The Agenda

Families in Meath supporting loved ones in severe mental health distress are being left “banging their heads against a brick wall” due to difficulties accessing care, a public meeting in Navan recently heard.This morning on The Agenda, Adrian spoke to **Niamh**, who bravely opened up about her struggle to secure care for her 24-year-old son, who has experienced severe mental health difficulties since 2019.Niamh bravely told us about how her sons erratic behaviour has the whole family living in fear and about how the system has failed them.

63 people have been deported from Ireland to South Africa on a charter flight this weekend, the Department of Justice has confirmed.The operation, carried out on Saturday evening, saw 54 adults and nine children deported. The children were part of family units.It’s the second charter removal operation this year and the eighth since such flights resumed in 2025.Titilayo Oluwakemi Oyekanmi and her three sons, Samuel, Joseph and Genesis, came to Ireland in late 2023 from South Africa. Their asylum application was rejected and a subsequent appeal was unsuccessful. The family received a deportation order in April 2025. The boys had been attending schools in Dublin, and were members of a number of local sports clubs.Glencullen-Sandyford Green Party Councillor Oisín O’Connor hit out at the Department’s “lack of compassion” in relation to the deportation of the Oyekanmi family, and Councillor O'Connor joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Meath couple Johnny and Victoria, who are currently stuck in Qatar as a result of airspace being closed due to the Iranian strikes. The couple only discovered that they were going to be stuck in Qatar while they were having lunch waiting for their flight to Dublin.Johnny and Victoria told LMFM about how they have heard bombs going off and have seen drones being shot down - they have no ida when they will be able to go home.Victoria also told us about they dont even have any access to their luggage.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee has called on the estimated 20,000 Irish citizens in Gulf states to shelter in place and avoid trying to leave via land routes amid ongoing instability.Multiple Gulf states have come under attack as Iran vowed to carry out its "most intense operation" ever in retaliation for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.The Minister said that a large number of Irish citizens, in particular in the UAE, have already registered with the department's citizen registration platform, and she encouraged others in the region to do the same.Minister McEntee joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to give us all the latest on this.

Something very new happende on The Agenda this morning. We had our first ever segment of ‘The LMFM Roundtable’, where we were joined in-studio by 4 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 Ashbourne, Alan TobinIndependent Councillor in Navan, Alan LawesMayor of Drogheda & Labour Councillor, Michelle HallFianna Fail Councillor in Dundalk, Emma Coffey. We discussed the anti-social behaviour in Oriel Park last week, road safety after a Meath girl was tragically killed in a hit and run, and Monday marked 4 years since Russia invaded Ukraine.

RTÉ has reiterated that it will broadcast football matches involving Israel, despite calls for a Eurovision-style boycott.Sinéad Gibney, the Social Democrats sports spokesperson, wrote to the broadcaster asking them not to support Israel’s “sportswashing endeavours” ahead of the country’s Nations League match with Ireland in October.“Last year, RTÉ took a laudable stance in response to Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest by opting to not broadcast or participate in the 2026 competition,” Gibney wrote.“I’ve asked that RTÉ now make the same commitment in this case. It is unconscionable to support the sportswashing endeavours of a country whose regime is committing genocide and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians by broadcasting and legitimizing their sporting pursuits.”In response, RTÉ has maintained that it has contractual “and therefore binding legal obligations” to show the match.The broadcaster said it is the Football Association of Ireland’s (FAI) responsibility to make decisions regarding participation. The FAI said Ireland will fulfil the fixtures.Deputy Gibney joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

Louth County Council have said it will not provide attic conversions to alleviate overcrowded social housing units. It comes after Sinn Féin councillor for Dundalk/Carlingford Fiona Mhic Concoille tabled a motion at the February meeting of Louth County Council for the local authority to examine the feasibility of converting attics in council-owned houses. Councillor Mhic Conchoille said the move would act as a "practical and cost-effective means of increasing bedroom capacity for existing tenant families". She said such attic conversions are estimated to cost in the region of €30,000-€50,000, in comparison to €300,000-€350,000 for new-build units.The Sinn Féin councillor said giving families the option to convert attics would reduce pressure on the housing transfer list and would allow three-bedroom houses to function as four-bedroom homes where appropriate.Councillor Mhic Choncoille joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

The Independent Disciplinary Committee announced the sanctions last night, which includes a ban on Drogheda supporters for their next four away games.Drogheda United Football Club have been handed a hefty punishment, arising out of the disorder seen at Oriel Park in Dundalk this day last week. Flares were thrown from the away end onto the newly laid surface in Dundalk, with significant damage being done to the synthetic astroturf pitch. A 12 year-old boy also suffered burns to his face during the pre-match display. Last night, the Football Association of Ireland's Independent Disciplinary Committee announced record sanctions were being handed down to the Drogs as a result of their supports behaviour. The punishment includes A fine of €15,000;A ban on Drogheda United FC supporters attending the Club’s next four away fixtures; andA ban on Drogheda United FC supporters attending all fixtures at Oriel Park for the remainder of the 2026 season.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by LMFM Sports Reporter Colum Corrogan to find out more.We also spoke to Minsiter for Sport, Patrick O'Donovan, to het his reaction to all of this.