Newstalk Breakfast

A record 4,004 complaints have been made to the ombudsman about services provided by government departments, local authorities and the HSE. The complaints saw a 17% increase in 2020 which is the highest ever in its 38-year history. Recently appointed Ombudsman Ger Deering spoke to Newstalk Breakfast on these findings.

Nineteen young children and two adults have died in a shooting at a primary school in south Texas. Donna Provencher from the San Antonio Business Journal spoke to Newstalk Breakfast with more on this story from Texas.

Young Ukrainian refugees are sweeping the board at Irish Chess tournaments. Nine-year-old chess prodigy Dariy (Darrie) Kelbas and his mum Svitlana are one of the 30,000 Ukrainains escaping war to Ireland. Chess is something that reminds them of home. Henry McKean met Grandmaster Alexander Banurin living in Ireland over 30 years. Who is heading to the Olympiad 2022 in India (The Olympics of Chess),...

Has your local park gone to the dogs... literally?  Journalist Mary McCarthy’s has a column in the Independent today. She wrote that her local park is full of dogs roaming off the lead, dog poo not being picked up, rugby ball’s being stolen by pups and the complete lack of enforcement by any wardens.  Mary spoke to Shane this morning. Listen and subscribe to Newstalk Breakfast on Apple Podcasts or...

Ireland could be set to introduce tobacco-style health warnings on car adverts under new proposals being unveiled in the Dail today. John Gibbons, Environmental Journalist, and Commentator joined Shane with more on this. Listen and subscribe to Newstalk Breakfast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.     Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.    You can also listen to Newstalk live on newstal...

€77,000 – that is the median total a couple had to buy their first home last year.  The figures released by the Banking & Payments Federation represent an increase of 6 thousand euro since 2019. Brendan Burgess Founder of the consumer forum Ask about money.com joined Shane on the show this morning. Listen and subscribe to Newstalk Breakfast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.     Download, listen an...

Sat navs are sending drivers down unsuitable routes in rural areas and causing disruption to local life.  So says Fianna Fáil councillor and Member of Kerry County Council, Breandán Fitzgerald who spoke to Shane on Newstalk Breakfast this morning. Listen and subscribe to Newstalk Breakfast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.     Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.    You can also listen...

The Johnny Depp versus Amber Heard trial has entered its final week. The court will decide whether or not Heard is a liar - but the idea that the actress is a manipulator, a fantasist, and an abuser herself has caught fire across social media, and some more traditional outlets  Martha Gill, the Political Journalist who writes for the New Statesman and Times of London says #MeToo is over if we don’...

Young Ukrainian refugees are sweeping the board at Irish Chess tournaments. Nine year old chess prodigy Dariy Kelbas and his mum Svitlana are one of the 30,000 Ukrainains escaping war to Ireland. Chess is something that reminds them of home. Henry McKean met Grandmaster Alexander Banurin living in Ireland over 30 years. Who is heading to the Olympiad 2022 in India (The Olympics of Chess), represen...

Holiday abroad, but don’t get weight loss surgery there.  That’s the warning from medics who say they are encountering catastrophic and life-threatening complications in patients who’ve had bariatric surgery in Turkey. For more on this Shane was joined on the show this morning by Helen Heneghan a Consultant Bariatric Surgeon and Professor of Surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital. Listen and subscribe t...

The Garda Representative Association Conference annual delegate conference kicks off today with motions for bodycams and no solo patrols. Brendan O'Connor, Current Vice President and President-Elect of the GRA joined Shane this morning on the show. Listen and subscribe to Newstalk Breakfast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.     Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.    You can also listen...

Forget about chip and pin, or even tapping to pay, a simple smile is all you need thanks to new biometric technology. Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent, Jess Kelly joined us this morning with all the details. Listen and subscribe to Newstalk Breakfast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.     Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.    You can also listen to Newstalk live on newstalk.com or o...

