The Agenda

A new “Know Your Rights” guide for trans and non-binary people is being published today by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), in collaboration with ShoutOut and Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI). Know Your Rights: A Guide for Trans and Non-Binary People is the first comprehensive resource of its kind in Ireland. It sets out in plain English the rights of trans and non-binary a...

The Taoiseach has defended a controversial video which has been shared by the Department of Housing, which provides advice for adults forced to move back home with their parents. The video, produced by the State's Housing Agency with youth organisation Spun Out, has been attacked by the opposition and criticised online. Speaking before the Cabinet meeting Micheál Martin said: "Sometimes we need to...

A ‘cloud of darkness’ will hang over Louth and neighbouring counties this Christmas after the “tsunami of grief” which hit the region in the last few months, according to a local councillor. Cllr. John Sheridan brought the December meeting of Ardee Municipal District to a close with a reflection on the impact of a series of tragedies in the area. He said there was “a feeling from everyone you meet...

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Sinn Fein TD for Louth, Ruairi Ó Murchú, who spoke to us about how he is going to raise questions over the flooding in Blackrock Village over the past 24 hours, in order to ensure that it cannot happen again.  Deputy Ó Murchú also told us about a memorial event to mark 50 years since the Dundalk bombing, which happened on the 19th of December 1975....

ESB crews are out across the country this morning to reconnect those still without power following Storm Bram. Cleanup operations are also underway after the country was battered by violent winds.  Many areas suffered bad flooding, including locally here in Blackrock in Louth. We were joined on The Agenda this morning by local Fianna Fail Councillor in Blackrock, Shane McGuinness, who spoke t...

Court action against the expansion of the DART to county Louth has been lifted, paving the way for the project. It will involve the electrification of the railway line between Malahide and Drogheda, increasing capacity and frequency. Iarnród Eireann has confirmed judicial review proceedings against DART plus Coastal North were struck out at the High Court yesterday, with an agreement reached outsi...

Louth TD, Paula Butterly, has said that the Government’s Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan will deliver more homes, better transport as well as the critical infrastructure Ireland’s growing population needs. Deputy Butterly told the Dundalk Democrat that "these reforms mark a turning point in cutting delays, streamlining planning approvals and ensuring that major infrastructure projects the...

Wage rises and competition for staff may be a tipping point for some smaller nursing homes next year, a new recruitment agency analysis warns. Excel Healthcare 2026 Salary Guide said costs for private nursing homes are increasing by 10pc. Pay alone is not enough to attract and retain staff, and sign-on bonuses and recognition that more want greater work-life balance will be features for employers...

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Labour Health spokesperson Marie Sherlock said the overcrowded Irish health system is now facing a major flu crisis. Speaking today, Deputy Sherlock said: “We understand that some hospitalisations could have been prevented if the enhanced flu vaccine had been made available. The Minister of Health must account for this appalling penny pinching which wil...

The number of people over 65 who are renting their homes has doubled since 2011, sparking new concerns about their financial security. There has been a big increase as well in the number of people in their 40s and 50s who are renting, analysis of the rental market by life insurance and pensions firm Royal London Ireland has found. The findings reveal the stark reality behind the housing crisis. Ha...

There have been more than double the number of deportation orders signed this year than confirmed departures from the State by failed asylum seekers. Junior immigration minister Colm Brophy has also confirmed just 28 of 267 people detained in prison before being deported from the State had criminal convictions. The details were provided in response to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil’s Co...

Sinn Féin TD for Meath East, Darren O'Rourke, has called on the government to act decisively to address the severe shortage of GPs in Meath following analysis of new HSE figures was reported today and showed many parts of Meath are very poorly serviced including in East Meath which has 1 GP for a population of 5,090 people - the highest in the state. Teachta O'Rourke said;  "In Meath, the pic...

