As Irish diplomats work to find a way to free aid worker Gena Heraty in Haiti, the Caribbean country remains in the grip of a gang war.

Significant Irish business connections in Haiti may be the key to securing the Irish missionary’s release, sources told The Journal.  

There are extensive Irish interests in the region. There is also a significant presence of Irish security personnel who are working for commercial enterprises. 

Niall O’Connor from The Journal spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

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Meath County Council has granted planning permission for a highly contentious gas fired peaking power plant in Kentstown, despite strong local opposition.

Polarisgate Ltd had sought a 10 year planning permission for the development, which will consist of three open-cycle gas turbine generators, each with a 30m high stack, on a 19-acre site at Curraghtown, Brownstown. If constructed, the plant is expected to operate for 40 years and provide back-up electricity to the national grid.

The decision follows months of heated debate and a number of protests held in Kentstown village.

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Sinn Fein TD for Meath-East, Darren O’Rourke, who says that this is a “very disappointing” decision.

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The majority of renters believe the Government should support intergenerational living.

This is where younger individuals or couples live with older adults at a nominal cost in exchange for companionship and support.

Research carried out for ­Aviva Insurance Ireland found 59pc of renters believe the Government should support and promote the idea.

Greater use of such an arrangement would help alleviate the rental crisis, which has seen average rental costs top €2,000 a month.

Renters are struggling to secure affordable accommodation while trying to save for a home.

CEO of Threshold, John-Mark McCafferty, spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

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Louth Labour TD, Ged Nash has challenged the government to work with Louth County Council to address a funding gap that will allow work to be carried out on Ardee Castle so this jewel in the crown of mid-Louth can open to the public again.

Deputy Nash explained: “It is now six years since Louth County Council was granted approval in principle for Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) funding up to €2.1 million for the Ardee Castle project.

“It is my understanding that Louth County Council are now ready to proceed to the construction phase of this project but in the intervening years, the cost of the project has escalated primarily due to the rising costs of construction.”

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

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An Irish-born medical registrar said he was left stunned after a group of children hurled racial slurs at him as he left a shopping complex last week.

Dr Taimoor Salman estimates children as young as 10 shouted “Mr Curry Man” in a broken Indian accent at him.

The incident happened after 9pm on Thursday as Dr Salman dropped into Blackcastle Shopping Centre in Navan, Co Meath, to pick up a few groceries on his way home from work at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth.

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Aontu Councillor Michael O’Dowd in Drogheda, who is outraged by this attack and the rise in attacks against Indian people in Ireland over the past number of weeks and months.

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Huge numbers of parents are dipping into their savings to fund back-to-school costs.

School uniforms are a huge expense ahead of the new school year and digital devices are a high cost for secondary- school parents, according to the latest back-to-school cost survey from children’s charity Barnardos.

This morning on The Agenda we spoke to National Policy Manager at Barnardos, Stephen Moffatt, about this survey and about Barnardos calls for Government to expand the eligibility for the back-to-school allowance.

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Roblox, the online game-building platform popular with young children and teenagers wants to introduce online dating.

The move has been floated by Roblox CEO David Baszucki just as Ireland’s online regulator attempts to clampdown down on inappropriate activity for kids and teens online.

Mr Baszucki said that online dating on the platform was logical given some people’s shyness or fear of the dating scene. Roblox users, he said, would “have a virtual date to start and then, if they connect, move to the physical world.”

In this way, he told the American podcast Tech Stuff, Roblox could become a “wellness platform,” and something to “help loneliness and bring connection.”

Head of Education & Innovation at CyberSafeKids, Philip Arneill, spoke to us this morning on The Agenda to give us his thoughts on this.

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The UK Government has announced that the voting age will be lowered to 16 years old ahead of the next UK General election in 2029.

Welcomed by youth groups who have long campaigned to expand voting rights, this change not only broadens the electorate for general elections but in the event of a future border poll as well. If effectively mobilised, this new franchise could prove pivotal in determining the outcome of such a vote.

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Emma DeSouza, who wrote about this in The Journal over the weekend.

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President Donald Trump has threatened to “substantially” hike US tariffs on goods from India over its purchases of Russian oil – a key source of revenue for Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

Trump’s threat has been met with an angry reaction from the Indian government. 

“The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable,” India Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.

“Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.”

Trump’s heightened pressure on India comes after he signalled fresh sanctions on Moscow if Russia did not make progress by Friday towards a peace deal with Ukraine, more than three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Political Columnist at TheJournal.ie, Larry Donnelly, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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The leader of the Labour party has called for a full public inquiry into St John’s Ambulance charity, saying it is “regrettable” that it has not taken place  to date “as survivors need transparency”.

Ivana Bacik made the call while speaking in the Dáil and urged the Taoiseach Micheál Martin to “join us in supporting survivors' calls for a full public inquiry.” 

Ms Bacik is the latest politician to call for an inquiry, which has also been made by past and present TDs and senators over the last two years. These follow the publication in 2023 of a report by Dr Geoffrey Shannon which found systemic failures in the charity.

Mick Finnegan from Dublin was first to break his silence and say that he was raped and abused by a former senior member of the charity, and Mick spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

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