The Last Word with Matt Cooper

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.

From smart desks to wireless charging mats and docking stations, Andy O'Donoghue ran through the best tech for maximising your home office space.To catch the full conversation, press the ‘play' button on this page.

Research conducted by the United Nations has shown that indirect carbon emissions from some of the world's biggest tech firms rose dramatically between 2020 and 2023.This is due to the significant energy that is needed to operate data centres.Environmental commentator, John Gibbons, spoke to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear their chat.

Gary O'Hanlon, Executive Chef at the K Club and co-host of the ‘Dishing It Out' podcast was the latest entry into The Last Word's Culture Club.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear all his choices in music, TV, literature and film.

Today marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of 'The Liberator' Daniel O'Connell, perhaps Ireland's greatest ever politician.Mick Clifford, special correspondent with the Irish Examiner, certainly thinks so. He joins The Last Word to discuss the legacy of Daniel O'Connell.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Revenue has contacted 68,000 pensioners over their tax obligations in relation to their occupational pension.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Independent, explained why some pensioners are being asked to file a tax return.He also explained why many renters believe the Government should support intergenerational living arrangements. This is where younger people live with older adults for lower rent in exchange for companionship and support.To listen to the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Professor Brian Caulfield from the Department of Civil Engineering in Trinity College Dublin and tech journalist Elaine Burke join The Last Word to discuss the future of driverless vehicles. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

US President Donald Trump has fired the head of the main agency for producing American jobs figures claiming she "rigged" weaker-than-expected employment data for political reasons.Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss this and more of the latest news from the United States. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may authorise a complete occupation of Gaza, according to reports. Chief International Correspondent at The Independent Bel Trew and Professor of Law, Queens University Aoife O'Donoghue join Matt to discuss the latest news and the aid situation in Gaza.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the chat.

More changes could be on the way for Gaelic football following an entertaining inter-county season marked by a number of new rules.Michael Foley, sportswriter with the Sunday Times, and Ray Silke, former Galway captain, join The Last Word to discuss the effect the changes had on this year's championship and what more can be done to improve the game.Catch the full chat by pressing 'Play' button on this page!

Out-going Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said he plans to publish The Crowe Report into roads policing. The report was commissioned following the receipt of anonymous correspondence from a Garda member working in the area.The report found that a number of gardaí assigned to roads policing were ‘openly hostile' to doing their jobs. It further found senior garda members were afraid to ‘intervene'.Pat Leahy, Former Assistant Garda Commissioner and Leo Lieghio, Vice President Irish Road Victims Association joined Matt to discuss the revelations.To catch the full conversation, press the ‘play' button on this page.

On Thursday, Conor McGregor lost his appeal against a High Court jury's finding that he raped Nikita Hand in Dublin in 2018.In November 2024, the jury in a civil trial found he raped Ms. Hand in a hotel room. She was awarded just under €250,000 in damages.Frank Greaney, Today FM's Courts Correspondent, spoke to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

There have been calls for several streets in Dublin city to be pedestrianised over the last number of years, but does that lead to certain parts of the city being quieter – and therefore more dangerous – come nightfall?Architect and urban designer, Fedirico Minieri, and Janet Horner, Green Party Dublin City Councillor for Dublin North Inner City, spoke to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the conversation.

This Tech Thursday, Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to discuss how you can upgrade and optimise your home WiFi. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Actor, broadcaster and entrepreneur Jennifer Zamparelli spoke to Matt about her upcoming role as narrator of the iconic Rocky Horror Show with Jason Donovan at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.From early influences, to recent releases, Jennifer also discussed her favourite music, books, movies and TV series.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

The number of foreign visitors to Ireland in June fell by 2% compared to last year, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office.The decline continues a worrying trend of falling visitor numbers between January and May compared with the same months in 2024.Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss this and more of the latest business news.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Five men who tortured a woman for three hours in Dublin last year have been jailed for between 8 and a half and 14 years.Natalie Ennis was abducted due to a row over missing drugs, despite not knowing anything about it.Braxton Rice (21), Mark McMahon (55), Mark Keogh (33), Sean Conroy (21), and Kian Walshe (22) were handed down sentences for using what Judge Pauline Codd called “sadistic” and “medieval” torture methods on Ms. Ennis.Frank Greaney, Today FM's Courts Correspondent, spoke to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.Warning: Some details in this piece may be distressing for listeners.

All Together Now 2025 takes place at the Curraghmore Estate in Co. Waterford this weekend, with a host of huge acts set to take to the stage across the August Bank Holiday.Among the big names are Fontaines DC, CMAT, Bicep, Primal Scream and Wet Leg.Dee Reddy and John Caddell joined Matt on The Last Word for Tuesday's music slot.Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear the chat.

