The Last Word with Matt Cooper

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.

On Sunday night, Donald Trump was the first sitting US President to attend a Super Bowl but reportedly left his seat at half time during Kendrick Lamar’s performance.Samuel L Jackson made fleeting appearances as Uncle Sam, hinting at political unrest and attempted to “silence” Lamar throughout the show.Lamar also grabbed the headlines when he referenced his feud with fellow rapper Drake.Dee Reddy and John Caddell joined Matt for The Last Word on Music.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

A new survey has found that 82% of young children are allowed to use smart devices unsupervised in their bedrooms and almost half believe they spend too much time online.Alex Cooney, chief executive of CyberSafeKids, joins The Last Word to discuss these findings and how children's uncontrolled access to devices can put them at risk. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Gaza ceasefire is under threat after US President Donald Trump said that “all hell is going to break out” if Israeli hostages are not released by noon on Saturday.Meanwhile, President Trump has signed an order to bring back plastic straws, claiming that paper ones “explode”.Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone joined Matt for The Last Word’s weekly US slot.Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear the conversation.

US President Donald Trump has vowed to impose 25% tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium products coming to the US.On Monday afternoon, the European Commission said it sees “no justification” for the decision and that it will react “to protect the interests of European businesses, workers and consumers”.Shona Murray, Europe Correspondent with Euronews joined Matt to explain what this means for Ireland and wider Europe.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Ireland recorded their second bonus point win of this year’s Guinness Six Nations when they defeated Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday.France also suffered a shock defeat to England on Saturday, meaning Ireland are the only side that can still win the Grand Slam.Matt spoke to Alan Quinlan & Will O’Callaghan about the weekend’s results.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Samantha Mumba has questioned the credentials of members of RTE’s judging panel following The Late Late Show’s Eurosong special on Friday night.Mumba finished second with her song “My Way”, with Norwegian singer EMMY winning the contest after performing “Laika Party”.Joe O’Shea and Elaine Burke were back with Matt for Monday’s TV & Streaming slot on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Is a visit to Nashville, Memphis or the Grand Canyon on your bucket list?With 27 routes from Ireland to the US available, Sarah Slattery, thetravelexpert.ie, had a rundown of the best road trips to take advantage of the connectivity.To listen to the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Peter O'Mahony and Robbie Henshaw have been added to the Irish side that will take on Scotland in round two of the Guinness Six Nations. Liam Toland and Matt Williams join The Last Word to discuss what to expect as Ireland head to Murrayfield this Sunday.Catch all the analysis by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!