The Hard Shoulder

Over 450 motorists have gotten out of convictions and avoided getting penalty points by making a donation to the court poor box since 2022.459 drivers in front of the District Court had their charges dismissed or struck out after putting money in the poor box.To discuss further Ciara Doherty is joined by Newstalk’s Henry McKean.

As you should know by now, Catherine Connolly is now the 10th President of the Republic of Ireland. She has officially taken over from Michael D Higgins after an inauguration ceremony in Dublin Castle today.Newstalk’s Political Correspondent Seán Defoe has been keeping an eye on proceedings today, and joins Ciara Doherty to discuss how things went, and to look ahead to the next few days as President Connolly begins the role.

As eight counties are issued a Status Yellow rain warning today, drivers are urged to take care as spot-flooding and poor visibility are expected, but are these warnings enough, or should we look to revamp our flood warnings here to account for high rivers and saturated land?Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Alan O’Reilly from Carlow Weather and Danny Collins, Independent Ireland Cllr.

Scams are on the rise across Ireland, with many people being targeted on a daily basis, and so there is a push to make people aware of how to protect themselves as the scams become more intelligent and harder to detect.To chat about this, Ciara Doherty is joined by former Irish international and FraudSmart advocate, Niall Quinn.

For this week’s Kids Health Check, Ollwyn Moran, Neuro Development Therapist and Founder of Cognikids joins Ciara Doherty to discuss how to recognise autism and ADHD in your child.

BBC Chair Samir Shah has given an apology this afternoon to a parliamentary group responsible for scrutinising the work of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its associated public bodies - including the BBC.It follows the resignation of BBC Director General Tim Davie and Chief Executive of News Deborah Turness following criticism that a BBC documentary misled viewers by editing a speech by US President Donald Trump during an episode of Panorama.It’s also been confirmed that Trump has sent a letter to the BBC threatening legal action.Steve Barnett is Professor of Communications at University of Westminster, and joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, was asked on the Anton Savage Show on Newstalk on October 18th about popping up in emergency departments unannounced, she stated: “That’s the way I’m doing it, if they don’t like it, they can leave”.One consultant who was not encouraged by the Minister’s words was Dr Lisa Cunningham, Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Mayo University Hospital. She joins Ciara Doherty to discuss…

Sesame Street has gone global today, with new episodes dropping on Netflix, also marking the show’s 56th anniversary. And, in an age where kids have access to endless amounts of entertainment, will there be much of an appetite for Sesame Street - is there a need for a reimagination of kids TV in general?Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is author Sarah Maria Griffin.

The pressure on Israel’s participation in international competition is building.It’s after the FAI passed a resolution this weekend to submit a formal motion to UEFA urging it to ban Israel from European club and international competitions.One of those leading the charge is Bohemians FC, and their Chief Operating Officer Daniel Lambert joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

While the focus from many wellness influencers in recent years has been on protein, there has been a noticeable shift towards prioritizing fiber, but what are the health benefits of a fiber-rich diet?Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Shelly Gray, Today FM Presenter and Registered Dietitian.