Highlights From Lunchtime Live

Dr Niall Breen from the Portmarnock GP Clinic joined Andrea Gilligan to tackle your medical queries.

People are apparently taking selfies at the farm of Michael Gaine…Michael Gaine was murdered earlier this year, and it seems to have stoked up some tourism in the area.Who would do this?Andrea is joined by Independent Kerry TD and Junior Minister Michael Healy-Rae to discuss.

Information obtained by Newstalk Breakfast under freedom of information has shown a sharp drop in fines issued for littering in Dublin City.The data collected has shown that only 68 fines have been given out in 2025. If this continues, there will be an 89% drop in fines in the past two years.That includes a 77% drop in Central Dublin, and just one single fine has been issued in Dublin North central in the past 19 months, down from 94 issued in 2023.This is despite the North Inner City being named the most littered area in Ireland by Irish Business Against Litter last month…Joining Andrea to discuss this is Damien Boylan, Councillor with Cork North City, Dave O’Reilly, Chair of Tidy Towns, owner of Martin Gear Jewellers, Martin Gear and more.

A 22-year-old Palestinian woman, Haya, who has been offered a place on a course at TU Dublin, is urgently appealing to the Irish public for help.Currently trapped in Gaza, she faces immense danger and uncertainty, unable to leave safely to pursue her education in Dublin.Haya joins Andrea to discuss…

Welcome to The Pod Squad!We review podcasts every week so you always have something new to listen to.Tom Douglas from the Newstalk Newsroom and Sarah Jayne Tobin, Editor of DMG Media join Andrea Gilligan to review ‘Titanic: Ship of Dreams’!Image: Noisier

There are plans to eradicate “cheat foods” like chicken nuggets or sausages from hot school meals.They will kick off from the start of the new academic year this September.So, is it bad to have a ‘cheat day’ in school meals?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

It’s time for some summer memories!We chat to some well known names and faces and reminisce over those long summer days.Broadcaster Muireann O’Connell joins Andrea to reminisce!

Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell spoke with Pat Kenny this morning about how he feels equality should be given to all members of the public service after The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act (FEMPI) cuts were unwound for all members apart from those in Leinster House.So, should politicians be entitled to more perks, or do they get enough?Joining Andrea to discuss is Pharmacist and former Fine Gael TD, Kate O’Connell and listeners.

Apparently, Irish people are the second biggest spenders when we’re on holiday - we spend twelve times more than Italians do when they go away!The only people who hit their wallets harder are the Austrians.So, are we really such big spenders?Andrea is joined by Meghann Scully, Freelance Broadcaster and Broadcaster Padraig Wilson McCarthy to discuss.

Parents are keeping their pockets lined by teaching their children to steal from shops in Limerick. That’s what Shane Gleeson, who runs several Spar branches across the city, said, and that the Child Protection Agency needs to get involved.How big of a problem is this, and what should the solution be?Andrea is joined by Shane, as well as other shop owners, to discuss…

From an international first date with a Longford man to objections to a British billionaire's Waterford mansion, Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea Gilligan with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

AIB and Bank of Ireland have caused uproar in recent weeks with announcements that they expect workers to return to the office.So, is it fair to expect workers to stop working from home?Joining Andrea to discuss is Tracy Keogh, Co-Founder and Chair of Grow Remote, as well as listeners.

When you want to give a room that extra touch of brightness - how do you know which type of lighting to get?Well, the Home Squad are here to talk about all things lighting your home!Joining Andrea to discuss is Jenny Sheehan, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year’ (@workerscottage on Instagram) and Founder and Creative Director of Arlene McIntyre Design, Arlene McIntyre.

Once considered a glamorous career among the clouds, the role of cabin crew has evolved into one increasingly focused on sales.Flight attendants, once seen purely as caretakers of passenger comfort, are now often viewed as frontline salespeople, offering everything from snacks to duty-free goods mid-flight.But, has this shift changed the way we perceive cabin crew?Terry Prone, Columnist with the Irish Examiner & Chair of the Communications Clinic, has been writing about this, and joins Andrea as well as former Air Hostess and Author of ‘Confessions of an Air Hostess’ Marisa Mackle and Travel Journalists Joan Scales and Yvonne Reddin to discuss.

A young six-year old child was verbally and physically abused by a group of young teens in Co. Waterford - yet another racially-motivated attack in recent weeks.Anupa Naveen, mother of Nina, joins Andrea to discuss what happened…

Almost 10% of adults in Ireland have had a romantic relationship with an AI chatbot within the last 12 months, new research shows.But, how do these relationships work, and are they really a substitute for genuine connections?Andrea is joined by Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Tech Correspondent and Tara Logan Buckley, Chartered Clinical Psychologist to discuss.

We’ve decided to do a deep dive on some of our favourite albums to explore the stories behind them.What did the artists really think of each other? Where did the inspirations from the songs come from?Joining Andrea to discuss is Head Tour Guide at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience, Alan Buckley, who’s going to talk through Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’!

Megan Slough Royal and her family are dealing with a tough situation: her mother went to undergo an assisted suicide in Switzerland. The catch? The family weren’t informed ahead of time, and were told that their mother was deceased over Whatsapp…Megan joins Andrea to discuss.If any of these issues have affected you, you can contact The Samaritans on 116 123.

With the school holidays soon coming to a close, many parents are facing the dreaded back to school costs. Uniforms, electronics and voluntary contributions are just some of the expenses that spring to mind this time of year.A recent survey carried out by Barnardos has highlighted just how expensive Ireland’s free education system is…Joining Andrea to discuss this is CEO of Barnardos, Suzanne Connolly, Lisa O’Sullivan Shaw (@modernirishmom on Instagram) and Lucy, a parent in Stillorgan.

Lunchtime Live's Reasons to be Happy looks at some of the news stories that you might have missed that will leave you feeling more optimistic.98FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…