The Agenda

This morning on The Agenda we discsussed the growing debate around the cost of digital devices in Irish schools. Sinn Féin’s TD for Meath-East and Education spokesperson, Darren O’Rourke, has criticised the Government’s approach to technology in classrooms, saying parents are being left with huge bills for compulsory iPads and tablets.According to Deputy O’Rourke, some families are being asked to pay as much as €750 per child for devices, despite the introduction of the free schoolbooks scheme, which was intended to reduce the overall cost of education. He says many parents are contacting his office struggling to meet the expense, particularly households with more than one child in secondary school.Deputy O’Rourke joined us to us some more about this.We also got the latest on the situation with the house in Stamullen which was earmarked for asylum seekers.

Legislation to introduce ‘Valerie's Law’ went before Cabinet yesterday - a move described by Valerie French’s brother as “one more step towards child protection”.The legislation is named after Valerie French (41), who was murdered by her husband, James Kilroy, in Castlebar, Co Mayo, in 2019. The couple have three children.Under the law, killers who take the life of their child’s other parent will no longer automatically keep guardianship rights.Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan brought the bill to the Cabinet yesterday.The victim’s brother, David French, said he is “really looking forward” to seeing the text of the bill and for it to go before the Dáil.Valerie’s brother David joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation are holding their Annual Delegate Conference in the Fairways Hotel in Dundalk today.  Over 50 motions will be debated on safe staffing, cost-of-living, burnout, assaults. Emergency motions will be debated on cost-of-living measures. The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, will address delegates, and Minister MacNeill joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.Minister Caroll MacNeill addressed the issue of overcrowding in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. We also discussed the “scoping exercise” into convicted sex offender and former Louth hospital consultant Michael Shine, which is expected to take up to 16 weeks - Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill told the Dáil this week that the total number of those impacted is believed to be “in the high hundreds and it ranges across a huge age span”. We alsio discussed endometriosis care in Ireland, after our interview earlier this week with Amie Berns, who is now housebound as a result of the debilitating case of endometriosis that she is living with.

Airports should be banned from serving alcohol to passengers before early morning flights, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has said.He said the measure would reduce the number of passengers who were disruptive on board aircraft.Mr O’Leary said Ryanair was being forced to divert an average of nearly one flight every day because of bad behaviour on board, up from one a week a decade ago.In an interview with The Times, Mr O’Leary said: “It’s becoming a real challenge for all airlines.We delved into this some more on The Agenda this morning. 

A Dundalk mother of a 12-year-old boy with autism fears that he will be left without a school place when the new school year commences in September.Alexandra is battling to find a suitable place for her elder son Tristan who will finish primary school at the end of June.Tristan, who is non-verbal, currently attends the autism unit at St Nicholas National School, where he receives the support he needs.The family have been living in Dundalk for over seven years, with Alexandra explaining that they moved here from Dublin partly due to the difficulty in finding a school place for Tristan.Now, as she faces another battle to find a suitable school for her son, she hopes that she doesn’t have to move to get him the educational supports he needs. Alexandra joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

There is growing expectation in the Irish and British governments that King Charles will visit Ireland as early as next year.While no firm arrangements are yet in place, there has been significant informal contact on the issue, according to several people with knowledge of the subject who spoke on condition of anonymity.President Catherine Connolly will travel to Britain later this month, where she is expected to meet the king as part of her official programme. It is thought a formal invitation could then be issued, though sources said arrangements had not yet reached that point.However, it is expected by both governments a visit will happen before long. The king has visited Ireland on many occasions, both for public and private engagements, and has expressed his desire to visit again.Political Editor at The Irish Times, Pat Leahy, joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this.

While the Irish far-right movement was small it borrows from the MAGA movement in the United States or ‘Raise Your Colours’ in the UK.David Gilbert, Reporter at WIRED, believes that there is no doubt that the Irish flag has been co-opted by the Irish far-right movement.Former World Health Organisation Executive Director Dr Mike Ryan says the Irish flag has been “hijacked” by what he describes as a very toxic form of nationalism. David believes that while the Irish far-right movement was small it borrows from the MAGA movement in the United States or ‘Raise Your Colours’ in the UK.David joined us on The Agenda this morningg to talk to us some more about this.

Social Justice Ireland has published its latest national social monitor pointing to crises in youth housing and health along with challenges brought on by AI.Susanne Rogers, Research and Policy Analyst for the social justice think tank said: “Ireland has structures that provide a strong foundation for the inclusion of young people in policymaking.One area the publication highlighted included youth homelessness, which continues to rise in Ireland.It found that this is driven by a combination of structural pressures such as financial instability, job precarity, rising housing costs, limited supply, and insufficient youth-specific housing.Social Justice Ireland also pointed to the “chronic underfunding” of Ireland’s mental health services. We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Research & Policy Analyst at Social Justice Ireland, Susanne Rogers, to find out more about this.

Homes and businesses face rising food and electricity bills as energy prices increase on the back of the Middle East conflict, says the latest assessment of the Irish economy.The economy on both sides of the Border will grow this year, but uncertainty created by the US-Israel-Iran conflict increases risks, according to the EY Economic Eye Spring Forecast.Petrol, diesel and home heating oil prices rose after Iran shut the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes, hitting energy production and supply chains.We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Labour TD for Louth & spokesperson on finance and public expenditure Ged Nash, to talk some more about this.We also spoke about Deputy Nash’ calls for government TDs to back Labour’s mini-Budget proposals that would bridge the cost of living gap for households between now and October’s Budget - this motion will be brought to the Dail this Thursday.