The Agenda

Two advocacy groups representing more than 900 families affected by the Children's Health Ireland spina bifida and scoliosis controversy have withdrawn from a planned scoping inquiry, saying the process no longer meets the needs of those at the centre of the crisis.The Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Paediatric Advocacy Group and the Scoliosis Advocacy Network say they have serious concerns about the inquiry's terms of reference and the way the process is being conducted.Among those affected was Harvey Morrison Sherratt, whose death last year after a prolonged wait for scoliosis treatment sparked outrage across the country and renewed calls for accountability within the health system, and Stephen Morrison joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.Stephen told us that he will continue to fight tooth and nail for accountability. During the interview we were also contacted by a listener from Meath named Garreth, who told us about how his 12-year-old son has also been failed.

A new campaign is being launched to help young people understand and respond to intimate image abuse, as new figures reveal a sharp rise in cases across Ireland.The "It's Not The End of The World" campaign, led by CyberSafeKids and the Irish Internet Hotline, is aimed at 13 to 17-year-olds and comes as reports of intimate image abuse have risen by 66 per cent in the past year.A total of 862 cases were reported in 2025, with children and young people among the groups most affected. Almost half of all reported cases involved people aged 24 and under.Campaigners say greater awareness and education are needed to help young people recognise the risks, seek support, and understand their rights in relation to this.Philip Arneill, Head of Education and Innovation at CyberSafeKids, joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this.

A new law coming into effect later this month will give many workers the right to remain in their jobs beyond their employer's mandatory retirement age.The Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025, which takes effect on June 29th, will allow eligible employees to continue working up to the State Pension age of 66, even where their contract currently requires them to retire earlier.The new legislation applies to employees with a contractual retirement age of 65 or younger who have completed their probation period.The Government says the measure will provide greater flexibility for workers, help people bridge the gap to the State Pension age, and support those who wish to remain in the workforce for longer.Minister of State for Small Businesses, Retail and Employment, Alan Dillon, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

A man widely tipped as a future British Prime Minister has a little-known connection to Drogheda.Andy Burnham, one of the most prominent figures in British politics and a potential future leader of the Labour Party, can trace his family roots back to the town through his great-grandfather, Edmund "Ned" Burke.We found out about this on The Agenda this morning.

A cyclist who says she was subjected to a sustained blast of a vehicle horn for around 40 seconds is calling for tougher rules around how and when drivers can use their horns.Author and broadcaster Joanna Donnelly says the incident happened as she was cycling home after visiting her brother's grave on the 25th anniversary of his death

A major security operation is being put in place ahead of Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency, with a range of high-level measures set to be deployed including a spy plane, an armoured Garda vehicle, and anti-drone technology.In just ten days’ time, what is expected to be the largest policing and security operation in the history of the State will get underway.

The future of 14 step-down beds at the Cottage Hospital in Drogheda remains under the spotlight this week, despite assurances from the HSE that the hospital itself is not facing closure.The HSE has confirmed it is carrying out a review of the nurse-led transitional care service at the facility, following reports that the 14 beds were due to close and staff redeployed to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.

This morning on The Agenda, we had our weekly LMFM Roundtable, where we were joined in-studio by 3 contributors from across the Northeast. Today we discussed Government voting to abolish the three-day wait period for abortion.We also spoke about former President of Ireland Mary McAleese's criticism of people using the tricolour to “intimidate”, reintroducing the eviction ban and a potential ban on under 16s using social media in Ireland.

This morning on The Agenda we spoke to Minister for Foreign Affairs & Defence and Meath-East Fine Gael TD Helen McEntee about the ongoing case of Dundalk mother Mandy Kelly, whose two young sons were taken to Egypy by their father in 2022.Despite being granted custody by a Cairo court, Mandy remains unable to bring her children home due to a legal travel ban and complex dimplomatic battle.Minister McEntee voiced her frustration over the boys still not being returned home to their mother. We also discussed a range of other items with Minister McEntee, including the Dail voting to remove the 3-day wait period for abortion services, and proposals to relocate Naval service operations to Drogheda.