The Hard Shoulder

With one week left until the General Election, many of you will be deciding who you want to put in the Dáil for the next 5 years…One person who won’t be voting, because she is not allowed to, is Teresa Buckowska, who is a Polish-born writer, and Migrant Rights Campaigner.She joins Kieran to discuss.

With Ireland’s population ageing at a faster rate than almost any other European country, the Central Bank of Ireland’s governor Gabriel Makhlouf has said that people need to be working past 65, and that policies incentivising this should be considered.Joining Kieran to discuss is Economist at TU Dublin, Emma Howard People Before Profit TD for Dublin South-Central, Bríd Smith and Sinéad Brady, Career Psychologist & author of ‘Total Reset’.

Bluesky might have come across your radar recently as many people have fled X, formally Twitter, for pastures new.But, is it in danger of becoming an echo chamber? That’s the thoughts of Columnist with the Sunday Independent, David Quinn, who joins Kieran to discuss.

A large rock in Earth’s orbit, known as a ‘mini moon’ is set to pull away on Monday, and not return for 30 years!But, what exactly is a ‘mini moon’, and where did it come from?Space Commentator Leo Enright joins Kieran to discuss.

For this week’s Kids Health Check, Kieran is joined by Chartered Clinical Psychologist Tara Logan Buckley to discuss ‘emotional regulation’ for children.

It's time for ‘Henry's Front Bench', where Henry McKean meets an election candidate on a park bench and has a chat.Today, Henry is on multiple benches to speak with four ‘New Irish’ candidates: Sivakumar Murugadoss, Independent candidate for Meath East,  Manju Devi, Fianna Fáil candidate for Fingal East, Monaa K Sood, Green Party candidate for Kildare South, The Greens and Dr Monica Oikeh, Green Party candidate for Cork South Central.

COP 29 wrapped up in Azerbaijan yesterday.Delegates at COP 29 reached a deal to provide developing countries with $300 billion a year to cope with the effects of extreme weather caused by climate change.But is COP useful? Or should we get rid of it all together?Environmentalist and Journalist, George Monbiot, joins Kieran to discuss.Image: United Nations

In the lead up to the General Election, big debates are being held on the Hard Shoulder. Today: Health.With it already being the second biggest area of spending from the government, how can the health sector be improved?Joining Kieran to debate is Stephen Donnelly, Minister for Health and Fianna Fáil General Election candidate for Wicklow, Hazel Chu, Green Party General Election candidate for Dublin Bay South, Edward McManus Aontú candidate for Dublin North West and Dean Mulligan, Independents 4 Change candidate for Fingal East.

This week Kieran Cuddihy was joined by the presenter of Weekend Breakfast on Today FM, Alison Curtis and Saoirse Hanley, Features writer at the Independent to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

Nikita Hand has won her lawsuit against MMA fighter Conor McGregor over an alleged rape in Dublin in 2018, with the High Court jury awarding her €248,603 in damages. Ms Hand also sued McGregor’s friend, James Lawrence of Rafter’s Road in Drimnagh, for allegedly raping her after McGregor left the hotel, but the jury did not find in her favour in relation to him.To give further reactions to this case and to discuss statements from Ms Hand and McGregor, Kieran is joined by David Hall, CEO of Sonas Domestic Violence Charity.