The Agenda

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Delia Canning, whose sister ended their lives at a Swiss clinic in secret . Anne Canning (51), from Wales, travelled to the Pegasos clinic, near Basel, to end her life in January following the tragic death of her only son. She told her family she was going on holiday. Delia got in touch with us after hearing Megan's story on the programme last week. Del...

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Sinn Fein Councillor in Ashbourne, Helen Meyer, who took to social media over the weekend to address what she calls the “widespread misinformation posted online regarding the recent purchase of the Pillo Hotel in Ashbourne”. It's been confirmed that the Pillo hotel in Ashbourne has been purchased in recent weeks. The McDermott Group, who also own the As...

Labour’s Finance spokesperson and TD for Louth Ged Nash, who has led the charge to tackle high prices at supermarket chain checkouts, has expressed scepticism over the ‘clean bill of health given to supermarket big beasts’ by the Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) in relation to the Commission’s analysis of the Irish grocery sector. Deputy Nash joined us on The Agenda this mor...

An appalling attack on a young Indian girl in Waterford has made headlines across her native country, amid a spate of violent attacks on Indians in Ireland. Six-year-old Nia Naveen was allegedly attacked by a group of boys aged 12 to 14 while playing outside her home in Waterford city on Monday. The gang allegedly punched her in the face, hit her with a bicycle, and shouted slurs like “dirty India...

A long-standing senator has called for some TDs' and senators’ salaries to be increased as he suggested pre-crash allowances should be restored. Gerard Craughwell, an independent senator since 2014, emailed TDs and senators on Thursday morning calling for their support. Senator Gerard Craughwell spoke to us on The Agenda this morning about this and things got very heated when Ken challenged Gerard...

Progress on the long-awaited Boyne Greenway in Meath continues to move at a “heartbreakingly slow pace,” according to a local councillor. Navan councillor Emer Tóibín expressed concerns that the Greenway remains in “permanent planning mode” despite strong public support. Councillor Toibin joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...

A Fine Gael councillor who recently served as the Mayor of South Dublin is one of the owners of and a shareholder in a recruitment company that has charged foreign nurses thousands of euro in “agency fees” to come and work in Irish nursing homes. Baby Pereppadan, a longtime Fine Gael member and a local representative for Tallaght South, co-founded a limited company called Angel Care Consultancy Li...

Haggardstown and Blackrock which forms a large part of the Dundalk South Electoral area is receiving nothing like its fair share of funding and hasn’t been for quite some time while especially for the last decade or more the community has expanded rapidly, and services and facilities are not keeping up to serve residents. This in a nutshell was the strong case local councillor Shane McGuinness put...

Social media algorithms have boosted videos of attacks on asylum seekers and encouraged far-right agitators to engage in increasingly violent behaviour, a report from an antiracism group said. The Hope and Courage Collective (HCC) said that in recent years the focus has been on homeless asylum seekers, who regularly faced threats and attacks on their tents. The trend has coincided with the increas...

With the presidential election looming, just how much does it cost to run a successful campaign or otherwise? It is a question that parties and candidates are considering as they either enter the race or think about doing so. National poster campaigns, online advertising and campaign teams cost money and a lot of it. The six candidates in 2018 declared a total spend of €1.36 million in the race fo...

A new civic group, the Louth Neutrality Network, was launched yesterday on the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing to defend Irish neutrality and oppose the government’s shift toward military alignment. Founded by local citizens, family members of current and former UN peacekeepers and peace advocates, the group is particularly critical of what it calls Fianna Fáil’s retreat, from its historic co...

Over 150 gardaí have been assaulted while on duty so far this year, according to figures from the Department of Justice. There has been a higher than average number of reported assaults since 2022 when compared with previous years. There were 299 assaults on gardaí while on duty in 2014; 301 in 2015; 282 in 2016; 264 in 2017; 224 in 2018 and 266 in 2019. “We are all immensely grateful to all our g...

There has been a reduction of more than half in the number of unsuccessful international protection applicants who have been given leave to remain in the State by the Minister for Justice over the past two years. New figures released by the Department of Justice show that then minister for justice Helen McEntee gave permission to remain in the State to 1,010 people who failed to be granted asylum...

