The Hard Shoulder

Some customers of the waste company Panda have expressed unease at their bins being monitored. The company has rolled out a monitoring campaign to over 50,000 customers to try and get people to put their rubbish in the correct bin. But is this an effective way to change people’s behaviour? And are customers right to be concerned about privacy? Dublin Editor with the Irish Times Olivia Kelly and Secretary of the Irish Waste Management Association Conor Walsh join Kieran to discuss.

Following on from a discussion about crèche waiting lists, Chair of the Federation of Early Childhood Providers Elaine Dunne, and Principal of The Glebe National School in Donegal Town Alison Pasquier join Kieran to discuss the benefits of Early Childhood Education.

An Irish man's experience with an AI chatbot conducting a job interview raises intriguing questions about the future of recruitment. The podcast explores how candidates must adapt their CVs to impress algorithms while debating the essential human touch in interviews. Discussions highlight the balance between AI's efficiency and the irreplaceable insights of human recruiters. The risks of AI are also examined, particularly the potential for overlooking diverse talent. It raises important conversations about fairness and inclusion in hiring practices.

Join journalist Jen Hogan, known for her insights in The Irish Times and as host of the Conversations with Parents podcast, as she shares effective tips on getting kids involved in household chores. She discusses how chores can instill responsibility and life skills while balancing expectations with rewards. Discover manageable tasks for children and the joy they can find in helping out, like caring for pets. Jen emphasizes the importance of appreciation and a family rota to ensure fairness in contributions.

Grants are being offered by Enterprise Ireland to companies affected by the US tariffs. It’s as the Government launched its plan to tackle new worldwide markets for investment into the future. CEO of IBEC Danny McCoy joins Kieran to discuss.

Daniil Medvedev suffered a shock first round lost at The US Open to Benjamin Bonzi, during which play was interrupted by a photographer, leading to Medvedev going on a rant to the umpire, along with smashing his own racquet at the end of the game. Sports psychologist Dr Aoife Quinn joins Kieran to discuss.

Actress Siobhan McSweeney, best known for her role as Sister Michael on Derry Girls, is set to host The Traitors Ireland. Siobhán joins Kieran to discuss. 

As primary schools head back to school, everything is going to get that little bit more busy on our roads. So, how congested will things become, and how do we make it as safe as possible? Former Green Party Senator Pauline O’Reilly and Chair of the Dublin Commuters Group Jason Cullen join Kieran to discuss.

The BreastCheck national cancer-screening programme has missed its targets for the last two years, according to figures from the HSE The aim was for 195,000 women to be screened last year, but only 137,134 checks were carried out.CEO of the Irish Cancer Society Aevril Power joins Kieran to discuss.

It’s been reported that former Dublin GAA manager Jim Gavin has been courted by Fianna Fail as a possible presidential candidate. Irish editor for The Independent, Fionnan Sheehan, joins Kieran to discuss.