Highlights From Lunchtime Live

Bags of excrement were reportedly thrown Minister Anne Rabbitte and Fine Gael TD Ciaran Cannon yesterday at a meeting in Galway. Is politics becoming scarier for public representatives? Andrea was joined by Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny, Vivienne Phelan, Director of Women’s Engagement and Future Candidate Development of Young Fine Gael, Nelius Cotter, Membership and Recruitment Director with Fianna Fail Ógra and other listeners to discuss... Image: Mark Marlow/Rollingnews

Cork County Council are calling for it to be compulsory for dog owners to have to insure their dogs, in the case of a dog attacking other animals or people. Would you support this decision? Andrea was joined by listeners around the country to discuss dog insurance and GPS tracking on dogs...

With the New Year upon us, people will be looking to reinvent themselves and grab every opportunity with both hands. Is there a way to predict what lies ahead and can your star sign help you do that? Do you read your star sign regularly? Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by Margaret Grey, psychological astrologist to discuss what your star sign means for you...

The latest INMO trolley watch count recorded 838 people waiting without a bed in hospitals today. Andrea was joined by Martina Hennessy, consultant physician in St. James Hospital and listeners to discuss...

Are weight loss a help or a hindrance when you’re struggling with weight? Saoirse Hanley wrote in the Irish Independent today how she feels that joining one was the worst thing she ever did for her health. Saoirse Hanley and other listeners joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live to discuss...

Parking at the New Children’s Hospital will apparently cost €10 a day. The cost will be graded according to how long parents have to park there, but the daily fee will still be €10. Is this a fair cost to impose on families? Should parking be subsidised? Or even free? Andrea was joined by parents affected by parking costs at hospitals in the past to discuss…

Leinster rugby issued an apology immediately after the controversial Wolfe Tones song 'Celtic Symphony', which features the lyrics 'Ooh Ah, Up the Ra' was played over the tannoy at the RDS after their win over Connacht on Sunday. Brian Warfield from The Wolfe Tones has suggested apologising for singing 'Celtic Symphony' is trying to 'erase the IRA from everywhere.' Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss…

Chef Edward Hayden joined Andrea to give some of his tips and tricks to make Christmas in the kitchen as stress free as possible...

Christmas Day can be a lonely time for some people who aren't spending it with others. Would having an outlet like the local pub help those to meet with others so that they too can enjoy the spirit of Christmas? Or would people abuse it and spend the day drinking? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...

We’re only 3 days away from Christmas. If you’re still on the hunt for a few gifts, never fear! We’ve enlisted the help of Denise O’Donoghue, Features Writer with the Irish Examiner…

Former Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan says both politics and society are ageist after a Cabinet reshuffle that did nothing to reward “experience and wisdom”. He said “In my profession of politics, there is huge focus at election time on the youth vote, as though older people matter little and have nothing to contribute.” Has he got a point? Is Irish society ageist? Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by listeners to discuss…

Grief is something we discuss a lot on this programme. The more we talk about and share our grief, the more people will free comfortable talking about it. Grief at Christmas seems even more compounded. The missing loved one feels even more missed. Andrea was joined by Sharon on Lunchtime Live to talk about her daughter Grace…

Would you like to see more places ban mobile phones? Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has banned Ministers from their phones in to Cabinet meetings. Andrea Gilligan was joined on Lunchtime Live by listeners to discuss…

Have you ever felt discriminated against because of your accent or where you come from? Professional Irish boxer, Thomas Carty posted a tweet online about an experience he had being refused from a nightclub after saying where he was from. Thomas joined Andrea Gilligan on Lunchtime Live to discuss…

Is it hypocritical to only attend mass on Christmas Day? Newstalk’s Simon Tierney joined Andrea Gilligan to discuss a tweet he posted about this online. Andrea was also joined by other listeners on the show to discuss this…

The teacher shortage – felt around the country – is particularly bad in Dublin city. One recent survey by the Irish Primary Principals’ Network found that 65pc of Dublin schools are unable to fill all their teaching posts. Would have a different pay scale for those working in cities, to offset the price of accommodation, help to keep teachers in Dublin? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss…

Are dry robes the next in line to be banned in public settings outside of the seaside? People have been spotted donning their dry robes walking the dogs, in the shops aand most recently in pubs. But is there a place for them in public settings? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss…

Coming up to Christmas we’re all going to buy too much food. We know it, there’ll be tons of leftovers, food that’ll sit in the fridge for days. We'll go overboard on the cheese and the chocolates too. However, Irish households create 250,000 tonnes of food waste every year. Andrea was joined by some listeners doing their best to tackle food waste…

A north county Dublin town woke up this morning with a grin on its face. Donabate is the ancestral home of Argentinian World Cup winner, midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. Henry McKean visited the cottage his relatives used to live in and met his cousins, including Noel Mac Allister who is overjoyed...

Paul, a listener, got in touch with the show about something he saw happening involving a homeless person last week. Andrea was joined by Paul, Lorraine, who runs a soup kitchen at the GPO and Kenny, who was homeless for 10 years to discuss...