Newstalk Breakfast

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Digital Rights Ireland are calling on the Government to clarify its plans to introduce a digital wallet to verify the age and identity of social media users  

We discuss further with Joe O’Brien, Executive Director of ICCL. 

Now a new report is out from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, which outlines an increase in the cost of building new apartments. It also suggested that first time buyers would require a first time buyers would require a combined salary ranging between 84,000 euros and 129,000 EURO to purchase an apartment.   

We are joined now by one of the   co-authors of the report Paul Mitchell, Co-Founder And Director of Mitchell McDermott.

The entire country has now been placed under a status orange weather as storm Bram is to bring gale force winds today. The warning will remain valid until 3pm. 

We get the latest updates with Matthew Martin from Met Eireann and also Keith Leonard, Director of Fire and Emergency Management at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.

Half of teachers who reported experiencing burnout cited unrealistic parental expectations as a contributing factor. But do parents really demand too much from teachers? 

For more on this, we heard from Anthony Quinn, TUI President. 

Today marks the launch of An Foclóir Nua Gaeilge, Ireland’s first “monolingual” dictionary.  The book, which is also available online, will offer a deeper explanation of the meaning of different Irish words, rather than offering its English translation.  

With us to explain the significance of this is Patricia Nic Eoin from All About Irish. 

Councillors in Naas Municipal District will today vote on a proposal to suspend pay parking in some areas of the town from December 15th through to the end of the year. Several towns across Ireland, including Castlebar, Tralee and Newry have introduced similar measures for the festive season.  

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast to discuss was Bill Clear, Independent Ireland Councillor for Naas And Tony Lowes One of the Directors of Friends of the Irish Environment.  

A status Orange wind warning has just come into place for a number of southern counties with more to come under a orange warning later in the morning. A status yellow wind warning is in place for the whole country    

Joining Shane to explain what we can expect from Storm Bram today is Alan O’Reilly from Carlow Weather. 

Almost 30 years after mobile phone use became commonplace, non-existent coverage or dropped calls still dominates large swathes of the country – so says Fine Gael Senator Mark Duffy. 

Communities around the country are left with far fewer GPs than others despite rising demand. That’s according to figures obtained by The Sunday Times revealing a widening postcode lottery in general practice.  

All to discuss with Dr Deirdre Collins, Chair of the board of the Irish College of GPs, and GP In Kilcullen Co. Kildare.

Netflix recently announced it had reached a deal to buy Warner Bros Discovery’s TV, film studios and streaming division for $72bn (€62bn).  But what does it mean for consumers? 

 All to discuss with Adrian Weckler Technology Editor with the Irish Independent. 

Should we be cautious about building more roads to ease congestion? That’s the suggestion from Trinity Professor Brian Caulfield, who warned that traffic modelling features a concept known as “induced demand”. 

Gardaí have launched a murder investigation into the deaths of Tadhg Farrell and his 60-year-old grandaunt, Mary Holt in a fire at a house in Co Offaly on Saturday evening.   

 A second woman was seriously injured and is receiving treatment at the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore.  Shane spoke to the Minister for Justice,  Jim O’Callaghan and started by asking him for his reaction to what Gardai are calling a murderous attack. 

“Continuing to build more roads to alleviate congestion, is precisely the kind of failed thinking that has resulted in our capital becoming the 10th most congested city in the world”  

So says Brian Caulfield Professor in transportation at the Centre for Transport Research at Trinity College Dublin in the Irish times today. Brian spoke to Newstalk Breakfast with more on this.

From zippies on zoom, to bellytops in the boardroom - it's safe to say that office wear has gotten less formal and more fun. But with more workplaces bringing in dress codes to reign wardrobes in, what is appropriate to wear to work? 

 And could cramping employees' style be a corporate no no? Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports:  

An emergency meeting of the Oireachtas National Security Committee will be held this week to examine the sighting of drones near the flight path of Ukrainian president Voldomyr Zelenskyy when he visited Dublin last week.  

We discuss further with Security and Defence Analyst, Declan Power. 

Gardaí have launched a murder investigation into the deaths of Tadhg Farrell and his 60-year-old grandaunt, Mary Holt in a fire at a house in Co Offaly on Saturday evening.  A second woman was seriously injured and is receiving treatment at the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore. 

We get the latest on this with Newstalk reporter Kyle Butler and Fergus McDonell, Independent Ireland Cllr for Edenderry.

The Grinch steals tonight's Late Late Toy Show. Henry McKean went backstage and met Patrick Kielty and he sent us this report.

Today, at 12 noon, The Ceann Comhairle, Verona Murphy will present 22 National Bravery Awards to individuals from across Ireland who risked their own lives to aid others in peril.  

We spoke to y one of those who will be recognised for their heroic deeds at today’s ceremony. Brendan Grimes from Skerries saved a man from drowning on a cold damp morning in August of 1963, before keeping it quiet for the next 60 years. Brendan told us his story this morning.

A plan to follow in the steps of Australia and introduce a ban on social media for children could be in on the cards. Minster for Media Patrick O’Donovan is to brief cabinet on plans to a verify the age of children on social media as part of larger plans to set a digital age of consent.  

