The Hard Shoulder

It's been around 8 years since the launch of Sláintecare, and as reforms have been introduced gradually to remove private practice from public hospitals - the overall goal of Sláintecare.The changes, however, may be leading to the ever-increasing cost of health insurance.Joining Kieran to discuss is Tony O'Brien, former Director General of the HSE and Sunday Independent Columnist.

For this week’s Kids Health Check, Kieran is joined by Aoife Lee, Parenting Coach at ParentSupport.ie, to discuss tips and tricks to support your kids if they are experiencing bullying, and ways to spot it.

A flotilla heading to Gaza that had departed Barcelona was forced back to port after a storm hit parts of Spain overnight.They were due to set sail this afternoon, and Kieran caught up with one of those on board, Comedian Tadhg Hickey, just before they set off again.

It’s being argued that the tricolour has been erected across Irish communities as part of an anti-immigration campaign. What is the solution to this?Over how to tackle this issue, Kieran is joined by Labour Cllr for Dublin South Central, Darragh Moriarty.

Episode 1 of ‘The Traitors: Ireland’ is in the books, with twists and turns all over the place.Many fans of the UK series have been waiting for this Irish version to come on air – is it worth the wait?Kieran is joined by 98FM Producer Russell Alford!Image: RTÉ

With the next Presidential Election looming, questions remain on who exactly will be on the ballot. Fianna Fáil seem to be in two camps, with backing for both MEP Billy Kelleher and Jim Gavin - with former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern not ruling himself out. There are also questions about who Sinn Féin’s pick will be, and if Catherine Connolly could get their support.Joining Kieran with the latest updates is Political Correspondent for the Irish Daily Mail, Sarah McGuinness.

If you are someone who loves a loyalty card, then should you ask yourself: is the company I’m loyal to as loyal to me?Joining Kieran with her tips and tricks for getting the best subscription deals is Caitríona Redmond, Consumer Columnist with the Irish Examiner…

Speaking on the Hard Shoulder last week on the issue of shoplifting, former Garda Inspector and Risk Assessor Tony Gallagher called on the Government to explore the privatisation of the prisons service, as capacity continues to impact sentencing among other issues…So, is he right? Could the privatisation of prisons help alleviate the current problems around prison capacity?Joining Kieran to discuss is John McGuirk, Editor of Gript.ie and Matt Carthy, Sinn Féin TD for the Cavan-Monaghan constituency.

This week, Kieran Cuddihy was joined by the presenter of Weekend Breakfast on Today FM, Alison Curtis and Ruth Scott, Broadcaster and Humanist Celebrant to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

Twenty years ago today, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. To remember the day, Kieran is joined by Jean Whitfield and Michael Leyden, who were in the city at the time on their honeymoon.