The Agenda

Parents in rural areas are once again facing uncertainty over school transport ahead of September, with concerns that children living on dangerous country roads are being left without a safe way to get to school.Fianna Fáil Councillor Caroline O’Reilly in Ratoath says the same problems are coming up year after year, with families forced to chase places and deal with the issue on an individual basis.She wants children living on rural roads with no footpaths or safe walking and cycling routes to automatically qualify for a school bus place.She is also calling for a review of the concessionary ticket system, which she says can leave children from the same family being treated differently.Councillor O’Reilly joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us why she believes the school transport system needs to change.

A new initiative in Dundalk is making cycling more accessible for people with disabilities and mobility challenges.Louth Disability Cycling Club has officially launched its new Inclusive Cycling Hub and Mobile Cycling Unit at Dundalk Sports Centre, providing access to a fleet of specially adapted bicycles.The project will not only operate from Dundalk but will also bring inclusive cycling directly to communities, schools and organisations across the north-east and Midlands.The aim is to remove barriers and give more people the opportunity to experience the freedom and enjoyment of cycling in a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment.We heard more about this on The Agenda this morning.

More than 2,000 children in Meath are being taught in primary school classes of 30 pupils or more, according to the latest figures from the Department of Education.Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education and Youth Darren O’Rourke TD has described the figures as “disgraceful”, saying overcrowded classrooms are making it harder for teachers to give children the individual attention they need.The figures show that 2,003 children in Meath are in classes of 30 or more, while 86% of primary school children in the county are in classes larger than the EU average of 19 pupils.Deputy O’Rourke is calling on the Government to use Budget 2027 to finally deliver on its promise of smaller class sizes, arguing that the removal of hundreds of classroom teaching posts this summer was a missed opportunity to reduce overcrowding.Deputy O’Rourke joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

The number of suspected poisonings involving synthetic drugs reported to Ireland’s National Poisons Information Centre has doubled in just three years.Doctors are warning that these so-called designer drugs can be far more powerful than traditional substances and, in some cases, may not even show up on routine hospital drug tests.New figures show 30 enquiries were made to the National Poisons Information Centre about synthetic drugs last year, compared with 15 in 2023, while almost 200 people have been discharged from acute care in the past two years after requiring treatment.There are also growing concerns about drug-induced psychosis, with medics warning that hundreds of new synthetic substances are now appearing on the market.Investigative journalist with The Journal Investigates, Noel Baker, has been looking into the issue and joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more.

A local Aontu rep and community activist in Drogheda says he was left deeply shocked after being assaulted on a public street earlier this week.Aontú representative Michael O’Dowd says he was walking along Peter Street with his daughter when a man kicked a wheelie bin in his direction, causing it to hit him. He says the same man had previously criticised him over his political views and had shouted at him on occasions over the past year.Michael O’Dowd says he cannot say with certainty what motivated the incident, but believes his previous interactions with the man give him serious reason to be concerned that he may have been targeted because of his political views and community work.He says his daughter was left shaken by what happened and is calling for greater Garda visibility and action to tackle anti-social behaviour in Drogheda town centre.Michael O’Dowd joined us in-studio on The Agenda this morning to tell us what happened and why he believes more needs to be done to transform Drogheda into what he says he knows it can be.

Burglary shock: Louth has been revealed as one of Ireland’s worst-hit counties for home break-ins.Despite burglaries falling nationally, Louth still recorded the third-highest rate in the country, with Dublin, Wicklow and Louth all more than 50% above the national average.With Dundalk seeing a 21% drop in burglaries, why is Louth still topping the burglary league — and should homeowners be worried?We found out more about this on The Agenda this morning.

Last month on the programme, we spoke to Fianna Fáil Councillor for Bettystown, Stephen McKee, after a number of fires were deliberately started in the sand dunes at Bettystown Beach.At the time, there were serious concerns about the damage being caused to the dunes, which are an important natural habitat and a well-used part of the beach and coastline.Unfortunately, it appears the issue has not gone away. Over the weekend, there was another incident at Bettystown Beach, with sections of the sand dunes once again being set on fire. It comes after previous incidents in the area, and there are growing concerns about the repeated targeting of the dunes.Councillor McKee has been raising concerns about the fires and the condition of the dunes, and he joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

Kells could be heading back to a one-way system — ten years after a previous trial caused uproar and was eventually abandoned.The latest proposals are more limited, but businesses are already divided, with some questioning whether another traffic shake-up is really what the town needs.The plan promises to improve traffic flow, pedestrian safety and breathe new life into Kells town centre — but will it solve the problems or create new ones?Jess Olohan from The BookMarket joined us on The Agenda this morning to us give her reaction.

Daniel Kinahan is set to be held in Portlaoise Prison under strict segregation, with access to his own gym and library.After his return to Ireland and appearance before the Special Criminal Court, questions are now being raised about the security arrangements and conditions surrounding his detention.Kinahan has been charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation between 18 October 2015 and 6 April 2017 before a panel of three judges at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.He appeared in court on Sunday evening following his extradition from the United Arab Emirates.We found out more about all of this on The Agenda this morning.