The Agenda

A campaign is being launched this week calling for standalone legislation to make spiking a specific criminal offence in Ireland.The move comes amid concerns that the true scale of the problem may be difficult to measure, as spiking is not currently recorded as a separate crime. Garda figures show that almost 190 incidents of suspected spiking were reported between January 2022 and December 2025, but the absence of a specific offence means there is limited data available on prosecutions and court outcomes.Campaigners argue that creating a standalone offence would not only strengthen protections for victims but would also improve the collection of data and help authorities better understand the prevalence of the crime.We found out more about this on The Agenda this morning.

The Government is expected to bring proposals for age verification on social media platforms to Cabinet next month, as policymakers continue to explore ways of improving online safety for children and teenagers.The move comes amid growing international efforts to limit young people's access to social media, with Britain this week announcing plans for tougher restrictions on under-16s. However, experts are warning that enforcing any age restriction may prove difficult in practice. Stephen McCarthy, Senior Lecturer in Business Information Systems at University College Cork, says there will always be challenges when it comes to verifying age online and that any new system is likely to face attempts to circumvent it.Stephen joined us on The Agenda this morning to discuss this some more.

The European Parliament is due to vote this week on proposed new migration rules that would allow EU member states to send certain migrants who have received return orders to third countries with which they have no prior connection.The proposal has sparked debate across Europe. Supporters say it could strengthen the EU's migration system, while critics have raised concerns about costs, oversight and the protection of human rights.Irish MEP Maria Walsh says she will vote against the proposal, arguing that so-called "return hubs" could leave people outside the protections afforded under EU law and may prove an expensive policy for taxpayers.Maria Walsh joined us on The Agenda this morning discuss her concerns ahead of the vote and the wider debate around migration policy in Europe.

A woman whose brother was a victim of the Stardust nightclub fire has told the Central Criminal Court how she was taking a break from an inquest into his death when she confronted a man stabbing children in Dublin city centre.Siobhan Kearney on Tuesday told a trial jury that she "jumped" on defendant Riad Bouchaker, aged 52, and tried to get him to the ground. She said the knife he was wielding landed at her feet and she kicked it away while things went "really crazy", with people hitting Mr Bouchaker.Ms Kearney described how she then locked hands with another woman to protect Mr Bouchaker from further blows. She said she started screaming "we're not savages" as people tried to get at the accused.We got all the latest on the Riad Bouchaker trial this morning on The Agenda.

Concerns are mounting in Drogheda over the build-up of bonfire materials in residential areas, with calls for additional support to help protect council staff tasked with clearing illegal dumping sites.The issue was raised at this month's meeting of Louth County Council, where councillors voiced alarm over the growing stockpiles of pallets, tyres and other materials on waste ground between Hill View and Rathmullen Park. The site, which had been cleared only last week, has reportedly filled up again.Labour Councillor Pio Smith described the situation as an emergency, warning that fires are already being lit close to homes and that the problem is becoming increasingly difficult to manage. Meanwhile, Green Party Councillor Marianne Butler has suggested the council consider seeking assistance from the Defence Forces to ensure staff can carry out clean-up operations safely.Councillor Pio Smith joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

Income from the TV licence fee continues to decline, with new figures pointing to a marked increase in evasion following the RTÉ secret payments scandal.Just under €48 million was generated from nearly 300,000 licences sold in the first five months of this year, according to data from Minister of State at the Department of Culture Charlie McConalogue. The figures show a 4.5% drop compared to the same period last year, continuing a broader downward trend in licence sales in recent years.Sales have fallen steadily since 2023, when the RTÉ controversy first emerged and was followed by a significant 13% drop in annual licence purchases. That decline has continued into 2025 and 2026, with overall numbers well below pre-scandal levels.Sinn Féin TD for Meath-East Darren O’Rourke says the trend shows the TV licence funding model is “completely broken”.Deputy O'Rourke joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

A Louth TD has called for tougher penalties for environmental polluters following the devastating fish kill on the River Glyde, which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 20,000 fish and caused extensive damage to a 25-kilometre stretch of the river.Labour's Ged Nash has described the incident as an act of "ecocide" and argues that current environmental protection laws are not strong enough to deal with those responsible for serious pollution events. He says it is no longer acceptable for major environmental offences to be dealt with in the District Court and is calling for substantially larger fines and the introduction of prison sentences for the worst offenders.The Deputy raised the issue in the Dáil, pointing to recent cases where relatively modest fines were imposed following pollution incidents that caused significant damage to rivers and wildlife habitats.Deputy Ged Nash joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

A Fine Gael Senator has accused the GAA of “locking the people out” of watching key championship matches, amid ongoing concerns about television coverage of Gaelic games.Senator Mike Kennelly says too few matches are being made available on free-to-air television, arguing that the current broadcasting arrangements are restricting access for ordinary fans across the country. He claims that of eight championship games scheduled this weekend, five will be shown on RTÉ or GAA+, while three significant fixtures will not be broadcast on either platform.He says the growing popularity of Gaelic football and hurling should be matched by greater access for supporters who want to watch games from home, warning that current decisions risk taking Ireland’s national sports “out of the homes of the ordinary people”.Senator Kennelly joined us on The Agenda this morning to discuss his concerns and what changes he believes are needed to improve coverage of Gaelic games.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has called on Gardaí to ban the use of tasers on children.The equipment is currently undergoing a pilot phase which will now run until the end of the year, with the Limerick Division also set to receive access.Currently, 137 members from Dublin's Store Street, Kevin Street and Pearse Street stations, and Waterford Garda station have received the training required to operate them.Policing and Justice Policy Officer  at ICCL, Emily Williams, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.