The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has suggested we have turned a corner when it comes to building the houses we need in this country. But is enough being done to fix Ireland's housing issues? Kate English, Director and Head of Real Estate Research with Deloitte, Conor O’Connell, Director of Housing and Planning with the Irish Home Builders’ Association and Frank McDonald, Former Environmental Editor at the...

With full excise duty on petrol and diesel to be gradually reintroduced from June 1st, it has been reported that rising prices will bring in as much as €700 million for the government over the course of a year. Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

A new U2 album entitled 'Songs of Surrender' is set to be released on St. Patrick's Day, featuring 40 reimagined and rerecorded songs from their famous back catalogue. John Caddell and Dee Reddy joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Joe Biden will be making a potentially lengthy visit to Ireland next month to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Cal Thomas, Nationally Syndicated Columnist and Marion McKeone, US Correspondant with The Business Post joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The DSPCA's waiting list for owner surrenders has reached concerning heights, with 848 applications currently in waiting. Gillian Bird, DSPCA spokesperson joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

At least 90% of people will have had chickenpox by the time they are a teenager. So what are the signs to look out for, and what should adults who haven't yet had it do to avoid it? Dr. Brian Higgins, GP from Galway Primary Care joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Ireland's Grand Slam decider takes place this Saturday, with Ireland on course to make history at home. Alan Quinlan and Paul Wallace joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Saturday Night Live have been criticized for a sketch that involved two cast members dressed up as Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell, relying on the usual worn out Irish stereotypes for laughs. Joe O’Shea and Elaine Burke joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

According to a new survey by Hays Ireland, 95% of Irish professionals say they think a four day working week is a good idea. But will it ever happen? Peter Cosgrove, Managing Director at Futurewise and Kevin Donoghue, Chairperson of Four Day Week Ireland joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

It has been announced that Gary Lineker will be returning to his post as presenter of Match Of The Day, with a full review being launched into how presenters at the BBC handle their social media accounts. This follows controversial comments made by Lineker about the British government's new asylum policy. Nick Ferrari, Presenter of Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC Radio joined The Last Word to dis...

It has been announced that Gary Lineker will be stepping away from his role as presenter of Match of the Day, following his controversial tweet criticizing the British government's new asylum policy. Lise Hand and Eoghan Tomas McDermott joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

After a shocking loss to Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, Manchester United are hoping to redeem themselves when they host Southampton this Sunday. Mark Lawrenson and Tony Cascarino joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

It's a big weekend for Irish film with the Oscars taking place in Los Angeles and a record number of Irish hopefuls in attendance. Aoife Barry, Assistant News Editor with the Journal joined us live from LA to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The most anticipated night in Hollywood is only around the corner! The Oscars takes place on March 12th, or in the early hours of March 13th Irish time. With more Irish nominations than ever, will we actually win any awards? Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

A survey has been commissioned by the National Transport Authority that looks into the reality of introducing free public transport in Ireland. John Gibbons joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The Taoiseach has confirmed that there is no change in the plans to end the eviction ban by the end of the month. So what will the Government do to ensure protection for renters, and what can be done to boost the supply of properties? Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The world's most popular music streaming service is changing it's interface to look more like video based social media apps like TikTok. This was announced at Spotify's Stream On event yesterday. Andy O’Donoghue joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Following the announcement of the British Government's new asylum policy, sports broadcaster Gary Lineker has controversially compared the move to 1930s Germany. Kieran Cunningham, Chief Sports Writer with the Irish Daily Star joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland have revealed that 1 in 12 cars on Irish roads are uninsured. Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor of the Irish Independent joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Today is International Women's Day, with events taking place in Ireland and around the world. But are these events just tokenism and do they mask a level of inequality that still exists? Kitty Holland, Social Affairs Correspondent at The Irish Times and Tanya Sweeney, Feature Writer and Columnist with the Independent joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' butto...

Enoch Burke's appeal was dismissed by the COA today, leading to chaos amongst the Burke family. All family members were forcibly removed from court and Enoch's brother Simeon Burke has been arrested and charged. Frank Greaney, Courts Correspondent for TodayFM joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Tucker Carlson of Fox News has claimed the events of January 6th in Washington D.C. were 'mostly peaceful chaos' in a segment which depicts a 'peaceful' riot. Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Despite expectations of an extension on the government's eviction ban, it has been decided by cabinet that it will finish as planned at the end of March. Danny McConnell, Political Editor at the Irish Examiner, Louise Bayliss, Campaign Coordinator with Focus Ireland and Ivana Bacik, Labour Party Leader joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Sleep is extremely important when it comes to our quality of life. However, many of us simply do not get enough of it. So how can we improve our quality of sleep? Dr. Brian Higgins joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Manchester United were in for a huge shock at Anflied in the weekend's biggest Premier League fixture, losing 7-0 to home side Liverpool. Mark Lawrenson and Tony Cascarino joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.