Highlights From The Hard Shoulder

It's been well documented how much of this week was chaotic in the Dáil.A motion of no confidence is coming next week for Ceann Comhairle, and the Government will place confidence in Verona Murphy... all while, at least in the view of the public, not a lot else is being done.So, why would a new TD want to come into this?Sinead Gibney is Social Democrats TD for Dublin Rathdown, and is former Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. She joins Kieran to discuss.

EU citizens are being advised to stockpile food, water and essentials as part of a European strategy that aims to increase readiness for potentially catastrophic floods, fires, pandemics and military attacks.“72 hours of self-sufficiency is what we recommend...” said European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib.But, is that enough? Joining Kieran to discuss is Frank Deegan, Founder of the Irish Survivalist & Prepper group.

Earlier in the show, a debate on if religion should be taught in schools was had, but how is it taught today?To discuss, Kieran is joined by Edward Platt, School Development Officer with Educate together  and Hazel McWey, Principal of Catholic Ballinabranna National School Carlow…

A woman who said she was penalised for taking time off to have a child has settled a discrimination case with her former employer for 260 thousand euro.Maeve Bradley was an Assistant Vice President at Citibank in Belfast when she took maternity leave in 2023. She alleged that she was excluded from a promotion opportunity during her maternity leave, and says the firm promoted the person who had covered her absence.So, how vulnerable are women in the workplace to this, and what are your rights when it comes to maternity leave?Joining Kieran to discuss this is Caroline Reidy from the HR Suite…

US President Donald Trump has promised to put tariffs on pharmaceutical products coming into the country - specifically mentioning Ireland’s large pharmaceutical industry.With 7 out of the world's top 10 pharmaceutical companies being based in the Rebel County, Newstalk Reporter Josh Crosbie has been speaking with workers in Cork to get their thoughts on what the future may look like, and joins Kieran to discuss.

The issue of whether or not religion should be taught in schools will later be debated by Kieran’s guests: Ronán Mullen, Independent Senator and Bríd Smith, former People Before Profit TD.They join to give a preview on their thoughts on the topic.

Life can be full of confusing things, but no need to worry! Every Wednesday, Simon Tierney will be showing you ‘How to do Stuff’ - bringing his best tips for those things you might not think about.This week, Simon joins Kieran to discuss how you can properly pull off an April Fool’s prank!Image: Murphy’s Toymaster

Ambulance services are back in the spotlight again following an incident earlier this week, in which a woman from county Clare was left waiting 4 hours on the roadside for an ambulance following a collision…To discuss the wider issue of ambulance wait times, Kieran is joined by David Hall, CEO of Lifeline Ambulance Services. Also joining is Graham Helps, whose son Alex was forced to wait over 45 minutes when he was knocked down by car in Celbridge, County Kildare in June 2022 - where he sadly later passed away from his injuries...

The release of the ‘Snow White’ remake has led to a seemingly commercial and definitely critical flop - with projections not looking positive when it comes to the film recouping its massive $370 million budget. How did the movie get to this stage, and what is the landscape of the movie business at the moment?Joining Kieran to discuss is Andy McCarroll, Host of the Extra Vision Podcast.

The Oxford English Dictionary has announced that multiple ‘Irishishms’ will be added to its next edition. This includes the spice bag, debs and blaa! What do you think of these additions, and what other Irish words should be included?Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joins Kieran to discuss.

The Dáil returned this afternoon after a day of chaos yesterday. Where did all of this come from, and will it eventually lead to Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy’s resignation?Kieran is joined by Daniel McConnell, Editor at the Business Post, Terry Prone, Chairman at the Communications Clinic and Niall Collins, Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and  Fianna Fáil TD for Limerick to discuss.

From the roar of the crowd, smell of the pitch and getting decked out in your team’s colours – going to the football is an unmatched experience, but one aspect of the day out is going missing - and that’s the match programme.As match day programmes are beginning to disappear in UK and Irish clubs, does their absence take away from the experience?Joining Kieran to discuss is Aodhan O’Riordan, Labour MEP and Roddy Collins, former Footballer Manager.

Brace yourselves! We’re apparently in for a whole rake of price hikes coming our way over the next month. Health insurance, energy, mobile, television fees and more are all going up…Joining Kieran to discuss is Catriona Redmond, Consumer Columnist with the Irish Times...

There have been calls from Sinn Féin on the Government to release a review commissioned in 2019 on cardiac services, in hopes of improving services across the country.Sinn Féin’s Spokesperson David Cullinane believes that the report was sitting idle in the Department of Health for the last 9 months, and he joins Kieran to discuss this, and comment on the recent bit of Dáil chaos. Dr. Máire Finn, GP at Ennis Centric Health, also joins to discuss.

US President Donald Trump has pushed back at any allegation of security breaches or concerns after some of his top officials accidentally added a journalist to a group chat, on the messaging service Signal. On it, they discussed highly sensitive military information, including plans to make strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels.Nial Stanage, White House Columnist with American publication, The Hill, joins Kieran to discuss.

The Irish College of Psychiatrists have made calls today to radically reform CAMHS (Child and Adult Mental Health Services) governance to help address vital issues in the services.Dr. Patricia Byrne, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, and Chair of the Faculty of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the College of Psychiatrists joins Kieran to discuss. Naomi Connolly and Jenny Flaherty, who are among the thousands of parents who have been engaging with the system for years also join to discuss.

Broadcaster and Presenter on Ireland AM, Elaine Crowley joins Kieran to place her favourite book on the Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

World Athletics has said that it will introduce mandatory testing for anyone entering female competitions to verify their biological sex.In doing so, they have insisted that it is necessary to protect women's sport.Is this a good move?Former Olympian Sharron Davies joins Kieran to discuss.

The long-awaited resolution of the speaking rights debate has seemingly come to a head following a passing vote on speaking rights, with 94 votes to 74. So, what happens now?Kieran is joined by Louise O’Reilly, Sinn Fein TD for Dublin Fingal West and Timmy Dooley, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine and Fianna Fáil TD for Clare to discuss.

Is going out with friends for a pint a thing of the past? Replaced by an interactive experience where you become someone else and get served by a robot barman? Henry McKean checked out the world of 'competitive socialising' and sent in this report…