Claim OwnershipThe Agenda
Subscribed: 2Played: 216
Subscribe
© lmfm
Description
LMFM presents The Agenda - Your Current Affairs Podcast with presenter Adrian Kennedy
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1238 Episodes
Reverse
1,187 people were before the district courts across Ireland for burglary offences in the first 9 nine months of 2025. A further 347 people were sent forward for trial in the circuit court for burglary offences between January and September 2025. That is according to figures provided to Ireland South MEP and former barrister Cynthia Ní Mhurchú from the Irish Courts Service. The figures point to a relatively small group of repeat offenders that are responsible for a disproportionate share of burglary offences. In the first nine months of 2025, 1,771 burglary cases came before the District Court, involving just 1,187 individuals — highlighting a high level of repeat or multiple offending. A similar pattern emerged in the Circuit Court, where 729 burglary cases were tried over the same period, committed by just 529 offenders.Cynthia Ní Mhurchú joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Local authorities across Ireland are being urged to take decisive action to increase the employment of people with disabilities, following what disability advocates describe as a ‘persistent failure of ambition, transparency, and accountability at national level’Cothrom, a disability rights and equality organisation, co-founded by well-known advocates and activists, Dr Margaret Kennedy ( Wicklow) and Michael O’Dowd, (here in Louth) is launching a nationwide campaign calling on councillors to adopt higher employment targets for people with disabilities within their local authorities ,and to lead by example where central government has fallen short.The campaign calls for 8% employment by 2027 and 10% employment by 2030.This stands in stark contrast to the Government’s recently published strategy, which maintains a 6% target until 2030 — a figure Cothrom says should be regarded as a ‘minimum baseline, not a ceiling’.Aontu rep in Louth and co-founder of Cothrom, Michael O’Dowd, joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ireland has announced new humanitarian funding for Ukraine, with three leading Irish NGOs each receiving €1 million to support communities affected by the ongoing conflict. Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora Neale Richmond confirmed that Concern, the Irish Red Cross and Trócaire will receive the funding through Irish Aid to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance across Ukraine.Representatives of the three organisations met with Minister Richmond to discuss the evolving humanitarian situation and how Ireland can maximise the impact of its support. The funding is aimed at reaching those most in need through trusted partners with strong local connections.Minister Richmond joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This morning on The Agenda we spoke to a Drogheda man named Kevin, who is not happy with the state of the roads and potholes around Louth and Meath. Only early yesterday morning while on his way to work, Kevin's alloy wheel and two tyres were badly damaged as a result of a pothole on the Donore Road - he had to get his alloy repaired, which he told us took a half day and the cost was massive - he lost half a day's work.Kevin also told us off air that there are four potholes on that road alone and that the lighting on that road at that time is so bad that the potholes aren't even visible. He says local councillors are receiving plenty of money to do up local Greenways, widen footpaths in the towns and everything else. “Why are they not looking after our Primary Roads: What are we paying Road Tax for?”Kevin told us all about the damage his car suffered and about his frustration at how bad the roads are. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aware, the national mental health organisation, has said that not all January anxiety is bad for you.Knowing the difference between good and bad days versus longer periods of depression and anxiety is key.Aware's education programmes can play a role in helping people understand the differences, the organisation, which helps people and their families impacted by anxiety, depression, bipolar, and mood-related conditions, said.It added that learning more about your mental health could be a good New Year's resolution.After the busyness of Christmas, it can be normal to feel drained in energy, low, and feeling the anticlimax after the festive period, Dr Susan Brannick, clinical psychologist and clinical director with Aware, said.Dr Susan Brannick joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today, the Labour Party will introduce a bill into the Dáil to create legal standing for ‘No Wait Cards’ for people with chronic and invisible illnesses and who are in urgent need of toilet facilities.Labour’s Equal Status (Access to Toilet Facilities) Bill 2025 aims to change this by placing No Wait Cards on a statutory footing, ensuring that retail shops and businesses with staff toilets make them available to those who need them.‘No Wait Cards’ are issued by organisations such as Crohn’s & Colitis Ireland and Spinal Injuries Ireland and aim to empower individuals to request access to toilet facilities when urgency strikes.The card is a critical support for many people with medical conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which affects at least 40,000 people in Ireland, however, it has no legal standing in Ireland.