The Last Word with Matt Cooper

According to the latest Irish Independent Doddl.ie Mortgage Switching Index, up to 100,000 mortgage holders in Ireland are overpaying on their home loans.While fixed rates have reduced significantly over the last 18 months, the same cannot be said for variable rates.Martina Hennessy of Doddl.ie said that “unless more borrowers actively review their rates and switch, there’s no pressure to bring these uncompetitive rates down and we will struggle with pricing discipline in the Irish market.”Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, spoke to Ian Guider on Wednesday's The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

US National Guard troops are arriving in Washington DC on the order of President Donald Trump who has declared a "public safety emergency" in the city.Marion McKeone and Cal Thomas join The Last Word to discuss this and more as Trump also prepares to sit down with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Many have described Israel's offensive in Gaza over the last 22 months as genocide, something which the Israeli government has strenuously pushed back on.Omer Bartov has a unique perspective on this, not only as professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University in the United States, but also as a former member of the Israeli Defence Forces.He joins The Last Word to explain why he believes Israel's actions in Gaza amount to genocide.Hear the full conversation by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

In June, Sinn Féin tabled a motion which sought extend presidential voting rights to Irish citizens in Northern Ireland and abroad.At the moment, only citizens living in Ireland can vote in the presidential election. Why is this the case, and does it alienate those residing abroad?TV Producer Paddy Duffy, who is originally from Donegal but now lives in the UK, and Gary Murphy, Professor of Politics at the School of Law and Government in DCU, spoke to Ian Guider on Tuesday’s The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

The new Pension Automatic Enrolment (AE), which is now called the ‘My Future Fund’, is due to arrive in January 2026. So, what’s the criteria for it, and will it actually benefit workers?Paul Kenny, former Pensions Ombudsman and Programme Leader of the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland, joined Ian Guider on The Last Word to answer your questions.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Turquoise water, white sand beaches and incredible sea life - Sarah Slattery from thetravelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to discuss travel to the Maldives.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

A recent survey carried out on behalf of Pure Telecom has found that almost 10% of adults in Ireland have had a romantic relationship with an AI chatbot in the last 12 months.Mental health charity Turn2Me has said that such figures highlight a loneliness pandemic in this country.CEO of Turn2Me, Fiona O’Malley, and author and broadcaster, Aoife Barry, spoke to Ian Guider on The Last Word about this.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

Broadcaster Ryan Tubridy repays €150,000 sum that was at the centre of the RTÉ payments scandal, Fox News reports on 'dangerous' Dublin but the stats don't add up, and a new study says that 10% of adults in Ireland have pursued a romantic relationship with an AI chatbot.Aoife Barry and Joe O'Shea join The Last Word to discuss these stories and more in The Week Trending.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Israel's political security cabinet has approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, marking a further escalation in the almost two-year offensive in the strip.Bel Trew, international correspondent with the Independent, joins The Last Word to discuss Israel's decision to expand its military operations in Gaza despite intensifying criticism at home and abroad.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

US President Donald Trump has called for Lip-Bu Tan, the newly appointed Chief Executive of Intel, to resign.Posting on his social media platform Truth Social, he said "The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately”.Mr. Trump did not specify what he thought the conflicts of interest were.Ian Guider, Columnist with the Business Post, spoke to Matt on Thursday.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.