Highlights from Lunchtime Live

Anna's guest, Tracy Martin, has been in a wheelchair for 37 years. Tracy has experience of what it is like for wheelchair users living in rural counties, and the limitations they have compared to the cities.Tracy previously lived in Madrid independently for years, and joins to discuss the differences she has noticed since she returned to Ireland. Also joining to discuss is Bernard Mulvaney from Access for All Ireland.

Lunchtime Live's Reasons to be Happy looks at some of the news stories that you might have missed that will leave you feeling more optimistic.98FM's Cathal O'Sullivan joined Anna Daly in the studio to put a smile on your faces…Image: BBC

More and more people are finding themselves caring for both children and aging loved ones, while also trying to manage work, family, and their own lives.Anna's guests are living that reality every day in the ‘sandwich' generation, as they navigate the challenges of caring for elderly parents while keeping everything else afloat…

Every Wednesday afternoon, we'll be talking Making Babies.Professor Shane Higgins, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, joins to cover every area of trying to have a baby. From the very start of knowing how to prepare, right up to pregnancy – and all the bumps in the road in between.This week, Shane joins guest host Anna Daly to discuss post birth recovery, and answer listener questions.

Navigating grief is something that each person does differently, but when you are faced with loss in your life... grief can be overwhelming.Stephanie Walsh joins Anna Daly to share how her own experiences influenced her career…

A new report from Daft.ie has revealed a record rise in rents at the start of this year…In the lead up to the controversial new rent rules, Ireland saw the largest quarterly increase in over 20 years. How do you feel about the current renting situation in the country?Guest host Anna Daly is joined by listeners to hear their experiences.

For this week's Ask the Expert, guest host Anna Daly is joined by Blake Boland, Spokesperson with Dublin Bus, to discuss how to best avoid issues with buses, and answer any of your questions!

As the summer stretches out ahead of us, many will be looking forward to a well deserved break, but if you haven't organised any holidays, can you make your annual leave work for you?HR Expert at NFP HR Solutions, Caroline Reidy joins Anna Daly to discuss.

With the World Cup set to kick off in June, many Irish fans say they'll be backing England, with Ireland missing out on qualification for this year's tournament in America…But, it raises an interesting question: why do so many of us love to see England lose when Ireland are playing, yet find ourselves supporting them when we're not involved?Will you be cheering the English lads this summer, or are you hoping they crash out early?Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Newstalk's own, Ciaran Bradley, Soccer Coach and local Councillor, Fiona Connelly and listeners.

We are in the wedding season, so are you facing a summer of multiple invites?Celebrating a big day can be great fun, but it is expensive to be a guest...Shannen Healy has 11 weddings this year - not including her own! She joins Anna to discuss how she's handling it.

Katie Gallagher, Spin News Anchor, has her finger on the pulse for what's happening and she joins Andrea with the things you don't want to miss this week!Image: Netflix

In a bid to improve school attendance, some schools have introduced incentives like pizza parties and hot chocolates for all students...But, are these so-called bribery tactics really a good idea to boost school attendance?Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Noel Loftus, Principal of St. Attracta's National School in Roscommon, Eoin Dolan, Principal of Mother of Divine Grace National School in Finglas, Nessa Hill, Barrister & CEO of Neurodiversity Ireland and listeners.

It's time for Ask the Medic! Where an expert joins to answer any of your health-related questions.This week, guest host Anna Daly is joined by Consultant Endocrinologist, Dr Mary Ryan to discuss all you need to know about hormones…

For new mums, things can be overwhelming when it comes to getting back into shape after pregnancy - and any little comments about your appearance can badly hurt.Business owner and mother, Sarah Gangley, had a negative experience, and joins guest host Anna Daly to share her story…

Pets have become part of the family, so when one dies, the grief can be overwhelming, but do people who don't have pets take pet grief seriously enough?Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Today FM Presenter Alison Curtis, Clodagh Campbell, The Wellness Psychologist and Professor Philip Hyland from Maynooth's Department of Psychology.

TV Presenter Brian Dowling & Dancing with the Stars Judge Arthur Gourounlian are one of Ireland's most recognisable couples.They join Anna Daly in the studio to chat life, parenthood and their partnership with The AIB Community €1 Million Fund!

Are you determined to finally get on top of your finances once and for all?For many, looking at your bank account is something you dread, but how should we best manage what's coming in and what's coming out?For this edition of Finance Matters, guest host Anna Daly is joined by Paul Merriman of Ask Paul to discuss overdrafts and savings, as well as answer any of your questions!

For many people, driving is the easiest way to get around, but the cost of parking, especially in Dublin City Centre, can be a huge expense. One woman recently spent €57 to park for just one day!Where have you found the most expensive parking, and has the cost changed how you travel?Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Brand Founder and Entrepreneur, Claire Clarkson, as well as listeners.

For this week's Ask Me Anything, Kellie Gallagher, Formulated Product and Beer Specialist at the Guinness Brewery joins Andrea to answer any of your beer-related questions!

Andrea's guest has a heartening housing story to share. After three years of living in rented accommodation and facing constant uncertainty about their future, Kayleigh applied for the Tuath Housing Scheme in the hope of finding long-term stability for her family…Today, Kayleigh, her partner Alan, and their two children are settled into a three-bedroom home in Mullingar - a place where they finally feel secure and can look forward to building a future together.Kayleigh joins to discuss!

Many childminders across the country are struggling with the new Tusla regulations, which many feel are unclear and, in some cases, unworkable for home-based childcare settings…As a result, many have delayed registering, believing the rules apply creche-style standards to small, one-person childminding businesses in a way that is neither practical nor feasible.Joining Andrea to discuss this is Director of Mary Geary Childcare, Ollie Sheehan, as well as listeners.

