The Agenda

***TRIGGER WARNING - UPSETTING/SIDTRESSING CONTENT*** A brave domestic abuse survivor has revealed to LMFM how she exposed her ex-’s coercive control by secretly recording him and admitted: “I have invisible scars.” Rachel Barry kept a diary and notes on her phone of ex-partner Ian’s disgusting abuse. The mum of three’s decision to document her abuse led to the ­software engineer, 45, pleading gui...

The organisation that represents more than 11,000 frontline ­gardaí has voted to take industrial action over the three days around St Patrick’s Day – traditionally an extremely busy time for policing. At a Special Delegates Conference in Co Kilkenny yesterday four “urgent motions” were passed by the Garda Representative Association (GRA) as a response to its dispute with the Government over allowa...

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has named Freddie Scappaticci in the Dáil as the former British army agent referred to as ‘Stakeknife’. Martin said that Stakeknife’s identity is “clear to everybody”.  He further said that Scappaticci was implicated in “grotesque and serious crimes committed for and with the Provisional IRA”.  Martin said this included 14 murders and 15 abductions.  Scappat...

MEP Nina Carberry is calling on the European Commission to urgently step up EU-wide action on nitrous oxide, commonly known as ‘laughing gas’. The Midlands Northwest MEPis seeking that the EU formally recognise nitrous oxide as an emergency psychoactive substance of concern, incorporate it into the EU’s Early Warning System and accelerate its classification under new EU chemical rules.  Her c...

The housing crisis is trapping women in domestic violence situations between homelessness or staying with their abuser, according to the National Women’s Council. The council has made a submission to the Child and Family Homelessness Action Plan, which aims to reduce the amount of time spent in homeless emergency accommodation by children and their families. The National Women’s Council wants stro...

EU countries may soon be able to find it easier to send asylum seekers to countries they did not come from, but that Europe deems “safe”. It’s after a majority of MEPs in the European Parliament agreed to the move during a contentious debate today in Strasbourg, where they also sought to further tighten migration policy via the creation of a list of countries prohibiting people from seeking asylum...

A Meath councillor has spoken out about misogyny in politics after facing what she described as “targeted, gendered” abuse on social media for raising concerns about coastal erosion along the Laytown–Bettystown coastline. Fine Gael councillor Sharon Tolan said she woke to more than 100 hostile comments after highlighting what she described as a serious public safety issue. Some of the messages inc...

A scheme to compensate more than 800 survivors of the 1981 Stardust fire, which will see each person get €20,000, has been described as “absolutely horrendous” and a “fiasco”. Lawyers acting for survivors of the north Dublin nightclub inferno in which 48 young people died, say the survivors have been treated with “contempt” by the Department of Justice as promises made to them have been “reneged o...

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Independent TD in Meath-East, Gillian Toole, who spoke to us about why the Ashbourne Chamber of Commerce has come to the very difficult decision not to hold a St Patrick’s Day parade in the town of Ashbourne this year.  Taking to social media last night, Ashbourne Chamber posted this message: “We regret to confirm that we are unable to organise a S...

Elderly people in the Duleek Street area of Drogheda are living in fear of teenage gangs who are terrorising them. The youngsters are gathering in groups around local retail units and harassing pensioners. One 90-year-old woman living alone had her door kicked as a teenager tried to force his way into her house last week. The incident was caught on a security camera, and the victim could be seen c...

A 48-year-old man who pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse images has been remanded on bail for sentencing at Trim Circuit Court. The defendant’s property was searched as part of an investigation in 2015 after gardaí in Navan were informed about a video of concern uploaded by an IP address belonging to the accused. The video downloaded at the address in Navan town was flagged to gardaí...

An Aontú Limerick councillor has called for an end to the "illegal and cruel practice" of sulky racing on public roads, following the death of a horse who was found still attached to its sulky cart. Councillor Sarah Beasley said she was "horrified" by a string of "inhumane cases where horses died as result of abject cruelty and serious neglect", and she claimed organisers are using social media to...

