The Agenda

Third-level institutions and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) will be asked to appear before an Oireachtas committee next month to face questions on how they are tackling sexual violence and harassment.TDs and senators want to engage with third-level institutions and the ­domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency Cuan to examine how the issues are dealt with across the sector.

A leading domestic violence charity is calling on the Government to amend Irish domestic violence legislation to explicitly recognise pet abuse as a form of coercive control within abusive relationships. Sonas Domestic Violence Charity says frontline services regularly encounter situations where pets are threatened, harmed or used to intimidate and psychologically control women and children experiencing abuse.

Residents in Slane village have warned that they are prepared to stage peaceful protests unless organisers of the famous summer concert agree to introduce a €5 per ticket community levy.The funds would be used to invest in the community for various projects, funding the tidy towns group, the annual St Patrick’s Day parade, and community centre upgrades

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by journalist Terri Prone, who wrote a piece in The Irish Examiner yesterday titled, “It’s frightening to see how clever the far-right reaction to the picking of the Dublin Rose is”.Dublin Rose Suad Mooge this week said that she is "shocked but not surprised" at comments on social media by people saying she "is not Irish".Suad won the Dublin Rose title last week and will represent the capital at the Rose of Tralee in Co Kerry in August.Sligo born Suad said that as a person of colour "it's part of the experience of growing up" in Ireland. She said that the negative comments about her online haven't really phased her much as she has heard it before. However, she said she was surprised at the "volume of hate". In her piece this week, Terri called out the far-right reaction to Suad being chosen to be the Dublin Rose.

Parents in Dunshaughlin say they’re being left with no choice but to bring their campaign for more gaelscoil places to the Dáil, yet again.This follows a parents' meeting held in the Pastoral Centre in Dunshaughlin last Tuesday and is prompted by the lack of response from the Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton to their appeals for extra places to be provided in Gaelscoil na Ríthe. Families are calling for a second junior infants class at Gaelscoil na Ríthe, arguing that demand for Irish-language education in the area is far outstripping the places available.Campaigners say they’ve repeatedly contacted Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton but have yet to receive a response, despite a letter signed by 22 parents being sent several weeks ago.Over the past number of months we have spoken to campaigner Aine McKenna various times about this… Yet still, she is without a school place. Aine joined us on The Agenda again this morning to give us all the latest on this.

The Labour Party has said a staff member is spending 40pc of their time “blocking racist abuse” directed at Galway West by-election candidate Helen Ogbu on Facebook, as the party criticised Meta’s “hands-off” approach.A party spokeswoman said that it is employing a member of staff to help Ms Ogbu with digital media on her campaign.The party said 40pc of the work of the staff member is “blocking racist abuse and commentary on Meta platforms”.Ms Ogbu has been a councillor for Galway City East since 2024, when she became the first black woman elected to the council.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Labour TD for Louth, Ged Nash, who took to social media last night to condemn the abuse against his party colleague.

A Louth TD has introduced a bill to the Dáil which seeks to give Drogheda city status. Sinn Féin TD Joanna Byrne presented the Local Government (Cities) Bill 2026 as part of the first stage of the legislative process.The bill would see the Local Electoral Area of Drogheda Urban officially renamed as the Municipal District of Drogheda City.It also seeks to amend the Local Government Act 2001 so that other towns may also acquire city status in the future.In introducing the bill, Deputy Byrne said that everyone in Drogheda is in favour of its passing.Deputy Byrne joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

Paramedics have begun a 24-hour strike, as the HSE have warned of potential delays. Workers for the National Ambulance Services, including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, advanced paramedics, paramedic specialists and paramedic supervisors, will strike from 8am today until 8am tomorrow. Last month, Unite and Siptu members voted in favour of industrial action due to what they refer to as management’s ongoing failure to implement the 2020 Roles and Responsibilities Review. The unions say qualifications, clinical responsibilities and operational duties of ambulance personnel have expanded significantly in recent years. They also say a 5 per cent increase recommended under the benchmarking II process has not been delivered.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by the Regional Coordinating Officer for the Unite Union in Ireland, Tom Fitzgerald, who spoke to us some more about this.

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month, a time dedicated to highlighting road safety for motorcyclists and reminding all road users to take extra care and share the road responsibly. With the brighter evenings and better weather bringing more bikes onto Irish roads, it’s an important conversation to have.Statistics from the Road Safety Authority show that motorcyclists remain among the most vulnerable road users in Ireland. Between 2020 and 2024, 105 motorcyclists lost their lives and almost 900 were seriously injured on Irish roads. Serious injuries among bikers peak during the summer months, particularly from May through to September, when motorcycle traffic increases significantly.The RSA has also warned that many collisions involving motorcycles happen because drivers simply fail to see the bike, particularly at junctions or when turning. Rural roads continue to account for the majority of fatal motorcycle crashes, while weekends and afternoon travel times are considered especially high-risk periods.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by LMFM’s very own Pat O’Shaughnessy, an experienced motorcyclist who holds an advanced motorcycle licence and also volunteers as a Blood Bike cyclist— carrying out vital work transporting blood, medical supplies and urgent deliveries for hospitals and healthcare services.Pat told us about why this is so important..