The Agenda

A court has refused a request to release transcripts from the criminal trials of convicted sex offender Michael Shine to the lawyer leading a scoping exercise into the handling of the case.Shine, a former consultant surgeon at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, was convicted in 2017 and 2019 of sexually assaulting young boys during his time at the hospital. The decision not to release the transcripts has raised fresh questions about efforts to examine how allegations against him were dealt with over several decades.Dignity4Patients, the organisation that has supported many survivors of abuse by Michael Shine and campaigned for accountability and justice on their behalf, says access to the trial transcripts is an important part of establishing the full facts surrounding the case.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Adrienne Reilly, CEO of Dignity4Patients, to discuss the court's decision, what it means for survivors, and where the campaign for answers goes from here.We also heard about the scoping inquiry and got all the latest on that.

Louth is counting down to Sunday's All-Ireland quarter-final clash with Monaghan, and excitement is building right across the county. But with thousands of supporters expected to make the journey to Croke Park, concerns have been raised about whether existing rail services can cope with demand.Labour TD Ged Nash says he contacted Irish Rail after hearing from supporters in Dundalk who were worried about capacity on scheduled services. Irish Rail has since confirmed it is working on plans for additional trains and says it is confident extra services can be provided, with further details expected shortly.This morning on The Agenda we got all the latest on this.

Concerns have been raised about the mental health of clergy in Ireland, after a senior Catholic priest warned that suicide among priests must be urgently addressed.Fr Michael Toomey, parish priest of the St Carlo Acutis pastoral area in the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore, says a number of priests have died by suicide in recent years, describing it as a “tragedy” and a call to action.Speaking ahead of International Men’s Mental Health Week, Fr Toomey said there can be a tendency to place priests on a pedestal and expect them to be constantly strong and unaffected by personal struggles. He stressed that priests are not “superhuman” and can face the same mental health challenges as anyone else.Fr Michael Toomey joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

Possession of drugs for personal use should be decriminalised as part of a major overhaul of Ireland's drug laws, according to a new report from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Drugs Use.After more than a year examining the findings of the Citizens' Assembly on Drug Use, the cross-party committee has backed a move away from a criminal justice approach and towards a health-led model. The report contains 161 recommendations, including decriminalising possession for personal use, introducing mobile drug consumption units and establishing a national advocacy body for drug users.We found out more about this on The Agenda this morning.

Two advocacy groups representing more than 900 families affected by the Children's Health Ireland spina bifida and scoliosis controversy have withdrawn from a planned scoping inquiry, saying the process no longer meets the needs of those at the centre of the crisis.The Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Paediatric Advocacy Group and the Scoliosis Advocacy Network say they have serious concerns about the inquiry's terms of reference and the way the process is being conducted.Among those affected was Harvey Morrison Sherratt, whose death last year after a prolonged wait for scoliosis treatment sparked outrage across the country and renewed calls for accountability within the health system, and Stephen Morrison joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.Stephen told us that he will continue to fight tooth and nail for accountability. During the interview we were also contacted by a listener from Meath named Garreth, who told us about how his 12-year-old son has also been failed.

A new campaign is being launched to help young people understand and respond to intimate image abuse, as new figures reveal a sharp rise in cases across Ireland.The "It's Not The End of The World" campaign, led by CyberSafeKids and the Irish Internet Hotline, is aimed at 13 to 17-year-olds and comes as reports of intimate image abuse have risen by 66 per cent in the past year.A total of 862 cases were reported in 2025, with children and young people among the groups most affected. Almost half of all reported cases involved people aged 24 and under.Campaigners say greater awareness and education are needed to help young people recognise the risks, seek support, and understand their rights in relation to this.Philip Arneill, Head of Education and Innovation at CyberSafeKids, joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this.

A new law coming into effect later this month will give many workers the right to remain in their jobs beyond their employer's mandatory retirement age.The Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025, which takes effect on June 29th, will allow eligible employees to continue working up to the State Pension age of 66, even where their contract currently requires them to retire earlier.The new legislation applies to employees with a contractual retirement age of 65 or younger who have completed their probation period.The Government says the measure will provide greater flexibility for workers, help people bridge the gap to the State Pension age, and support those who wish to remain in the workforce for longer.Minister of State for Small Businesses, Retail and Employment, Alan Dillon, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

A man widely tipped as a future British Prime Minister has a little-known connection to Drogheda.Andy Burnham, one of the most prominent figures in British politics and a potential future leader of the Labour Party, can trace his family roots back to the town through his great-grandfather, Edmund "Ned" Burke.We found out about this on The Agenda this morning.

A cyclist who says she was subjected to a sustained blast of a vehicle horn for around 40 seconds is calling for tougher rules around how and when drivers can use their horns.Author and broadcaster Joanna Donnelly says the incident happened as she was cycling home after visiting her brother's grave on the 25th anniversary of his death