatre of parents believed their chosen godparents weren’t religious at the time of baptism. Should atheists take on the role of godparent?    We discussed with Sinead Ryan, Presenter of The Home Show on Newstalk and Consumer Journalist with the Irish Independent.

Now that we’ve all had time to process Budget 2025, we’re joined by Taoiseach Simon Harris.