The Agenda

Sinn Féin TD for Louth, Joanna Byrne, updated us live on LMFM today regarding her current position as Chair of Drogheda United after attempts last month to have her removed as Chairperson.The attempts, by the board of the club, to remove Deputy Byrne from her position come following her statement, issued in her capacity as Sinn Féin spokesperson on Sport, where she stated that Ireland should not play Israel in the Nations League.

A Drogheda accountant and his wife arrived safely back in Ireland last weekend after their holiday of a lifetime turned into a nightmare.Ian O'Connor, originally from Rathmullen Road and now living in Lucan, was on a dream family trip with his wife Deirdre and her family in Dubai when the war with Iran broke out.They had gone on the holiday with Love Holidays with her 92‑year‑old father Terry Carmody, her 17‑week‑pregnant daughter Marie‑Ann Whelan and her husband Aaron Bannon‑Whelan.One day sports‑mad pensioner Terry was playing golf and the next day they were taking cover in the basement of their hotel from drone and missile attacks.Ian joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about his nightmare experience.

The financial impact on Irish households of war in the Middle East could quickly top €1,000 if oil prices remain elevated, with higher-priced motor fuel, domestic energy, food and mortgages just some of the ways consumers could be hit, experts have warned.The cost of a litre of motor fuel has already crossed €2 on many fuel forecourts, with prices reaching levels not seen since the summer of 2022 and the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.A sustained 30 cent per litre hike will see the average motorist worse off by just over €300 a year, while a 20 per cent jump in domestic energy costs will add another €600 to annual bills. The increased cost of oil is also expected to have a knock-on effect on the price of food and other consumer goods.Consumer Affairs Correspondent & Pricewatch Editor at The Irish Times, Conor Pope, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

A civil case brought by three IRA bomb victims against the former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has opened at the High Court in London.The men are seeking a ruling that he is personally liable for decisions to plant car bombs in London and Manchester in 1973 and 1996.They are suing him for a nominal £1 in damages for "vindicatory purposes".Adams has stated he had "no direct or indirect" involvement and has repeatedly denied ever being in the IRA.The civil case is being heard by Mr Justice Swift at the Royal Courts of Justice and is listed to last for seven days.We were joined on The AGneda this morning by Station Manager & Reporter at U105 in Belfast, Peter McVerry, who gave us all the latest on this.

A mother unable to secure a junior infants place for their child in the Dunshaughlin area told a meeting filled with parents in a similar position “we need solutions and we need them now.”The public meeting was for worried parents who have so far been unable to secure a junior infants place for their child for the coming school year took place on Thursday night (5th March) in the Parish Hall in Dunshaughlin. This was organised by local parents Aine McKenna, Lucia Onofri, and Ciara McCormac who invited all parents, guardians, and community members affected to attend.The huge growth in population in Dunshaughlin in recent years which has seen many young families move into new housing developments in the area has led to a shortage of primary school places, something parents say should have been foreseen and planned for.At the start of the meeting, Aine McKenna said “we need solutions and we need them now”.Aine joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this, and we werev also joined by another local mother named Rainia, who is also having the same issue and also attended the public meeting.

An awareness programme which aims to educate people about the debilitating condition endometriosis, affecting around one in ten women, is to be rolled out to schools, sports clubs and workplaces.Endometriosis, affecting over 200,000 women, is where cells similar to those in the lining of the womb grow in other parts of the body. It can have a big impact on women leading to symptoms such as severe pain and fatigue.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Trim mum, Sarah Costello, who almost died during routine surgery for endometriosis.We are also joined by Amie Berns, who is also living with a debilitating case of endometriosis and has been campaigning for education, awareness and better heath-care for many years. Sarah and Amie bravely shared their personal stories of living with a debilitating case of endometreosis, which has affected their day-to-day lives massively and their quaility of life.

Dublin Zoo has said it is "disappointed" at some of the online discourse surrounding an advertising campaign for the zoo's All-Things-Irish Takeover next week.On Thursday, Dublin Zoo launched its 'mams go free' offer for Mother's Day to help families celebrate moms around the country, offering a complimentary adult ticket when a full paying adult or child ticket is purchased online next Sunday.As part of the launch campaign, Dublin Zoo recruited Irish social media star and TV presenter James Patrice as the ambassador for the takeover, who donned his well-known Malahide Mammy character, which the zoo has said is rooted in "humour and fun".Despite a mostly positive reaction to the campaign, there has been a backlash across social media from some politicians and members of the public, who slammed the campaign, including Independent Ireland TD Ken O'Flynn and Senator Sharon Keogan, taking umbrage with the use of the 'Malahide Mammy' character for the light-hearted campaign.Deputy O’Flynn joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

Ireland could soon be plunged into a cost-of-living crisis as severe as that seen after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, experts have warned.Hauliers are now preparing for possible protests across the country in the coming days, as fuel prices continue to soar due to the war in the Middle East.The hauliers warned that “they would close down Dublin until the politicians listened” — and said supermarket prices will inevitably rise in the coming days, with supply disrupted.“Every tax increased upon us ends up as an increased cost on the supermarket shelves,” Ger Hyland, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), has said. Mr Hyland said it was the view of an IRHA meeting on Saturday that the fallout from spiralling energy prices due to the Middle East war will be “worse than 2022”. He said protests could be held within “a matter of days”.Ger joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

This morning on The Agenda had our second segment of ‘The LMFM Roundtable’, where we were joined in-studio by 3 contributors from different parts of Louth and Meath to discuss and debate the big stories of the week.This week we were joined by:Fine Gael Councillor in Dundalk, John ReillyAontu Councillor in Navan, Emer ToibinFianna Fail Councillor in Dundalk, Shane McGuinnessThis morning we discussed:Taoiseach says 'no excuse' for price gouging as minister requests probe into gouging - we discussed price of diesel/petrol and flights home from Middle East. Is it time for the media to stop reporting on Enoch Burke and his family? One judge has branded them a "circus".Working from home - should an employee have the right to choose? Do you believe it makes employees more or less productive?