The Agenda

Louth County Council is calling on the Ministers for Health and Finance, and Irish MEPs to examine reducing or removing the VAT rate on sunscreen products with an SPF of 30 or higher. Independent Councillor Declan Power received cross-party support for a notice of motion which also proposed piloting the installation of free sunscreen dispensers at all Blue Flag beaches in the county and key public...

More than one in three hate attacks and incidents recorded by gardaí last year were racially motivated, analysis by The Journal Investigates reveals. According to official data, the number of anti-race crimes and related incidents has risen by 24% since 2021 – making it the single most common motive for hate crime in Ireland. Of the 676 hate crimes and reports recorded last year, around 264 (39%)...

Meath County Council is set to write to the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to ensure local communities are “properly informed in a timely and transparent manner” regarding contracts for International Protection Accommodation. The move follows a motion brought forward by Aontú councillor Emer Tóibín at the September full council meeting. The motion called for Meath County Council...

Today, Tuesday 16th September 2025, Meath Women’s Refuge & Support Services launched its 2024 Annual Report, showing an increase in contact from women affected by domestic violence. There was a 22% increase in helpline calls from 1,122 to 1,376 between 2023 and 2024. A total of 194 women and children leaving situations of domestic violence stayed in refuge and a further 534 women were supporte...

Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes has apologised for wearing a 'blackface' Halloween costume. Mr Hayes issued the apology for wearing a Barack Obama costume in 2009, which included brown makeup on his hands and face. Blackface costumes have been linked to racial stereotyping, which stems from the historic 'minstrel' shows in the US where white performers blackened their faces with shoe polish and mim...

At the Dundalk Municipal District's monthly meeting, several councillors highlighted concerns about an increase in anti-social behaviour including the Cathaoirleach of LCC Sean Kelly who wants a focus on persistent offenders. It's been confirmed that Louth County Council's anti-social behaviour policy will be updated. The Chair of its Social Development Strategic Policy Committee, Sinn Féin Counci...

Yesterday on the programme we spoke to a resident of Rathmullen Park in Drogheda, about the relentless ongoing anti-social behavior going on in the estate and how it is destroying his life and his elderly father’s life - so much so that he attempted to take his own life as a result of the ongoing torment. After hearing the harrowing interview, we were contacted by another resident of Rathmullen Pa...

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has said that workers in Ireland should not be placed in "unconscionable situations" of facilitating trade with Israel or handling Israeli goods while attacks on Gaza continue. ICTU has called on the Government to step up its response by ending trade with Israel. ICTU said that it and other unions are reviewing procurement and pension investments to ensure...

More than a quarter of Irish adults (26%) still have no financial arrangements at all for their retirement, according to new research published today by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). This has increased from 21% last year (one in five). The survey also found that almost one-third of pension holders regret not starting their contributions earlier.   Of those wh...

Ireland's renting crisis has been laid bare with figures and anecdotes. Young people, young families, and college students in particular are feeling the pressure. The latest figures from Daft.ie have shown that, not only is there a shortage of homes available to rent, but there is an average open-market rent of over €2,000 per month. We were joined on The Agenda this morning by John Mary McCaffert...

**TRIGGER WARNING: LISTENERS MAY FIND CONTENT UPSETTING/DISTRESSING** This morning on The Agenda we spoke to a very distressed and frustrated Drogheda man who bravely opened up to LMFM about the ongoing relentless and terrifying anti-social behaviour going on in the Rathmullen Park estate in Drogheda. "Tony" said that things are so bad now that his elderly father no longer leaves the home due to f...

Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien is planning to scrap the controversial passenger cap at Dublin Airport in a move which could create tens of thousands of jobs and boost the economy by billions of euro. The Sunday Independent can reveal Mr O’Brien will send a memo to Cabinet in the first week of October and begin the process of drafting legislation that will remove the airport’s 32 million a year...

Learner drivers who have not passed their driving test after seven years will be required to take additional driving lessons in order to go back on the road, under new Government proposals. The minister responsible for road safety, Sean Canney, said that he also plans to introduce changes to the law by next month which would require learner drivers to sit a driving test after their third learner p...

Former MMA fighter Conor McGregor has announced he is withdrawing from the Presidential Election race. Mr McGregor was among a number of prospective candidates who were due to address county councils, including Dublin City Council today seek a nomination. Eleven councils are due to hold special meetings today to consider nominating a candidate. Deputy Political Editor at the Irish Examiner, Paul H...

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Aontu Senator in Cavan-Monaghan, Sarah O’ Reilly, who said at the Aontu think-in which took place on Saturday that there is a prevailing “‘lack of respect and snobbery around mothers and parents who choose to stay at home and work from there.  Senator O’Reilly said:  “I don’t know if snobbery is the right word, but I experienced it myself; I w...

165-hectare solar farm planned for lands beside proposed power plant in Kentstown - Deputy Toole also lodged an appeal with An Coimisiún Pleanála in relation to Meath County Council's granting of planning permission for the power plant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RTB report shows 17% rise in number of tenants evicted from homes in the last year  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FBI recovers rifle used in Charlie Kirk killing but shooter still at large - Larry is booked provisionally based on how relevant/significant the updates are… can be cancelled if nothing more of note Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deputy Butterly says she shares RTEs concerns over the killing of journalists and that Ireland must continue to voice support for a two state solution and continue to call out the genocidal acts of the Israeli government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Government to introduce second tier of child benefit in upcoming budget, says Taoiseach Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ashbourne Municipal District councillor Helen Meyer says that there have been a number of complaints submitted about the traffic light sequencing along the N2 between Kilmoon Cross and Rath roundabout. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While potential presidential candidates are preparing to set out their stall to local authorities, including Louth County Council, one local councillor has criticised the nomination system as “a closed club.” Ciaran Fisher, Independent councillor for Dundalk/Carlingford, said the upcoming presidential election “promises to be a more novel affair than the local and general elections of 2024.” ...

With the budget just under a month away, what will ministers Paschal Donohoe and Jack Chambers deliver on October 7th? The one-off cost-of-living measures of recent budgets may be discontinued, but what will be in their place to help families feeling the pinch? Will there be tax cuts? And what can renters and those looking to buy a home expect? Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times joined us on The Agen...

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Aontu leader & Meath-West TD Peadar Toibin, who took to social media last night over his question to Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, regarding blood donors being asked if they are still the same sex they were assigned at birth, - Deputy Toibin says that if some donors refuse to answer they are not allowed to donate blood. In his post...

Yesterday, there was a discussion in Cabinet about Ireland increasing its support for Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has participated in four meetings of the so-called ‘Coalition Of The Willing’ – a group of 31 countries that have pledged enhanced support for Ukraine by declaring their readiness to participate in a peacekeeping mission on Ukrainian territory, in...