Newstalk Breakfast

The news, so often filled with doom and gloom, can leave us feeling like we are living in an unprecedented time of global instability. But is the world really as bleak as we often think it to be? We asked Dr Dale Whelehan, Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin, School of Psychology .

Just under half of Ireland’s surface waters are failing to meet ecological standards. That’s according to a new Water Quality report from the Environmental Protection Agency, which estimates that we will fail to meet the EU and national goal of restoring all waters to good or better status by 2027. Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast was Dr Eimear Cotter, Director of the EPA's Office of Evidence a...

US President Donald Trump has hailed “peace in the Middle East” and declared “the war in Gaza is over” after world leaders signed a peace plan in Egypt last night. We discuss further with Heba Saleh, Cairo Correspondent for the Financial Times.

Microsoft users are being warned to check their devices and upgrade if they're running Windows 10. For more on this we spoke to Newstalk's Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly.

This October, the Irish Cancer Society is calling for people to host a Big Pink Breakfast and help fund their vital cancer supports and services, like night nurses, counselling and life-changing breast cancer research.   To hear more about the services the Irish Cancer Society provides, and how you can host a Big Pink Breakfast, we heard from Patrice Morrisey, a mother of three who was diagno...

Catherine Connolly remains the most popular presidential candidate, according to the latest poll from the Business Post and Red C at 36 per cent support. Heather Humphreys gains the most from Jim Gavin dropping out of the election, even if so far, it isn’t enough to get her ahead of Connolly in the polls.   All to discuss with Sean Defoe, Newstalk Political Correspondent.

Just 3 per cent of residents on over 500 streets in Belfast are actively against dual Irish and English signs in the city while nine in ten support them. That’s according to new research from Conradh na Gaeilge.  It comes as the PSNI are investigating “hate-motivated” damage to a street sign with Irish on it in east Belfast.  We discuss further with Ciaran Mac Giolla Bhéin, Coordinator o...

Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has today announced the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority.  It aims to protect the health and legal rights of children born through assisted reproduction or surrogacy, as well as the rights of intending parents and donors involved.    We got the details from Dr Brian Tobin, Associate professor at University of Galway and m...

The Green-Schools Travel Programme is calling on people to ditch the car this week and walk to school. The theme for National Walk to School week is Connections and to explain more about the programme was Aengus Kennedy, Green Schools Travel Officer. 

Israel says it expects all remaining living hostages in Gaza to be freed today under a new ceasefire deal with Hamas. While Palestinians await the release of hundreds of prisoners from Israeli jails. We get the latest on this with Mark Weiss, Israel Correspondent with the Irish Times. 

Dublin City Council has announced the installation of new waste compactors, an initiative which will see the removal of one thousand plastic bags per day.   Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast was the Executive Manager in Environment and Transport Derek Kelly.

“Wouldn’t it be great if we could build rail lines as fast as roads?”  Planning permission for the long-awaited Metrolink was given the go-ahead, but it may be another decade before we reap any benefits. Brian Caulfield, Professor in the School of Engineering at Trinity College Dublin, joins Newstalk Breakfast to discuss.

Tax and welfare measures introduced in Budget 2026 will result in average 2 per cent loss in disposable income. That’s according to a new analysis published this morning by the Economic and Social Research Institute. 

Controversy continues to surround this year’s Presidential election, but where does the race stand following the first one on one debate between the remaining two candidates? All to discuss with Seán Defoe Newstalk’s Political Correspondent. 

The Israeli Government has officially approved a ceasefire for Gaza, after it reached an agreement with Hamas for the Palestinian militant group to release all the hostages it holds.   We discuss all this with Daniel Levy President of the U.S./Middle East Project and Former Israeli peace negotiator .  

The Nobel Peace Prize winner is set to be named later today, with Donald Trump and his administration having made clear more than once that they think the US president deserves the award.   But is he really worthy of the honour? We asked  Brendan O’Neill Chief Political Writer at Spiked and writer for the Spectator and also Paul Murphy, People Before Profit TD .  

When should parents let children go out alone?  It's a question that Freelance Journalist Niamh O’Reilly knows all too well. She recently allowed her boys, who are six and eight-year-old, walk to the supermarket alone.  

The Israeli Government has officially approved a ceasefire for Gaza, after it reached an agreement with Hamas for the Palestinian militant group to release all the hostages it holds. We get the latest on this with Mark Weiss, Israel Correspondent Irish Times. 

Wastewater discharged from 59 per cent of Ireland’s existing treatment plants failed to regularly meet EPA standards. That's according to a new report from the Environment protection agency. Shane discusses the findings with Noel Byrne, Programme Manager in the EPA’s Drinking Water and Wastewater Enforcement team,

Fianna Fáil leader and Taoiseach Micheál Martin has apologised to his party and said he is “devastated” at the chaos caused by Jim Gavin withdrawing from the presidential election. He also said there would be a review into how Gavin was chosen to run and what due diligence had been done before his candidacy.  All to discuss with Seamus McGrath, Fianna Fáil TD Cork South Central. 

"There are calls for ‘Chatty’ benches to be installed in North County Dublin as a way to create more social interaction. The initiative has already been rolled out in a few towns as a way to combat loneliness.  Our reporter, Josh Crosbie has visited the seaside town/village of Malahide, where this is being proposed: 

Israel and Hamas have said they had agreed to a long-awaited ceasefire and hostage deal, the first phase of US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza that has killed more than 67,000 people.  We get the latest on this with Sean Bell, Former Fighter Pilot, Military Analyst and Co-Host of the Red Matrix Podcast.

Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien has said that future increases to bus and train fares can't be ruled out, emphasizing the need for a "sustainable" funding model for public transport.  Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast with more on this was CEO of Friends of the Earth, Deirdre Duffy.

“The row of seats that face the registration desk in the hospital I attended for miscarriage surgery contained me and two heavily pregnant women checking in to give birth. Having had this experience, I feel I can say with confidence that there’s a good reason you wouldn’t have a wedding planner and an undertaker share a reception.”    So wrote Clare Moriarty, Post-Doctoral Researche...

Nearly two-thirds of bar and retail workers have faced verbal abuse at work, over a quarter have been threatened, and more than one in ten have been assaulted. That’s according to a new survey from Mandate Trade Union.  Shane discusses these findings with Jim Fuery, Mandate Trade Union’s Assistant General Secretary.