Highlights From Newstalk Breakfast

Senior public servants earning more than €150,000 will receive pay restorations of 10 – 15% despite rising inflation and the increased cost of living. This is the last round of an unwinding of pay cuts imposed on public servants during the financial crisis. Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness is Chair of the Finance Committee spoke to Shane this morning on the show.

An Taoiseach Micheál Martin has admitted he’s 'worried' about the winter as energy prices are set to soar even higher. EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness this week has also cautioned that fuel rationing in Ireland 'could be a reality' in the autumn. Energy Economist & Senior Research Officer with ESRI, Muireann Lynch spoke to Ciara this morning on the show.

Since the pandemic, people are dressing differently, not wearing formal suits, looking less official and wearing casual clothing and even trainers to work. So said Clodagh Shorten of Samui in the Irish Times over the weekend. But is the death of formal wear a good thing? To discuss further Ciara was joined on the show by Noel Cunningham from Harvey’s Point Hotel in Donegal.

There’s a lot of expectation for Budget 2023 now, to ease finances for those who are struggling with costs of living. What could be in store? Shane was joined on the show by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar.

It is ageist and sexist to portray menopause as a “deficiency” that requires treatment with hormone replacement therapy. That’s the view of Martha Hickey a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Melbourne, Australia who joined us on yesterday’s show. In response to this interview, Ciara spoke to Kate Muir –author of “Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause” and producer of Davina McCall’s Channel 4 documentaries on menopause.

Foras na Gaeilge has launched a nationwide campaign to encourage the use of Irish in communities outside of Gaeltacht areas. The initiative aims to create more Gaelphobal communities and joining Newstalk Breakfast with more is Language Planning Co-ordinator at Foras na Gaeilge, Ursula Ni Shabhaois.

We need urgent action on public transport in Ireland, not more reports that’s the view of writer and campaigner Emma De Sousa who joins spoke to Shane this morning.

A couple in their 70s may have been dead for up to a year before being discovered yesterday afternoon in Co Tipperary. A garda investigation has been launched after the bodies were found at a house in Cloneen Sean Moynihan CEO of Alone gave his reaction to this tragic discovery.

It is ageist and sexist to portray menopause as a “deficiency” that requires treatment with hormone replacement therapy. That’s the view of Martha Hickey a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Melbourne, Australia who spoke to Ciara on the show this morning.

Irish homes are among the least crowded in the EU. That’s according to Data from the European Commission's data analysis wing Eurostat. Are Irish people living in buildings that are too large for their needs? For more on this Newstalk Breakfast spoke to Tom Philips Managing Director of Tom Philips associates, and Adjunct Associate professor of architecture and planning at UCD.

Coalition leaders met Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath last night in advance of far-reaching decisions on budgetary strategy, the public sector pay talks, and the Government response to cost-of-living increases. Cabinet will also meet to discuss the issues today. To discuss further Shane was joined on the show by Cliff Taylor Columnist with The Irish Times and also Labour Leader Ivana Bacik.

With the National Maternity Hospital finally signed off, is it time to talk about religious influence on health services? And should religious iconography be removed from hospitals and healthcare settings? Dr Margaret Naughton, Healthcare Chaplain at University Hospital Kerry spoke to Shane on Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

A popular beer garden shared by three pubs in Dublin City Centre is set to be closed due to a new hotel development on the site. The beer garden, shared by Fibber Magee’s, The Living Room, and Murray’s will be closed due to a large extension to the Holiday Inn Express on O’Connell Street. Neasa Hourigan Green Party TD for Dublin Central spoke to Newstalk Breakfast with a reaction to this decision.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has revealed that she is pregnant with her second child. Minister McEntee made history last year as the first-ever Cabinet minister to take maternity leave though the arrangements were complicated and highlighted the lack of legal provision to allow Leinster House politicians to take leave after having a baby. How much has materially changed between Minister McEntee’s pregnancies? Caitríona Gleeson is CEO of Women for Election spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

The bodies of an elderly man and woman were found at a house in Tipperary yesterday. Gardaí is still investigating the discovery, though it is indicated that the couple, both in their seventies, had been dead for a considerable period of time, possibly weeks or even months. For more on this story, Ciara spoke to Ralph Riegel is Southern Correspondent with the Irish Independent and also Independent TD for Tipperary, Mattie McGrath.

Cleanse, tone, botox like it or not, cosmetic tweakments have become a skincare normality. But as the likes of filler increase in prevalence, so too does the pressure to jump aboard the bandwagon. Stefanie Preissner is Screenwriter and Host of the BASICALLY Podcast joined us this morning with her view on this.

The Housing crisis has again been at the fore of the news agenda in the past week. President Michael D Higgins stated that the housing crisis the country has been battling, is no longer a crisis, ‘it’s a disaster.’ Coilin O’Reilly Assistant Chief Executive with Dublin City Council with responsibility for Housing and Community Services spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said he wants to wait until October's Budget before introducing any further measures to ease the cost of living. This comes after thousands of people took to the streets in protest over the weekend. Is help coming soon enough? To discuss further Newstalk Breakfast spoke to Stephen Kinsella, Head of the Department of Economics at the University of Limerick and Chief Economics Writer at The Currency and also Neil McDonnell CEO of ISME

U2 frontman Bono has given his first-ever reading from his forthcoming memoir while in conversation with Irish poet Paul Muldoon. As part of the Dalkey Book Festival, the pair met in Finnegan's of Dalkey and talked about crafting poems, songs, and the process of writing. At the event was Ian Robertson, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Trinity College Dublin and Paul told Newstalk Breakfast about the event.

Depression rates soared among young adults during the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s according to a new report by the Economic and Social Research Institute. For more on this, Ciara spoke Leslie Shoemaker Counselling Psychologist is Mentoring lead with Convene in TU Dublin.