The Agenda

A new Fianna Fáil survey of just under 1,000 Irish parents has revealed widespread concern about children’s exposure to online risks and overwhelming support for stronger protections including support for a ban on smartphones in all schools. The Parenting in the Digital Age survey, carried out by Fianna Fáil’s parliamentary party working group as part of the party’s ongoing Online Safety Campaign,...

The disclosure of counselling notes to criminal trials “serves little purpose other than re-traumatising victims of sexual and gender-based violence”, according to a Louth TD. Deputy Paula Butterly, who is Vice-Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, called for the practice of admitting counselling notes in court to be “banned in totality.” Protests against the practice of using notes from a...

The difficulties faced by parents of sixth class who are missing out on places at their preferred secondary school was highlighted in Leinster House last week by Dundalk TD Ruairí Ó Murchú. The Sinn Féin deputy said that a number of families had been in touch with him in the recent weeks after initial offers were made by Dundalk secondary schools. He read quotes from several families and asked for...

The Government has agreed that a timebound scoping exercise be undertaken by an independent person in response to requests on behalf of victims and survivors of Michael Shine. Shine worked as a consultant at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and private practice in Drogheda and was found guilty of sexual assaults on nine boys. He served three years in prison. The draft terms of reference will be finali...

The Cabinet is set to sign off on sweeping new immigration proposals that will result in a tightening of citizenship rules and the introduction of a contribution fee for international protection accommodation. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan will bring three memos to the Cabinet, which will also include changes to family reunification criteria for non-European Economic Area (EEA) citizens. Those...

A Louth councillor has hit out at so-called “boy-racers” who are hosting weekend gatherings which are terrifying rural communities. Councillor Pearse McGeough highlighted “racing” events taking place between the Mooremount roundabout and Greenmount, in the Dunleer and Castlebellingham area, along the R132 old Dublin to Belfast Road. Cllr McGeough said “I have been contacted by residents over the p...

Portugal has told Ryanair it must accept passengers’ paper boarding passes if they are flying out of Portuguese airports.  Euronews reports that Portugal’s National Civil Aviation Authority has told the budget airline the rule risks non-compliance with passenger rights.  The news is a blow to Ryanair, which announced last month to great fanfare that it would no longer accept paper boardi...

Public Health HSE Dublin and North East is urging those eligible to avail of the flu and COVID-19 vaccine, and for parents of eligible babies to avail of the free catch-up RSV immunisation over the next four weeks. Dr Suzanne Cotter, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Public Health HSE Dublin and North East, said: “As we enter the winter season, we are starting to see respiratory viruses circul...

The Government will tighten migration rules this week as the cost of housing asylum seekers continues to soar. Two memo papers will go to Cabinet on Wednesday bringing greater clarity to rules around reunification of families. One will look at the Department of Justice policy dealing with non-European Economic Area (EEA) family reunification for people who have arrived in the State through various...

People in Dublin are “furious” at the City Council’s “tone deaf” decision to erect ‘Winter Lights’ instead of ‘Christmas Lights’, Aontú has claimed.  The council’s website boasts that Dubliners can see ‘Winter Lights’ in 25 locations across the city centre. However, it makes no mention of ‘Christmas’ and Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said it was “quite incredible” how many people are upset by th...

The €56 million landbank loan debt which hung over Louth County Council in the post ‘Celtic Tiger’ era must not be repeated, a local councillor warned as plans to acquire new lands for housing were outlined this week. The council’s 2026 Budget meeting heard that the local authority will have to invest in new land in order to fulfil its obligations under the government’s new housing plan. But Cllr....

Meath County Council has adopted the budget for 2026, which provides for expenditure of over €258 million on local public services, an increase of over €26 million (or 11.5%) on the 2025 budget.  Councillors voted to adopt the annual budget for 2026 at a meeting on Monday, 24 November, and it is the first time the Council’s budget has exceeded €250 million. Since 2019, the Annual Budget has i...

New figures released from the Irish Road Safety Authority (RSA) reveal that there are 394,128 learner permit holders now on our roads in Ireland at the end of September 2025. 27,490 of them are in Louth and Meath. Louth had 11,433 learner driver permit holders on the roads in September of this year and Meath had 16,057.   That is an increase of 12,257 learner drivers nationally on our ro...