Recently the Irish Refugee Council Marks Two Years of Homelessness for International Protection Applicants Nick Henderson, CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, said: “Today is a grim milestone: two uninterrupted years of the policy of non-accommodation of people seeking protection. Since 4 December 2023, people are forced to sleep rough, at real risk to their health and safety, to demonstrate their n...

There is no agreed measure of living standards or wellbeing in economics, at least one that allows for an ironclad conclusion one way or the other. That said, the latest comparative analysis of the island’s two economies, Northern Ireland and the Republic, published by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), is about as unequivocal as it gets. In nearly every metric worth considering –...

Drogheda “deserves better” than faulty Christmas lights going out during the annual switch-on ceremony, the December meeting of the Borough District heard on Monday night. Mayor Michelle Hall said councillors wanted answers on why the lights went dark just moments after they had been launched for the festive season. "It was a bit embarrassing,” said the Mayor. “The lights went off straight away.”...

It is 100 years since the final decision was made on exactly where the border would divide the island of Ireland. On 3 December 1925 the Boundary Commission plan to adjust the border and take some places out of Northern Ireland, including Crossmaglen in south Armagh, was ditched at the last minute in a British-Irish deal. Historian Cormac Moore says "it gave of lot of certainty that had not been t...

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Fianna Fail Councillor in Dundalk, Shane McGuinness, who wants to make his position “absolutely clear” regarding the proposed coastal Greenway from Dundalk to Carlingford.  Councillor McGuinness says he fully supports the people of Cooley, and that he wants to see progress, investment, and a high quality coastal Greenway delivered for their communi...

Ireland will not participate in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, and RTÉ will not broadcast the event, after the organiser cleared the way for Israel to partake. Public broadcasters in Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia confirmed they too will boycott the event. In a statement on Thursday, RTÉ said it would be “unconscionable” for Ireland to partake in the event given the “appalling loss of l...

Dundalk was “disproportionately affected” by the legacy of unfinished estates after the Celtic Tiger era, according to a Louth councillor. Unfinished or so-called “ghost estates” emerged largely as result of the economic crash in 2008, with work on a significant number of developments not complete. A total of 65 estates across Louth were designated in 2011 as “unfinished”, but the fall out from th...

A review of the Child and Family Agency’s involvement with Kyran Durnin, the little boy who was reported missing last August and later presumed dead, will not be published.  The review was carried out by the National Review Panel, which is independent of Tusla.  Though a number of recommendations have been made public, the Attorney General has determined that the review itself cannot be...

Nikita Hand, who won her civil case against former MMA fighter Conor McGregor, has welcomed a decision by the Supreme Court not to allow a further appeal by Mr McGregor against a High Court jury's finding that he raped her. Ms Hand said the Irish civil justice system had afforded her vindication and allowed her voice to be heard, after seven years seeking justice, accountability and peace. Ms Hand...

There is an urgent need to address the housing needs of older people through the development of ‘wrap around’ rather than ‘send around’ services – enabling older people to live in their own homes for as long as possible. These findings are reflected in a new RED C survey (please email for a copy of the survey) commissioned for Mayo Social by Sage Advocacy, the national advocacy service for older p...

On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, ALONE is urging renewed national focus on ensuring that older people with disabilities can remain safe, well, and independent in their own homes. As disability becomes more common with age, the organisation warns that Ireland’s current supports are not keeping pace with the needs of an ageing population.  Recent Census data shows that 22% of...

Fianna Fáil TD for Louth, Erin McGreehan has warmly welcomed Minister Michael Moynihan’s launch of the national recruitment campaign for the new Education Therapy Service (ETS), praising it as “one of the most practical advances in special education in recent years.” Speaking yesterday, Deputy McGreehan said: “I want to commend Minister Moynihan for driving this initiative. The establishment of th...

The Trump administration is pausing all immigration applications such as requests for green cards for people from 19 countries banned from travel earlier this year, as part of sweeping immigration changes in the wake of the shooting of two National Guard troops. The changes were outlined in a policy memo posted on the website of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency tasked wi...