The Agenda

Planning Rules to be relaxed for one-off rural homes 

UAE authorities have charged 21 people under cyber criminal law 

Eoin O ' Boyle from OB VAPES responds to Cnlr. Ciaran Fisher looking for vapes shops to be closed

Paddy malone spoke about shopping in the north is effecting Dundalk

Garda seizures of illegal high-powered e-scooters, scrambler bikes, e-bikes, mini-motorbikes and quads have multiplied since last year, figures obtained by the Irish Independent have shown.However, despite warnings about the dangerously fast vehicles, no state agency is yet taking responsibility for cracking down on shops and online retailers openly selling them, even as leading medics warn of an epidemic of head injuries among young people.Rates of e-scooter injuries among children have soared, with Temple Street Children’s Hospital saying since 2021 there has been a fourfold increase in the numbers presenting with such injuries.Gardaí in Dundalk, Co Louth, reported late last month that they encountered an eight-year-old travelling on an e-scooter at speeds of up to 30kmh and impounded the vehicle.We found out more about all of this on The Agenda this morning.

A total of ten terminations were made by Meath County Council for singles and couples in emergency accommodation in January.According to the recent Management Report, five families and 27 singles and couples – exited emergency accommodation for reasons such as moving into private rentals, the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, hospital treatment, or returning to family and friends.Commenting on the figures at the March meeting of the local authority, Independent councillor Alan Lawes said mental health issues are one of the reasons people are being terminated from emergency accommodation.He also called for greater support for people with addictions who find themselves homeless.Councillor Lawes joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

A proposal to install light-therapy boxes in public libraries within the Laytown/Bettystown Municipal District received support from councillors at the latest council meeting.Sinn Fein Councillor Maria White tabled a motion calling on Meath County Council to commit to the purchase and installation of the devices in libraries in the district to support community wellbeing during the darker months of the year.Light-therapy boxes are commonly used to help people experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and other forms of low mood linked to reduced daylight during the winter months.Introducing the motion, Councillor White said the initiative would help communities prepare for the darker winter months and support people who struggle with low mood due to reduced daylight.Councillor White joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this.

A local councillor in Louth has urged the Government to give local authorities the power to shut down vape shops. The rise in the number of people vaping is a cause of huge concern among the medical profession, with the HSE warning that vapes “may cause diseases such as heart disease, lung disease and cancer”. Some young vapers have had such a negative reaction that they were taken to hospital by ambulance. Independent Councillor for Dundalk and Carlingford, Ciaran Fisher, said he has grave concerns about the “proliferation and saturation” of vape shops.Councillor Fisher joined us on The AGenda this morning to talk to us some more about this now.

Food prices and energy costs could go up “dramatically” due to the war in the Gulf, a Minister has said.Minister of State for European Affairs & Meath-East Fianna Fail TD Thomas Byrne also signalled that the Government would be open to examining supports for those hit by higher costs, suggesting an assessment of that would be done “over the next week or so”.Several Coalition sources downplayed the possibility of any assessment being completed in the next week, and suggested specific support packages had not been discussed. Nonetheless, there is a recognition within the Coalition that the longer the conflict goes on, the more pressing a case for intervention becomes.Minister Byrne joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us moe about this.