When she was 27 years old, Erin McGreehan had what she calls “an episode” at work. “I was in so much pain,” she says. “I worked. I finished my day, and then I went home and took to the bed.” The now 43-year-old Fianna Fáil TD for Louth, was working with Cavan Vocational Education Committee at the time and busily chipping away at her political ambitions. She had been a member of Fianna Fáil from a...

Sinn Féin TD for Meath East, Darren O'Rourke, has slammed the government for its "shameful failure" to address the deepening crisis in Assessments of Need (AON) for children. Deputy O'Rourke was responding to figures released to Sinn Féin which reveal that a staggering 18,097 children across the state are waiting on an AON, with the average waiting time now over 27 months - despite a legal 6-month...

The impact of rising everyday living costs is having a serious effect on low income families and older people Social Justice Ireland claims in their annual Poverty Focus 2025 report, that the rapid increase in prices means people have impossible choices to make in order to stay within their weekly budget. Research and Policy Analyst with Social Justice Ireland, Susanne Rogers, says the cost of ene...

Meath County Council has informed Louth Labour TD, Ged Nash that a long-running issue that has delayed the finishing of Bryanstown Wood Estate on Beymoire Road is nearing an end.  Deputy Nash explained: “I have been engaged with Meath County Council and residents of Bryanstown Estate for a long time now in clearing up the issues delaying the finishing of this estate. “The estate has been in t...

A Russian drone strike on the major Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has killed four people and wounded 17, its mayor said, amid continued work by US and Ukrainian officials towards a plan to end the war with Russia. The US and Ukraine are set to continue work towards a peace deal today after agreeing to modify an earlier proposal that was widely seen as too favorable to Moscow. The two sides said in a j...

Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence and Meath-East Fianna Fail TD, Thomas Byrne, wants an additional €19million for his portfolio to purchase anti-drone technology. Minister Byrne said there was an "urgent operational requirement" to purchase the equipment as Ireland was assuming the Presidency of the EU from next summer. He said this meant the need for such technology was required...

Over 6000 households at risk of homelessness contacted Threshold last year. The national housing charity's annual report reveals, in total, 19,400 households reached out for housing support Threshold's National Advocacy Manager, Ann Marie O'Reilly, says they were able to prevent homelessness in the majority of cases, and Anne Marie joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about...

A growing public outcry has erupted over the weekend closure of St Declan’s Graveyard in Ashbourne, with more than 500 people signing a petition calling for safe access to the cemetery. The petition was launched by Michelle Matthews on behalf of her 81-year-old father, Tommy Matthews, who visits the grave of his late wife Mary who passed away last September every single day. The couple were marrie...

The Immigrant Council of Ireland has today published its Impact Report for 2024, highlighting the organisation’s achievements and the work carried out to support and empower migrants living in Ireland. In 2024, the Immigrant Council provided support to migrants and their families through our Helpline. Our staff answered over 4,000 calls from people seeking answers on their or their family members’...

Aontú leader and Meath-West TD Peadar Tóibín TD this week raised questions about water supply and quality issues affecting Meath, Enfield and Navan, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the Dáil.   Speaking on Wednesday, Deputy Tóibín told the Dáil: “Keeping the lights on and water in the taps is surely one of the basic responsibilities of any administration but we live in a country where that is...

A Wicklow TD will bring forward new legislation tomorrow aimed at overhauling Ireland’s dog-breeding laws. Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore says the country is in the midst of a dog-welfare crisis, with more than 3,000 dogs currently in pounds and rescue centres, and abandonments surging since the pandemic. Over 7,300 dogs entered Irish pounds in 2022 — a 77% rise on the previous year — and 3...

Ryanair's Michael O'Leary has refuted claims that his company are engaging in price-gouging customers heading to the World Cup playoffs in Czechia. Flights to and from Prague next March are hundreds of euro more than usual. The Labour Party has condemned the price hikes, and Fine Gael's Mark Duffy says regulators should examine if the increases are compliant with consumer law. Lead travel writer a...