We were joined in-studio on The Agenda this morning by Labour TD for Louth, Ged Nash, who has formally written to Ministers Colm Brophy and Jim O’Callaghan ahead of the expiry of the IPAS contract with the D hotel in Drogheda, this month. Deputy Nash says that for local economic reasons, the government must allow the deal to expire on the agreed date, and that the hotel needs to be restored to ful...

A Meath councillor has hit out at a loophole in the SEAI Warmer Homes Scheme, which she says is 'inexplicably discriminatory'. Aontú's Emer Tóibín says she is baffled by confirmation from the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’ Brien that the Deserted Wife’s Allowance/Benefit is not a qualifying payment. With almost 4,500 women in Ireland currently in receipt of the payment...

New legislation aimed at strengthening school responses to medical emergencies is to come before the Dail this week. Labour TD Eoghan Kenny, who introduced the bill said he hopes it will help protect school communities and the overall health of students. A former teacher, Deputy Kenny, who lives with epilepsy, described the Bill as both professionally and personally significant. He said: "Having w...

Over 19.2pc of homes offered to Louth’s social housing tenants through the Choice Based Letting (CBL) system have been turned down, according to new figures released by Louth County Council. The statistics emerged at the local authority’s January meeting, following a question submitted by Independent Councillor, Ciaran Fisher, revealing that over the last eight years the rate of tenant refusals wa...

Every public swimming pool in Meath currently has a waiting list for lessons, according to a new report, prompting calls for “greater investment” in swimming facilities. The Swimming Pool Gap Analysis report, funded by the Department of Sport and published by Swim Ireland found that Ireland has just one public pool per 81,000 people, compared with one per 14,000 in Scotland. Meath’s eight public s...

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Independent Councillor in Navan, Alan Lawes, who took to social media last night to highlight the horrendous challenges that homeless people are facing during weather warnings like the current one we are under.  Councillor Lawes posted a picture of a homeless man from Meath named Patrick, whose tent, sleeping bag and clothes were all destroyed in t...

Louth MEP Nina Carberry has called for dedicated funding for 'PEACEPLUS' in the next seven-year EU budget.  PEACEPLUS is a €1.1 billion cross-border programme which aims to promote peace and reconciliation between Northern Ireland and the border counties.  The Louth MEP acknowledged that there is already an existing €4.7 million in 'PEACEPLUS' funding for the county, which is supporting...

New research warns that the Government’s proposed restrictions on vape flavours could drive almost 60,000 former smokers back to cigarettes, undoing years of progress in reducing Ireland’s smoking rate. A county-by-county analysis shows that 58,080 adult vapers nationwide would return to smoking if the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) (Amendment) Bill proceeds with a...

The complete ban of sale of scramblers to the general public has not been ruled out, as the Roads Safety Minister said “all issues” are being looked at. Proposals to implement an outright ban on scrambler use in public places, including roads, was approved by Cabinet yesterday Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the legislation will be called Grace’s Law. The ban comes after Grace Lynch, 16, was killed...

Irish people are more concerned about uncontrolled migration flows than our EU counterparts are, according to a new survey. The latest European Parliament Euro­barometer survey shows 75pc of those surveyed in Ireland said they were “highly worried” about uncontrolled migration flows. This compares with 65pc of those surveyed for the study across the EU. A total of 13pc of Irish respondents were “m...

Labour TD for Louth Ged Nash has said government opposition to a bill aimed at protecting the Boyne River left him "bewildered" The Boyne Task Force Bill aimed to co-ordinate efforts from four  councils, government, Uisce Eireann as well as local landowners, NGOs and community activists. Deputy Nash said when he was informed the bill would be opposed by the government he was left "shocked and...

Sinn Féin has renewed its call on the Government to sack the chairperson of Bord Bia as a result of his company's role in importing Brazilian beef into Ireland. In a motion in the Dáil last night, the party said that Irish farmers and their representative organisations have lost confidence in Larry Murrin. The party contends that if he continues as chairperson it will undermine public confidence i...

The Irish Sun, Ireland’s bestselling daily tabloid newspaper, is launching a hard-hitting new true crime podcast series called ‘ Kinahans Downfall’ , which explores the extraordinary domestic demise and fragile future of the Kinahan Cartel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.