The Hard Shoulder

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 meets former Justice Minister and now independent candidate, Alan Shatter, in Dublin Rathdown.

It’s time for the Shopping Trolley Hotline! Where we review the same product from various stores and brands.Newstalk’s Simon Tierney joined Kieran to try different offerings of prunes!

The CEO of Hugg, Fiona Tuomey joined the show to speak about the lack of support for children's mental health...So, how can we reform children's support services in this country?Joining Kieran to discuss is Dr. Kieran Moore, Medical Paediatric Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry in UCD, who spent 16 years working in Child and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Over the coming weeks, politicians will be canvassing, knocking from door to door, and you may be left facing a politician cluelessly, unsure of what to ask them.Dr. Jennifer Kavanagh, Lecturer in Constitutional Law at South East Technological University, joins Kieran to discuss what you should ask a politician when they land on your doorstep.

Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent joins Kieran for this week’s Tech Takeover to discuss how Donald Trump has appointed tech mogul Elon Musk to head a new ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ in the United States, and what impact that may have.Image: AFP

In the lead up to the General Election, the Hard Shoulder is doing the Campaign Trail Tracker, a daily update of what you need to know before the big voting day on November 29th. It can be hard to keep up with all the news. This is your daily catch-up.Today, Kieran discusses more reports of poster vandalism, and accusations of mudslinging between parties.

The civil case taken by Nikit Hand against Conor McGregor has been ongoing in court today. Nikita Hand has taken a civil action against Conor McGregor and James Lawrence, claiming she was sexually assaulted in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.Today, Conor McGregor took the stand and gave evidence.Frank Greaney, Newstalk Court’s Correspondent joins Kieran to discuss.

Fiona Tuomey founded HUGG, Ireland’s national suicide bereavement charity, following the death of her 11-year-old daughter Milly by suicide in 2016.She joins Kieran to discuss the impact suicide has and the importance of suicide prevention.

1 in 10 people in the UK have admitted to not cleaning parts of their homes in more than a year. A survey commissioned by Febreze Fabric Refresher found that the most neglected places are behind and under furniture, inside drawers and curtains.Associate Professor Dr. Amalia Scannell, Microbiologist and Food Biotechnologist in the UCD Institute of Food and Health, joins Kieran to discuss why we should be more thorough with our cleaning.

The average cost of renting a home is almost €2,000 a month, an increase of 43% on pre-pandemic prices. That’s according to new research by Daft.ie.To discuss, Kieran is joined by James Murphy, a Landlord in Meath, Marian Finnegan, Managing Director of Sherry Fitzgerald and Naoise O’ Faogain, a Dublin-based renter and representative for the tenant's union CATU.