Lunchtime Live

From a lack of Holy Water to a gigantic Limerick pumpkin, Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea Gilligan with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

A new EU pay directive, set to come in next June, would see greater transparency on job listings, aim to help reduce the gender pay gap and allow employees the right to enquire about the salaries of co-workers with similar duties.So, would you welcome this? Would you like to know what your colleagues earn, and would having the salary figure up front encourage you to be more honest in your job search?Joining Andrea to discuss is Caroline Reidy from the HR Suite, as well as listeners.

When you want to make changes to your home, there are some small things you can do that you may not realise can make a big difference!Well, the Home Squad are here to discuss small (but impactful) interior changes!Joining Andrea to discuss is Jenny Sheehan, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year’ (@workerscottage on Instagram) and Emma Delaney from April & the Bear.

When pensions were covered on the show, there were huge reactions from listeners - showing that the demand is there to know more about saving for your future.So, we’ve decided to break it down into three parts, over the next three days.We’ll discuss the various different stages of your pension – and what you need to know or do at each point.Today, Andrea is joined by Co-Founder and Head of Financial advice for Moneycube, Ralph Benson, to discuss handling your pension mid-way through your working life.

Parents up and down the country might be starting to pick up the odd thing for their little ones ahead of Christmas.But, should you reconsider buying a toy gun for your child? Given the unstable times we live in, are we normalizing violence for young people by giving them fake weapons to play with?Freelance Journalist Niamh O’Reilly has been writing about this in the Irish Independent, and joins Andrea, along with Stephanie Rohen from the Newstalk Newsroom, Siobhan O’Neill White from Mams.ie and Lisa O’Sullivan Shaw.

Citywest and Saggart were hit with more riots last night as protesters took to the streets to express their frustration surrounding Citywest Hotel housing of refugees.Last night was the second night in a row in which Gardaí had to take to the streets to control the mayhem. Property was vandalized and people living in the area were afraid of what was happening on their doorsteps…The pent-up frustration of these rioters has caused havoc on the streets in South Dublin. What needs to be done to tackle these problems and prevent further riots from occurring?Joining Andrea to discuss is Deputy General Secretary of the GRA, James Morrisroe.

It’s a difficult time to keep a restaurant afloat, leading to menus that are playing it too safe and a feeling that no matter where you go, you’re eating the same stuff.That’s according to Restaurant Critic Katy McGuinness in her latest review for the Irish Independent.So, have restaurants become too similar? Katy joins Andrea, along with Conor Spacey, Culinary Director of Food Space and author of ‘Wasted’.

We’ve decided to do a deep dive on some of our favourite albums to explore the stories behind them.What did the artists really think of each other? Where did the inspirations from the songs come from?Joining Andrea to discuss is Head Tour Guide at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience, Alan Buckley, who’s going to talk through Radiohead’s ‘OK Computer’!

When pensions were covered on the show, there were huge reactions from listeners - showing that the demand is there to know more about saving for your future.So, we’ve decided to break it down into three parts, over the next three days.We’ll discuss the various different stages of your pension – and what you need to know or do at each point.Today, Andrea is joined by Co-Founder and Head of Financial advice for Moneycube, Ralph Benson, to discuss getting started!

Lunchtime Live's Reasons to be Happy looks at some of the news stories that you might have missed that will leave you feeling more optimistic.98FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…