The Agenda

Drogheda “deserves better” than faulty Christmas lights going out during the annual switch-on ceremony, the December meeting of the Borough District heard on Monday night.Mayor Michelle Hall said councillors wanted answers on why the lights went dark just moments after they had been launched for the festive season."It was a bit embarrassing,” said the Mayor. “The lights went off straight away.”Mark Johnston, Senior Engineer at Louth County Council, told the meeting that the matter had “fallen between two stools” at the council, but it is being looked into.Councillor Declan Power said faulty Christmas lights presented a poor picture of Drogheda, and councillor Power joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

It is 100 years since the final decision was made on exactly where the border would divide the island of Ireland.On 3 December 1925 the Boundary Commission plan to adjust the border and take some places out of Northern Ireland, including Crossmaglen in south Armagh, was ditched at the last minute in a British-Irish deal.Historian Cormac Moore says "it gave of lot of certainty that had not been there before, particularly if you lived on the border and you were living in Fermanagh or Tyrone… you were not sure up until late 1925 that you were going to be in Northern Ireland or the Free State, and Cormac joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Fianna Fail Councillor in Dundalk, Shane McGuinness, who wants to make his position “absolutely clear” regarding the proposed coastal Greenway from Dundalk to Carlingford. Councillor McGuinness says he fully supports the people of Cooley, and that he wants to see progress, investment, and a high quality coastal Greenway delivered for their community. But he also says that a greenway in his mind in Cooley is a coastal Greenway where tourists visit the county to view the beautiful coastal scenery that the Cooley Peninsula has and that what he can see from the route (which was released this week) is that 75% of it seems to be running along a main road nowhere near the coastline. He also says that he does not support any design that mixes cyclists or walkers with vehicles.Councillor McGuinness joined us in-studio this morning to talk to us some more about this.

Dundalk was “disproportionately affected” by the legacy of unfinished estates after the Celtic Tiger era, according to a Louth councillor.Unfinished or so-called “ghost estates” emerged largely as result of the economic crash in 2008, with work on a significant number of developments not complete.A total of 65 estates across Louth were designated in 2011 as “unfinished”, but the fall out from the property crash remains a problem to this day.Speaking at Louth County Council’s Budget 2026 meeting, Cllr. Marianne Butler welcomed plans for further investment in ‘Taking in Charge’ estates.Councillor Butler joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us about this.

Ireland will not participate in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, and RTÉ will not broadcast the event, after the organiser cleared the way for Israel to partake. Public broadcasters in Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia confirmed they too will boycott the event.In a statement on Thursday, RTÉ said it would be “unconscionable” for Ireland to partake in the event given the “appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there”.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by People Before Profit TD, Paul Murphy, who fully supports RTE's decision to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest next year.We were also joined by Independent Councillor in Navan, Alan Lawes, who brought forward a motion earlier this year calling on Meath County Council to consider all lawful sanctions it can take against the apartheid state of Israel in order to put pressure on them to stop the Genocide and forced starvation of the Palestinian people - Councillor Lawes also proposed that the council boycott all Coca Cola products because of their affiliation with Israel

A review of the Child and Family Agency’s involvement with Kyran Durnin, the little boy who was reported missing last August and later presumed dead, will not be published. The review was carried out by the National Review Panel, which is independent of Tusla. Though a number of recommendations have been made public, the Attorney General has determined that the review itself cannot be published as it could prejudice “any potential prosecutions” in the future. We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Sinn Fein TD for Louth, Ruairi Ó Murchú, who has been asking questions in the Dail this week in relation to Tusla. Deputy Ó Murchú spoke to us about the early 200 asylum seekers who were listed as children and given Tusla accommodation later turned out to be adults, and also about a dangerous parking situation going on at a school in Ardee.

Nikita Hand, who won her civil case against former MMA fighter Conor McGregor, has welcomed a decision by the Supreme Court not to allow a further appeal by Mr McGregor against a High Court jury's finding that he raped her.Ms Hand said the Irish civil justice system had afforded her vindication and allowed her voice to be heard, after seven years seeking justice, accountability and peace.Ms Hand said that this was not just a victory for her, but for all who had been treated as she had. She said it was also a victory for the justice system.The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has welcomed the decision by the Supreme Court, and CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre Rachel Morrogh joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

There is an urgent need to address the housing needs of older people through the development of ‘wrap around’ rather than ‘send around’ services – enabling older people to live in their own homes for as long as possible.These findings are reflected in a new RED C survey (please email for a copy of the survey) commissioned for Mayo Social by Sage Advocacy, the national advocacy service for older people and survivors of institutional abuse.Mayo Social spokesperson, Mervyn Taylor, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, ALONE is urging renewed national focus on ensuring that older people with disabilities can remain safe, well, and independent in their own homes. As disability becomes more common with age, the organisation warns that Ireland’s current supports are not keeping pace with the needs of an ageing population. Recent Census data shows that 22% of people in Ireland (1.1 million individuals) report having a disability. The prevalence increases sharply with age: 41% of people aged 60 and over live with some form of disability, rising to 76% among those aged 85+. Despite this, many older people do not have access to the essential supports that allow them to stay safely at home. Many older individuals are living in homes that were never designed to accommodate mobility challenges or age-related disabilities. Others are struggling to access services due to long waiting lists, inconsistent provision across regions, and the unaffordability of adaptations and assistive technology.  Head of Research, Advocacy, and Policy for ALONE, Aileen O’Reilly, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.