Highlights From Lunchtime Live

Would you offer your teenager €2000 to stay away from booze? Irish Independent Columnist Mary McCarthy has an article today detailing her plans to offer her 14-year-old son this deal if he doesn’t drink until he’s 18. Andrea Gilligan was joined by Mary McCarthy, Niamh and Patricia to discuss…

Women4Election yesterday announced their new CEO as Brian Sheehan and it caused a huge backlash online. Is it really a good idea for Women4 Election, an organisation that helps women get elected to the local and national government, to hire a man in their most senior role? Andrea Gilligan was joined on Lunchtime Live by Fine Gael Senator Regina Doherty, Linda, John and more to discuss...

Two of this weekend's big All-Ireland quarter finals will be shown only on GAA GO. Saturday's double-header will be broadcast exclusively on the streaming platform. Kerry vs Tyrone and Armagh vs Monaghan will not be on terrestrial television and will be behind the paywall instead. Despite having played five championship games, Kerry's clash with Clare was the only time they’ve been broadcast on live tv in this series. Andrea was joined by Jerry O'Sullivan, Presenter of the Kerry Today program on Radio Kerry and other listeners to discuss…

Lewis Capaldi announced this week that he’s taking a break from touring to focus on his mental and physical well being. He spoke about getting diagnosed with Tourettes last year, and how he has struggled with the impact it’s had on him. Tourette’s syndrome is a nervous system disorder that causes repetitive movements, sounds, or tics that cannot be easily controlled. James MacInerney, Make Up Artist and contestant on The Glow Up joined Andrea to discuss his experience with Tourette’s…

Galway County Council are considering a proposal to ban smoking in designated outdoor dining areas across the county. What do you think? Should smoking be banned in outdoor dining areas? Would you like to see this be considered nationwide?

Childcare providers from across the country are protesting in Dublin today about funding and fees. They’re saying the sector is in crisis and if something doesn’t change soon, a lot of them will have to close. How hard is it to get childcare in Ireland? When did you put your child on the waiting list? Andrea was joined by Paula Donohoe is the owner of Clever Cloggs Creche in Ballyconnell, John, owner of Bel Childcare in Douglas, Cork and parents to discuss...

Would you eat meat that was grown in a lab? The Unites States has become the second country to go ahead to make lab grown meat commercially available. They have granted approvals to two companies to sell chicken grown directly from animal cells in a lab. Singapore gave lab grown chicken the green light back in 2020. Is it the way of the future? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...

Podcaster, writer and LGBT Ireland programme manager James O’Hagan told Newstalk Breakfast says his Dublin Pride experience was soured after he was twice approached by strangers ridiculing his weight. Mr O’Hagan said the experiences were "so at odds with what Pride is all about and what we want to be as an LGBTQ+ community". Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss their experiences of fat-shaming…

The government are offering up to €80,000 to purchase a property in one of the country's offshore islands as part of the ‘Our Living Islands' scheme. Andrea was joined by Chloe O'Malley, manager of Inis Oirr Island Co-Op, Jerry in Arranmore, Tom O'Malley on Clare Island and Billy O’Connor on the Blasket Islands...

Angeline, a listener, got in touch to talk about carers of the opposite sex. Her mother is receiving respite care after having pneumonia. During her stay in the care home she received intimate care from a male member of staff. Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by Angeline and Stefan, who is a male nurse...

It’s been revealed that not even a third of Irish cities are considered clean. A survey by Irish Business Against Litter has found the majority of Ireland's towns are clean, but two-thirds of city areas are littered. Vapes were included for the first time, masks were found in quite a few sites and coffee cups were really common. But who’s to blame? Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by Martin McGelligott, Dundalk Town Centre Commercial Manager, Cllr John Reilly, Councillor for Dundalk-Carlingford, Eoin Cluskey, Baker & Owner of Bread 41 in Dublin and more to discuss…

Lunchtime Live's Summer Memories series is back! Andrea chats to some well known faces and reminisce over those long summer days.  First up, Comedian Emma Doran joined Andrea in studio...

The Irish Cancer Society has launched the Leave Our Leave campaign to force the Government to change the Maternity Protection Act 2004. Currently, women cannot defer their maternity leave while they are being treated and recovering from cancer. Following Andrea's conversation with Erica on the show yesterday, she was joined today by Mary and Emma who have similar experiences...

Online abuse, and abuse towards our politicians is becoming a common occurence. Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe is the latest victim. He joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live to discuss... Image: Facebook via Cathal Crowe TD

RTE has admitted to undeclared payments to Ryan Tubridy of 345 thousand euro between 2017 and 2022. The broadcaster has also suspended Director General Dee Forbes. An emergency meeting of members of the National Union of Journalists working for RTE will be held today. What do you think? Does it bring into question the licence fee? Is it time to scrap it? Andrea was joined by Michael McNamara, Independent TD for Clare and listeners to discuss...

Currently in Ireland, women can’t defer their maternity leave while they are being treated and recovering from cancer. The Irish Cancer Society's Leave Our Leave campaign, which calls the legislation ‘unfair’, is fighting for change. Andrea Gilligan was joined by Erica to discuss...

In May this yea, it was announced that fashion brand SHEIN were opening an Irish pop-up store and there was outrage among people as the brand promotes fast fashion. Today, many celebrated a new Penneys store was opened in Dundrum Town Centre? Why is it not the same reaction with the opening of a huge Penneys store in Dundrum? Andrea was joined by Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Pat Kane, Sustainability Advocate and Founder of reuzi and Stylist Laura Mullett to discuss...

When exactly is a child old enough to be left at home on their own? It is something that more people will be thinking about now that children are off for the summer – especially now that most households have two working parents. Speaking on Newstalk earlier today Dr David Coleman, Clinical Psychologist, raised some of the issues to consider when leaving a child at home alone. Andrea Gilligan was joined on Lunchtime Live by parents to discuss…

Kim Kardashian has said that she still has imposter syndrome despite her enormous global success. She said her brand 'Skims, which was founded in 2019, has exceeded everything that she ever imagined". Imposter syndrome is the feeling that we’re going to be found out or feeling like we are a fraud. It’s the idea of feeling that we aren’t as good as people think we are. Andrea Gilligan was joined by Pamela Laird, CEO and Founder of Moxi Loves and former Apprentice candidate, Gina London, Leadership and Communications Specialist and Renee to discuss…

Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by Ivan to discuss being attacked whilst out walking with his husband and their dog...