The Agenda

A Louth Fianna Fáil councillor has hit out at her party over the make up of Local Community Safety Partnerships, which are replacing Joint Policing Committees. Emma Coffey said Fianna Fáil had dropped the ball during a discussion at the Dundalk Municipal District's monthly meeting yesterday evening, where its Chairman Fine Gael Cllr Robert Nash and Fianna Fáil councillor Andrea McKevitt were chose...

US conservative activist Charlie Kirk, an influential ally of President Donald Trump, was fatally shot on Wednesday while speaking at a Utah university, sparking a manhunt for a lone sniper who the governor said had carried out a political assassination. Authorities said they still had no suspect in custody as of Wednesday night, some eight hours after the midday shooting at Utah Valley University...

This morning on The Agenda we spoke to Minsiter for Education and Meath-East Fine Gael TD Helen McEntee, who spoke to us about the shooting of Donald Trump ally Charlie Kirk and the recent threats against Tanaiste Simon Harris. Minister McEntee told The Agenda that she believes it is a dangerous time for politicians and journalists. We also spoke about the recent secretaries and caretakers strikes...

Customers of Energia are being hit with electricity price increases of up to 12 per cent with almost immediate effect in a move that is likely to cost many households more than €200 a year. Energia is the third energy company to announce price increases this year. It said the price changes - which kick in on October 9th - were “now unavoidable” as a result of ongoing, substantial increases in elec...

Childcare in Louth now costs parents an average of €185.62 a week for one child, with more than 1,400 children on waiting lists, new figures from Pobal show.  The National Women’s Council (NWC) says the situation highlights the urgent need for Government action and is calling for Budget 2026 to deliver a public childcare system that lowers costs, expands access, and supports women returning t...

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Meath County Council held a special meeting yesterday which was brought by Independent councilor Alan Lawes.  There was a vote to pass a motion calling on ”Meath County Council to consider all lawful sanctions it can take against the apartheid state of Israel in order to put pressure on them to stop the Genocide and forced starvation of the Palestinian people.”  There was 100% support of...

Today, September 10th, is World Suicide Day all across the globe.  The international theme of World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is 'Changing the Narrative on Suicide'. Suicide is a serious global public health issue, with over 700,000 lives lost each year. Its impact extends far beyond the individual, deeply affecting families, communities, and societies at large. This year’s theme calls on...

A Meath woman living in Doha has described how her building shook following an Israeli strike on the Qatari capital. Niamh Collins said there was ‘black smoke everywhere’ after the attack on senior Hamas leaders, and Niamh spoke to us on The Agenda this morning to tell us exactly what happened. We also spoke to Sharon Lifschitz, whose mother and father were kidnapped by Hamas last year - her fathe...

U.S. President Donald Trump feels "very badly" about Israel's strike on Hamas targets in Qatar and directed a top aide, Steve Witkoff, to warn Qatar the attack was coming, the White House said on Tuesday. Hamas, responsible for the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel from Gaza, said five of its members had been killed in the Israeli attack in Doha, including the son of Hamas's exiled Gaza c...

Tánaiste Simon Harris said he is doing his "very best to get on with my job" after a series of threats were made against him and his family. Gardaí are investigating the threatening calls made to Mr Harris and his family. It is understood the calls, which included bomb threats, were made on Telegram, which offers security provisions and encryption, enabling callers to disguise their identity. We w...

Poland said it scrambled its own and Nato air defences to shoot down drones over its territory after repeated violations of its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine in what the Polish army called an “act of aggression”. It marks the first time in the war that Warsaw has engaged Russian assets in its airspace. This morning on The Agenda we spoke to former Independent...

In the latest clampdown on dodgy boxes, 15 retail outlets (including retailers in Louth and Meath) helping to provide the service were targeted across nine counties. But the question still remains: can you really stop dodgy boxes? Chairman of the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) Kieron Sharp says that while media piracy may seem like a victimless crime, streaming services still rely on su...

A Sinn Fein councillor has called on Meath County Council to write to the Minister for Housing requesting an increase in the income threshold for the Mortgage to Rent Scheme in order to help homeowners at risk of losing their homes. Fionnan Blake tabled a motion to that effect at the September meeting of the council. We spoke to councillor Blake this morning on The Agenda to find out more. Hosted...

The government are spending more money than they are making. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council says with the economy performing so well, it doesn't need support from budgetary policy. The Council has advised the government that a more restrained approach would prevent overheating the economy, leaving the country in a better position should there be an economic downturn. Chief Economist with body,...

The level of child deprivation is on par with the “darkest days” of the economic crash, with one in five children currently living below the poverty line. The new report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) states that inflation has disproportionately affected those on lower incomes, but universal welfare increases have largely not kept pace with rising costs. “In real terms, they...

The LCSP (Local Community Safety Partnership) will replace the former Joint Policing Committees which were wound up in 2024. The Louth LCSP is expected to meet in October, with two councillors from each of the municipal districts nominated to sit on the forum. The Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, Cllr. Sean Kelly, is also expected to take a seat. But, councillors from the Ardee area spoke of...

Clogherhead village is in urgent need of road repairs, Cllr. Declan Power told the monthly meeting of Drogheda Borough District. The local councillor, who raised a number of issues at the September meeting, called for an update on the roadworks programme for Clogherhead, saying: “The village is in bits, and has been for a long time.” Councillor Power spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about th...

Loneliness is emerging as a major but often overlooked health risk for Ireland’s older population, according to new findings from a Trinity College study. The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), which has tracked over 8,000 adults aged 50 and older for more than 14 years, found that persistent loneliness is linked to poorer mental and physical health, reduced functional ability, and a lowe...

Families across Meath are facing a “crippling” shortage of early learning and childcare places, Sinn Féin TD for Meath East, Darren O’Rourke, has said. He is calling on the Government to “urgently” deliver on its commitment to provide state-owned facilities. Speaking after receiving a parliamentary reply from the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, Deputy O’Rourke said the shortage is...

Deal secured with French Prime minister over EU - Mercosur deal  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Search for missing Dublin boy enters seventh day - missing boy was placed in bath in attempt to revive him, gardaí told  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sinn Féin Councillor Sionainn McCann is calling on the Council and the HSE to work together to find a solution to the inadequate parking at the Louth Hospital Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A suggestion by Fine Gael Councillor Sharon Tolan that Meath elite or high performance sports people should get aid through a special county council bursary was met with a mixed reception at a meeting of the council Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.