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Labour TD & spokesperson on Social Protection; Children, Disability and Equality, Mark Wall, who told us more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Many people believe immigration is happening in Ireland on a larger scale than it really is, according to the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).The ESRI has described the "misperception" as strongly associated with negative attitudes to immigration.A study, funded by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, involved an anonymous online survey of 1,200 adults, representative of the national population.It asked participants to estimate key facts about immigration, including population size, reasons for migration and migrant characteristics such as employment and education levels, social housing uptake, and share of the prison population.On average, people estimated that 28% of the population was born abroad, when the highest official figure is 22%.People also misjudged why migrants come to Ireland.Senior Research Officer at the ESRI and lead author of the report, Dr Shane Timmons, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this report and its findings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week on the programme we heard about how an average of almost 300 people a day have added their names to the opt-out register for organ donation since legislation was introduced six months ago.The legislation makes every adult a donor unless they expressly withdraw their consent.A total of 58,482 people had opted out of the scheme by December 31st, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has said, equating to more than 2,000 people every week since the law was effected on June 17th.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Fiona Walsh (living in Kerry but is originally from Trim), who got in touch with the show yesterday during an interview with did with Colin White from The Irish Kidney Association about the importance of being an organ donor. Fiona contacted us to tell us about her 9-year-old son Cialin, who is currently undergoing dialysis for kidney failure and is being placed on the kidney transplant list this week. Fiona says that her son receiving a kidney would be “absolutely life changing” and is urging people NOT to opt out of being donors. We also heard from young Cialan himself, who bravely opened up to LMFM about what it's like being a child living with kidney failure and about how it affects his day-to-day life.... The something happened that we were not expecting, and listeners were brought to tears!!If you need to witness something extraordinary that will make you feel good about humanity today, this is it!Presenter Adrian was left speechless. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
State-of-the-art changing rooms built at a Meath park for more than €600,000 remain locked almost three years after their official opening, prompting renewed criticism from a local councillor.Aontú councillor Emer Tóibín said it is “beyond baffling” that a caretaker has not been appointed to the Blackwater Park changing facilities, despite “repeated assurances” that a recruitment process was underway.The building at Blackwater Park, which includes changing rooms with shower facilities and public toilets, was officially opened in March 2023.Councillor Toibin joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ministers are to rush through laws that will allow companies misusing artificial intelligence to be hit with massive fines.The law will set out eight harmful uses of AI that contravene common values because they violate fundamental rights.It is not clear whether they will specifically address the “nudification” issues that have caused a furore over Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot, although amendments can be made.It could mean fines running into the tens of thousands or millions of euro for large platforms found to be in breach.The new law will grade each type of AI use by risk, and include penalties for violations, with fines of up to €35m or 7pc of global annual turnover, whichever is higher, depending on the violation.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Barry O’Sullivan from the School of Computer Science & IT, and Member of the Irish Government’s AI Advisory Council, whol told us more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Medical Centre on Frederick Street in Ashbourne, which has stood unused since 2022, is expected to reopen this year, providing both Primary Care and Mental Health Services to the local community.Sinn Féin councillor Helen Meyer welcomed the development, saying it is “a positive step for Ashbourne.”She added that the reopening “will bring vital health services closer to the community and reduce the need for residents to travel.”The confirmation follows a parliamentary question submitted by fellow Sinn Féin colleague Darren O’Rourke TD.Councillor Meyer joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cabinet ministers have discussed the “most significant reform of Irish asylum laws in the history of the State” when they meet for the first time in 2026 on Tuesday.Justice and migration minister Jim O’Callaghan brought the International Protection Bill 2026 to Cabinet yesterday morning.Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has said that a series of procedures under new proposed legislation on immigration laws will make the system fairer and more efficient.The Bill would bring major changes to asylum laws by giving effect to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact and aligning Ireland with the approach to migration in other member states.The Bill proposes that processing of asylum applications is streamlined with decisions on granting or refusing refugee status and issuing return to country of origin orders to be made within a three-month time limit.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by the Immigrant Council of Ireland's Chief Executive Officer Teresa Buczkowska to find out more about this.We also spoke about the Taoiseach facing further criticism after he defended proposed changes to Irish asylum law which would add a waiting period before successful international applicants can avail of family reunification.We also spoke to CEO of ActionAid Ireland, Karol Blafe, about their recdent research which has shown that one-parent migrant families with legal status in Ireland are trapped between Direct Provision and homelessness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Retailers Against Smuggling has expressed disappointment at the latest headline figures from the Revenue Commissioners, which show a sharp decline in both the volume and value of cigarette and tobacco seizures in 2025 compared with 2024. With the Dublin Airport passenger cap being removed later this year, RAS warns that tobacco smuggling will increase unchecked. Yet, Revenue’s own Illegal Tobacco Products Research Survey 2024 found that over one third of cigarette packs (37%) in circulation carried no Irish excise duty, either because they were illicit or purchased outside the State. This marks an increase from 34% in 2023. When Roll-Your-Own tobacco is included, total estimated tax losses from tobacco products reached €934 million in 2024. Retailers Against Smuggling National Spokesperson, Benny Gilsenan, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
