Highlights From Newstalk Breakfast

Plans to implement a ban on the use of scramblers in public places are expected to go before Cabinet this morning. Speaking to Anton this morning was Sean Canney Junior Minister of Transport & Independent TD for Galway East. 

The Oireachtas Media Committee is meeting today to discuss the regulation of online platforms, with senior figures from Meta, Google and TikTok due to appear.  Social media platform X has refused the invitation Joining Anton was someone who was once at the heart of Meta, Arturo Béjar, the company’s former Director of Engineering for Protect and Care, who has since become a whistleblower. 

Today, peace talks are set to take place in Abu Dhabi between the US, Ukraine and Russia in the hopes to bring an end to the war in Ukraine after nearly three years. We get the latest on this with Emmanuelle Chaze, Ukraine Correspondent for France 24.

Now it’s time for “Between the Lines”, where we take a closer look at some of the stories you may have missed in the news this morning. Joining Anton this morning was Sinéad O’Carroll, Editor of the Journal.ie. 

Tusla is opposing a proposed new law that would remove parental rights from people who kill their partner, arguing that a child’s best interests may still be served by maintaining a connection with their birth parents, even if the parent who remains is responsible for the death of the other.Internal emails show that the agency was disappointed that the Department of Justice ignored its objections to Valerie’s Law, which would remove automatic guardianship rights from those convicted and in some cases suspected of killing the other parent of their child.Valerie’s law is named after, of course, Valerie French, and her brother David spoke to Anton this morning.

Junk food ads aimed at children should be banned. That’s one of a number of calls made by members of the public in conversations hosted by Safefood Ireland last year. This comes as Safe Food is today launching a new exhibition called an ‘Appetite for Change’, to start a dialogue on healthy eating in Ireland and to tell us more about this is Anna Taylor Executive Director, The Food Foundation.

Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal investigation into Peter Mandelson following claims he passed market-sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein. It comes after the Cabinet Office referred material to police after reviewing Epstein file documents that suggest he forwarded internal government information to Epstein when he was business secretary in 2009.For the latest on this Anton spoke to Political Commentator Adam Boulton.

Last night might have been weather warning-free, but we’re not yet free from heavy rain and flooding. The extremely wet conditions in recent weeks could be replaced by freezing weather and snow by the middle of February, according to some longer-term predictions. Here to tell us more was Alan O’Reilly from Carlow Weather.

68-year-old retired prison officer Paudie Maloney has had quite a year! After becoming a household name after his memorable run on The Traitors Ireland, he has now taken his talents to the ballroom on RTÉ’s Dancing with the Stars. Paudie spoke to Anton about life after The Traitors.

The bottle Re-turn scheme has kick-started a craze of “bin scavenging” across Dublin leaving the city like a bomb site according to Richard Shakespeare, the chief executive of Dublin City Council. For more on this Anton was joined on the show by Nial Ring Ind Councillor for Dublin North Inner City.

Queen's University Belfast is to remove the name of former US Senator George Mitchell - one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement - from a peace centre following the emergence of new information contained in the Jeffrey Epstein files.Anton discusses this and more with Vinny McAvinney, Broadcaster and Journalist and Gina London, Former CNN White House Correspondent and Sunday Independent Columnist.

Babies as young as two-months-old can categorise objects in their brains, which is far younger than previously thought, according to new research by Trinity College Dublin, Queen's University Belfast and Stanford University.  To discuss these findings was Professor Rhodri Cusack from Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and co-author of the research. 

The National Emergency Co-ordination Group is warning that peak flooding is expected to hit towns across the east and southeast of the country.   Enniscorthy local Maureen Peare, who met with the Taoiseach after her home was destroyed during the flood spoke to Anton ahead of another flood warning. We also heard from  Independent Councillor for Enniscorthy, Jackser Owens.

“Ireland needs to abolish mandatory retirement and encourage longer working lives”. That’s the call from Adjunct Professor in Economics in Trinty College Dublin John Fitzgerald who spoke to Anton this morning.

Hairdressers across the country are preparing to increase their prices between three and five per cent as mounting cost pressures, according to the Irish Independent. To discuss further with Anton was Lisa Eccles, Owner of Zinc hair and beauty and spokesperson of the Irish Hairdressers Federation. 

Now it’s time for “Between the Lines”, where we take a closer look at some of the stories you may have missed in the news this morning. With Anton this morning was Author and Journalist Valerie Cox.

2025 saw 190 road deaths, the highest number in over a decade. 2025 also saw a drop in number of checkpoints Gardaí are carrying out across the country, according to new figures from Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, Ireland South MEP for Fianna Fáil who spoke to Anton this morning on the show.

A status yellow weather warning is in place this morning in the south east until later this afternoon, following a week of heavy rain across the country. Anton spoke to  Holly O’Neill, a meteorologist with Met Eireann. As the rain continues, concerns grow over flooding and to discuss this further is Keith Leonard, Chairperson of the National Emergency Coordination Group. 

From Tuesday February 3rd, this podcast will feature all the very best content from Newstalk Breakfast (7-9am) on Ireland’s only independent talk radio station. Presented by Anton Savage, a seasoned broadcaster and communications expert, this show has everything you need – and want – to know first thing each morning, brought to you with insight, intelligence and wit. It’s the perfect mix of news, current affairs, craic, entertainment, sport, politics, and everyday life issues to delve into over your coffee and commute, whether that’s out to the yard, into the city, or a short jaunt to the office in the back garden.  If you’re talking about it, we’re talking about it!  

Drivers of vans and small trucks are nearly twice as likely to use mobile phones while driving when compared to other road users, a new RSA survey has shown. To chat about the findings of the report was Shane O’Donoghue, Editor with completecar.ie.