Haggardstown and Blackrock which forms a large part of the Dundalk South Electoral area is receiving nothing like its fair share of funding and hasn’t been for quite some time while especially for the last decade or more the community has expanded rapidly, and services and facilities are not keeping up to serve residents.

This in a nutshell was the strong case local councillor Shane McGuinness put to his fellow councillors as he asserted that Blackrock and Haggardstown is not getting it’s proper share of the cake.

Councillor McGuinness joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this

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Social media algorithms have boosted videos of attacks on asylum seekers and encouraged far-right agitators to engage in increasingly violent behaviour, a report from an antiracism group said.

The Hope and Courage Collective (HCC) said that in recent years the focus has been on homeless asylum seekers, who regularly faced threats and attacks on their tents.

The trend has coincided with the increasing number of male asylum seekers being forced to sleep rough due to a lack of state accommodation since 2023.

In a “snapshot” study, the group documented one far-right agitator uploading multiple videos of homeless asylum seekers to TikTok over a 10-day period, which gained increasing numbers of views.

Niamh McDonald from The Hope and Courage Collective joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this.

We also spoke to director of Vedic Hindu Cultural Centre Ireland Sudeep Sanyal, who is currently caring for his friend Laxman Das, and Indian man who was attacked while cycling through Dublin 6 on Wednesday.

Laxman also came on and told us his story.

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With the presidential election looming, just how much does it cost to run a successful campaign or otherwise?

It is a question that parties and candidates are considering as they either enter the race or think about doing so.

National poster campaigns, online advertising and campaign teams cost money and a lot of it. The six candidates in 2018 declared a total spend of €1.36 million in the race for the Áras.

Cormac McQuinn from The Irish Times spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

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A new civic group, the Louth Neutrality Network, was launched yesterday on the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing to defend Irish neutrality and oppose the government’s shift toward military alignment.

Founded by local citizens, family members of current and former UN peacekeepers and peace advocates, the group is particularly critical of what it calls Fianna Fáil’s retreat, from its historic commitment to peace, shaped by figures like Frank Aiken who championed nuclear disarmament and introduced the UN resolution that became the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Aoife Herr from Louth Neutrality Network joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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Over 150 gardaí have been assaulted while on duty so far this year, according to figures from the Department of Justice.

There has been a higher than average number of reported assaults since 2022 when compared with previous years.

There were 299 assaults on gardaí while on duty in 2014; 301 in 2015; 282 in 2016; 264 in 2017; 224 in 2018 and 266 in 2019.

“We are all immensely grateful to all our gardaí for their outstanding dedication and commitment to serving the public and for the important role that they play in our society,” the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said in response to a parliamentary question from Aontu leader Peadar Toibin.

Deputy Toibin joins spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

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There has been a reduction of more than half in the number of unsuccessful international protection applicants who have been given leave to remain in the State by the Minister for Justice over the past two years.

New figures released by the Department of Justice show that then minister for justice Helen McEntee gave permission to remain in the State to 1,010 people who failed to be granted asylum or refugee status in 2023.

In 2024, however, that number dropped sharply to 483.

John Lannon, CEO of Doras, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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Drogheda has officially passed the population benchmark to be designated a city under European Union definitions—and campaigners are once again calling on the Government to act.

According to the Drogheda City Status Group (DCSG), the town’s population has surged to just under 52,000 people, adding an estimated 2,600 new residents each year since 2022. If the current growth rate continues, Drogheda’s population will exceed 55,500 by 2027.

“Drogheda is a city, and it’s high time it was recognised as such by the State,” said Anna McKenna, Chair of the DCSG.

She said the town is expanding rapidly through new housing developments, but this has not been matched by investment in infrastructure, transport, education, or sustainable development.

Anthony Murphy from DCSG joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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An additional €1 million in funding has been secured for the regeneration of Ardee Castle.

It's been allocated by the Department of Rural and Community Development and has been confirmed by Minister Dara Calleary and will close the funding gap which Louth County Council was facing.

Local Fianna Fáil Senator Senator Alison Comyn says it's fantastic news for both Ardee and County Louth, and Alison spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

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A local councillor in Ratoath has raised concerns over long-awaited crèches at a residential development in Meath, saying that families are being “left without access to vital childcare services”.

Fianna Fáil councillor Caroline O’Reilly is now calling for “immediate action” to provide childcare at The Willows in Dunshaughlin, a new development providing three-and four-bedroom homes in the area over the last couple of years.

“Families who bought homes here were sold a vision of a community with essential services like childcare,” Councillor O’Reilly said, and she joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us about this.

Caroline, who also works with people living with drug addiction, also spoke to us about the current drug addiction epidemic in Ireland, particularly with cocaine and crack cocaine.

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**TRIGGER WARNING: UPSETTING/DISTRESSING CONTENT***

The daughter of the Co Cavan-based woman who was assisted in ending her life alone at a controversial Swiss clinic has told of her sadness and disbelief after her ashes were sent home in the post.

Maureen Slough (58), who had a history of mental illness, travelled to the Pegasos clinic in Switzerland on July 8 having told her family she was going to Lithuania with a friend.

She later ended her life in the clinic, apparently while Elvis Presley gospel music played in the background.

Maureen’s daughter Megan ­Royal, who lives in Dublin, said the first she knew that her mother had died was when a volunteer for the group sent her a WhatsApp message, which was also received by her mother’s partner Mick Lynch.

Megan bravely joined us on The Agenda this morning to share her harrowing story.

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