So, should Ireland follow Australia’s lead?  We discussed further with Fine Gael MEP Regina Doherty. 

Ireland, the Netherland and Spain are among the European countries that have pulled out of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest after Israel’s participation for next year was confirmed. 

RTÉ have also confirmed they will not broadcast the competition either. We spoke to Avi Mayer, pron. AH-vee Mayor, Founder of Jerusalem Journal and former Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post.

The GAA’s National Demographics Committee is warning that Rural depopulation may lead to the death of many GAA clubs around the country if reforms are not introduced and issues addressed.  Speaking to Shane on this was Benny Hurl is the chairperson of the GAA National Demographic Committee.

Dublin’s Live Animal Crib is once again returning for the Christmas season for its 30th year on Dawson Street.  

But three decades on, does the crib still have a place in society?  Laura Broxson, Spokesperson for Ireland's National Animal Rights Association and also President of the Irish Farmers Association Francie Gorman.

OnlyFans creators and social media influencers who risk being named on Revenue’s quarterly tax defaulters list say they fear for their personal safety if their home addresses are published.   

For more on this we heard from Brendan Brady, Chartered Accountant from Brady & Associates. 

Irelands participation in next year's Eurovision song contest will not take place . RTE has taken the decision to boycott the competition over Israel’s inclusion   

For more on this Ciara spoke to Dr Paul Jordan,  Expert and media commentator on the Eurovision Song Contest.

Today, members of the European Broadcasting Union will debate whether Israel can compete in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Joining us to explain more was Dr Paul Jordan, Expert and Media Commentator on Eurovision. 

According to a study by experts from the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, almost 20% of 15–16-year-olds have had an explicit image of them shared without their consent, while the growth of sexting is leading to poorer mental health and increased risk of self-harm. 

Joining us to discuss this further is Professor Mary Cannon, Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Youth Mental Health at RCSI. 

Ireland Electrified has launched its first Electrification Action Plan, which seeks to transition Ireland’s energy use from fossil fuels to clean electricity. All to discuss with Helen O’Sullivan, Chair of Ireland Electrified and Co-founder and COO of Flex Power Solutions. 

An evaluation by the National Review Panel into the disappearance of Kyran Durnin has ruled that what happened to him "could not have been anticipated from knowledge that was available" to Tusla at the time. 

The review itself will remain unpublished. For more on this, we were joined by Peadar Tóibín, Aontú Leader and TD for Meath West. 

Amid fears the Liberties is losing its cultural identity, Sinn Féin Councillor for Southwest Inner City, Ciarán Ó Meachair has urged Dublin City Council to seek a “UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage” status for the area.  Ciarán spoke to Shane to discuss further.

One million people have lost their lives and a further one million people have been displaced in Northern Ethiopia following a civil war. The conflict between Tigray and neighbouring regions started in 2020 and went on for two years, destroying communities and the economy of the Tigray region. 

Our reporter, Josh Crosbie is there now with Trócaire to see the impact the conflict has had, and how the charity is trying to bring stability back to the region: 

Most of us are using cosmetic products beyond their expiry date or recommended shelf life, risking adverse skin reactions, according to new research from the Health Products Regulatory Authority.  

Joining Ciara to discuss further was Caitriona Ryan, Consultant Dermatologist. 

In the US, House Democrats have released new footage of Epstein Island as Congress seeks an update from the Justice Department on when the full Epstein files will be made public.  We get the latest on this with David Smith, Washington Bureau Chief with The Guardian.

Ireland’s falling fertility rates could put the crucial role of grandparenthood at risk. That’s the warning from Independent Economist David W Higgins,who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

The word “mansplaining” has lost its usefulness and needs to be decommissioned.  That’s the call from Guardian Columnist Zoe Williams who chatted to Ciara this morning.

More than 60pc of young people come across extremist views online, according to a new survey by The Ombudsman for Children’s Office. We discuss these findings with Mike Murphy, Senior Lecturer in Applied Psychology at University College Cork. 

Calls to rename streets with British empire origins. Should we or is making an issue when none exist? Shane and Ciara discusses this morning.

Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers yesterday outlined the measures contained in his Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan to cabinet. Ciara discusses this further with Robin Mandal, Vice Chair of the Dublin Democratic Planning Alliance and former president of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland.

Russia and the US did not reach a compromise on a possible peace deal to end the war in Ukraine after a five-hour meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump's top envoys, the Kremlin has said. We get the latest on this with Jenny Mathers, from the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University. 

After bringing rush hour to a standstill in some areas last week, taxi drivers are once again taking part in a “go-slow” protest at about 4.30pm this evening against the introduction of fixed fare options for customers by Uber. 

David Knox is a taxi driver taking part in the protest explained why they are undertaking another "go-slow" protest.

The average health insurance premium has risen by €56 since the end of summer. That’s according to a new market bulletin published this morning by the Health Insurance Authority 

The total increase in the average cost of plans is now 8% since the beginning of 2025. We get more details from Dermot Goode Health Insurance Expert with healthinsuranceireland.ie.