Highlights From The Hard Shoulder

The Leinster House bike shed has taken over the news in the last couple of days, but this is not the first time the government has overspent…Joining Kieran to remind you of some of the other times the government made this kind of mistake is Author and Journalist, Seamus OReilly.

Electric Ireland have announced further cuts to energy prices, but is energy inflation on the decline?Joining Kieran to discuss is Consumer Editor for The Irish Times, Conor Pope and Head of Communications at Bonkers.ie, Darragh Cassidy.

According to a new survey in the UK: food, beer garden and atmosphere are the most important factors in deciding what makes the perfect pub.To have a chat about what makes the Irish pub so special, Kieran is joined by Meghann Scully, Broadcaster and Freelance Journalist, Mike McMahon, Co-Owner of award-winning Mother Mac’s Pub and Pat Carty from Hotpress.

Today, a 1,700 report on the Grenfell Tower fire was published. The report concluded that the fire was “the culmination of decades of failure by central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility in the construction industry.”Ireland’s construction industry also has its own issues with building defects.To discuss, Kieran is joined by by Special Correspondent with the Irish Examiner, Mick Clifford, and Claire MacAfee, a former resident of a defective apartment.

Taoiseach Simon Harris met with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. They held a press conference which included the signing of a joint memorandum. So, what was agreed to?Chief Newstalk Reporter Barry Whyte was there, and joins Kieran to discuss.

When it comes to motherhood, anyone having a baby over the age of 35 is deemed to be going through a ‘geriatric pregnancy’ or to be of an ‘advanced maternal age’.However, many feel that this terminology is outdated.Kieran is joined by two women who had children at above 35 to discuss their opinions on the term.

A new Online Health Taskforce has been instructed to develop a public health response to the harms caused to children and young people by some types of online activity.Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly joins Kieran Cuddihy to discuss.

The Scoping Inquiry Report for sexual abuse in schools released yesterday, which complied over 2400 sexual abuse allegations against 42 religious orders, representing over 308 schools.One of the schools was Blackrock College, and Kieran Cuddihy to discuss is a survivor of abuse there, William.If you were affected by this podcast, you can contact support at One In Four, nationwide, at 01 662 4070. Or, at oneinfour.ie

Children are not telling parents when they get upset online. According to CyberSafeKids 25% of 8 to 12 year olds are bothered by harmful content or unsolicited contact. Meanwhile phone ownership has risen in primary school-aged children, despite ‘smartphone-free’ initiatives.For this edition of Kidstalk, Henry McKean looked at cyber safety with St Kevin's School in Sallynoggin, Dublin.To find out more, check out cybersafekids.ie

Dublin Airport passenger numbers are soaring to new heights. The DAA has issued a warning that Dublin Airport is to exceed its annual passenger cap of 32 million, while also applying to increase its limit to 40 million.Joining Kieran to discuss is resident of St Margarets and the Ward Residents Association Niamh Mar, and Sabrina, who is a resident in Portmarnock.

As school is back in swing for another year, some children with special needs are being left behind in what is being described as a ‘Hunger Games’ system.That’s according to Tracey Carroll, mother of daughter Willow with special needs. She joins Kieran Cuddihy to discuss.

If you find yourself with a full social calendar one week and living on beans and toast the next, we may have tips and tricks to change your mindset around spending, and the best tips and tricks to save.Joining Kieran to discuss is Caz Mooney, Irish Budgeting Influencer.

Norma Foley has announced many changes this week to the Leaving Cert Curriculum. One of these changes is that SPHE will be compulsory from September 2027, but should it be?Joining Kieran to discuss is Dr. Siobhan O'Higgins, Lead on the Active Consent Programme at NUI Galway and President of Catholic Secondary School’s Parents Association, Alan Whelan.

David Gillick, former Euro champion and Olympian, Masterchef and author of’ Back On Track’ and ‘David Gillick’s Kitchen Ambassador’ joined Kieran Cuddihy to add his favourite book to The Hard Shoulder’s Bookshelf!

Ahead of this year’s inevitable general election, Newstalk’s Political Correspondent, Seán Defoe, has been taking a look at what the major parties actually stand for.With the cabinet returning after their summer break, Seán joined Kieran Cuddihy to profile both The Green Party and People Before Profit.

Labour have launched their Cost-Of-Living Action Plan today - which begs the question: are we still facing a cost-of-living crisis? Or is that becoming a thing of the past?Colette Bennett, Director of Advocacy and Researcher at The Wheel and John Fitzgerald, Adjunct Professor in Economics at Trinity College Dublin join Kieran to discuss.

With a new bike shed in Leinster House costing the government approximately €356k, people are justifiably annoyed. But, why is it so expensive, and could things have been done differently?Newstalk’s Henry McKean has been out asking the public (including shed experts!) and joins Kieran Cuddihy to discuss.

A new bicycle shed for Leinster House which allows for storage of 18 bikes cost more than €335,000…Quantity Surveyor Shay Lally joined Kieran to discuss the addition, and how it could possibly cost this much.

We’ve all probably dabbled in AI to do simple tasks like writing a Limerick for your partner or asking it history questions.But, what can you do if you are considering using AI to help in your work, and what are the best ways to ensure you get the best out of it?Joining Kieran to discuss is Host of Futureproof on Newstalk, Jonathan McCrea.

Cut, slice, peel, dice – there are so many ways to enjoy a cucumber!A TikTok trend has recently taken the social media world by storm, with one creator, dubbed ‘The Cucumber Guy’, going viral on the app for his cucumber salad combinations.Joining Kieran to discuss all things cucumbers, and how you can get the most out of the fruit at home, is Member of the Irish Food Writers Guild, Ross Golden Bannon.