The Hard Shoulder

The Irish College of Psychiatrists have made calls today to radically reform CAMHS (Child and Adult Mental Health Services) governance to help address vital issues in the services.Dr. Patricia Byrne, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, and Chair of the Faculty of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the College of Psychiatrists joins Kieran to discuss. Naomi Connolly and Jenny Flaherty, who are among the thousands of parents who have been engaging with the system for years also join to discuss.

Broadcaster and Presenter on Ireland AM, Elaine Crowley joins Kieran to place her favourite book on the Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

World Athletics has said that it will introduce mandatory testing for anyone entering female competitions to verify their biological sex.In doing so, they have insisted that it is necessary to protect women's sport.Is this a good move?Former Olympian Sharron Davies joins Kieran to discuss.

The long-awaited resolution of the speaking rights debate has seemingly come to a head following a passing vote on speaking rights, with 94 votes to 74. So, what happens now?Kieran is joined by Louise O’Reilly, Sinn Fein TD for Dublin Fingal West and Timmy Dooley, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine and Fianna Fáil TD for Clare to discuss.

Is going out with friends for a pint a thing of the past? Replaced by an interactive experience where you become someone else and get served by a robot barman? Henry McKean checked out the world of 'competitive socialising' and sent in this report…

Chaos erupted in the Dáil Chamber once again over speaking time. For the last 3 months, political work has seemingly stalled.This ongoing row has been in the news agenda for months and massively disrupted the government from doing their work.Finally, a vote Dáil speaking time passes - 94 votes to 74.Kieran is joined by Newstalk’s Political Correspondent, Seán Defoe, to recap what has been happening and discuss.

The environmental project, PURE (Protecting Uplands & Rural Environments), has recorded a 22% increase in illegal dumping in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands when compared to 2023.Newstalk’s Henry McKean visited a secluded beauty spot on the Wicklow - Wexford Border, and sent in this report.

Ransom ‘79, a two-part documentary tracking veteran journalist Charlie Bird on his last investigation and quest for the truth following his diagnosis of Motor Neuron Disease in October 2022 is set to air later this month.Joining Kieran to discuss is John Kelleher, Producer of Ransom ‘79 and Journalist and Playwright Colin Murphy.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said that tens of thousands of jobs in Ireland could be at risk if US trade tariffs are introduced in early April. But, what does this mean for us, and what is the reality of these job losses?Joining Kieran to discuss is Neil McDonnell, CEO of ISME and John Fitzgerald, Adjunct Professor in Economics at Trinity College Dublin.

For this week’s Kids Health Check, Kieran is joined by Aoife Lee, Parenting Coach at ParentSupport.ie, to discuss how you can help your child navigate the tricky world of friendships in school.