Highlights From Newstalk Breakfast

With the National Maternity Hospital finally signed off, is it time to talk about religious influence on health services? And should religious iconography be removed from hospitals and healthcare settings? Dr Margaret Naughton, Healthcare Chaplain at University Hospital Kerry spoke to Shane on Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

A popular beer garden shared by three pubs in Dublin City Centre is set to be closed due to a new hotel development on the site. The beer garden, shared by Fibber Magee’s, The Living Room, and Murray’s will be closed due to a large extension to the Holiday Inn Express on O’Connell Street. Neasa Hourigan Green Party TD for Dublin Central spoke to Newstalk Breakfast with a reaction to this decision.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has revealed that she is pregnant with her second child. Minister McEntee made history last year as the first-ever Cabinet minister to take maternity leave though the arrangements were complicated and highlighted the lack of legal provision to allow Leinster House politicians to take leave after having a baby. How much has materially changed between Minister McEntee’s pregnancies? Caitríona Gleeson is CEO of Women for Election spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

The bodies of an elderly man and woman were found at a house in Tipperary yesterday. Gardaí is still investigating the discovery, though it is indicated that the couple, both in their seventies, had been dead for a considerable period of time, possibly weeks or even months. For more on this story, Ciara spoke to Ralph Riegel is Southern Correspondent with the Irish Independent and also Independent TD for Tipperary, Mattie McGrath.

Cleanse, tone, botox like it or not, cosmetic tweakments have become a skincare normality. But as the likes of filler increase in prevalence, so too does the pressure to jump aboard the bandwagon. Stefanie Preissner is Screenwriter and Host of the BASICALLY Podcast joined us this morning with her view on this.

The Housing crisis has again been at the fore of the news agenda in the past week. President Michael D Higgins stated that the housing crisis the country has been battling, is no longer a crisis, ‘it’s a disaster.’ Coilin O’Reilly Assistant Chief Executive with Dublin City Council with responsibility for Housing and Community Services spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said he wants to wait until October's Budget before introducing any further measures to ease the cost of living. This comes after thousands of people took to the streets in protest over the weekend. Is help coming soon enough? To discuss further Newstalk Breakfast spoke to Stephen Kinsella, Head of the Department of Economics at the University of Limerick and Chief Economics Writer at The Currency and also Neil McDonnell CEO of ISME

U2 frontman Bono has given his first-ever reading from his forthcoming memoir while in conversation with Irish poet Paul Muldoon. As part of the Dalkey Book Festival, the pair met in Finnegan's of Dalkey and talked about crafting poems, songs, and the process of writing. At the event was Ian Robertson, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Trinity College Dublin and Paul told Newstalk Breakfast about the event.

Depression rates soared among young adults during the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s according to a new report by the Economic and Social Research Institute. For more on this, Ciara spoke Leslie Shoemaker Counselling Psychologist is Mentoring lead with Convene in TU Dublin.

In the Sixties, Japan was the unhealthiest country in the G7 but quickly turned around. Is it time for us to do the same? Helen Heneghan, a Consultant Bariatric Surgeon and Professor of Surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital, spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

A mural on the front of a period home in Sandycove featuring two ballerinas wearing boxing gloves must be removed. That’s what the planning appeals board of An Bord Pleanala has ruled. Cathy McGovern who owns the home and commissioned the artwork by street artist Solus spoke to Ciara this morning with her reaction to the ruling by An Bord Pleanala.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has suggested mandatory mask-wearing could be reintroduced on public transport and in shops as Ireland grapples with a summer wave of Covid-19. Liam Fanning, Professor of Immunovirology at UCC spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning with more on this.

Temperatures could reach a high of 25 degrees today, as Ireland enjoys it’s hottest day of the year so far. Joanna Donnelly is a Meteorologist with Met Eireann spoke to Shane this morning on the show.

Sir Paul McCartney will celebrate his eightieth birthday tomorrow. The former Beatle kicks off the next decade of his remarkable life by headlining Glastonbury next week and to look back at the Legendary musician’s legacy so far is Newstalk’s own Tom Dunne.

Campaigners and opposition politicians have urged people to take to the streets tomorrow in rallies protesting about the cost of living crisis. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald criticized the Government for failing to commit to further support measures before October’s Budget, while Tánaiste Leo Varadkar yesterday said they are not ruling it out. Is the Government doing enough to tackle soaring costs? Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke & Sinn Fein’s spokesperson for Rural development, Claire Kerrane spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning

The World Health Organization today released its largest review of world mental health since the turn of the century. It provides a blueprint for governments, academics, health professionals, civil society, and others with an ambition to support the world in transforming mental health. How can Ireland improve when it comes to mental healthcare? We discuss with Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin and Author of In Search of Madness joins me now.

Ireland should consider reducing the minimum legal drinking age to sixteen. That’s the view of Cork City Councillor Shane O’Callaghan who believes fresh thinking is needed to tackle binge drinking and improve our national relationship with alcohol. Shane spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

An elephant named Happy will have to remain at the Bronx Zoo after New York’s highest court ruled against an animal rights group that said she deserved the same rights as humans and should be freed. The case brings about the question of whether zoos are a force for good or evil in the world. To debate Newstalk Breakfast spoke to John Carmody, Animal Rights Campaigner and Commentator, and Gerry Creighton, Global Elephant Care Consultant.

Demonstrations will take place across the country tomorrow in protest at the cost of living. Rallies are planned for Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Sligo. One of those speaking at the rallies will be SIPTU Deputy General Secretary, Gerry McCormack who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning ahead of the protests on Saturday.

Every music fan has dreamed of playing to a crowd of screaming fans with their favourite band but for one Irish music student this week, that dream became a reality. Twenty-year-old Sam Connolly from Monkstown in Dublin was brought on stage to play drums with The Killers at Malahide Castle on Tuesday and he told Ciara about his amazing experience.