The Last Word with Matt Cooper

The Government's plan to set up a new office to speed up home delivery has snowballed into a major issue, all while it is still scrambling to find ways to address Ireland's housing crisis.Tabitha Monahan, political reporter with the Irish Independent, and Daniel McConnell, editor of the Business Post, join The Last Word to explain this latest controversy and discuss whether it has exposed cracks in coalition relationships.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The number of women emigrating from Ireland has jumped 56% since the pandemic, according to a report by the Department of Enterprise.The figures also show that young women are emigrating at a much higher level than young menSarah McGuinness, political correspondent with the Irish Daily Mail, and Labour Senator Laura Harmon join The Last Word to discuss why so many are making the decision to leave Ireland. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Sunday and Irish Independent sports columnist Eamonn Sweeney has released his latest book “The Last Ditch: How One GAA Championship Gave A Sportswriter Back His Life”.It details how, in 2000, Eamonn developed a crippling phobia of travelling, which led to extreme panic attacks and resulted him living a solitary life in West Cork.However, he was given the opportunity to write about the 2024 GAA championship and knew that if he were to take on the project, he would have to overcome his fears once and for all.Eamonn joined Matt in studio to talk about his experience and his road to recovery.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to talk through all the best new tech for outdoor activities. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Writer Louise Hegarty is the latest inductee to the Culture Club. Following the release of the her debut novel Fair Play, a classic murder mystery with a twist, Louise joins The Last Word to discuss her favourite music, books and more. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The government has defended plans which could see chief executives of commercial semi-state bodies in line for pay increases worth tens of thousands of euro.This decision has come under criticism from members of the opposition, with the Social Democrats’ Cian O’Callaghan saying there was a “double standard” when compared with lower-paid workers.Brian Carey, Business Editor at The Sunday Times explained the significance of this on Wednesday’s The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

Charlie Weston, personal finance editor, Irish Independent, spoke to Matt about the implications of the carbon tax increases and also how a higher BER adds value to second-hand homes, and the cost of upgrading homes.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Kneecap continue to face backlash after videos from their shows resurfaced where members of the group appear to call for Conservative MPs to be killed and shout “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.Dee Reddy and John Caddell join The Last Word to discuss the Irish language rap trio’s track record of courting controversy and more of the latest music news.Catch the full chat by pressing the ‘Play’ button on this page!

Global tariffs, negotiating peace in Ukraine and an immigration crackdown are just some of the many moves made by US President Donald Trump since he returned to the White House.Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at University of Galway & columnist with The Journal join The Last Word to assess Trump's first 100 days in office.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Meath and Louth will contest this year’s Leinster Senior Football Final after the Royals beat Dublin at O’Moore Park in Portlaoise on Sunday.This will be the first time since 2010 that Dublin are not in the decider. Instead, Meath will face Louth after they beat Kildare on Saturday.Former Kildare footballer Johnny Doyle and Will O’Callaghan from Off The Ball spoke to Matt about the weekend’s results.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.