The first cases of a new Covid-19 variant of concern have been detected in the Republic.  Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said Two cases of BA.4, a sublineage of the currently dominant Omicron were detected earlier this month  For more on this Ciara spoke to Professor of Experimental Immunology at Trinity College Dublin, Kingston Mills. Listen and subscribe to Newstalk Breakfast on Apple Pod...

Fold Ireland and Minister Darragh O Brien will open Ireland’s largest purpose-built scheme for older persons in Crumlin today. St Agnes consists of 103 units designed to allow older people to live independently. Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien joined Shane on the show this morning. Listen and subscribe to Newstalk Breakfast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.     Download, listen and subscribe on t...

Are we heading towards a society in which debate is dying and contentious opinions are being suppressed? That’s what Special Correspondent with the Irish Examiner, Mick Clifford questioned in his column over the weekend and he spoke to Ciara on the show this morning. Listen and subscribe to Newstalk Breakfast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.     Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.   ...

There are currently around 150,000 people on social welfare across the country and, with the hospitality sector on its knees due to staff shortages, is it time we start looking at the unemployment benefits in Ireland?  To discuss Ciara spoke to Adrian Cummins Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland and People Before Profit TD for Dublin southwest Paul Murphy. Listen and subscribe...

11 out 23 beds at the Linn Dara Unit for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Dublin have been required to close due to what the HSE has described as staff shortages. The General Secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses Association,  Peter Hughes has written to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly calling on him to intervene on the matter and Peter joined Shane on the show this morning. Liste...

Comedian David McSavage has returned from his “Special Comedy Operation” tour in Ukraine where he wielded his comedy skills to cheer people up in the embattled nation. David spoke to Newstalk Breakfast about his tour in Ukraine. Listen and subscribe to Newstalk Breakfast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.     Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.    You can also listen to Newstalk live on...

Female teachers outnumber male teachers almost 3 to 1 in the Irish classroom. That’s according to figures obtained by Newstalk Breakfast from the Teaching Council of Ireland.  Why is there still such a lack of male educators and how can we attract more men into the profession?  Ray Silke Former Galway Footballer and Secondary school teacher at Coláiste Iognáid spoke to Newstalk Breakfast. Listen a...

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar yesterday said that the Government still has a majority in the Dáil and Seanad and that the Opposition can "rest assured" that there won’t be an election any time soon.  So what is the future of this Government now that two TDs have been sanctioned?  To discuss Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education,  Niall Collins and Thomas Gould Sinn Féin TD sp...

A new report released this week claims government measures to control rents have backfired and, in many cases, have led to an increase in rents.  Is the housing market worse for rent controls? To discuss the report findings further Shane was joined on the show this morning by  Pat Davitt, CEO of the Institute of Professional Auctioneers & Valuers, and Dr Rory Hearne, Lecturer in Social Policy...

Every year, Elber Twomey stages a special “Remorial” event to pay tribute to the family she lost to a driver suffering a mental health crisis. She uses the weekend to promote road safety, raise money for local charities and, above all, honour the memories of the husband, son and unborn daughter she was robbed of.  Elber spoke to Newstalk Breakfast with details on the "Remorial" event. Listen and s...

On-street drinking is ruining Killarney’s image. That’s according to the Independent Councillor and former mayor of the town, Donal Grady who says he’s never gotten more complaints on an issue. Donal spoke to Ciara this morning on the show about the issue. Listen and subscribe to Newstalk Breakfast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.     Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.    You can als...

“Just 1% of employees have the protection of a menstrual health policy in their workplace,” according to a survey published by Fórsa today.   The National Secretary for Fórsa trade union, Ashley Connolly, spoke to Shane on the show this morning with more on the findings of this report. Listen and subscribe to Newstalk Breakfast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.     Download, listen and subscribe on th...

Elite Irish Adventurer James McManus is preparing for the final leg in his hopes of becoming the first ever person from Ireland to climb Mount Everest without using supplementary oxygen.   James spoke to Shane ahead of his final leg. Listen and subscribe to Newstalk Breakfast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.     Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.    You can also listen to Newstalk li...