Highlights From Newstalk Breakfast

The good weather is set to continue with highs of 30 degrees and tropical nights on the way. Head of Forecasting at Met Eireann, Evelyn Cusack with more on the high degrees expected this weekend.

More than 100,000 properties across the State have been impacted by Celtic Tiger-era building defects which could cost the State up to €2.8 billion to repair. Pat Montague is Spokesperson for the Construction Defects Alliance spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

“Sinn Féin is the party of climate inaction with no vision or policies on achieving targets” That is the view of Richard Bruton, Chairperson of the Fine Gael parliamentary party and former Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast. To debate this too we heard from Darren O’Rourke Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Climate Action, Communications Networks, and Transport.

Staff columnist with The Irish Examiner Michael Moynihan has written this week - ‘The prevalence of the smell around Cork is such that at times you’d wonder if anyone isn’t smoking cannabis, or at least whether anyone is going to the small inconvenience of smoking it behind closed doors. Micheal joined Vincent on the show this morning with more on this.

Rather than allowing marketing executives to dictate how we should feel about growing old, maybe it’s time we began celebrating when we reach old age. That’s the view of the Clinical Director of Therapy Institute and Columnist with the Irish Examiner and author of ‘Parenting the Screenager, Richard Hogan.

Videoing photographing or sharing images of road traffic accidents should be banned. That’s a suggestion being brought forward in a bill by Labour TD and the Party’s Transport Spokesperson Duncan Smith who joined Shane this morning.

Some great albums slip between the cracks. It can be due to inept marketing, bad timing, or sometimes a certain record’s genius is simply misunderstood — being too ahead of its time or out of step with the current trend. What are the best overlooked or underappreciated Irish albums? Shane was joined on the show this morning by Pat Carty, Writer for Hot Press Magazine and Broadcaster.

The State has run out of accommodation for new Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers and will have to pause the intake of new arrivals. The Citywest conference centre is accommodating more than 1,000 people who have fled the war in Ukraine and is now at full capacity, with no immediate contingency in place. Rebecca Moynihan is a Labour Senator and Spokesperson on Housing and spoke to Aidenn on Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

Sinn Fein could be on course to form the next government certainly if the polls are to be believed. The latest Irish Times/Ipsos poll increase its support to 36%, a record for this particular poll. The cost of living crisis has hit the current coalition government with Fianna Fáil at 20% (down three); Fine Gael at 18% (down four) and the Green Party unchanged at 3% Pat Leahy is Political Editor of the Irish Times spoke to Shane with more on this results of this latest poll.

The euro dropped below parity against the US dollar yesterday for the first time since 2002 amid concerns of a potential recession in Europe. Dan O’Brien Chief Economist at the Institute of International and European affairs and Columnist with the Business Post spoke to Aideen on the show this morning.

Boohoo, the fast fashion brand has axed their free returns policy and will now charge customers. But where do our clothes go when we return them to the retailer? Emma Gleeson, Writer and Author of “Stuff Happens” spoke to Newstalk Breakfast with more on this.

Plans for a public lido with an Olympic swimming pool at George’s Dock in Dublin’s IFSC have been floated after the controversial proposal to build a white-water rafting course on the site was abandoned last year. Joining me now is Joe Costello, Labour Party Councillor for Dublin’s North Inner City

The Department of Justice has announced a number of changes to the upcoming hate crime legislation. It's understood two tests will be required when deciding whether something is a hate crime or not. To discuss the changes Newstalk Breakfast spoke to Justice Minister Helen McEntee.

Bleeding on the pitch has always been a badge of honour, particularly for men. If a woman was to come on her period during a game, why can’t it be viewed in the same way? That was the view of journalist Caoimhe O’Neill writing in The Athletic. For more on this Ciara was joined on the show by Shauna Doellken O’Shea, Irish triathlete

Last week Independent Verona Murphy got in some hot water for swearing in the Dáil chamber But she's far from the first TD to fall foul of the Ceann Comhairle for bad language Newstalk's Political Correspondent Seán Defoe has been taking a look back at the history of cursing in the chamber.

Concerns have been raised about the number of campervans taking up spaces at Cork beaches. The issue was raised by councillors at a Cork County Council meeting this week. Marie O’Sullivan Fine Gael Cork County Cllr for Bandon-Kinsale and Chairperson of the Carrigaline Municipal District.

The race to become the next Conservative leader and UK prime minister officially starts today with 8 candidates making it to the starting post. Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman, Jeremy Hunt, Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Tom Tugendhat and Nadhim Zahawi all received the support of at least 20 MPs allowing them to be put forward. Philip Webster Former Political Editor of the Times spoke to Shane this morning on the show.

Europe is bracing itself for a major heatwave this week, with parts of France and Germany likely to experience temperatures above 40 degrees, while highs in Spain could touch 47 degrees Celsius. So are heatwaves like these going to become a part of a new normal for Europe thanks to climate change? Shane spoke to John Sweeney is a Climatologist and Professor Emeritus at Maynooth University.

The Government will consider a proposal to maintain the current TV licence fee. Today's Cabinet discussions come ahead of the publication of the Future of Media Commission report. For more on this Newstalk Breakfast spoke to Larry Bass Ceo of ShinAwiL.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan is preparing this week to announce the exact details of his highly contentious turf ban, which is set to include a ban on the sale of commercial turf online and in retail stores. But has the government gone far enough when it comes to green policy? Duncan Stewart an Environmentalist and Architect spoke to Newstalk Breakfast on the show this morning.