Newstalk Breakfast

Over 150 motorists avoided penalty points last year by making a charity donation. This is according to figures from the Courts Service. That is despite a 2014 High Court ruling saying this approach is inappropriate and circumvents legislation. 

Pat discusses this further with Michael Murphy TD, Chair, Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tipperary South, Fine Gael and also Susan Gray, Founder and Chairperson, Parc Road Safety Group.

Today, more than 20,000 students from over 200 schools across Ireland will take part in #Gaeilge24, a national challenge that encourages young people to speak only Irish for 24 hours. 

We hear all about it with Aodhán Ó Deá, Gaeilge24 Manager and Deputy General Secretary with Conradh na Gaeilge. 

There’s been a sharp rise in addictive behaviors like gambling, gaming, endless scrolling, and overspending. That’s the warning today from the St John of God Research Foundation’s annual conference. 

All to discuss with Professor Colin O' Gara, Head of Addiction Services at St John of God Hospital and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCD. 

Catherine Connolly will be officially declared the country's tenth president at an inauguration ceremony in Dublin Castle later today. Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast was Pat Leahy, Political Editor of The Irish Times. 

Four newly appointed wardens are set to take to the streets of Cork this week to engage with businesses, residents and visitors, helping ensure the city is welcoming for all. 

We discuss these appointments with the Director of Cork Business Association, Cliona Barnes. 

A third recent outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed on a commercial turkey farm in less than a week, this time in County Monaghan. For more on this we heard from Nigel Sweetnam Chair of the Irish Farmers' Association National Poultry Committee.

Slow walkers and speed-weavers are being shamed on the streets. Am I part of the problem?” So writes Sunday Times writer Leaf Arbuthnot. 

Today, president-elect Catherine Connolly will be inaugurated as the tenth President of Ireland.  Seán Defoe, Newstalk’s Political Correspondent for more on this.

Shops are openly selling dangerous e-scooters that can reach 80kmh for use on public roads. That's according to an Irish Independent Investigation 

They contacted several sales reps who recommended models for commuting with top speeds of 80kmh , when the legal top speed of an e-scooter on our roads is 20kmh. 

We discuss this further with Ger Herbert, Motoring Editor with the Sunday Independent.  

If you’re a Facebook or Instagram user, you may have noticed posts in recent days claiming that the parent company Meta will use your private messages to train its AI models from December. Is this true and should we be concerned? All to discuss with Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent, Jess Kelly.

With thank to Renault.