This weekend sees a momentous occasion in the Aviva Stadium: Ireland take to the pitch to face Scotland in their last 6 Nations game of the season, the first time the women's team have had a standalone match in the stadium.Joining Andrea to look ahead to the game is former Munster and Ireland player Fiona Hayes and Dara Naughton from Off the Ball.

Eamon Torsney from the Newstalk Newsroom joined Andrea with a roundup of some of the stories from across the country this week you might have missed!

Tipperary County Council has introduced a new policy for roadside memorials, under new rules there will be no roadside memorials on roads of 60km...Joining Andrea to discuss this is Independent Councillor in Tipperary, Jim Ryan, Susan Gray from the PARC road safety campaign group, Bernard Mulhern from the N4 Action Group and listeners.

Your hallway is one of the first impressions people get of your house, so how do you make it stand out?This week, the Home Squad are focusing on hallways, and how to get the most out of yours!Joining Andrea to discuss is Jenny Sheehan, Co-Host of ‘Rip it up: The Renovations Podcast' (@workerscottage on Instagram) and Jenny Butler, Interior Architect, Designer & Director of Jennifer Anne Interior.

Online dating can be full of highs and lows, but what is it like swiping when you're in your 70s and the dating pool is even smaller?Journalist Elaine Kingett is 76, and she wrote a piece about her experience dating for the Daily Mail. She joins Andrea to discus…

Do you enjoy family holidays? Or is it just parenting away from home with less resources...Host of the ‘Stretch Marks' podcast, Sinead O'Moore, is just back from Rome with her two young children and she found herself airtagging the kids to make sure they were safe…She joins Andrea to discuss, as well as Yvonne Reddin, Travel Journalist, Newstalk's Adrian Barry and more.

Why are cruise ships prone to disease outbreaks? Between the hantavirus and now another cruise ship in Bordeaux with an outbreak of norovirus - why are we hearing of so many outbreaks?Joining Andrea to discuss is Dr. Vikram Niranjan, Assistant Professor in Public Health in the University of Limerick.

We've decided to do a deep dive on some of our favourite albums to explore the stories behind them.What did the artists really think of each other? Where did the inspirations from the songs come from?Joining Andrea to discuss is Alan Buckley from the Irish Rock ‘N' Roll Museum Experience, who's going to talk through the Calvin Harris album ‘18 Months'!

Earlier this week, footage emerged of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern canvassing door to door.The footage, which has sparked controversy, shows Bertie sharing his views on immigration in Ireland. Regardless of the comments themselves, it raises a broader question for listeners: is it fair to record and release footage of someone without their consent?Andrea is joined by Barrister and Senior Council, Ronan Lupton, author and Journalist, Valarie Cox and more to discuss.

With Eric Clapton ending his concert early after being struck by a vinyl record while performing in Madrid, we want to know: has concert etiquette gone to the dogs?Joining Andrea to discuss is Hothouse Flowers Musician and Broadcaster Fiachna Ó Braonáin, Claire Howlin, Assistant Professor in University College Dublin in Psychology and Newstalk's Ciara Treacy.

Lunchtime Live's Reasons to be Happy looks at some of the news stories that you might have missed that will leave you feeling more optimistic.98FM's Cathal O'Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…

More than 200 websites targeting Irish consumers were identified as scams last year, including fake online stores and fraudulent loan providers falsely claiming regulation by the Central Bank of Ireland.Financial scams in Ireland have surged by 52% in just one year, highlighting the growing scale and sophistication of online fraud targeting consumers…Have you ever been scammed? What did you do about it?Joining Andrea to discuss is Chair of Cybersecurity at Munster Technical University, Hazel Murray, as well as listeners.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we'll be talking Making Babies.Andrea will be joined by Professor Shane Higgins, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, to cover every area of trying to have a baby. From the very start of knowing how to prepare, right up to pregnancy – and all the bumps in the road in between.This week, Shane joins Andrea to discuss everything around monitoring fetal movement.

You may remember over the last number of months that Andrea has been speaking to Tony Murray and many parents like him talking about how they are worried about what will happen to their children with intellectual disabilities after they die...Sinéad McGrath from the Before We Die campaign joins Andrea to discuss as the group are doing an information event for parents.

Tipperary County Council has passed a motion calling for the abolition of the Universal Social Charge.USC was introduced as a temporary measure 15 years ago, so do we still need to be paying it?Joining Andrea to discuss is Independent Economist Jim Power, as well as listeners.

For this week's Ask the Expert, Andrea is joined by Barry Kenny from Irish Rail to answer any of your train-related questions!

Author and baker Graham Herterich never loved the length of a novel but found his niche with culinary reads. He reads cookbooks for fun! Do you?Graham joins Andrea to discuss.

The National Ambulance Service personnel will stage a 24-hour strike today over pay disputes.Have you had an experience of calling an ambulance? Have they helped you? What do you think of this strike?Joining Andrea to discuss is Angie Baily, Fine Gael Councillor in Tralee, David Hall from Life Line Ambulances and listeners.

Knock Airport celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. What has the impact been on the people in the west of Ireland since?Joining Andrea to discuss is Joe Gilmore, Managing Director of Knock Airport, Paddy Judge, the pilot of the first commercial flight into Knock airport with Aer Lingus and Terry Riley, author of ‘On a Wing and a Prayer'.

Katie Gallagher, Spin News Anchor, has her finger on the pulse for what's happening and she joins Andrea with the things you don't want to miss this week!Image: Disney+

Dr Niall Breen from the Portmarnock GP Clinic joined Andrea Gilligan to tackle your medical queries.