The Agenda

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that he is appalled and shocked at the manner in which activists on board an aid flotilla to Gaza have been treated by the Israeli authorities.Dr Margaret Connolly, sister of President Catherine Connolly, is among at least 12 Irish citizens on board the flotilla that were detained by Israel, according to organisers.Hundreds more participants from other countries have also been detained.The footage shows some people kneeling on the ground in tightly packed groups with their hands tied behind their backs. The footage also shows Mr Ben-Gvir heckling and waving an Israeli flag amongst the detained activists. We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence & Fianna Fail TD in Meath-East, Thomas Byrne, who also condemned the video.

On The Agenda this morning, we turned our attention to calls by local councillors in Louth for the abolition of the Universal Social Charge. Introduced during the financial crisis as a temporary measure, the USC has remained in place for more than a decade — but now Ciaran Fisher and a number of Independent councillors across the country are calling on the Government to scrap it altogether.A motion passed at this month’s meeting of Louth County Council is urging the Minister for Finance, the Taoiseach and local TDs to outline a clear timeline for the removal of the charge, with critics arguing it has effectively become a permanent second income tax on workers.Councillor Fished joined us to discuss why he believes the USC has outlived its purpose and why he says now is the time to axe it

Growing numbers of people are having to be treated for new psychoactive drugs and ketamine use, while demand for cocaine recovery is at an all-time high, a report has shown.The Health Research Board report on drug treatment in Ireland last year showed 15,422 cases received therapy for problem drug use.Cocaine remains Ireland’s most common drug treated, excluding alcohol. There were 6,535 cases of cocaine treatment, the highest number recorded to date. Last year, treatment demand for powder cocaine increased by 21pc to 834 cases. For crack cocaine treatment, it went up by 31pc.Cocaine also remains the main problem drug for more than half of cases new to treatment and more than one in three previously treated.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Medical Director and GP Specialising in Addiction Medicine, Dr Garrett McGovern, to find out more about this.

We are turning our attention now to calls by local councillors in Louth for the abolition of the Universal Social Charge. Introduced during the financial crisis as a temporary measure, the USC has remained in place for more than a decade — but now Ciaran Fisher and a number of Independent councillors across the country are calling on the Government to scrap it altogether.A motion passed at this month’s meeting of Louth County Council is urging the Minister for Finance, the Taoiseach and local TDs to outline a clear timeline for the removal of the charge, with critics arguing it has effectively become a permanent second income tax on workers.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Independent councillor in Dundalk, Ciaran Fisher, who told us why he believes the USC has outlived its purpose and why he says now is the time to axe it

Intense sadness and anger were the dominant emotions at a vigil yesterday in memory of Yves Sakila (35) who died after being restrained by security guards in Dublin city centre on Friday afternoon.The Congolese man, who had lived in Ireland since 2004, had been homeless for several years.Sakila was allegedly involved in a shoplifting incident on Henry Street before attempting to flee around 5pm on Friday. He was held on the ground outside Arnotts department store by a number of men, in an incident that was filmed and shared on messaging apps over the weekend.We found more about this on The Agenda this morning.

A Louth councillor has said “Ireland is better than racism” following the death of a Congolese man in Dublin, describing the incident as one that has “deeply saddened” communities across the country.Yves Sakila, a Congolese national believed to be in his mid-30s, died after being restrained by security guards in the Arnotts department store on Henry Street. Mr Sakila was taken to the Mater Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead having not regained consciousness. He had been working in the IT sector.Reacting to the news, Drogheda-based Fine Gael councillor Ejiro O’Hare Stratton took to social media to express her condolences.Councillor O’Hare Strattan said in her post: “At a moment when public comments about migrants and Africans have caused fear, hurt and concern, we must reflect on the power of words. Language matters, leadership matters, humanity matters".Councillor O'Hare Strattan joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

Sky have sent “threatening” legal letters to hundreds of dodgy box users, as part of the broadcaster’s bid crackdown on the phenomenon. There are an estimated 400,000 households with dodgy box users in Ireland - meaning for every five people you see on the street, one has a dodgy box at home. The practice has cost broadcasters hundreds of millions in lost revenue over the years but industry insiders have been at a loss as to how they could crack down on dodgy boxes. Earlier this year, Sky took a civil prosecution against Wexford resident David Dunbar, who operated an illegal streaming service that charged dodgy box users between €80 and €100 a year.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Business Reporter with the Sunday Independent, Sean Pollock, who told us more about this.

A coalition of more than 120 civil society organisations is calling on the Government to reconsider proposed changes affecting Ukrainians living in Ireland under Temporary Protection.The Ukraine Civil Society Forum has written to Taoiseach Micheál Martin expressing concern over measures including proposed cuts to the Accommodation Recognition Payment for hosts, along with plans to end state-provided accommodation for many Ukrainians.The Forum says the proposals could undermine the integration work being carried out in communities across Ireland and warns that, despite ongoing efforts to rebuild lives here, the war in Ukraine continues to have a devastating impact on families.The group is also highlighting the contribution of volunteers and local communities who have helped create what they describe as an “infrastructure of welcome” for those fleeing the conflict.National Coordinator of the Ukraine Civil Society Forum, Brian Killoran, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.