The Last Word with Matt Cooper

A 34-year-old man has died after he was stabbed in Dublin city centre in the early hours of Saturday morning.Meanwhile, new figures released by An Garda Síochána shows that the number of knives that were seized in Ireland is up by 58% between 2015 and 2024. So, what’s being done to tackle the issue of knife crime in Ireland?Matt spoke to criminologist Trina O’Connor and Richard Guiney, Chief Executive of Dublin Town, to hear their views.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation

Donald Trump bans paper straws in Federal Buildings, Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald accuses Taoiseach Micheál Martin of calling her a liar and tourists heading to the Algarve this summer could be fined for walking around in swimwear.Journalist Lise Hand and Lorcan Nyhan, head of training at the Communications Clinic, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Paul Colgan, financial journalist, and Kate English, chief economist with Deloitte Ireland, discuss Trump’s latest announcement on ‘reciprocal’ tariffs for the EU and what that means for industries in Ireland.Shane O’Donoghue, editor, CompleteCar.ie, considers how tariffs might impact the car market and American imports.

‘Warm and funny’, Roe McDermott, movies editor with Hot Press, recommended the latest in the Bridget Jones series – Mad About The Boy. To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

European powers have said that there can be no negotiation about the war in Ukraine without Ukraine and Europe at the table. It comes as US President Donald Trump said he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about bringing an end to the war.Shona Murray, Europe correspondent with Euronews, Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at University of Galway, and Edward Burke, lecturer in War Studies at UCD, join The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full conversation by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The government is set to make the a liquefied natural gas facility a priority, with an estimated cost of €500m over ten years. It has received criticism from climate campaigners who have fought against the plan.Environmental commentator John Gibbons joined Matt for Thursday’s environment slot.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

On The Last Word, Andy O'Donoghue has the latest in home fitness equipment from stationary bikes to bouncing boots.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Former member of Spandau Ballet Gary Kemp was the latest inductee into The Last Word’s Culture Club this week.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all his choices!

Daniel McConnell, Editor with the Business Post, had the details of the 40 Government representatives who are travelling abroad for St Patrick’s Day celebrations. Neale Richmond, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Ruth Coppinger, TD, People Before Profit-Solidarity debated the merits of nine senior Government members travelling to the US to represent Ireland. They also considered whether the Taoiseach should accept an invitation to the White House in light of President Trump’s recent proposals to take Gaza and displace Palestinians.Press 'play' on this page to listen to the full conversation.

The cost of flowers, chocolates and dining out have all increased since Valentine’s Day last year, according to recent analysis.Meanwhile, the average person is now spending €3,600 on engagement rings, with over half of customers thinking that it’s not something they’d consider insuring.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor at the Irish Independent, joined Matt for Wednesday’s personal finance slot.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.