Highlights From Lunchtime Live

When travelling, whether it is by bus, train or plane, there is nothing more annoying than listening to someone else's music or podcast.Last week, Irish Rail announced that they would fine €100 to anyone playing loud music in a new campaign to highlight poor travel etiquette.How do you feel about people playing music out loud on public transport?Joining Andrea to discuss is Communications Manager with Irish Rail, Barry Kenny, Managing Director, Freedom Travel & Solo Travel, Ciara Mooney and listeners.

It’s time for some summer memories!We chat to some well known names and faces and reminisce over those long summer days.Journalist Bryan Dobson joins Andrea to reminisce!

After news broke of the death of nine-year-old Harvey Morrison Sherratt, who had spina bifida and scoliosis, but waited nearly three years for surgery, parents of children with scoliosis have been speaking out about long waiting times and the devastation they have brought to their families…With waiting lists for scoliosis surgeries having grown, and Tánaiste Simon Harris coming under increased pressure to deal with the crisis - Andrea hears from some of these parents.Joining to discuss is Maureen Nolan, whose daughter has several conditions including scoliosis and Bernier Kelleher, who was forced to bring her daughter to the UK for surgery in 2007…

Oasis are back for their first gigs on Irish soil since 2009, with the Oasis Live '25 reunion tour arriving in Dublin for two sold out performances at Croke Park on Saturday and Sunday.Are you excited for the shows? Were you lucky enough to get a ticket?Andrea is joined by Oasis superfans to share in the excitement!

It’s rare that we get such good weather in the summer, but that has been happening recently!But, do we get the chance to make the most of them?Should we get time off work when it’s sunny so that we can go out and enjoy it?Joining Andrea to discuss this is Laura Bambrick, Social Policy Officer with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Sinead Dalton, Content Editor of Evoke.ie and Alan O’Reilly from Carlow Weather.

From brown bread making to wedding rollercoaster taking, Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea Gilligan with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

Independent brewers are facing challenges due to “astronomical” input cost increasing. It comes as some brewers have had to shut their doors due to high running and production costs…High water charges and “archaic and arcane alcohol licensing laws” are some of the other reasons for these closures and the loss of multiple jobs.What needs to be done to keep these breweries in business?Joining Andrea to discuss is Tom Cronin, Founder and Chief Executive of the Rye River Brewing Company, Joe Donnelly from Rascals Brewery, Dean Mcguinness, Managing Director of Primary International Beers and others.

Should pets be allowed in public dining spaces? Do you mind having dogs around while you’re drinking a coffee – or to take it one step further – would you eat a sandwich with a cat climbing all over you?What do you think? Is there a hygiene concern?Joining Andrea to discuss is Ronan Flood, Co-Owner PYE Dundrum and The Barbers Bar in Grangegorman, Michael Moynihan, Columnist with the Irish Examiner and more.

Rather than calling in a professional, what are the jobs that you can do yourself, without worrying about breaking the bank?Well, the Home Squad are here to talk about simple DIY fixes!Joining Andrea to discuss is Jenny Sheehan, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year’ (@workerscottage on Instagram) and Martin Glynn, Founder and CEO of The DIY Academy.

More than 100 organisations have signed a joint letter calling on Israel to stop the "weaponisation of aid" into Gaza, as "starvation deepens".Humanitarian groups, including Oxfam and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), say they are increasingly being told they are "not authorised" to deliver aid, unless they comply with the stricter Israeli regulations.Joining Andrea to discuss this with his unique insight is former Israeli Hostage Negotiator, Gershon Baskin.Image: Reuters

Are you guilty of doing things or going places, just to take photos of them?If you don’t post about it online, were you even really there?Feature Writer Chrissie Russell explores this in a piece in the Independent today, and joins Andrea, along with Stylist and Journalist Laura Mullet and Journalist Saoirse Hanley to discuss.

We’ve decided to do a deep dive on some of our favourite albums to explore the stories behind them.What did the artists really think of each other? Where did the inspirations from the songs come from?Joining Andrea to discuss is Head Tour Guide at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience, Alan Buckley, who’s going to talk through Oasis’ ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’!

Since the Government took office in January, the number of children awaiting scoliosis surgery has risen from 112 to 131, despite 303 procedures being carried out by Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) up to July. CHI noted that the list is constantly changing as patients are added and removed.In 2017, then–Health Minister Simon Harris pledged that no child would wait more than four months for surgery. That target remains unmet, and there have since been calls for the Tánaiste to resign on the back of his failed promises.Why are children waiting so long for surgeries, and what needs to be done to improve these wait times for children and their families?Joining Andrea to discuss is Bernard Mulvany, Advocate with Access for All Ireland, Co-Leader of the Spina Bifida Advocacy Group, Una Knightly and Carolann Walsh, whose 5-year-old daughter is currently waiting for an MRI scan for scoliosis.

Would 40 degree temperatures put you off your summer break?Apparently not - a lot of us are still booking our holidays in Europe, despite the heatwave!So, are there cooler places we can look to, to escape the roaring temperatures?Joining Andrea to discuss is Sarah Slattery, Founder of the travelexpert.ie.

Lunchtime Live's Reasons to be Happy looks at some of the news stories that you might have missed that will leave you feeling more optimistic.98FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…

Due to a nationwide teacher shortage, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) is calling for improved pay for educators returning from the United Arab Emirates, in an effort to attract and keep qualified professionals.TUI President Anthony Quinn described the current situation as “utterly unacceptable,” highlighting the lack of secure employment for new teachers.A recent union survey revealed that only one in four teachers appointed since 2015 secured full-time work in their first position.Do you think teachers with experience should be given a better salary?Joining Andrea to discuss is General Secretary of Teachers Union of Ireland, Michael Gillespie, Teacher & Irish Examiner Columnist, Jennifer Horgan, Assistant Principal and member of Aontú, Eric Nelligan and more.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we’ll be talking Making Babies.Andrea will be joined by Professor Shane Higgins, Master of the National Maternity Hospital to cover every area of trying to have a baby. From the very start of knowing how to prepare, right up to pregnancy – and all the bumps in the road in between.This week, Shane joins Andrea to discuss the early signs of labour!

Legislation was brought in in 2021 that banned the reselling of tickets for more than their face value. The idea was to curb ticket touting and protect consumers. But, why is it still happening?Joining Andrea to discuss is Consumer Journalist and Presenter of the Home Show on Newstalk Sinead Ryan and Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly.

U2 is facing online backlash due to statements of support for Gaza that they posted to social media on Sunday. Critics are saying that it’s “too little, too late” and labeling the statements as “performative.”Joining Andrea to discuss is Arts Journalist Louise Bruton, Singer Mary Coughlan, Co-Founder of the Music & Entertainment Association of Ireland Jackie Conboy, Spin Presenter Jess Spencer and more.

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea is joined by Dr Alex Andreev, Consultant Ophthalmologist at Eyedoc Eye Clinic in Blanchardstown to answer all of your eye-related questions!