The Agenda

Nina Carberry -Meath based fine Gael MEP

Frances Haworth CEO of Meath Refuge & support Services

Graeme MC Queen (Head of media Relations DAA)

A leading campaigner says 'we're doing nothing' to curb deaths on Irish roads.Already this year 1837 people have died in road collisions, more than in all of last year.Leo Leighio of the Irish Road Victims Association says there have been lots of promises to tackle road deaths, but nothing delivered, and Leo joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

Ruairí Ó Murchú, Sinn Féin TD for Louth, has called for increased powers for local authorities to evict "chaotic" tenants.Deputy Ó Murchú told the Dáil he does not believe local authorities like Louth County Council, have the necessary powers to deal with tenants involved in "criminality and drug-dealing".He said approved housing bodies (AHBs) have greater levels of power in comparison to local authorities in relation to the "nuclear action of eviction."AHBs are independent, not-for-profit organisations that provide affordable rental housing for those who can't afford to rent in the private sector. Taoiseach Micheál Martin, disputed the claim that AHBs have more power, but said they have "a different way of operating." Deputy Murchú joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this, and we also heard about Deputy Ó Murchús calls for answers in The Dail yesterday in relation to the recent flood in Blackrock in Louth. Deputy Ó Murchú has asked for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for some engagement between the OPW and local authorities and other relevant Departments in relation to the Blackwater River and Ramparts River, Dundalk, regarding flood management and waste water management; and if he will make a statement on the matter

Over 16% of homes in one County Louth housing estate are not registered with a refuse collection service, it emerged at the monthly meeting of Louth County Council.Councillor Ciaran Fisher highlighted a pilot project which has begun in Castleross, Dundalk. where it was identified that 16.5% of households in this area “do not have a kerbside waste collection.”The council’s Waste Enforcement Team are corresponding with each household identified in the survey, but in the Chief Executive’s monthly report it was confirmed that “engagement has been poor.”Councillor Fisher queried how this pilot project will work, and he joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this.

EU leaders have pledged a €90bn loan for Ukraine to meet urgent financial needs, but failed to agree on the preferred option for securing that loan against Russia’s frozen assets in the bloc.After talks ended in the early hours of Friday, the president of the European Council, António Costa, told reporters: “We committed and we delivered.” He said EU leaders had approved a decision to make a €90bn loan to Ukraine for the next two years backed by the EU budget, which Kyiv would repay only once Russia pays reparations.EU leaders entered the summit on Thursday with many wanting to secure the urgently needed loan against some of Russia’s €210bn frozen assets on the continent. But the plan fell on the demand of Belgium, which hosts 88% of the Russian funds in the EU, to have unlimited budget guarantees from other member states if Moscow won a successful claim for damages.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Minister of State for Europe and Defence and Meath-East Fianna Fail TD, Thomas Byrne, who is currently in Brussels for this.

An investigation is under way into a suspected arson attack which caused extensive damage to a pharmacy in Co Meath.Gardaí have confirmed they are investigating an alleged criminal damage incident in Oldcastle.The pharmacy is owned by Donna McQuaide, who has been running it for over 20 years.It is understood that an accelerant, believed to be petrol, was poured around the shop before being set alight. It is not believed any goods were stolen.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by local Sinn Fein TD, Johnny Guirke, who gave us the latest on all of this.

The Government has rolled back on its plans to disband the Road Safety Authority (RSA), The Journal revealed this week.The announcement that the RSA would be disbanded and split into two separate organisations was made in late 2024 by then Minister of State with responsibility for road safety, James Lawless. At the time, Lawless said it was a “binding” decision that was being made because the operational side of the RSA (which is responsible for driving tests and coordinating the NCT) was “not working” and because the organisation’s safety promotion remit was “also not where it needs to be”. Minister for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rails and Ports & Independent TD, Sean Canney, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.