The Agenda

This morning on The Agenda we spoke to Meath agricultural contractor & fuel protester Christopher Duffy to find out about the meeting which is due to take place today between Government and protester organisations.We also found out what will happen if their demands are not met at the meetings today and what they will do next. Christopher told us that they won''t be standing down until they get what tey are asking for....

It’s day four of ongoing protests over the government’s response to rising fuel prices.Already this morning, there is a full road closure in place on the M50 northbound and southbound, with motorists warned to expect long delays.A number of public transport services in the capital have also been affected by road closures.Major roads (including motorways and Dublin’s O’Connell Street) have been blocked, fuel facilities have been blockaded and public transport has been disrupted since Tuesday, with dozens of forecourts (primarily in Munster) now completely out of fuel.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Minister of State for Europe & Defence & Meath-East Fianna Fail TD and Meath-East Fianna Fail TD Thomas Byrne, who told us that if these protests don't end immediately the country will "close down". Minister Byrne is calling for these protests to end immediately before more damage is done.

This morning on The Agenda we were contacted by a listener named James, who was stuck in traffic in Dundalk on his way to Dunlin airport to catch a flight with his wife and 3 young children.James told us about how because of the protesrs he would most likely not get to go on the holiday that he has been working the past year to afford.

This morning on The Agenda we spoke to a Dundalk protester (and Independent Ireland rep) who spoke to us live from the convoy.He told us exactly what protesters want and what he wants to see happen, and what will happen if Government don't meet them to talk immediatley.

Property prices in Louth have risen by €15,000 in the last year, according to the latest MyHome Property Price Report.The report for Q1 2026, in association with Bank of Ireland, shows that the median asking price for a property in the county is now €265,000. That means prices have stayed flat over the quarter.Asking prices for a 3-bed semi-detached house in the county rose by €15,000 in the last year to €275,000. This means prices stayed flat over the quarter.Also, property prices in Meath have risen by €15,000 in the last year, according to the report.The report for Q1 2026 shows that the median asking price for a property in the county is now €325,000. That means prices have stayed flat over the quarter.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Joanne Geary, Managing Director of MyHome, who told us more about this.

There is growing alarm in the Government as nationwide fuel protests escalate, with the Taoiseach describing the blockade of a key refinery in Cork as “national sabotage”.There is growing alarm in the Government as nationwide fuel protests escalate, with the Taoiseach describing the blockade of a key refinery in Cork as “national sabotage”.The Justice Minister has advised fuel price protesters to move their vehicles, as the Defence Forces will be deployed to help gardaí manage the chaos today.The Department of Justice said in a statement this morning that “the blocking of critical national infrastructure will not be permitted to continue”.We were joined on The Agnenda this morning by Meath farmer Christopher Duffy, whoh was out protesting as we spoke.We were also joined by Fine Gael TD for Louth, Paula Butterly, who says “protestors need to go home because they are doing more harm than good”.We will also spoke to Stephen McMahon from The Irish Patients Association, who said that “patients must not be used as pawns by any party in the current transport protest”.

Fianna Fáil TD for Louth Erin McGreehan has called on the Government to introduce targeted measures to address rising fuel costs for those working in the agricultural and fishing sectors.Deputy McGreehan has written to the Taoiseach and Tánaiste outlining concerns raised by local farmers and fishers, particularly around the sharp increase in the price of agricultural diesel.She said the rising cost of fuel is placing significant pressure on those working in key sectors across Louth, from farming communities inland to those operating along the county’s coastline.Deputy McGreehan acknowledged existing Government supports, including the reduction in excise duty on petrol and diesel and the extension of the fuel allowance, but said agriculture and fishing require a more tailored response, and she joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

The new national drugs strategy must “explicitly recognise” the connection between the harms caused by drugs and the poverty, inequality and violence in certain communities, a family organisation has said.Family Addiction Recovery Ireland (FARI) said the draft National Drugs Strategy 2026-2029 — which has been put out for public consultation — “excluded” those communities and those families most affected by drugs and the drugs trade.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Aileen Malone from the National Steering Committee at FARI (Family Addiction Recovery Ireland) -her own daughter also went through addiction.