The Agenda

This morning on The Agenda we had our ‘LMFM Roundtable’, where we were joined in-studio by 3 contributors from different parts of Louth and Meath to discuss and debate the big stories of the week.This morning we discussed the bill aimed at updating Ireland’s abortion laws and removing the 3-day ‘reflection period’ being introduced this week by Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns.We also discussed the Government's decision to begin withdrawing accommodation supports to Ukrainian refugees in Ireland.Also, a recent report has shown that the roads are becoming more dangerous for cyclists.... and the NSPCA are calling for fox hunting using animals and sulky racing to be banned.

Bullying continues to be a significant feature of students' lives throughout their school years, with a department of education survey finding approximately one in six (15.5%) reported being bullied in the previous year.Reports of online bullying, such as spreading rumours or sharing embarrassing photos, increased among students in the senior cycle of post-primary school. With so much of daily life now happening on social media and messaging apps, experts say harmful behaviour that once stopped at the school gate is increasingly continuing into the home, often out of sight of parents and teachers.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by the CEO of CyberSafeKids, Alex Cooney, to find out more about this and what can be done to protect children online.

Tomorrow marks 50 years since the murder of Séamus Ludlow — one of the most troubling and still unresolved killings linked to the Troubles on this side of the border.Ludlow was a 47-year-old forestry worker from Dundalk, described as a quiet, non-political man with no paramilitary connections. On the night of May 2nd, 1976, he was shot dead as he walked home from a pub. His body was later found just a short distance from his home.In the decades since, no one has ever been convicted of his murder. His family have long maintained he was an entirely innocent victim — widely believed to have been killed by a loyalist gang that crossed the border, possibly mistaking him for someone else.The case has been dogged by controversy - but the full truth of what happened that night remains unclear.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Seamus’ nephew, Michael Donnegan Ludlow.

Pregnant women would no longer have to undergo a “patronising and paternalistic” three-day wait between attending a doctor and getting an abortion under legislation proposed by the Social Democrats.The current law allows termination without restriction up to 12 weeks of pregnancy once a three-day waiting period has passed between a first and second consultation. It can also be carried out in cases where there is a risk to the life, or serious harm to the health, of a pregnant woman and where a foetus is likely to die before or within 28 days of birth.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Aontu leader & Meath-West TD Peadar Toibin, who says: “we at Aontu think this would be a mistake to delete this reflection period of time. This is often one of the biggest decisions that any woman could make in her life”.Deputy Toibin also said: “it is an irreversible decision, and we believe it is compassionate to provide a period of time for a woman to reflect on whether to proceed with an abortion or not”.We were also joined by Social Democrats Senator, Patricia Stephenson, who told us about why her party want to see this wait period abolished once and for all.

A small number of far-right actors are disproportionately influencing public debate, shaping conversations, and exerting political pressure, a report has revealed.elieve immigrants are contributing to Irish culture and community (66%) and working-class people are struggling due to systemic inequality (75%).“This report tells a very different story than the one we have been fed for the past few years,” said Hope and Courage Collective executive director Edel McGinley.The report suggests far-right mobilisation has evolved across 2024 and 2025 through street activity, online amplification of messages, and “localised intimidation”. Edel McGinley joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this.

Residents of a housing development adjacent to Dundalk Fire Station have raised concerns about potential expansion of the site and the impact it could have on their community, as they called for “meaningful engagement” with Louth County Council.Earlier this month, Louth County Council was allocated €5 million to redevelop Dundalk Fire Station as part of a wider €14 million investment in the county’s fire and rescue services.However, Meadow Grove Residents Association, whose estate adjoins Dundalk Fire Station, have said local people want an “open dialogue” with the local authority before any redevelopment or expansion plans progress.Spokesman Shane Reenan said residents welcomed the investment, describing it as “a very positive and long overdue development” for both the fire service and the wider community.Shane joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

Faulty public lighting across Louth is posing a “real safety concern”, with too many lights not working at any given time, a local councillor has said.The issue was raised at the latest meeting of Drogheda Borough District, where Councillor James Byrne highlighted problems with public lighting at Wheaton Hall.In response, senior engineer with Louth County Council Mark Johnston told the meeting that the issue at Wheaton Hall would be raised with the council’s lighting contractor to ensure repairs are carried out as quickly as possible.Mr Johnston explained there are more than 15,000 public lights across the county and that, at any one time, around one per cent — or approximately 150 lights — may be faulty and awaiting repair.We were joined on The Agenda this morning Councillor Byrne, who told us more about this.

The Government’s decision to withdraw accommodation for Ukrainian refugees is being criticised in the Dail by leader of the Labour Party, Ivana Bacik.The move was agreed earlier this week, with the process beginning in August on a phased basis. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan secured the agreement on Tuesday afternoon at the Cabinet Committee on Justice, Migration and Social Affairs. Ukrainian people who arrived in Ireland before March 2024 will no longer be entitled to State-contracted commercial accommodation, with the exception of “highly vulnerable” people or those with barriers to independence. Currently 16,000 Ukrainian refugees are housed in State-provided accommodation and the withdrawal will begin in August on a phased basis over six months. People affected will be given a minimum of three months’ notice.  We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik, who told us more about why she doesn’t agree with what is going to happen.

A major new all-island radiotherapy trial, INSPIRE, will launch this Spring.Sponsored by Cancer Trials Ireland, and supported by the Irish Research Radiation Oncology Group, the study aims to reduce treatment side-effects while maintaining excellent cancer control for men with prostate cancer.With more than 5,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer across the island of Ireland each year, there is a clear need to continue improving treatment and reducing its impact on quality of life. The trial plans to recruit more than 130 patients across Ireland. The INSPIRE trial is for men with localised prostate cancer who are suitable for treatment with Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR).We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Angela Clayton-Lea, CEO of Cancer Trials Ireland & Ashbourne native, who told us more about this.We were also joined by Martin Sweeney, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer and was involved in the design of the trials.