Highlights from Lunchtime Live

Many of us struggle with knowing anything about mortgages, getting mortgage approval, or even switching your mortgage. Trevor Grant, Chairperson, Association of Irish Mortgage Advisors joined Andrea to answer any questions you may have in regards to mortages

Councillors and local residents have been raising the issue of delays in CPO payments... If you drive past Glencullen Road near Ticknock mountain in County Dublin, you will see posters asking for CPO payments...So what is happening with Compulsory Purchase Order payments and why are residents left waiting Years to get the promised compensation from councils?Joining Andrea was Fine Gael Councillor Pierce Dargan, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, and Resident Linda

For many years, people working in the hospitality sector have depended on tips to make some extra money. As a result of this, a recent poll suggests that three-quarters of hospitality workers say they saw it as a positive recognition of their efforts and nearly as many said, it can influence their customer service levels. Adrian Cummins from the Restaurant Association joined Andrea to discuss this aswell as listeners with their experience and those who work in the hospitality industry.

Lunchtime Live got an email in from a listener with an issue she noticed. Mary, whiule travelling on an Aer Lingus flight, noticed that the milk provided to her was not Irish and was in fact milk from Slovakia.Aer Lingus confiremd to us that due to a temporary shortage of the Irish-produced milk, sticks an alternative will be used on a short-term basis.Is this an insult to Irish Dairy producers, and should our state carrier only be using Irish goods?Joining Andrea to discuss was Mary TurnerNoel Murphy – Chairperson of ICMSA Dairy Committee Eoghan Corry - Editor of Air & Travel magazine and Thomas Duffy - Dairy Farmer in CavanAer Lingus statement: Due to an operational issue, our catering partner has experienced a temporary shortage of the Irish-produced milk sticks normally served on Aer Lingus flights. To ensure continuity of service, an alternative has been used on a short-term basis. Normal supply is expected to resume shortly.

Have you got a best friend? Or are best friends something 10-year-olds argue about in the playground?Writing in the Irish Independent, Tanya Sweeney says that she doesn't have a female best friend and sometimes feels like a failure.So how important is it to have a best friend and do we have the wrong ideas about female friendships, given how they are portrayed in movies and films?Joining Andrea was Tanya Sweeney and Stephanie Regan Clinical Psychotherapist

Dr Nina Byrnes, GP at Generation Health Medical Clinic joined Andrea Gilligan to tackle your medical queries…

Men and women can often be treated differently when it comes to certain tasks and ideas. It is only nowadays that we are seeing women working in a “man's job” and a man doing a “woman's job”, but how stereotypical are we, and how does it feed into our day-to-day life?Many women feel that when they go to buy a new car, they are not taken seriously by the sales representative, and they feel like they are getting cheated out of a good deal… As a woman, has this ever happened to you? Or would you feel confident to go out and buy a car, knowing exactly what you want and how much you're willing to spend?Joining Andrea to discuss is Journalist Yvonne Reddin, Nadia Adan, Founder of Ashford Motors and Joey Donnelly from Crafton Motors.

A video has been circulating of an assault of a young woman in Tipperary…It's been spoken about many times on this show about why there is a lack of laws and legislations around the distribution of footage from attacks and assaults, but why are people still getting away with it?Joining Andrea to discuss is David Hall, owner of Lifeline Ambulance, Ronan Lupton, Barrister and Senior Council and more.

A voice that is probably familiar to you all from reading the news: Teena Gates was left deflated after a recent incident in Blanchardstown…She joins Andrea to discuss what happened.

Welcome to The Pod Squad!We review podcasts every week so you always have something new to listen to.Elaine Power, host of ‘What's Trending in F1?' podcast and Sarah Jayne Tobin, Native Content Editor at DMG Media Ireland join Andrea Gilligan to review ‘Shite Talk: An Irish History Podcast'!Image: HeadStuff Podcasts

With fuel prices rising due to the ongoing war, many people across Ireland are worried about managing their bills in the months ahead.The Government is considering support, including a double fuel allowance payment for vulnerable groups such as pensioners, and a possible extension of the fuel allowance season beyond April, though details are not yet confirmed…Would you accept Government subsidies to help with rising fuel costs, and how much support do you think is needed?Joining Andrea to discuss is Irish Times Consumer Journalist, Conor Pope, owner of Care-a-Lot Childcare Avril Sheehan, as well as listeners.

