The Agenda

Aontu leader - Peadar Tóibín has stated that needing foreign military help to secure a major defense summit on Irish soil highlighted stark underinvestment and exposed the gap between the government's rhetoric and actual defense capabilities, This has come to light as Minister for Defence Helen McEntee has defended Ireland’s security spending in the face of repeated questions at an informal gathering of EU defence ministers in Wicklow organised as part of Ireland's Presidency of the Council of Europe.  It emerged that a Royal Navy warship and helicopter is providing security backup at the event. Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has also  said the Government needs to stop wasting taxpayers money and called for temporary cuts to fuel prices to be made permanent. Aontú is preparing for its annual think-in in Co Derry on Saturday.Mr Tóibín said fuel is a stable, and not a luxury, good and that it was astounding that there are half a million people in energy arrears in the country.the Meath West TD said the Government is overspending by around a rate of between €4bn and €5bn a year and savings could be found there.He said: "In terms of capital infrastructure spends last year there was about €1.6bn of overspend."There's a complete lack of accountability in that sector. There's an enormous amount of waste."Indeed, I would say the Government is incinerating taxpayers' money at a rate in those terms."And even in health, we know that in health, the overspend so far this year is about €500m, which is quite incredible."Mr Tóibín said a recruitment embargo for administrative staff in the health service would save €250m a year.

Ryan Statement : After serious consideration, I have resigned from Independent Ireland and will contest the next Local Elections as an Independent candidate.This isn’t about party politics.It’s about people.I entered politics to give a voice to those who feel ignored and forgotten. That commitment has never changed.I believe County Louth deserves something different — strong, independent representation that puts Dundalk, Carlingford and our communities first.The campaign starts now.I may not hold an elected title, but you don’t need a title to stand up, speak out and fight for people. is bigger than one person.This is a movement built by the people, for the people.Co-Operative Housing Must Act – Residents of Halliday Mills Are Waking Up to Urine at Their Front Doors and Used Needles.”I received this deeply disturbing video this morning from a resident living in Halliday Mills. The resident shared the footage with me and stated that they are “sick of being ignored.”This text highlights unacceptable safety and quality of life issues raised by residents of Halliday Mills, including finding urine and used needles outside their homes. In response, an urgent meeting has been requested with the management and headquarters of the Co-Operative Housing Association to establish an action plan. If the association fails to address these concerns, peaceful and lawful protests will be organized to pressure them into taking action.

Eric Donovan who co - commentator on The fight spoke with Adrian 

There are fresh concerns about the water supply in Dunshaughlin, with residents reporting discolouration in their water and low water pressure.A public meeting was held in the town on Wednesday night, with residents raising concerns about the quality and reliability of their water supply. It’s an issue that has caused frustration in the area previously, and there are now renewed calls for answers about what is causing the problems and when they will be resolved. Residents say the ongoing issues are causing great concern, particularly around the quality of the water coming into their homes.Sinn Féin Councillor for Dunshaughlin, Fionnan Blake, was at the meeting and joined us on The Agenda this morning to discuss the concerns being raised by residents.We also spoke to local resident Hugh O'Reilly, who says this is now a public health risk issue.

Katie Taylor is set to bid farewell to boxing this weekend, as she finally realises her Croke Park dream when she takes on unbeaten Flora Pili.Taylor, a former Olympic gold medallist and two-weight undisputed champion, will fight on home soil in Dublin with all four major super-lightweight belts on the line. She currently holds the IBF, WBA and WBO titles, with the vacant WBC belt also up for grabs.It promises to be a huge night for Irish sport, but how does Katie Taylor’s career rank among Ireland’s greatest sporting achievements? What can we expect from the fight itself, where and when can people watch it, and can Taylor sign off her incredible career with one final victory?Luke Delaney, Ireland Editor at talkSPORT, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk about Katie Taylor’s legacy, preview the fight and give us his predictions.

An informal meeting of European Affairs Ministers has been taking place at Dublin Castle, with Ireland continuing its work as President of the Council of the European Union.One of the major challenges facing the Irish Presidency is reaching agreement on the EU’s next multi-annual budget — a hugely important financial package which will determine how funding is allocated across the bloc over the coming years.Ireland has been tasked with trying to secure agreement on the budget by the end of this year. There are a number of competing priorities for member states, including agriculture, defence, migration, climate and regional development.Minister of State for European Affairs Thomas Byrne says progress is being made and he remains confident that an agreement can be reached before the end of the year.Minister Byrne joined us on The Agenda this morning to discuss the talks and what Ireland hopes to achieve.

Fine Gael MEP Regina Doherty is calling on the Minister for Justice to urgently progress legislation aimed at tackling spiking in Ireland.The call comes after new figures show that 339 alleged incidents of spiking were reported to Gardaí between 2021 and 2025 — an average of around one reported incident every six days.Regina Doherty and her Fine Gael colleagues first brought forward the Spiking Bill in 2023, with the legislation already drafted and having passed through the Seanad.Ms Doherty says it is unacceptable that, almost three years later, the Bill remains before the Dáil while concerns around spiking continue. She is now urging the Government to put the legislation on the agenda and get it passed into law.Regina joined us on The Agenda this morning to discuss the legislation and why she believes urgent action is needed.

E-scooters could soon be off limits to under-18s, with the Government planning to raise the minimum age from 16 to 18 as early as the end of this month.The move comes as new safety rules also take effect today, requiring e-scooter users to wear a helmet and high-visibility clothing, with a €100 fine for those who fail to comply.The Government says the measures are about improving safety and protecting vulnerable road users, but there are questions over whether they will actually reduce injuries among younger users.Jason Cullen, Chair of the Dublin Commuter Coalition, believes the changes could unfairly impact adult e-scooter users while doing little to address the number of children being injured, and Jason Cullen joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.