Tempers Flare as Meath TDs Clash Live on Air Over Fuel Excise Accusations - 30/06/2026

Tempers Flare as Meath TDs Clash Live on Air Over Fuel Excise Accusations - 30/06/2026

Claims made about the recent Finance Bill and proposed fuel excise increases have sparked a public disagreement between two Meath West TDs. Sinn Féin's Johnny Guirke took to social media to criticise Aontú leader and fellow Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín, claiming he failed to speak out in the Dáil on the issue and arguing that rural communities and motorists deserved stronger opposition to the measures. Deputy Tóibín has strongly rejected those claims, describing them as untrue and insisting that he did raise the issue of fuel excise during the Finance Bill debate. Things got very heated on The Agenda this morning when we were joined on the show by Sinn Féin TD Johnny Guirke and also by Aontú leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín, who came head to head over the issue. Deputy Guirke branded Deputy Toibin a "cry baby" live on air. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Navan Man Launches Public “Test” to See How Politicians Respond to Direct Constituent Feedback - 30/06/2026

A Navan resident says he has launched a civic initiative aimed at testing how open political parties and public representatives are to direct, unscripted feedback from members of the public. Darren Stapleton says he has contacted the leaders of all major political parties, including local representative and leader of Aontu, Peadar Tóibín, with what he describes as a “raw reflection” on the cost of living and the barriers he believes exist to political participation, including party membership fees. He says the exercise is intended to gauge how seriously politicians engage with ordinary constituents when faced with direct and unfiltered views, rather than formal correspondence or structured submissions. Darren also contacted media outlets to conduct the same test, and he joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Daughter of Balbriggan Man Killed by Partner Welcomes Planned Changes to Court Character References - 30/06/2026

The daughter of a Balbriggan man who was killed by his partner has welcomed planned changes to the law that would reform how character references are presented in court for people convicted of serious offences. Karen Ryan has been campaigning for change since her father, James Ryan, was killed in 2024 by his partner, Olesja Hertova .  Karen has now spoken about the distress caused when a character reference was submitted on behalf of the woman convicted of his killing during sentencing. The Government has now agreed to support an amendment to legislation that would require character references in cases involving serious offences, including unlawful killing, domestic violence and coercive control, to be made under oath in open court or by sworn affidavit. Karen says the changes are an important step and could help spare other grieving families from further trauma during court proceedings, and she joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Meath TD Criticises Government Over Lack of Parks, Pitches and Playgrounds in Meath - 30/06/2026

Sinn Féin TD for Meath East Darren O’Rourke has launched a strong attack on the Government over what he describes as persistent failures in planning and a chronic shortage of community infrastructure across County Meath. Raising the issue in the Dáil with the Minister for Housing and Planning, Deputy O’Rourke said the county has been left “buckling” under decades of rapid population growth, while basic facilities such as playing pitches, playgrounds and public parks have not kept pace with demand. Deputy O'Rourke joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Social Media and Far-Right Ideas Still Pose Risk to LGBT+ Community, Group Warns - 30/06/2026

Cork’s Sexual Health Clinic is warning that people cannot be complacent about the threat that social media and far-right ideology may pose to members of the LGBT+ community. The clinic is currently conducting a survey asking LGBT+ people across Ireland about their experiences of discrimination, safety concerns and online hostility, with a particular focus on hearing from trans and gender-diverse respondents. Health officials say that while progress has been made in recent years, discrimination and misinformation continue to affect many in the community. They also say that trans people, in particular, are facing growing political hostility internationally, alongside targeted misinformation online. The clinic’s senior health promotion officer Phil Corcoran says more needs to be done to challenge these trends and ensure people are protected. Phil joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.