The Agenda

This morning on The Agenda we had our ‘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 morning we discussed calls for former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to apologise for his comments on immigrants in Ireland, particularly his comments about African immigrants. We also discussed RTE's decision to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest.Also, the ban on flavoured vapes - is is counterproductive?... And the roads are unsafe for cyclists in Ireland - we asked about jsut how unsafe the roads really are for cyclists.

Much of the abuse of vulner­able adults and older people is going unpunished because of a lack of safeguarding law, a new report from the Oireachtas Health Committee has warned.The committee’s “Report on Adult Safeguarding” highlights a litany of weaknesses that are putting vulnerable adults at risk of physical, financial, sexual or emotional abuse and being left to suffer in silence.It follows a series of hearings at which experts and advocates highlighted the need for legislation to protect adults from harm.Sinn Féin TD David Cullin­ane, who acted as rapporteur for the report, said: “Time and again, devastating failures are exposed where adults are recklessly exposed to harm, coercion or, indeed, suffer it”.Deputy Cullinane joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

A Dundalk councillor has expressed concern that local applicants on Louth County Council's social housing list could be waiting longer than those elsewhere in the county.Marianne Butler was speaking at the Dundalk Municipal District's monthly meeting, where she highlighted how local applicants (2,627) account for 55 per cent of the total of 4,717 who are on the list. There are 615 on the housing list in the Ardee Municipal District.The councillors were told that the Drogheda figure of 1,475 was 'slightly lower' at the moment reflecting the 'huge amount' of house building mostly along the Port Access Northern Cross Route, but they were assured that housing developments in the Dundalk area will be available 'pretty soon'.Councillor Butler says she wants to make sure those on the list from the Dundalk MD area aren't missing out, because of the greater demand there.Councillor Butler joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan has said he wants to reduce the number of migrants claiming asylum in Ireland and believes Irish reunification could happen “quicker than we think” as he set out his stall for the leadership of Fianna Fáil.In a wide-ranging interview with the Indo Politics podcast, the minister said there needed to be a “mature discussion around migration” and suggested people were at times nervous to talk about it.He defended former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who is at the centre of a racism row over comments he made while being secretly recorded when canvassing in the Dublin Central by-election.Mr Ahern was taped saying to a voter at their doorstep that “the ones I worry about are the Africans” and that he had concerns about the next generation of Muslims in Ireland.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by CEO of Doras, John Lannon, to get his reaction to this.

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is facing criticism after comments he made about immigration during a byelection canvass were recorded and shared online. In the footage, Ahern said he believed there were “too many” migrants coming into Ireland and specifically referenced African migrants.The comments have sparked backlash across the political spectrum, with Fianna Fáil deputy leader Jack Chambers calling the remarks “totally wrong and inappropriate.”Fine Gael councillor in Navan, Yemi Adenuga, who is originally from Nigeria, has also strongly criticised the comments, saying she was “deeply disappointed and honestly appalled.” In a social media statement, she warned that remarks like these can fuel fear, prejudice and anti-migrant hostility at a time of growing tensions around immigration in Ireland.Councillor Adenuga is calling on Bertie to apologise for his comments, and she joined us on Teh Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.We were also joined by Dr Ebun Joseph, CEO & Founder of the Institute of Antiracism and Black Studies, who also wants Bertie to apologise and to revoke his comments immediately.Dr Joseph called our Bertie Ahern and all those who have agreed with his comments.

This morning on The Agenda we discussed an issue that has sparked growing debate across Ireland and internationally — the future of horse-drawn carriages in our cities.For some people, they’re seen as part of the character and tradition of city life, often linked to tourism and heritage. But for animal welfare organisations, serious questions are now being raised about whether horses should still be expected to work in busy urban environments, surrounded by traffic, noise, congestion, and increasingly extreme temperatures.The NSPCA is now calling for a ban on horse-drawn carriages being used in Irish cities, arguing that the practice is outdated and that the welfare risks to animals are too great. Supporters of a ban point to concerns around stress, exhaustion, road safety, and the overall wellbeing of horses operating in modern city conditions. Meanwhile, others believe stricter regulation — rather than an outright ban — may be the answer.We were joined on the show by Conor Dowling from the NSPCA to find out more about why they are calling for this ban. 

The fate of a retained firefighter in Dunleer who is facing mandatory retirement within the next three months lies in the hands of the government. The situation faced by Dunleer station officer John Molloy who will turn 62 on May 24 and would, without government intervention, have to retire under the existing legislation, was raised by Louth TD Ruairí Ó Murchú. Deputy Ó Murchú has highlighted how the fate of Mr Molloy, who is the only retained station officer in Dunleer, now rests in the hands of the government and is pleading for an interim solution for the firefighter, who faced this same issue two years ago and fought it at the time also. John, who has spent 18 years as a retained firefighter, having served 22 years in the Defence Forces before that.John Molloy joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.We were also joined by Deputy O Murchú who has been fighting this.

Banning flavoured vapes is the measure “most likely” to make them less attractive to young people, minister of state Jennifer Murnane O'Connor has told the Oireachtas health committee.New laws will see a ban on flavoured vapes and limits on the colours used in packaging among a raft of measures to try to curb the sharp rise in consumption among younger people. Tobacco-flavour or ‘unflavoured’ will be the only types allowed, under the government-supported measures. Under the new laws, the sale of nicotine pouches and other products will be banned to under-18s. We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Eoin O’Boyle, owner of OB Vapes in Drogheda, to get his thoughts on this.