There are fears of job cuts by the Kepak meat processing company at its beef deboning and cutting operations in Clonee, Co Meath.Kepak Group said it has commenced a review of the operations due to ongoing supply challenges across the Irish beef sector that have reduced cattle kills, leading to lower processing volumes.The company has not said how many jobs are under threat, adding that no decisions have yet been made.Sinn Fein TD for Meath-East, Darren O’Rourke, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cycling campaigners have hit out at a judge’s remarks claiming that cyclists have become a “nightmare” in Dublin.The Irish Cycling Campaign said this was a “sweeping” statement that runs the risk of “reinforcing dangerous attitudes toward a group of road users who are among the most vulnerable” on the country’s roads.Judge James O’Donohoe made the comments when deciding that an injured cyclist was mainly responsible for the accident that had taken place in darkness at 6am in September 2020 and in which he had suffered 12 other soft tissue injuries. The judge reduced a €50,000 damages award by 80% to a cyclist who had suffered a brain injury when he and a motorbike had collidedThis morning on The Agenda we spoke to avid cyclist from Dundalk, Pat O'Shaughnassy, who hit out at the judge from his "outrageous" comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Consumers could be in line for a cut in energy prices this year due a fall in wholesale gas costs.Energy experts said a decrease in wholesale costs, strong supplies of liquefied natural gas and a relatively mild winter across Europe meant there would be scope for lower domestic electricity and gas prices.A recent report revealed that Irish households pay around €360 more a year for electricity than the average across the EU. Meanwhile, no energy credits have been paid here this year.Daragh Cassidy, of price comparison site Bonkers.ie, said there had been a slow but steady fall in the wholesale price of gas over the past few months.Daragh joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fianna Fáil TD for Meath East, and Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Children, Aisling Dempsey has welcomed the announcement of 6 new special classes for County Meath, confirmed today by Fianna Fáil Minister for Special Education, Michael Moynihan.The announcement forms part of the first tranche of new special classes nationwide, with a record number set to open for the 2026/27 school year. In total, 168 classes have been allocated to 159 schools.Deputy Dempsey joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Yesterday on The Agenda we heard about how an average of almost 300 people a day have added their names to the opt-out register for organ donation since legislation was introduced six months ago.The legislation makes every adult a donor unless they expressly withdraw their consent.A total of 58,482 people had opted out of the scheme by December 31st, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has said, equating to more than 2,000 people every week since the law was effected on June 17th.The Human Tissue Act 2024 was aimed at increasing organ donation rates by presuming that all adults living in Ireland for at least a year consent to donating their organs unless they have formally registered an objection.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by National Advocacy Manager for the Irish Kidney Association, Colin White, who spoke us about the importance of being a donor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A prominent privacy-rights advocacy group has queried the Department of Education's use of social media site X and its decision to post images of children on the platform.Digital Rights Ireland (DRI) has asked what precautions under GDPR the department has taken in terms of its posting to the Elon Musk-owned site in the wake of revelations X is offering a service to paid subscribers allowing the digital alteration of images shared to X.A recent investigation by content analysis firm Copyleaks claimed that X users were, as of December 31, generating “roughly one nonconsensual sexualised image per minute”.Chairperson of Digital Rights Ireland and Law Lecturer in UCD, TJ McIntyre, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People granted refugee status will have to wait for three years before bringing relatives including spouses and children to Ireland under a planned tightening of family reunification rules.On Tuesday, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan will brief the Cabinet on a new International Protection Bill, which will overhaul the State’s asylum system in advance of European Union-wide rules coming into force in June.Last November, the Government signalled it would tighten rules around family reunification for people with refugee status, restricting the ability to bring relatives into the State if refugees were not financially self-sufficient, if they had been in receipt of some social welfare payments or if they owed a debt to the State.CEO of Doras, John Lannon, joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States