Drogheda has officially passed the population benchmark to be designated a city under European Union definitions—and campaigners are once again calling on the Government to act. According to the Drogheda City Status Group (DCSG), the town’s population has surged to just under 52,000 people, adding an estimated 2,600 new residents each year since 2022. If the current growth rate continues, Drogheda...

An additional €1 million in funding has been secured for the regeneration of Ardee Castle. It's been allocated by the Department of Rural and Community Development and has been confirmed by Minister Dara Calleary and will close the funding gap which Louth County Council was facing. Local Fianna Fáil Senator Senator Alison Comyn says it's fantastic news for both Ardee and County Louth, and Alison s...

A local councillor in Ratoath has raised concerns over long-awaited crèches at a residential development in Meath, saying that families are being “left without access to vital childcare services”. Fianna Fáil councillor Caroline O’Reilly is now calling for “immediate action” to provide childcare at The Willows in Dunshaughlin, a new development providing three-and four-bedroom homes in the area ov...

**TRIGGER WARNING: UPSETTING/DISTRESSING CONTENT*** The daughter of the Co Cavan-based woman who was assisted in ending her life alone at a controversial Swiss clinic has told of her sadness and disbelief after her ashes were sent home in the post. Maureen Slough (58), who had a history of mental illness, travelled to the Pegasos clinic in Switzerland on July 8 having told her family she was going...

As Irish diplomats work to find a way to free aid worker Gena Heraty in Haiti, the Caribbean country remains in the grip of a gang war. Significant Irish business connections in Haiti may be the key to securing the Irish missionary’s release, sources told The Journal .    There are extensive Irish interests in the region. There is also a significant presence of Irish security personnel w...

Meath County Council has granted planning permission for a highly contentious gas fired peaking power plant in Kentstown, despite strong local opposition. Polarisgate Ltd had sought a 10 year planning permission for the development, which will consist of three open-cycle gas turbine generators, each with a 30m high stack, on a 19-acre site at Curraghtown, Brownstown. If constructed, the plant is e...

The majority of renters believe the Government should support intergenerational living. This is where younger individuals or couples live with older adults at a nominal cost in exchange for companionship and support. Research carried out for ­Aviva Insurance Ireland found 59pc of renters believe the Government should support and promote the idea. Greater use of such an arrangement would help allev...

Louth Labour TD, Ged Nash has challenged the government to work with Louth County Council to address a funding gap that will allow work to be carried out on Ardee Castle so this jewel in the crown of mid-Louth can open to the public again. Deputy Nash explained: “It is now six years since Louth County Council was granted approval in principle for Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) fund...

An Irish-born medical registrar said he was left stunned after a group of children hurled racial slurs at him as he left a shopping complex last week. Dr Taimoor Salman estimates children as young as 10 shouted “Mr Curry Man” in a broken Indian accent at him. The incident happened after 9pm on Thursday as Dr Salman dropped into Blackcastle Shopping Centre in Navan, Co Meath, to pick up a few groce...

Huge numbers of parents are dipping into their savings to fund back-to-school costs. School uniforms are a huge expense ahead of the new school year and digital devices are a high cost for secondary- school parents, according to the latest back-to-school cost survey from children’s charity Barnardos. This morning on The Agenda we spoke to National Policy Manager at Barnardos, Stephen Moffatt, abou...

Roblox, the online game-building platform popular with young children and teenagers wants to introduce online dating. The move has been floated by Roblox CEO David Baszucki just as Ireland’s online regulator attempts to clampdown down on inappropriate activity for kids and teens online. Mr Baszucki said that online dating on the platform was logical given some people’s shyness or fear of the datin...

The UK Government has announced that the voting age will be lowered to 16 years old ahead of the next UK General election in 2029. Welcomed by youth groups who have long campaigned to expand voting rights, this change not only broadens the electorate for general elections but in the event of a future border poll as well. If effectively mobilised, this new franchise could prove pivotal in determini...