The Hard Shoulder

A new initiative is being rolled across England which will see supervised toothbrushing taking place daily in schools across the country. It’s hoped the Government backed campaign will save the NHS millions by reducing the number of children who require hospital care for tooth decay…Is this something that should be done in Ireland?Dr. Caroline Robbins of Kiwi Dental in Carlow joins Kieran to discuss.

Have you found yourself waking up with aches and pains? You’re probably not sleeping properly!Joining Kieran to discuss the best and worst sleeping positions for your neck and back is Chiropractor and Clinical Director at Chiropractix, Dr Paul Bradley.

If you saw children roaming the streets with their heads in books - don’t worry! It’s just World Book Day!Over 900 thousand book tokens have been given out to students to redeem a free World Book Day title.Joining Kieran to discuss the day and where it came from is Maria Dickenson, Chair of Bookselling Ireland and Author Helena Duggan to discuss.

The NTA’s Bus Connects’ Dublin Progress Report revealed today that contactless payment with card/phone on public transport won't be available here for another three years, even though it is readily available in other countries…In what other ways can public transport in Ireland be compared to systems abroad?Joining Kieran to discuss is Mark Paul, London Correspondent with The Irish Times and Freelance Journalist in Sweden, Phillip O'Connor.

Ireland is an increasingly secular society, so why are Dublin's Marina Grottos still some of the best maintained in the world? Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports.

Meghan Markles’ lifestyle show ‘With Love, Meghan’, released on Netflix this week.Has this marked the return of the ‘domestic goddess’? And is this something people still want to be?Joining Kieran to discuss Columnist with the Independent and Presenter of the Home Show, Sinead Ryan and Freelance Journalist, Niamh O’Reilly.Image: Netflix

Bus Connects’ Dublin Progress Report has revealed today that passenger boardings have increased since the new Bus Connects network has been implemented.Hugh Creegan, Interim CEO of the National Transport Authority, joins Kieran to discuss.

This morning on Newstalk Breakfast, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers explained that we will not have anymore one-off supports toward energy costs…So, why are energy costs increasing, and is the Government right to not provide one-off supports?To discuss, Kieran is joined by Muireann Lynch, Energy Economist and Senior Research Officer with ESRI and Pearse Doherty, Sinn Féin Spokesperson for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, and TD for Donegal.

Life can be full of confusing things, but no need to worry! Every Wednesday, Simon Tierney will be showing you ‘How to do Stuff’ - bringing his best tips for those things you might not think about.This week, Simon joins Kieran to give advice on the perfect handshake!

For most of us, early retirement sounds like packing up the desk at 60.But a growing number of Irish people are devoting themselves to the FIRE movement - with hopes to retire at 50 or even just 40 years of age.So, how are they doing it? And can we do the same? Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports.