Highlights From Lunchtime Live

More and more people have been ditching desk jobs for a nature-focused lifestyle.Is the desk killing us? Is it time for a change?Guest host Anna Daly is joined by Tom and Aedín, who both gave up their office jobs and Dr. Karl Fullam, who joins to discuss how to take care of ourselves if we’re at the desk!

From a mystery white cross to a return to Blue Flag beaches, Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins guest host Anna Daly with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

Nowadays, many people are leaving home with simply a housekey and their phone. The days of carrying a purse or wallet are long gone. It comes as the minority of people use their physical bank card to make payments and in turn, use their phones for all of their purchases.A new report from the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) found that 58% of contactless payments made using the likes of Apple Pay and Google Pay were up from 52% in the same period of last year…With payments now being made so easy, do we take account of what we spend or have contact list payments caused us to become frivolous spenders?Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Lecturer in Retail Management at TU Dublin, Damien O’Reilly, Account from Cloud Accounts, Alan Purcell, Paul Merriman, Financial Consultant at askpaul.ie and more.

As the evenings are creeping in on us, so does the cold! So, what are the best ways to heat your home?Well, the Home Squad are here to talk about home heating!Joining Andrea to discuss is Róisín Lafferty, Founder & Creative Director of Róisín Lafferty Design House and Kate O'Driscoll, Renovation Consultant (@victorianrathmines on Instagram).

It’s the final day of the National Ploughing Championships, where 300,000 people have attended the event. There’s plenty to see, but what are some of the strangest and most unique?Andrea is joined by Henry McKean, who is live at the Ploughing, to share what he’s seen!

In a new report from the Road Safety Authority, the Mobile Device Usage Survey 2024 reveals a drop in the number of drivers using hand-held devices.Based on nearly 26,000 roadside observations, the study shows 6% of drivers were seen using a phone, down from 9% in 2023.The research also highlights that car drivers are the most frequent offenders, with mobile usage falling across all road types, especially on motorways, where usage has dropped from 9% to just 2%.Have you noticed a decrease in motorists having their phone in hand – do you do it yourself?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

If you’ve been watching The Traitors Ireland, this is one you’re going to want to stay tuned in for this…Joining Andrea to chat is one of the OG Traitors: Paudie Maloney!

We’ve decided to do a deep dive on some of our favourite albums to explore the stories behind them.What did the artists really think of each other? Where did the inspirations from the songs come from?Joining Andrea to discuss is Head Tour Guide at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience, Alan Buckley, who’s going to talk through Cat Stevens’ album ‘Tea for the Tillerman’!

Curfews, community service and fines for parents of repeat offenders are among the suggestions going to the Dáil today to address anti-social behavior in Irish towns.It comes as Independent TD Paul Gogarty believes not enough is being done to counteract the “Andrew Tate-ification of young males”.Are parents to blame for their children’s behavior, and what needs to be done to handle our youth’s antisocial behaviour?Joining Andrea to discuss is CEO of the Convenience Stores & Newsagents Association, Vincent Jennings, Chairperson of Sporting Liberties, JJ O’Mahoney, Green Party Dublin City Councilor for the North Inner City, Janet Horner and more.

Supermac’s boss Pat McDonagh has accused the insurance industry of holding the country to ransom.He’s calling for a statutory inquiry, wondering why premiums keep going up-even though insurance claims are actually going down?Joining Andrea to discuss this is Pat McDonagh, CEO of Supermac's, Moyagh Murdock, CEO of Insurance Ireland and more.

Lunchtime Live's Reasons to be Happy looks at some of the news stories that you might have missed that will leave you feeling more optimistic.98FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a life-altering neurological condition that affects thousands of people across Ireland. It can impact mobility, speech, vision, and everyday life.Joining Andrea in the studio to talk about living with MS, and the MS Readathon is Meath Gaelic Footballer, Cillian O’Sullivan and Jamie Crawford.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we’ll be talking Making Babies.Andrea will be joined by Professor Shane Higgins, Master of the National Maternity Hospital to cover every area of trying to have a baby. From the very start of knowing how to prepare, right up to pregnancy – and all the bumps in the road in between.This week, Shane joins Andrea to discuss the difficult topic of miscarriage, and what you should know.

AI is the fastest growing online industry in the world, and it was probably inevitable that it would be used to try and scam people.Karl Deeter, CEO of OnlineApplication.com has experienced this for the first time, and joins Andrea to discuss.

With many people heading off to third level, many companies must now look outside of Ireland for tradesmen and women. It comes as Dublin Bus has had to recruit from overseas because of a shortage of mechanics here.Many people who take on apprenticeships, learn on the job, earn a living while doing so and in turn, start on a decent salary when they have qualified. So why are these jobs being overlooked?Has college opened such a wide range of doors for people that now the everyday trade is a thing of the past?Joining Andrea to discuss is Iarnród Éireann's Apprentice Training Manager, Conor Doolin, and listeners.

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea is joined by Blake Boland, Spokesperson for Dublin Bus to answer your public transport questions!

The Ploughing Championships started earlier today, with 300,000 people expected to attend! When thinking of farming, do you believe that social media makes it look more glamorous than it actually is?Henry McKean is there and speaking with farmers (and the Tánaiste!) for their thoughts!

Do you think children today have enough time for play and to properly digest their food? There are reports of some Irish schools offering as little as 10 minutes of lunchtime for kids. And what about the number of children who end up taking food home? Does your child feel rushed eating in school?Andrea is joined to discuss by Daniel Davey, Sports Nutritionist, Eoin Dolan, Principal of Mother of Divine Grace National School in Finglas, Sarah Keogh, Dietitian & Founder of Eatwell and more.

The Social Democrats had only just given TD Eoin Hayes a second chance after he misled the party about holding shares in Palantir, a controversial company that has profited from Israeli military actions in Gaza. But now, Hayes is under scrutiny again, this time over photos showing him in blackface portraying Obama at a Halloween party 16 years ago…Should we be more forgiving of people's past mistakes - or are some actions simply too serious to overlook, no matter how long ago they happened?Joining Andrea to discuss is Mamobo Ogoro, Founder of Gorm Media and Social Psychologist and Eoin O’Malley, Professor in Political Science at DCU.

It’s How I Live Well time! Where someone joins to discuss what they do to improve their life…This week, Andrea is joined by Tom King, a blacksmith from the Boyne Valley in Meath to talk all things blacksmithing!