Highlights From Newstalk Breakfast

Have you ever fancied spending the night in a home from your favourite TV show or film? There are places across Ireland and the UK where you can do just that. To take us through some examples, Vincent spoke to Megan Virgo, Freelance Travel writer for the Irish Daily Mail.

The beautiful Summer weather is the perfect opportunity to give your kids more freedom to stay out longer and choose their own activities. That’s the view of Clinical Psychologist Dr. David Coleman, who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

Harry Styles has had a university course in the US dedicated to him – no that is not an April fool's joke – students in Texas will be able to study the singer and celebrity culture in college To give us the latest on the story Ciara spoke to Audience editor Independent.ie, Deirdre Molumby.

The European Central Bank’s governing council will consider raising interest rates by as much as half a percentage point when it meets later this morning. The bank is trying to contend with record inflation and big increases in borrowing costs across much of the world over the past several months. Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast this morning was John Fitzgerald Adjunct Professor in Economics at Trinty College Dublin.

Minister of State for Public Procurement and eGovernment, Ossian Smyth spoke to Newstalk Breakfast on the latest greenhouse gas emissions report.

Online abuse of GAA players and officials has become so severe that referees are being advised to stay off social media in the days after they officiate at games - that’s according to a report on Primetime this evening For more on this Vincent spoke to Referee Conor Lane.

Sinn Fein’s Leader Mary Lou McDonald made a direct appeal to the Irish living in Australia to return home to be a part of a new Ireland that we must build’ in Canberra yesterday. She stated that young Irish people had been ‘robbed of a life in Ireland’ Aphria Loftus, Childcare Educator in Ever Learn Pre School in Sydney is living in Australia and joined Ciara on the show to tell us whether she sees a future for herself in Ireland.

Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions increased by 4.7% in 2021 compared to 2020. However, the figure for 2021 is still over 1% higher than before the pandemic in 2019 and far short of the 7% annual decrease needed to meet our 2030 climate target commitments. For more on the findings of the report, Vincent spoke to Mary Frances Rochford, EPA Programme Manager.

And then there were two! Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are set to face off in a campaign spanning six weeks as they vie to become the next Prime Minister. Lauren McEvatt a Former Conservative government Special Adviser spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning with more to details on the race to become the next UK Prime Minister.

Central Dublin’s formerly majestic views have been reduced to a tawdry spectacle of decline. That is the view of Columnist with The Sunday Independent, Liam Collins who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

The World Health Organisation announced yesterday that Europe will face a challenging autumn and winter if more is not done to deal with escalating cases. For more on this Newstalk Breakfast spoke to Professor Anthony Staines, Professor of Health Systems at the School of Nursing and Human Sciences at DCU.

Europe's heatwave looked set to peak yesterday, but temperatures may remain above normal into the middle of next week according to the World Meteorological Organisation. London Fire Brigade declared a major incident due to “a huge surge” in blazes across the capital amid 40°C heat yesterday Rachael Venables is a correspondent with LBC radio and joined from the scene of one of the worst fires yesterday in Wennington. We also spoke to Cliodhna O'Flynn, Journalist and Broadcaster in Spain.

Sinn Féin has intensified its campaign for a border poll with the launch of a 'Commission on the Future of Ireland'. But is a border poll the right decision for the island of Ireland? Sinn Fein MLA for South Antrim and chair of the commission, Declan Kearney & Editor of The Belfast Newsletter, Ben Lowry spoke to Vincent on the show this morning.

With increased risks of severe weather incidents – Ireland now needs urgent action to ensure society has the infrastructure and services in place to respond to the impact that climate change That’s the call today from the Climate Change Advisory Council and Professor Peter Thorne who is the Chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council’s Adaptation Committee spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

Free Now have announced that they are set to add an additional €1 to the price of every taxi journey starting in August. The company announced the price increase to its customers yesterday via email Jim Waldron, Of the National Private Hire & Taxi Association gave Newstalk his reaction to this price increase.

Refugees travelling here from 20 safe European countries will from tomorrow be required to hold visas under a change agreed by Government yesterday. The move tightens immigration rules here amid an accommodation shortage for refugees. Nick Henderson is the CEO of the Irish Refugee Council

Will Ireland’s strict carbon emission targets require a reduction in the national herd? Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue spoke to Vincent on the show this morning to discuss further.

The Football Association is set to trial the removal of heading from u12 football and below. The move comes as scientists have found a link between playing football and having dementia later in life. Dawn Astle, Co-founder of the Jeff Astle Foundation spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning to discuss this decision further.

Temperatures peaked at 33 degrees in Dublin yesterday, the hottest day recorded in 135 years. Irish Water has warned that there are 12 areas across the country at risk of drought. Cara Augustenborg, Assistant Professor of Landscape Studies and Environmental Policy at UCD discussed what these high temperatures mean for climate change.

Steve Bannon, former chief political adviser to Donald Trump and founding father of his anti-elite movement, had his day in court on Monday on charges of contempt of Congress after he snubbed the House committee investigating January 6, 2021. So what can we expect to hear from the trial? Martin Wall Irish Times Washington correspondent spoke to Vincent this morning on the show.