Highlights From Newstalk Breakfast

The Restaurant Association of Ireland has reported that a total of 577 cafes, restaurants and food businesses have had to close their doors since the 50% hike in the hospitality sector’s VAT rate.    Shane discusses this issue with Paul Lenehan, President of the Restaurant Association of Ireland and Ken Robinson, Owner of Kafe U in Westmeath that closed in June.

“Forcing your cultural taste on your children isn’t just OK- but it is your moral duty as a parent,” writes Louis Chilton in the UK Independent this week.      So, should we make our children to listen to the music we love?  Who better to talk us through this than Today FM’s Ed Smith.

Almost half of children are bullied, and they don’t feel listened to by adults. That’s according to a wide-ranging new report from the Ombudsman for Children’s Office into the attitudes of children.   To discuss the report findings was Dr Niall Muldoon Ombudsman for Children.

Overcrowding at University Limerick Hospital has caused the HSE to suspend a significant number of planned services across the five hospitals in the UHL group in the Mid-West.  The move has been made to allow UHL deal with the overcrowding issue. However the Irish Hospital Consultant Association have described the move as “unbelievable, unnecessary, and an abandonment of the people of the Mid-West”.  Melanie Cleary is a Spokesperson for the Midwest Hospital Campaign Group spoke to Jonathan this morning.

The Puck Fair, Ireland’s longest-running festival kicks off in Killorglin, Co. Kerry tomorrow. Independent TD for Kerry Michael Healy Rae spoke to Newstalk Breakfast ahead of the Festival opening.

Spanish Police are continuing their hunt for former Catalan Leader Carles Puigdemont after his shock return from a 7 year exile. Mr Puigdemont addressed a crowd of thousands in Barcelona before fleeing with the help of a police officer.  Back in 2017 Spanish police indicted Puigdemont on charges linked to a failed bid for Catalan independence. We get the latest on this story with Stephen Burgen, Contributor with the Guardian.

Ireland officially has now achieved its best ever Olympics are we are still flying high in the medal table.  However, it is putting our funding model under the spotlight. We discuss this further with Ian Mallon, a sports business consultant and columnist of The Pitch with the Irish Examiner.  

The Fleadh Cheoil is in full swing in Wexford and today the town is hoping to add it’s name to the record books!  Whistlers from all over the world will descend on Wexford Park in an attempt to break the record for the Most Tin Whistles played at one time.  Catherine Roche is one of the teachers for the ensemble of musicians and she has been telling us about the attempt.

Eirgrid, which operates the electricity network in Ireland, warned of a possible "mass exodus" of data centres from the country if new connection agreements could not be signed off on.  We spoke to Professor Aoife Foley, Chair in Net Zero Infrastructure at the University of Manchester. 

Driving test pass rates vary widely at different centres around the country. Almost two-thirds fail at one Dublin centre while more than two-thirds pass at a location in Kilkenny . But why is this the case? We spoke to Green Party TD Marc Ó Cathasaigh to discuss further.

Contactless payments for public transport must be fast tracked, that’s the call from Fine Gael Councillor Aoibhinn Tormey who explained why to Jonathan this morning. 

Are the days of letting your children outside the house to run wild and free over? With phones it’s now easier to trace their whereabouts and monitor their moves. But does this break their trust and is it overbearing? We discussed with Mary McCarthy Columnist with the Irish Independent.

Three Taylor Swift concerts due to take place in Vienna have been cancelled after police arrested two suspects who have been accused of planning terrorist attacks. The suspects have been accused of planning attacks across the city including at Swift’s gigs. Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast this morning Jess Spencer is a presenter with Spin and was due at tonight’s gig.

Who are Ireland’s renters and who are Ireland’s landlords? That is the focus of a new study from the Residential Tenancies Board which will aim to see how the market in Ireland shifts.  The first report in the series found that Registered private tenancies have risen by 17 thousand in the past year. To discuss the study findings was Brian Galway, Senior Research Officer with The Residential Tenancies Board.

Kellie Harrington made history by becoming the first Irish female athlete to win gold at back-to-back Olympic Games after a split decision over China's Wenlu Yang in the women's 60kg final at Paris 2024.  Kellie Harrington’s former coach, Paddy Osborne gave his reaction to her big win last night.

The amount of national second-hand stock has declined by 50% in ten years, that’s according to new research by property portal MyHome.ie.  We get reaction to this research with Carol Tallan, CEO of the Property District.

A major change is on the way for life sentences in Ireland with judges set to be given discretion to recommend minimum periods in prison for those sentenced to life. To explain the changes was Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.

Girls as young as seven feel they are held to different beauty standards than boys, according to a survey by Girlguiding.   The findings revealed that many young girls are becoming increasingly self-conscious about their looks and that a significant number are considering cosmetic procedures to fix their insecurities.  We discuss the findings with Psychotherapist and Author Stella O’Malley.

It may have just been scrapped in several airports across Europe but airports in the EU are to reimpose the 100 millilitre liquid limit for carry-on luggage on flights.  The move comes into place in September, but it is hoped it will only be on a “temporary” basis. To discuss further we heard from Eoghan Corry Owner and Editor of Travel Extra.   

Convictions of many rioters are set to be completed this week, while police brace for 30 more far-right protests. We get the latest from the UK with Vincent McAvinney, Broadcaster and Journalist.