The Agenda

A new estimate suggests around 19,000 people attended emergency departments in the first six months of this year for treatment of a condition they were already on a waiting list to have treated.The Irish Patients Association based its assessment on a HSE review of almost 4,900 patients who attended Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda last January. The review found that a number of patients were seeking emergency treatment for the same condition they were waiting to have addressed.

Concerns are being raised that potential evidence relating to alleged genocide and other serious crimes is being removed from Gaza, with Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor claiming that almost 100 trucks carrying rubble and debris are leaving the territory every day.The organisation estimates that at least 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October 2023, while questions are now being raised about what happens to potential evidence contained within the rubble and destruction.

Five teenage boys have been killed when their car ploughed into a family on their way to the airport.The tragedy happened at 3am on Saturday morning when a BMW car drove on the wrong side of the M9 motorway at Moone, Co Kildare.It’s understood the vehicle had earlier failed to stop for Gardai and entered the motorway in the wrong direction. Gardai suspect the vehicle was stolen but have yet to confirm its status. After entering the motorway, the BMW crashed into a Hyundai.The male teenagers, some of whom were related to each other, were wearing balaclavas, or were otherwise masked. The deceased were aligned to a large group known to gardaí around the Carlow-Kildare region. Crime Editor at The Irish Sun, Stephen Breen

There’s growing anger in Drogheda over plans by Louth County Council to remove trees from West Street, with campaigners claiming the proposal is yet another example of the town’s main street being allowed to decline.Drogheda City Status group now says it has been contacted by a number of residents who are shocked at the plans, particularly amid concerns that there is no funding available for permanent replacement planting. Instead, temporary tree containers are being proposed.The group says that if the trees have to go, there needs to be a proper long-term plan and investment to replace them, while residents are being urged to make their views known to the council and local councillors.PRO of the Drogheda City Status group, Anthony Murphy, joined us in-studio on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about all of this.

Staff processing asylum applications are at risk of anxiety, depression and insomnia due to exposure to traumatic personal stories and graphic material.A formal risk assessment at the International Protection Office found staff could experience emotional distress and “empathy fatigue” because of the nature of their work.It warned psychological injuries could build over time or result from a single exposure to particularly disturbing material. Staff can encounter traumatic content while interviewing applicants, reading case files or viewing images.Measures to protect employees include rotating them away from sensitive material and taking account of the number and type of cases they handle.We heard more about this on The Agenda this morning.

Parents and families outside Drogheda, are facing disappointment after a request for a new school bus pick-up point in the area was refused.The request was made by Deputy Ged Nash following representations from local families in the Monasterboice area, who are concerned that some children are having to walk too far to reach their existing school bus stop.However, Junior Minister for Education Michael Moynihan has said there are currently no plans to extend or change the school transport route in the area. The Department says routes are planned so that, where possible, eligible children should not have more than 3.2 kilometres to travel to a pick-up point.Deputy Ged Nash joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

The Government is again being urged not to increase excise duties on fuel from September 1st.The reintroduction of the charges, announced by Government in June, will also see the gradual restoration of all fuel levies by December 1st.The Irish Farmers’ Association says the planned increases will add further pressure to farmers and other motorists already facing high operating and living costs. IFA’s Bill O’Keefe argues the Government has already collected significant revenue from fuel and says now is not the time to increase the cost of filling a tank.He is calling on the Government to reconsider the planned increases and maintain the current fuel supports to help protect farmers, businesses and households from further cost pressures.Bill joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us about all of this.

The Irish Motorcyclist Association says car drivers are a major reason for the dangerous conditions on Ireland’s roads, as the number of people killed in road crashes continues to rise.So far this year, 113 people have lost their lives on Irish roads — 12 more than at the same point last year — including 16 motorcyclists. The figures have renewed concerns about the safety of motorcyclists, who remain among the most vulnerable road users.The Road Safety Authority has launched a new campaign urging drivers to be more aware of motorcyclists, particularly when emerging from junctions. Figures show that 954 motorcyclists were injured between 2021 and 2025, with failure to observe being the main cause of most crashes.Irish Motorcyclist Association PRO Michael Noonan says the group has worked closely with the RSA on its latest campaign and believes it is an important step forward, but he says the behaviour of some car drivers continues to put motorcyclists at serious risk.Michael joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

Working from home has transformed how many of us do our jobs, offering greater flexibility, saving time on commuting and allowing people to spend more time at home. But there are growing concerns that the shift away from the traditional workplace could also be contributing to what some are describing as an epidemic of loneliness.For some people, remote working means fewer face-to-face conversations, less social interaction with colleagues and fewer of those everyday connections that come with being in a workplace. With more people spending large parts of their working week at home, there are concerns about the longer-term impact on our mental health, social lives and sense of connection.So is working from home making us lonelier, and are we losing an important part of our social lives by spending less time around other people?Clinical Psychotherapist Stephanie Regan joined us on The Agenda this morning to discuss the issue and what people can do to stay socially connected while working remotely.