Highlights From Lunchtime Live

We’re only 3 days away from Christmas. If you’re still on the hunt for a few gifts, never fear! We’ve enlisted the help of Denise O’Donoghue, Features Writer with the Irish Examiner…

Former Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan says both politics and society are ageist after a Cabinet reshuffle that did nothing to reward “experience and wisdom”. He said “In my profession of politics, there is huge focus at election time on the youth vote, as though older people matter little and have nothing to contribute.” Has he got a point? Is Irish society ageist? Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by listeners to discuss…

Grief is something we discuss a lot on this programme. The more we talk about and share our grief, the more people will free comfortable talking about it. Grief at Christmas seems even more compounded. The missing loved one feels even more missed. Andrea was joined by Sharon on Lunchtime Live to talk about her daughter Grace…

Would you like to see more places ban mobile phones? Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has banned Ministers from their phones in to Cabinet meetings. Andrea Gilligan was joined on Lunchtime Live by listeners to discuss…

Have you ever felt discriminated against because of your accent or where you come from? Professional Irish boxer, Thomas Carty posted a tweet online about an experience he had being refused from a nightclub after saying where he was from. Thomas joined Andrea Gilligan on Lunchtime Live to discuss…

Is it hypocritical to only attend mass on Christmas Day? Newstalk’s Simon Tierney joined Andrea Gilligan to discuss a tweet he posted about this online. Andrea was also joined by other listeners on the show to discuss this…

The teacher shortage – felt around the country – is particularly bad in Dublin city. One recent survey by the Irish Primary Principals’ Network found that 65pc of Dublin schools are unable to fill all their teaching posts. Would have a different pay scale for those working in cities, to offset the price of accommodation, help to keep teachers in Dublin? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss…

Are dry robes the next in line to be banned in public settings outside of the seaside? People have been spotted donning their dry robes walking the dogs, in the shops aand most recently in pubs. But is there a place for them in public settings? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss…

Coming up to Christmas we’re all going to buy too much food. We know it, there’ll be tons of leftovers, food that’ll sit in the fridge for days. We'll go overboard on the cheese and the chocolates too. However, Irish households create 250,000 tonnes of food waste every year. Andrea was joined by some listeners doing their best to tackle food waste…

A north county Dublin town woke up this morning with a grin on its face. Donabate is the ancestral home of Argentinian World Cup winner, midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. Henry McKean visited the cottage his relatives used to live in and met his cousins, including Noel Mac Allister who is overjoyed...

Paul, a listener, got in touch with the show about something he saw happening involving a homeless person last week. Andrea was joined by Paul, Lorraine, who runs a soup kitchen at the GPO and Kenny, who was homeless for 10 years to discuss...

The tradition for married couples to go to their wives for the first Christmas together could be outdated but what is the ‘’done thing’’ when deciding whose in-laws to stay with. Do married couples go their respective ways until kids come into the picture? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss…

The Transport Minister has said he is 'going for' a plan to take one in five cars off Irish roads by 2030. It is part of targets in an updated Climate Action Plan under Minister Eamon Ryan. Drafts of the plan have set a 20% reduction in cars to cut emissions. Andrea was joined by Cllr Donna Cooney, Green Party Councillor for Clontarf, Brian Cooke is the Director General of the Society of Irish Motor Industry and other listeners to discuss…

Terry, a listener, got in touch with the show via email. Terry is currently waiting on a pet-scan and also the results of two biopsies taken from a nodule in her lungs and enlarged lymph nodes. Terry joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live to discuss her experience…

Is haggling dead? The process of bartering was once commonplace in Ireland but now seems to be something that makes us Irish uncomfortable and is seen as confrontational. Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by listeners to discuss the hard-art of haggling…

The final of the World Cup is taking place this weekend. Argentina are taking on France this Sunday in a World Cup that has been marred in controversy. Columnist Ian O’Doherty told Newstalk Breakfast why he was boycotting the World Cup in Qatar this year: Did you boycott the World Cup? Did you stick to your guns? Is it possible to separate sports from politics? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss…

Academics in California have warned new mothers against the over-use of online parenting forums. This follows research that found that mothers who regularly logged on to parenting websites were more stressed as a result of comparing themselves to others. Andrea was joined by Siobhan O'Neill White from Mams.ie and other mothers to discuss...

An Irish peacekeeper has died in Lebanon and another has been seriously injured, the Department of Defence has announced. The deceased has been named as 23-year-old Seán Rooney from County Donegal. While, 22 year old private Shane Kearney from Killeagh in County Cork remains in a critical but stable condition . Late on Wednesday, a convoy of two Armoured Utility Vehicles with eight personnel onboard came under fire while travelling to Beirut. Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by Kevin Byrne, Retired Lieutenant Colonel who served in Lebanon and Shelley Cotter, who’s family members are part of the naval service…

In a tweet online, one user asked ‘What goes through your mind when you receive an invite to the "afters" of a wedding?’ A lot of people in the comments actually seemed annoyed and insulted that they weren't asked for the entire day. How do you feeling about wedding ‘afters’? Would you be insulted if you were asked to them? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss…

Thieves who steal pets could face minimum of 10 months' jail under new legislation being brought before the Dáil. There was a noticeable spike in pet theft during Covid, particularly dogs, after many people spent more money on expensive breeds during lockdown. Would you like to see stricter sentences for pet thieves? Andrea was joined by listeners on Lunchtime Live to discuss...