Lunchtime Live

Yesterday, the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe delivered his statement for Budget 2026 to the Dáil. The reaction by most was one of little surprise, with the budget having little to no effect on the working-class person's day-to-day life.Those who are seeking to buy a house or keep their children in affordable childcare are no better off with little to no incentives to improve the housing market and increase Government support to the cost of early childhood education.People earning a typical salary of €50,000 will see a rise in their taxes as they will end up paying almost €500 extra in income tax, USC and PRSI next year.It was, however, a positive day for those in the hospitality sector, as they will benefit from tax deductions being reduced to 9%.Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss how these changes will affect them.

Andrea is joined by the incredible Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter RuthAnne!RuthAnne has been on the show a few times, usually about her experience with endometriosis and her campaigning for better healthcare.But today, she joins Andrea to talk about not only her new album, but also her new book!

It’s How I Live Well time! Where someone joins to discuss what they do to improve their life…This week, Andrea is joined by Aislinn Horgan (@byaislinn.ie on Instagram), who specialises in medical tattoos, to talk all about the practice.

Budget 2026 comes out today.One thing that is known ahead of the full announcement is that Ministers are taking the first step towards ending the means test for carers…The Carer’s Allowance means test will increase by €200 to €825 a month for a single person and by €400 to €1,650 a month for a couple.What do carers think of the change?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

Dr Nina Byrnes, GP at Generation Health Medical Clinic joined Andrea Gilligan to tackle your medical queries…

Big news broke last night in the race for the Áras: Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin has withdrawn from the Presidential election, following controversy over an unregistered tenancy linked to his past.It’s a major blow to the party and a shake-up in the race just weeks out from polling day…Joining Andrea to discuss the fallout and what it means for the campaign ahead is Malcolm Byrne, Fianna Fáil TD for the Wicklow–Wexford Constituency & Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence, Leanne Mallen, the President of Ógra Fianna Fáil and listeners.

Drogheda campaigners are launching a film today to showcase why they believe Drogheda should be made a city.Drogheda City Status Group has said "Unprecedented residential development in Drogheda and its hinterland means that city status has become an absolute necessity."Achieving city status can unlock a treasure trove of benefits, including increased funding for infrastructure and programs.This begs further questions about other large towns around the country, are they getting left behind? Do big towns get enough resources?Joining Andrea to discuss is Anthony Murphy, Public Relations Officer with the Drogheda City Status Group, as well as listeners.Image: Discover Ireland

Welcome to The Pod Squad!We review podcasts every week so you always have something new to listen to.Off the Ball’s Colm Boohig and Ellen Butler from the Newstalk Newsroom join Andrea to review ‘Therapy Crouch’!Image: Acast

Every parent fears their teenage children immediately going off the rails if they’re not kept under constant lock and key.But, does a helicopter strategy make life harder for everyone involved, and do kids do better when left to their own devices?Gwen Loughman wrote in the Journal about being as hands-off as possible with your own children over the summer, she joins Andrea, along with Katie Makk from the Opinions Matter Podcast, Clinical Psychologist Tara Logan Buckley and listeners to discuss.

For this week’s Ask Me Anything, John Keogh, Group Director of News at Newstalk joins Andrea to answer any of your newsroom questions!