Donald Trump has acknowledged for the first time that there is “real starvation” in Gaza and has told Israel to allow “every ounce of food” into the region. But how likely is Benjamin Netanyahu to listen? The Israeli Prime Minister has previously said that it is "bold faced lies" to say that his country is fuelling starvation in the region.Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss this and more of the latest news from the United States. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The will of the man believed to be Britain's top agent inside the IRA will not be made public after the British High Court ruled that it should be sealed for 70 years.Freddie Scappaticci, also known as Stakeknife, denied the claims until his death in 2023.Richard O'Rawe, author of Stakeknife's Dirty War, spoke to Matt to discuss the decision.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the chat.

Elaine Burke and Joe O'Shea join The Last Word to discuss the latest news in TV and streaming including South Park's Donald Trump episode and the death of former wrestling star Hulk Hogan.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Marc O Sé, Eamonn McGee, Ray Silke and Will O'Callaghan review the All-Ireland football final which saw Kerry dominate from the start and beat Donegal.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Travel journalist Ed Finn joins The Last Word to discuss the appeal of train travel and the best routes in Europe. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

New analysis has found that a nurse and a garda with a combined salary of €107,000 would be unable to afford a 3-bed semi-detached house in a number of Ireland's main commuter towns.Niall Hodgins, vice president of the Garda Representative Association, and Phil Ní Sheaghdha, general secretary of the Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation, join The Last Word to discuss what this means for essential workers.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

On Sunday, Donegal will face Kerry in the All-Ireland Senior Football Football Final at Croke Park.After such an exciting Gaelic football season under the new rules, are we set for a final for the ages? Could Jim McGuinness or Jack O'Connor spring any surprises to counter the attacking threat posed by their opposition?Former All-Ireland winners Marc Ó'Sé, Eamon Mc Gee and Ray Silke gave their predictions on Friday's The Last Word.Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Riverdance star Michael Flatley is to seek nomination to become Ireland's next president, Hollywood's Irish stereotypes, and the BBC says it did not edit the Irish-language out of a portion of CMAT's latest single.Lorcan Nyhan, head of training at the Communications clinic, and broadcaster Fionnuala Jones join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

On Thursday, Matt spoke to CNN anchor and Chief National Correspondent John King ahead of his appearance in Dublin's National Concert Hall and the Town Hall Theatre in Galway in September.Matt asked him about US President Donald Trump's second term in office, how the Epstein files may impact his popularity and the challenges facing journalists in an era where misinformation is a significant issue.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the conversation.

A decision by AIB to require staff eligible for hybrid working to return to the office at least three days a week has sparked outrage amongst many of the bank's employees.This follows a trend of companies rolling back on remote working allowances which were implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic.John O'Connell, general secretary with the Financial Services Union, and Peter Cosgrove, managing director of Futurewise, join The Last Word to debate whether companies are right to insist on a return to the office.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

From power bars, to water bottles and anti-theft backpacks, Andy O'Donoghue continues his run down of the best gadgets to make travel at home or abroad as smooth as possible.To catch the full conversation, press the ‘play' button on this page.

Rossa Ó Snodaigh, multi-instrumentalist with KÍLA talks to Matt about the new album, Raise The Road, and all his cultural influences from music, to movies, to TV and literature.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne has died aged 76.John Caddell joins The Last Word to pay tribute to a man who was at the forefront of the heavy metal scene but, in his later years, perhaps became better known for his family's reality show 'The Osbournes'.Catch the full conversation by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

New research from Outsurance has found that the average Irish driver will spend €10,373 to keep their car on the road this year. This can include fuel, maintenance, parking or unexpected costs such as repairs.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, spoke to Matt on Wednesday.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the chat.

The Financial Services Union has said that the changes to AIB's hybrid working policy are “regressive” and “shortsighted”.The company has told its employees that they will be required to come into the office for a minimum of 3 days a week.Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joined Matt for the business news on Tuesday.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the conversation.

The US House of Representatives will begin its summer recess early to avoid votes related to the Jeffrey Epstein files and late-night host Stephen Colbert had some choice words for Donald Trump as he addressed rumours that 'The Late Show' was axed to please the president.Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss these stories and more of the latest news from the United States.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Jack Chambers joins The Last Word to discuss the Government's revised National Development Plan which aims to address the country's gaps in housing, utilities infrastructure, transport and more.Catch the full conversation by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Tipperary were crowned All-Ireland senior hurling champions on Sunday after a stunning second half display against Cork.Liam Cahill's side held Cork to just two points after half time and ran out 15-point winners.Former Tipp manager, Michael Ryan, and Off the Ball's Will O'Callaghan spoke to Matt about the result on Monday.Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear the chat.

A recent newspaper report claims that US President Donald Trump wrote a 'bawdy' letter to his one-time-friend Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday.The report comes as Trump's failure to publish documents from the criminal investigation into paedophile Epstein, who died in 2019, is causing a significant divide between the US president and his MAGA base.In a bonus US slot, Marion McKeone joins The Last Word to discuss this and also the shock news that 'The Late Show' hosted by Trump critic Stephen Colbert will come to an end next year.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!