Newstalk Breakfast

The polls have opened for what is expected to be an historic UK General Election. Labour are expected to win a massive majority, while the Conservative Party are facing an embarrassing wipeout. Our Chief Reporter Barry Whyte now joined us from London.

The State took in a total of €44.7 billion in tax in the first six months of the year, up more than 9% on the same period last year, the latest exchequer returns show.  Minister for Finance Jack Chambers joins us on Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

An Taoiseach, Simon Harris has said the GAA should listen to the grassroots of the GAA as he reaffirmed his stance on GAA Go saying that Gaelic games should not be behind a paywall.  To discuss this further was Liam O’Neill, Former President of the GAA.

A new government report has found that Irish people have a high awareness of climate change, but a gap exists between intention and action.   We heard from Sadhbh O’Neill, independent researcher and commentator on climate policy .

Labour Court set to issue recommendation to end row over pilots' pay at Aer Lingus as dozens more flights cancelled  We get the latest from Michael Doherty, Professor in Employment Law at Maynooth University .  

Australia has become the first country in the world to ban the sale of vapes outside of pharmacies. Under the new laws, e-cigarettes can be sold only in plain colours and packaging from July 1.   For more on this Ciara spoke to Professor Luke Clancy, Director General of the Tobacco Free Research Institute Ireland and consultant respiratory physician.

For most young adults in Ireland owning a home is a faraway dream, but for one couple thinking outside the box was what was required to fulfil that dream. Joining Newstalk Breakfast to discuss her tiny, affordable house and how it came to be was Emma O’Hagan, Outdoor Adventure Host and Owner of the Tiny House Project. 

A new report by the EPA released today has revealed the number of people served by “at risk” public water supplies has increased again in 2023. We spoke to Noel Byrne, Programme Manager in the Office of Environmental Enforcement in the EPA and also Dr Jean O’Dwyer, From the Water Quality Team of Research at University College Cork.

Both sides in the Aer Lingus pilots’ pay row will return to the Labour Court later today as the latest bid to end the dispute continues. Shane spoke to the Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for International and Road Transport and Logistics James Lawless .

In May 2023 alone, approximately 13.8 million people, representing a third of all adults using the internet, viewed porn online. My next guest argues that we should address porn addiction with the same seriousness as alcohol and gambling addiction.  Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast this morning was Dr Paula Hall, from Pivotal Recovery in the UK.

Sweden have launched a groundbreaking new law that would entitle grandparents to get paid parental leave while taking care of their grandchildren for 3 months of a child’s first year of life  With more on this we spoke to Esther McCarthy, Lifestyle Editor with The Irish Examiner and Weekend Magazine Columnist. 

The report “Future Business Model Plans and Long-Term Vision for the Media Sector” is launched today.  We speak to Niamh Smyth, Cavan TD and chair of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sports and Media.

The number of historical sex offences being faced by former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has increased. This comes as he is due before Newry Magistrates Court this morning with his wife, Eleanor for a preliminary enquiry to establish whether there is sufficient evidence for a trial  We get the latest on this with Amanda Ferguson, Freelance Journalist based in Belfast.

Two members of the same family died on Tuesday evening when the car in which they were travelling collided with a lorry in Co Mayo.  We speak to Fr John Durkan, Parish Priest Swinford Co. Mayo on this tragedy.

In the Economist’s annual Global Liveability ranking, Dublin was one of the cities to experience the biggest drop in ranking compared to last year, slipping down in the rankings to 39th. What do we need to do to improve the standard of living in Irish cities?    We ask Duncan Stewart, Environmentalist and Architect and John Moran, Mayor of Limerick.  

Almost half of the people surveyed for a new study said they have used sunbeds despite knowing the risks to their skin and many who sunbathe believe it is worth getting “slightly sunburned” to get a tan. We get reaction to Isabel Haugh Consultant Dermatologist .

The US Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump, as a former president, enjoys some immunity from prosecution, a ruling that may delay his trial for conspiring to overturn the 2020 US presidential election. We get reaction from Mick Mulvaney, former Chief of Staff for Donald Trump and Chair of Actum Global Consultants. 

The dispute between Aer Lingus management and the Irish Air Line Pilots' Association continues to rumble on with a formal Labour Court hearing to take place tomorrow. We speak to Michael Doherty, Professor in Employment Law at Maynooth University . 

Dublin City Council is calling for the introduction of a hotel tourist tax  But will this tax work to help improve our capital for everyone, or is this just another weight on a heavily taxed industry? We discuss with   Hotelier Lorraine Sweeney and Green Party Councillor for Dublin North Inner-city Janet Horner. 

In years gone by dropping in unannounced to friends and neighbours was commonplace.  These days we are more likely to call ahead before calling in to see someone. So, has the spontaneity of visiting people on a whim become a thing of the past? We asked Columnist with the Farming Independent, Jim O’ Brien .

Latest figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry reveal the sale of EVs are down for a 4th month in a row.  Ciara discusses these figures with Phil Barnes, Geotab’s Business Development Manager for Ireland and UK. 

The population is expected to increase by over 900K between 2022 and 2040. According to the latest ESRI report, over 50,000 dwelling per year could be needed to keep pace with demand. To discuss further Shane was joined on the show by Dr Paul Egan, Research Officer, ESRI.

 Waste collection companies have warned they may increase prices for recycling bin collections to make up for the loss of plastic bottles and drinks cans to the Deposit Return Scheme. Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast with more on this was Kevin Swift, Regional Waste Co-ordinator Connacht Ulster .

Elaine Burke, host of the For Tech’s Sake Podcast explains what has been happening in the world of AI.   All with thanks to Bird & Bird.

The Far-right National Party leads in the first round of the French elections. Author and Paris-based journalist Lara Marlowe is with us for reaction.