A social enterprise in Queensland, Australia has brought a virtual reality train journey experience to nursing homes. But how does it work?Joining Seán to discuss is Kim Turner, Co-Founder and Experience Designer of Olive Express…

NASA has given the go ahead for the Artemis II mission to the Moon to launch in April, but what exactly is the mission designed to achieve?Joining Seán to discuss is Peter Gallagher, Director of DIAS Dunsink Observatory in Dublin and former employee of NASA…Image: NASA

A bold new addition to this year's Chelsea Flower Show is turning heads and raising eyebrows. Organisers have unveiled a sex-themed “pleasure garden” sponsored by a sexual wellness brand, aiming to challenge taboos and spark conversation through plants linked to love, lust, and romance. It's part of a wider shake-up at the iconic event, which will also see the return of garden gnomes and even contributions from high-profile figures.Joining Seán to discuss is James Whiting, Plant Stylist and Designer of the Pleasure Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.

It's become a hallmark of the Trump presidency that visiting world leaders have to sit next to him while he answers questions in the Oval Office. Recently, Trump made a joke about Pearl Harbour in front of the Japanese Prime Minister…Newstalk's Political Correspondent Seán Defoe has been gathering the most memorable mistakes both from politicians, and joins Seán to discuss.

For this week's Ask Me Anything, Brian Breathnach, former member of the Garda Water Unit joins Andrea to answer any of your questions!

Today is Daffodil Day. You'll see people out on the streets collecting money to raise vital funds for the Irish Cancer Society.Andrea decided it would be a good opportunity to be a bit proactive with her health and go and have her skin checked!

Many new fathers are only given two weeks of paternity leave once their baby is born. With the arrival of a new baby being a precious and challenging time, many fathers feel that two weeks off is not enough to help bond with their baby, as well as help their partner to navigate parenthood.Joining Andrea to discuss is Newstalk's Political Correspondent and new dad Seán Defoe, content creator, mental health advocate and new dad Aidan Loughlin and Shane O'Connor from Lads to Dads.

Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joined Andrea with a roundup of some of the stories from across the country this week.

Cork City Council have sparked debate over their new posters to try to encourage people to pick up after their dog.The controversial poster has the slogan ‘Get your shit together' which has led to some people saying that it'll only encourage children to curse.What do you think? Are shock tactics the way to go? Or is it a bad example to set our children?Joining Andrea to discuss is Joe O'Shea, Editor of CorkBeo.ie, as well as listeners.

Newstalk's Lunchtime Live is hosting this town hall event to bring together listeners who have shared their stories of caring for loved ones with intellectual disabilities, and putting their questions to our expert panel.Speakers on the night included Tony Murray of the 'Before We Die' campaign alongside Solicitors Aileen Curry and David Hickey to discuss and answer questions on The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act.

With the weather (hopefully) taking a turn for the better, now is a great time to set your garden up for success, but what's the best way to go about it?This week, the Home Squad are here to discuss how to get the garden ready!Joining Andrea to discuss is Brian Burke Woodie's DIY & Garden Expert and RTÉ Super Garden judge and Hazel Burton from The Home Reset.

How would you react if you received a 13 minute voicenote? Would you be delighted, or does it fill you with dread? Deirdre Reynolds, Writer and Columnist and Rob Kenny of Rob Kenny PR join Andrea to discuss.

This month is Endometriosis awareness month. It's a condition that we've talked about at length on the show, so Andrea decided to travel out to St Michael's Holy Faith in Finglas to listen to - Endo and Me – which is a talk on Menstrual education and endometriosis.How important are these talks? And have we come much further on endo treatment?Also joining Andrea to discuss is Damien Donoghue, Chair of Endo Ireland and Dr Bart Kuczera, Deputy Medical Director at Beacon Care Facility.Image: @itsendoandme on Instagram

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 Head Tour Guide at the Irish Rock ‘N' Roll Museum Experience, Alan Buckley, who's going to talk through The Undertones' self-titled album!

The Newstalk Changemaker Business Awards are back, and there is still time to enter!These awards in association with FBD, recognise extraordinary business achievements across nine different categories.CEO of Open Doors, Jeanne McDonagh, won the Inclusive Workplace category last year and she joins us now...

Many hauliers across the country have taken to the picket lines this morning, calling on the Government to introduce measures to ease the burden of rising fuel costs.With fuel prices now exceeding €2 per litre, hauliers are urging the temporary suspension of planned carbon tax increases, as well as the removal of toll charges on the M50 for both hauliers and motorists.Joining Andrea to discuss this is Eugene Drennan from the Irish Road Haulage Association, Motoring Editor with the Sunday Independent, Ger Herbert and more.

