The mum of missing Elizabeth Clarke – who is suspected of being murdered nearly 12 years ago says “it is pure hell” not knowing if she is still alive or dead.

Mum-of-two Elizabeth was 24 years old when she was last seen in November 2013 in Navan, Co Meath.

Ms Clarke, who had lived in Portrane, Co Dublin and Bettystown, as well as at another address in Co Mea, was officially reported missing in January 2015. She had been estranged from her family, including her mum Noeleen Bieninda for a number of years.

Gardaí are investigating if Elizabeth, who was a vulnerable person, was murdered around the time she was last seen in 2013.

Before her disappearance, Elizabeth lived with her two children, her ex-partner Kevin Stanley, his father Larry and Larry’s late wife Susan in Navan.

In February this year, An Garda Siochana re-classified the case from a missing persons investigation to a murder probe as a result of the extensive enquiries.

Elizabeth's mum Noeleen Clarke joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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A pilot project in England sees officers swooping on offenders if female police officers in running gear are subjected to sexual harassment

A local TD is calling for legislation to be introduced to outlaw catcalling and harassment of women in public places.

It follows a pilot project by the Surrey police force in England,  which is sending out female officers in running gear, supported by crews nearby.

Officers swoop on offenders if the women are subjected to sexually suggestive comments.

Fianna Fáil TD for Louth, Erin McGreehan, says she hopes the Justice Minister will consider legislation to tackle the problem.

Deputy McGreehan spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

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A religious order has said being asked to contribute to the State's mother and baby home redress scheme is “akin to asking a frontline worker in 50 years’ time to be held accountable for the failures of the current HSE”, new records show.

Representatives for the Sisters of Mercy made the comments during a meeting with former children’s minister Roderic O’Gorman on December 13, 2021, where it was claimed it would be "unfair" to make the nuns pay, as they were "just workers".

Following publication of the Commission of Investigation report into mother and baby homes, eight religious-run orders were asked by the Department of Children to contribute to the €800m redress scheme that was rolled out last year for survivors. 

Alison O’Reilly from The Irish Examiner joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this.

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There are no places for children at creches in Louth at the moment, it has been revealed, with the sector at crisis point, according to Louth TD, Ruairí Ó Murchú.

The ‘crisis in the early years sector’ in Louth is ‘worse than it has ever been’, the Sinn Féin TD told the Dundalk Democrat, who has revealed that there are no places for children under two in Louth at the moment in creches, which he said is “putting parents in a really difficult position”.

There are, he said, pregnant women putting down their unborn child on waiting lists to try to get a place for when they return to work, such is the pressure on services.

Deputy Ó Murchú joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

We also spoke to Chairperson at Federation of Early Childhood Providers, Elaine Dunne, to find out more about how the situation with childcare is and what can be done to alleviate it

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A poultry factory worker who was deported on a government charter flight to Nigeria earlier this year has been granted permission to apply again for asylum in Ireland, effectively overturning his deportation order.

The man, aged in his 30s, has been granted the opportunity to receive international protection after Irish authorities accepted that he faced persecution and threats to his life due to being a gay man in his home country.

It’s believed to be among the first successful attempts by one of the people on that flight to successfully challenge their removal.

Eoghan Dalton from The Journal joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this.

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We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Ardee man Chris Millar, whose teenage daughter Danielle was treated for scoliosis last year.

Danielle received her spinal diagnosis by chance when a nurse noticed a slight curve and sent her for an x-ray while she was receiving treatment for her ENT (ear, nose and throat) problems last year.

Scoliosis has been making headlines over the past number of weeks following the death of 9-year-old Harvey Morris last month - Harvey had been waiting years for scoliosis surgery. 

Following Harvey’s death, there were calls far and wide for Tanaiste Simon Harris to resign after he had promised to meet Harvey's parents various times while Harvey was alive - the meeting never took place. 

Chris was speaking out this morning following the death of Harvey and says he is devastated for Harvey’s parents - he says that he is disgusted with how scoliosis cases in children are being managed in Ireland and that “it’s just not good enough”.

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Located at the very front line of the war in Ukraine, the port city of ­Kherson appears all but abandoned.

In the middle of the afternoon, with the sun shining and the temperature a sizzling 33C, there seems to be no trace of the 250,000 inhabitants who were living here when war broke out more than three years ago.

And yet, life in the south Ukrainian city does go on. Thousands of people ­remain, unwilling or unable to leave their homes. A local theatre still holds performances every Saturday and Sunday.

Former Munster rugby player Shane Leahy has been to Ukraine more than 40 times since Russia invaded in 2022. He said conditions in Kherson have grown “worse and worse” with each visit.

Shane joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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The Government has failed to “make a dent” in the teacher recruitment and retention crisis as “hundreds” of posts remain unfilled shortly before schools reopen after summer, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) said.

In recent years, the union said hundreds of posts advertised online have consistently remained unfilled at this time of year despite schools working “relentlessly” to fill them.

An ASTI survey of secondary school leaders published on Thursday revealed 67 per cent of respondents said they had unfilled vacancies, due to recruitment difficulties, halfway through the last school year.

ASTI President Padraig Curley spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

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The Crime Victims Helpline reported a 15% increase in incoming calls last year, as well as a 66% increase in contacts related to theft.

There was also a 46% increase in the number of calls related to burglary, according to its 2024 annual report.

The Crime Victims Helpline (CVH) is a national support service for victims of crime in Ireland.

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Chief Executive of the Crime Victims Helpline, Michele Puckhaber, who told us more about the Crime Victims Helpline 2024 report and its findings.

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Independent councillor, Alan Lawes from Navan attended the weekly Palestinian support protest yesterday evening in Newry and displayed a t-shirt and poster supporting Palestine Action. 

His actions risked possible arrest.

Palestine Action (PAG) is proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK and protests have been ongoing to have the ban lifted. To date, over 700 people have been arrested in connection with supporting Palestine Action. Over 532 people were arrested in London over the weekend alone for carrying placards opposing the banning of the activist group

Councillor  Lawes said: “Our intention is to expose the hypocrisy of Kier Starmer’s British Government in banning a non-violent direct action protest group while also supplying weapons to slaughter children in Gaza”

Councillor Lawes spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

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