Newstalk Breakfast

Radical action – similar to Ireland’s 2004 ban on smoking in the workplace – is needed to deal with cardiovascular disease and other killer diseases.  That's the message in a report today by the Irish Heart Foundation. Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast was Dr Eva Orsmond, a Medical Doctor and Specialist in Overweight & Obesity at Dr Eva’s Clinics in Dublin & Galway. 

One in five jobs will go into RTÉ as part of a wide-ranging plan to cut costs. The full strategic plan will be announced to staff today by RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst.  Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast was Irish Secretary of the National Union of Journalists Seamus Dooley and CEO of ShinAwiL Larry Bass .

‘Is losing one arm not enough to qualify as a disabled driver? Should I get the other one taken off, too?’   So asks - Former Commercial Diver, David Digan who spoke to Ciara this morning on the show.

Deep fakes have been causing controversy online for some time now, but Meta platforms are now introducing the requirement for political advertisers to declare if posts have been produced by AI or manipulated using digital tools.    Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent, Jess Kelly joined us on the show with the details.

Rents stabilising in Dublin that’s according to a Daft report out today.  Ronan Lyons, Associate Professor in Economics at Trinity College Dublin and author of the report explained what is the national picture here. 

We continue our coverage of Storm Debi around the country with Keith Leonard, Director of Emergency Management at the Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government, and with  Patrick O’Donovan, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office for Public Works and Brian Tapley, ESB Networks Regional Manager. 

An additional 215,000 people are now eligible for free GP Visit Cards, as announced today by Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly. This brings those receiving free GP care in Ireland up to an estimated 500,000.  We spoke to Dr Brendan O'Shea, Kildare GP, Assistant Adjuvant Professor in Public Health and Primary Care at Trinity College Dublin with more on this.

New research from Penneys reveals that customers are set to spend an average of €582 on presents this Christmas.   But have you started shopping? Newstalk’s Henry McKean met those who already have Christmas wrapped and those who leave it to their loved ones.

Storm Debi is wreaking havoc across the country.  We cross to red warning counties as Storm Debi hits. Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast this morning with an update was Matthew Martin, duty forecaster from Met Eireann, Cathaoirleach Liam Carroll- Is in Oranmore in Galway and explained how Galway has been affected. For any update from Limerick, we heard from a Senior reporter with the Limeri...

 “I am through with hugs and kisses. Handshakes are the only answer”  so says Adrian Chiles, Broadcaster, writer, and Guardian columnist who spoke to Shane this morning.

The Sinn Fein Ard Dheis starts today and the message this year is that it's time for change. Pearse Doherty, Deputy Leader of Sinn Fein spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning ahead of the Ard Dheis.

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s new independent electoral commission has published its first Draft Research Programme   One of the topics up for consideration is election postering.  We ask election posters be scrapped with Dr Adrian Kavanagh, from the Department of Geography at Maynooth University, and also John Gibbons, Environmental Journalist and...

'We have evil in this room – those were the words of Mr Justice Tony Hunt after Jozef Puska was convicted of murdering schoolteacher Ashling Murphy  We speak to Anne Clarke, CEO of Offaly Domestic Violence Support Services, and also Ronan Berry who was involved in the vigil in Tullamore after Aisling’s murder. Also joining Shane was Lisa Chambers, Fianna Fail Senator. 

Israel has agreed to four-hour humanitarian pauses in fighting every day - allowing Palestinians in northern Gaza to evacuate, the White House has said.  Patrick Bury, Senior Security Lecturer at the University of Bath, Former Nato Analyst and Army Officer gave an update on the situation to Shane this morning on the show.

That was Aisling Murphy’s boyfriend Ryan Casey speaking outside court yesterday after Jozef Puska was convicted of her murder   Speaking to Shane this morning was Director of the Gender Studies Programme at UCD, Mary McAuliffe.

The newly released Robbie Williams Netflix series has received mixed reviews from TV critics. It’s been branded as an ‘honest insight’ by some but ‘naval gazing’ by others.   Scott Bryan, BBC TV Critic gave his view on the series with Shane this morning.

The Government will announce a series of new measures today in response to a spate of attacks.    This will include fines being doubled and the number of restricted breeds increased.  We asked John Hearne, Sinn Fein councillor for Waterford City does these measures go far enough.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has welcomed an unprecedented increase in applications for General Practitioner training places. Minister Donnell joined Shane this morning on the show.

Tom and Molly Martens were sent back to jail for the manslaughter of Limerick man Jason Corbett. Newstalk Breakfast spoke with Brian Carroll, a Journalist covering the trial and he explained what transpired in court.

Members of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union blocked the front entrance to the college as part of a call for TCD to “cut ties with apartheid Israel”.   Aeisha Wong, Communications and Marketing Officer for TCD’s Student’s Union explained to Ciara their protest.

‘‘Lack of sleep finally broke me’: why sleep deprivation among new parents is no joke.” – that’s the title of an article in the Irish Independent.  Erica Hargadon Certified Sleep Consultant and a member of the International Association of Child Sleep Consultants explained how debilitating can lack of sleep be for new parents.

'The deployment of the five robotrees to clean up Cork City air was the equivalent of using five bathroom sponges in Midleton main street to combat flood damage a couple of weeks ago'  Those are the words of John Sodeau Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at UCC who spoke to Shane this morning.

An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar will attend an international conference on Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza today in Paris  This comes as an alliance of 13 major aid groups has urged world leaders to push for a ceasefire in Gaza. Speaking to Ciara this morning was Hannah McCarthy, a Journalist in Israel.

Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris has today welcomed the publication of the 2023 National Skills Bulletin and Minister Harris spoke to Newstalk Breakfast with more details on this.

Irish beef exports to China suspended after case of BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or Mad Cow Disease)  Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast this morning was Eddie Punch, General Secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association.