For a number of weeks, we have been hearing stories from parents of children with intellectual disabilities, with many parents fearing what will happen to their adult children after they are gone…Caroline Roche is the mother of Helena. Helena has Down syndrome, autism, epilepsy, and finds it increasingly difficult to walk.Caroline joins Andrea to share her story…

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…

During the annual St Patrick's Day visit to the White House, US President Donald Trump called Irish President Catherine Connolly a man in an answer to a question on Iran. This mistake is not the only reason this is in the news: people are talking Taoiseach Michéal Martin did not correct him…So, what do you think, and how often do you see this happening in general?Joining Andrea to discuss is Newstalk Reporter Jamie O'Hara, Dr Mary McAuliffe, Historian and Lecturer of Gender Studies in UCD, Doctor Suzanne Crowe and 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 what to know if you're travelling while pregnant!

Are you trying to buy a house? What things do you wish people had told you?Buying a home can be long and stressful, and Journalist Céire Sadlier has been writing about the things that actually helped her during the process…She joins Andrea to discuss, as well as listeners.

Tens of thousands of people took to the city of Dublin yesterday to celebrate St Patrick's Day. Tourists and locals alike gathered in their droves, with many celebrating on the streets while others filled bars and restaurants, partying well into the night.This morning, those returning to the city center were met with the aftermath of the festivities. Streets were strewn with litter, broken glass, and, in some cases, vomit lining the paths, offering a stark glimpse into the scale of the celebrations…How filthy is Dublin city today, and what does this say about the people living or visiting our capital?Joining Andrea to discuss is owner of Martin Gear Jewelers, Martin Gear, Mary Harkin from Rory's Fishing Tackle in Temple Bar, as well as listeners.

Dr Brian King from Drumcondra Medical joined Andrea Gilligan to tackle your medical queries.

Jessie Buckley has made history by becoming the first Irish woman to win Best Actress at the Oscars when she scooped the award for her performance in Hamnet! Brendan Fuller, cousin of Jessie Buckley, Mayor of Killarney Councillor Martin Grady, Joan Butler, Music Teacher at Jessie Buckley's former Secondary School, Ursuline Secondary School in Thurles and Marie Linehan from the Kerry Film Festival all joined Andrea Gilligan on the show to discuss.

Postnatal Depression can affect anybody, but recognizing the signs isn't always easy. Dr Clodagh Campbell, The Wellness Psychologist, is with me to talk about her experience.

Almost 39,000 participants walked a record of 6.9 million steps in January this year as part of the Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs Steps Challenge. Despite it being one of the wettest January's on record. Many GAA clubs did not let that stop them as they braced the wind and rain to take on the challenge. Rory O'Connor, Known by many of you as Rory's Stories on social media was one of the ambassadors of the Healthy Clubs steps challenge and joined Andrea Gilligan on the show to discuss.

It's the Pod Squad time! Ciaran Bradley from our Digital Team and Ellen Butler from the Newstalk Newsroom joined Andrea Gilligan to discuss Alan Carr's Life's a Beach' podcast.

A new survey about the Government's hot school meals programme has found that three-quarters of respondents reported their children do not enjoy the variety of food. The survey commissioned by Fine Gael, found that parents were very critical of how the food is presented and feel that a cold lunch alternative should be given. We want to know, what do you think? Are these hot school meals fit for purpose or should they be completely changed?

For this week's Ask Me Anything, Director and author Neil Jordan, who has directed films such as Michael Collins, Interview with a Vampire, The Crying Game and more joins Andrea to answer any of your questions!

Sun, sea and… Cheltenham?Why are so many people flocking to sunnier climates to watch the Cheltenham races?Joining Andrea to discuss is Johnny Ward from Off the Ball's Racing Pod, Zoe Harris, Chief Customer Officer at On the Beach and listeners.

Many families will be sitting down to watch some telly over the weekend and Louis Theroux's new documentary ‘Inside The Manosphere' is essential viewing.It raises questions around misogyny, toxic masculinity and will leave parents wondering what can be done to protect their sons and daughters…Joining Andrea to discuss is Irish Times Columnist and Mother of 7, Jen Hogan, Family Psychotherapist, Dr Richard Hogan, Dannielle McKenna, Project Manager of Rialto Youth Project and more.