Highlights From The Pat Kenny Show

Thousands of children are set to be left without a hot lunch from today because suppliers claim changes to the Government’s school meals programme make providing to small schools financially unviable. We discuss this situation further with Ray Nangle, CEO of The Lunch Bag  and also Bríd Hanrahan, Deputy Principal of Kilbaha National School.

Hairdressers are joining the calls for the government to reduce the vat rate back to 9 percent to deal with the rising business costs. To discuss this further Pat was joined on the show by Lisa Eccles Dublin, President of the Irish hairdressers Federation and Owner of Zinc hair and beauty in Kilmainham Dublin. 

It's time to think about autumn and winter and to plan for yourself and your own well-being. Planning for winter is about aligning your environment, your habits and your mindset with the season that is ahead instead of just enduring it- you can thrive  on it. There are three components you need to consider when picking a hobby:  Physical, Mental and emotional as well as social connection. Clinical psychotherapist Stephanie Regan provides all the tips you need ahead of the winter.  

The Tenant-in-Setu scheme has headlined the papers recently as many tenants are being evicted because more councils are pausing the scheme  But what is this scheme, who is affected, and why is it being paused? Karl Deeter from Karl Deeter of Irish Mortgage Brokers explains all.

Sean Defoe, Newstalk's Political Correspondent and the Host of Let Me Explain Podcast brings us all an update on what happening in Irish politics.

Ireland’s women’s rugby is through to the World Cup quarter final after beating Spain over the weekend. They will face the black ferns in a challenging match next.  There was also plenty of premier league action as Liverpool beat the Gunners on their home turf, taking them to top of the Premier League table.  The Red Devils also scraped a narrow win over Burnley on Saturday, gaining their first win of the season. All to chat with Cathal Mullaney, Broadcaster with Off the Ball.

Earlier in the year, the CSO reported a 30% decline in visitor numbers for February, Economists warned that Ireland's tourism industry was at a tipping point, while others said Ireland had become too expensive for holiday makers to handle.  So, as the Summer of Tourism 2025 comes to a close, Newstalk reporter Sarah Madden finds out if the high season really did end on a low: 

Aid agencies issue urgent warnings of ongoing famine and a likely rise in preventable disease, linked to the dire living conditions in the war-shattered Enclave. Which begs the question, can Gaza survive famine amid total collapse? Pat discusses this and more with Alastair Campbell, Former Downing Street Director of communications and strategy. Host of the rest is politics podcast.

Joining Pat this morning for our Friday Forum were Thomas Byrne, Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for European Affairs and at the Department of Defence and TD for Meath East, Kathleen Funchion, Sinn Féin MEP for Ireland South and also Jack Horgan-Jones, Political Correspondent with The Irish Times.

There is a rush to stockpile months worth of Mounjaro as panic grows over its soaring cost.  Lilly who manufactures the jab, told its two British wholesalers to temporarily stop taking orders amid 'unprecedented demand' for the medication.  We discuss further with Enda Brady TRT World Presenter.  

A new species of dinosaur has been discovered on Isle of Wight. The fossils are 125 million years old.  The species has been named after sailor Ellen MacArthur due to the prominent sail along its back. MacArthur set a world record in 2005 for completing the fastest solo non-stop sailing voyage around the world.Maria McNamara, Professor of Paleontology at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at University College Cork brought us the details.

Electric Picnic in Stradbally is on this weekend, with 80,000 people attending the festival.   The weekend is jampacked with artists, DJ tents, and food trucks. from Chappell Roan, Hozier to Kneecap, there are plenty of artists to see.  We heard from Mikie O'Loughlin, Showbiz Editor for RSVP about what to look forward to this weekend. Also Henry McKean is getting festival ready as we asked him to test raincoats, with a watering can and a bucket of water. He sent us this report from the Great Outdoors Store.

Yaniv Korman grew up in Israel, but now lives in the UK where he has access to multiple perspectives of media. Living out outside of Israel has shaped his opinion entirely. Yaniv Korman landscape designer and heritage researcher joined Pat this morning to discuss this further.

Gareth Mullins talks through family favourite back to school dishes. The first one is Pork sausages, creamy mash, onion and mustard Gravy and the second is One pan Hake with tomato, red pepper, olives and potato. 

The UN security council has voted to terminate the UNIFIL peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon. The operation in which Irish peacekeepers have been involved with for decades, will end in 2027. All to discuss with Cathal Berry, Former TD and Former Member of the Defence Forces. 

Is university the first point of call for every student? Maybe it's a plc course or even an apprenticeship. Speaking to Pat was two people to tell us more about those options are Paddy Kavanagh, General Secretary of Connect and Ayebatari Anthony, who recently graduated from Stillorgan College of Further Education. 

Earlier this week a batch of ricotta and buffalo cheeses were recalled by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. And this hasn’t been the first outbreak of listeriosis in Ireland this Summer. But how concerned should the public actually be? Our chief reporter Barry Whyte has been finding out…

School secretaries and caretakers marched on the streets to the Dáil this morning. This march comes as school secretaries and caretakers have begun indefinite strike action. Our reporter Josh Crosbie was there to talk to secretaries and caretakers this morning.

This week on Boxed, John Fardy reviews 'Hostage' which is showing on Netflix.

In November 1977, Kathleen Richards, with her sister Deirdre and baby nephew, arrived to 25 Cromwell St, the home of Fred and Rose West. Looking to rent a room from the couple perceived by locals to be ‘nice people’. Kathleen has, for the first time, documented her story of her time there, along with her childhood in Dublin and England, and her life after in a new book ‘Under Their Roof’. Kathleen joined Pat this morning.