The Agenda

Thousands of people across parts of County Meath were left without water over the weekend following a major burst on a water main serving Duleek, Stamullen, Donore and surrounding areas. For many households and businesses, the disruption caused significant inconvenience, with residents forced to rely on alternative water supplies for essential daily needs. This morning on The Agenda we spoke to local residents and business owners in the Duleek area to hear how they were affected by the outage and what impact it had over the weekend.Residents have had enough and are now at breaking point due to the ongoing issues with water outages.

Serious concerns are mounting over reports that vulnerable children in Drogheda and across County Louth are being targeted, groomed and drawn into the orbit of organised drug gangs.Fears are growing that criminal networks are actively exploiting young people, using manipulation and pressure to recruit them into drug-related activity, with devastating consequences for their safety and future.The allegations have sent shockwaves through local communities, with urgent warnings that without stronger intervention, more children could be pulled into a dangerous and deeply entrenched criminal underworld.We heard more about all of this on The Agenda this morning.

After weeks of discussion and consultation, two major concerts at Slane Castle this July have officially been given the green light. Meath County Council has confirmed that an event licence has been issued to organisers MCD Productions, despite concerns raised by local residents about traffic management, road closures, access arrangements and the impact the events could have on daily life in the village.A series of meetings involving residents, organisers, An Garda Síochána and other stakeholders took place in recent months, with a range of issues discussed. As part of the licensing agreement, organisers have also committed to establishing a €61,000 community fund for local projects in the Slane area, more than double the amount originally proposed.We heard more about this and what it will mean for the local community of Slane on The Agenda this morning.

A major pollution incident on the River Glyde in County Louth has resulted in the deaths of more than 20,000 fish, with dead trout, salmon and other species found along stretches of the river. The incident has shocked local anglers and residents, who fear the environmental damage could take years to reverse.The River Glyde is an important natural habitat and fishing resource in the region, and concerns are now growing about the long-term impact on biodiversity and the wider ecosystem. Members of the local fishing community have warned that the loss of fish stocks could have lasting consequences for both the river and those who rely on it.Minister of State with responsibility for Fisheries, Timmy Dooley, visited the scene in recent days alongside representatives from Inland Fisheries Ireland. Describing it as a very significant fish kill, he said the incident would have a devastating impact on biodiversity and could take a considerable period of time for the river to recover.Minister Timmy Dooley joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

Fianna Fáil MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú is calling for the introduction of stricter measures aimed at improving road safety, including a potential night-time curfew for novice drivers and the use of AI-enabled cameras to detect mobile phone use and seatbelt offences.She says road safety figures are moving in the wrong direction, with young drivers particularly at risk during night-time hours, although she stresses that any curfew would need to include exemptions for those travelling for work.

The EU is being accused of taking an "ICE-like" approach to immigration.Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan was in Brussels yesterday to discuss migration issues with his European counterparts.It follows an EU decision earlier this week, which allows member states to send migrants who've been ordered to leave the country to “return hubs” outside the bloc

New figures show a “massive” increase in the number of incidents recorded at IPAS centres throughout the country, and indicate a concerning trend of “transferring bad actors from one location to another”, Aontú leader and Meath-West TD Peadar Tóibín has said.  He has described the trend as a “massive increase” and has raised concerns about what he claims is the “transferral of bad actors from one location to another” within the system.This morning on The Agenda we heard some more about this.

With First Holy Communion season now concluded, attention is turning to the role the tradition continues to play in modern Irish life and whether it will remain as central in the years ahead.New census figures show a continued decline in the number of people identifying as Roman Catholic, prompting wider reflection on how religious traditions are evolving in Ireland.Dr Maedbh King of Trinity College says she has been considering the place of First Holy Communion in today’s society and that neither she nor her partner are religious and do not intend to raise their children in a faith, yet they are likely to be involved in school-based Communion preparations.She argues that preparation for the sacrament should take place outside of school hours, as is the case in other European countriesDr Maedbh King joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.