Lunchtime Live

Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joined guest host Anna Daly with a roundup of some of the stories from across the country this week.

Blue badges in the UK have now become available for drivers with ADHD and anxiety.

Numbers for those with hidden disabilities have almost tripled, with the number of permits issued jumping from 18,000 in 2021 to 55,000 last year.

So, should people with ADHD and anxiety be eligible for the blue badge here?

Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Teresa Gaughan, Access Group member, Disability Advocate Graham Merrigan, Peter Gohery, Chairperson of Galway Disability Forum and listeners.

With a mini heatwave approaching, there’s no better time to look at how you can spruce up your outdoor flooring for the summer!

This week, the Home Squad are here to discuss all of your options, and what to look out for.

Joining guest host Shane Beatty to discuss is Jenny Sheehan, Co-Host of ‘Rip it up: The Renovations Podcast’ (@workerscottage on Instagram) and Interior Stylist Sarah Doyle of Retwiggd.

Want to be more productive while you commute? Why not join a book club! Dublin Bus is running its own book club to help passengers with longer commute times caused by worsening traffic congestion.

Siobhán Kelly is the woman behind the book club, and joins Shane Beatty, as well as  Co-Founder of Queer Book Club Dublin Dónal Talbot and Sarah Shanahan from Chapters Bookshop to discuss.

Have you been caught at the boarding gate being charged for oversized luggage?

Many of us will be familiar with having to squeeze your suitcase into the carry-on baggage frame in order to board, and some may have been stung with a fee to check in your bag last minute...

Well now, it seems that airline staff will be getting even higher bonuses for stopping passengers with bags that are over the limit…

Joining guest host Shane Beatty to discuss this is Marisa Mackle, former Flight Attendant and author of ‘Confessions of an Air Hostess’ & ‘The Mile High Guy’, Travel Blogger Tara Povey and listeners.

Have you noticed people filming in your gym classes?

Well a top New York city studio, Tracy Anderson, has announced a ban on phones in fitness classes after being overrun with Tiktokers filming their workouts...

Joining guest host Shane Beatty, owner of No.17 PT, Human Performance and Wellness Coach, John Belton, Content Creator Pádraig Wilson McCarthy and Kate Lenehan from Monday Studio in Rathmines.

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 Shane Beatty to discuss is Alan Buckley from the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience, who’s going to talk through the life and work of The Editors!

During the Garda consolidation programme of 2012–2013, around 139 Garda stations across Ireland were closed, with more than 40 sold by 2019. The closures have had a significant impact on rural communities, where many residents feel more vulnerable due to a reduced Garda presence, and concerns about issues such as speeding and drink driving on rural roads…

Where is your local garda station, and how often does it open?

Joining guest host Shane Beatty to discuss is former Garda Sergeant, Christy Galligan, as well as listeners.

Anna’s guest, Tracy Martin, has been in a wheelchair for 37 years. Tracy has experience of what it is like for wheelchair users living in rural counties, and the limitations they have compared to the cities.

Tracy previously lived in Madrid independently for years, and joins to discuss the differences she has noticed since she returned to Ireland. Also joining to discuss is Bernard Mulvaney from Access for All Ireland.

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 Anna Daly in the studio to put a smile on your faces…

Image: BBC