The Hard Shoulder

Today there are 760 patients in the country without a hospital bed. The INMO is calling for URGENT action on this issue. Emmet Oliver was joined by Dr Fergal Hickey, Communications Officer for the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine and Tony Fitzpatrick, Director of Services with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation…

Kieran Cunningham, Chief Sports Writer with the Irish Daily Star joined Emmet Oliver on The Hard Shoulder to review the World Cup final and the tournament as a whole...

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan hopes to reduce by 20% the number of cars on Irish roads by the year 2030. The target is part of the Climate Action Plan that has but yet to be approved by the Cabinet. Emmet Oliver was joined by Sadhbh O’Neill, researcher at UCD and a climate activist and Michael Healy Rae, Independent TD for Kerry...

IBEC had a warning today that firms are going to expect lower profits going into 2023 due to rising energy costs. Are more energy supports needed? Emmet Oliver was joined by Neil McDonnell, chief executive of ISME and Barbara Ennis, principal of Alexandra College, because private schools are having to raise their prices by up to 15%...

We're approaching the last weekend before the big day for shoppers to pick up presents. With such a focus on the environment, there are now options for families to rent toys through a toy library. There are a handful of these community projects across the country and our reporter Josh Crosbie took a visit to Ireland's first toy Library in Co Monaghan.

Aisling Larkin TV Chef and mindful eating coach joined Kieran to take a closer look how to make the best side dishes for Christmas dinner...

Today marks the final full day as Taoiseach for Mícheál Martin as he gets set to hand the reigns over to Leo Varadkar tomorrow. Emmer Oliver was joined by John Drennan, political correspondent with The Mail Group to discuss Micheál Martin's time in charge..

Off The Ball's Nathan Murphy joined Kieran Cuddihy on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action...

King of free speech, Elon Musk, has accused several high profile journalists from Twitter last night claiming they were ‘doxxing’ him. One of the journalists banned was CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, a Cahersiveen native. Jenny Darmody, Deputy Editor with Silicon Republic joined Emmet Oliver to discuss…

Newstalk's Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly joined Emmet Oliver on The Hard Shoulder to chat through some of the best tech deals, tips for gifts and other tricks to look out for this Christmas...

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar maintains there are no plans to reintroduce mortgage interest relief in light of the rising interest rates announced by the European Central Bank. With further rate hikes on the way from the ECB in 2023, is this the right stance? Emmet Oliver was joined by David Hall, CEO of the Irish Mortgage Holders Association and Fine Gael Senator Barry Ward to discuss…

Stressing about preparing that Christmas dinner? Mark Moriarty’s Off-Duty Chef Christmas Special will be kicking off on RTÉ this weekend and he joined Emmet Oliver in studio to gives some tips and tricks on cracking Christmas dinner...

John Fardy, presenter of Screentime on Newstalk joined Emmet Oliver to review the new release 'Avatar: The Way of Water'...

A number of investigations will take place into an incident in which an Irish solider was killed and another was seriously injured in Lebanon. 23 year old Private Sean Rooney from County Donegal died after a convoy travelling to Beirut was attacked by what the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces says was an 'aggressive mob'. Emmet Oliver was joined by Mark Keane President of PDForra, the associat...

The Government has been warned by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to increase the retirement age to 68 by 2028, in order to keep debt under control. Emmet Oliver was joined by Susanne Rogers, Research and Policy Analyst with Social Justice Ireland and Economist, Jim Power to discuss...

Just 71 fines in three years – that’s the amount of fines Gardaí have issued for motorists dangerously overtaking cyclists. Emmet Oliver was joined by former Transport Minister, Shane Ross and Ciaran Cannon, Fine Gael TD for Galway East to discuss...

Research from CeraVe has found that 77% of Irish people feel their skin is worse in winter, with approximately the same number saying they are self-conscious about it. Emmet Oliver was joined by Dr Laura Lenihan, GP and Specialist Skin Expert to discuss the root of these concerns, and what people can do to protect their skin amidst these freezing conditions...

Now, Christmas may be fast approached, but if you want a break after it all in January, where should you go? Emmet Oliver was joined on The Hard Shoulder by Ed Finn from Travel Talk...

Sarina Bellissimo, host of The Bellissimo Files Podcast joined Emmet Oliver on The Hard Shoulder to take a look at some of the best and worst famous TV interviews down the years...

Our footpaths are turning into ice rinks this week and more weather warnings are coming into play this evening. How long will this cold spell last? Emmet Oliver was joined by meteorologist, Joanna Donnelly and Roisin Killroy, a journalist in Galway who slipped on the ice this morning...

The Dublin airport authority say they "sincerely apologise" to homeowners who have found themselves unexpectedly along the flight path of the new airport runway. Some homeowners who live along the flight path of the new North runway say the noise from low flying planes is "unbearable". Our Chief Reporter Barry Whyte has been speaking to those impacted...

It’s been former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall’s third day in the witness box in the Special Criminal court. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016. For details on what happened today, Emmet Oliver was joined by author of ‘The Monk: The Life and Crimes of Ireland's Most Enigmatic Gang Boss’,  and crime journalist with the Irish Independent, Paul...

Fuel prices have fallen significantly at the pump over the last month, according to AA Ireland. The company’s latest Fuel Survey finds that diesel prices are down an average of 22c per litre on last month. Meanwhile, petrol prices are down 17c per litre. Emmet Oliver was joined by Geraldine Herbert, Motoring Editor with the Sunday Independent and Kevin McPartland, Fuels for Ireland CEO to discuss…

A new report from the OECD says that strides within Irish healthcare across recent decades mean life expectancy in this country is now amongst the best in Europe. The report also takes a somewhat favourable assessment of the Irish economy at large heading into 2023. And although it warns against increased spending, the OECD says Ireland is coping well with the impacts of Covid, and the ongoing war...

US Ambassador Claire Cronin as part of her 'Open Doors' policy, invited the students from St Dominic's College Ballyfermot into Deerfield Residence, the home of the US Ambassador, in the Phoenix Park Dublin. Henry McKean got a tour with the students and met the US Ambassador in the run up to Christmas...