The outbreak of a rare bacterial infection, listeriosis, in Ireland is “unusual” in that it relates to food that should be reheated or cooked, a professor in microbiology has said.

Experts have called on members of the public to ensure they heat pre-prepared food products “thoroughly” to reduce the risk of further infection.

On Wednesday, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) confirmed an adult with listeriosis has died, and the watchdog is investigating an “extensive outbreak” of the disease.

Nine cases of listeriosis have been identified as of July 22nd, it said, and there has been a “voluntary precautionary recall” of 141 ready-made products “due to a link with the outbreak”.

Catherine Rees, Professor of Microbiology at the University of Nottingham, joined us on The Agenda to tell us more about this. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cocaine use at the debs has become “more and more common” over the years, a journalist has warned. 

As the debs season gets underway - across the country events are held from June up until the end of October - and the prevalence of drug use is on the rise. 

A recent study showed that alcohol consumption is declining among young people, however, the rise of anecdotal reports of drug use amongst young people is causing concern.

Intrigued by anecdotal reports that teenagers were shunning booze in favour of drugs, Irish Farmers Journal reporter Jacqueline Hogge decided to delve into the trend.

Jacqueline Hogge spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US and the European Union are closing in on a trade deal, reports suggest, centred on a tariff of 15 per cent to apply on EU imports into the US market.

Given that this news emerged only hours after other reports that the talks were in trouble and the EU was preparing more powerful retaliation, we need to be careful.

There still seems to be some way to go in these talks. This could be an emerging deal. Or it could all look very different in a few days’ time – or even a few hours’ time.

But what would a deal like this mean for Ireland?

Cliff Taylor from The Irish Times joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ‘war on drugs’ had been lost, Dundalk TD Ruairí Ó Murchú recently told the Dáil.

The Sinn Féin deputy was speaking during a debate about the Proceeds of Crime Bill and said the war on drugs had been lost, “in the traditional sense in which it is understood.”

He said that while there had been work done by the Criminal Assets Bureau and the public liked seeing ‘criminals pay’, there needs to be a “trauma-informed and health-led policy and to ensure we look after those who are suffering from addiction.”

Deputy Ó Murchú spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drogheda's Mayor says it raises the question if the capacity is there for all the housing being granted planning permission.

The Mayor of Drogheda has highlighted how home buyers are unable to move into a new housing development on the north side of the town as connections by Uisce Éireann are still awaited.

Labour's Michelle Hall asked at Louth County Council's monthly meeting if there was any way for the local authority to press the utility to take action.

Michelle spoke to us this morning on The Agenda to tell us more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kneecap have described the decision to ban them from Hungary as 'political distraction'

Irish rap group Kneecap said "there is no legal basis" for Hungary banning the act from entering the country ahead of their scheduled appearance at a music festival.

The trio, who are outspoken supporters of Palestine, were due to perform at Sziget Festival on 11 August and remain on the line-up on its website.

This morning on The Agenda we spoke to Showbiz Editor at The Irish Sun, Ken Sweeney, who told us more about this.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yesterday the Gorvernment unveiled its new Action Plan on Insurance Reform with a range of priorities aimed at lowering insurance premiums. This Action Plan covers the remainder of 2025 to 2029 and will build on the progress of the 2020 Action Plan.

The Action Plan is focussed on 6 key themes, each with a range of specific actions to deliver better outcomes for consumers and businesses.

Minister of State at the Department of Finance and Fianna Fail TD Robert Troy spoke to us this morning on The Agenda to tell us more. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After four months of a near-total Israeli siege, Gaza’s few remaining hospitals now have wards for the growing number of malnourished children whose tiny bodies are just the width of their bones.

Doctors are famished to the point that they have dizzy spells as they make their rounds, medics say, and the journalists documenting their caseloads are often too weak to even walk to the clinics.

Executive Director at UNICEF Ireland, Peter Power, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this. 

We were also joined by trauma surgeon Nick Maynard, who has been working in Gaza and is seeing first-hand the devastation and alarming levels of malnutrition, particularly among children - and evidence of targeted shootings of civilians at Israel’s militarised distribution points.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clubs in Meath are facing levies of up to €500 per month in order to service a proposed €2 million loan towards the re-development of Páirc Tailteann.

This emerged from Wednesday night's County Board meeting in Dunganny which, in the main, dealt with the proposed financing of the Stadium project and how the County would fund its share of the total outlay needed to bring the redevelopment to fruition.

While the tendering process is underway after the go ahead was given last week by Croke Park, the grant money which has been secured so far will fall short of the entire cost of the project, and so the County is facing the reality of having to fundraise itself.

Chair of Meath GAA, Jason Plunkett, joined us on The Agenda this morning to speak to us some more about this.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Figures released by Early Childhood Ireland show that early years services in Meath have a shocking 21 per cent staff turnover, as childcare facilities struggle to retain staff.

To help address recruitment and retention challenges in Meath, Early Childhood Ireland is calling on the government to name a date to bring Early Years and School Age Care graduates' pay within public sector pay and conditions, in line with primary school teachers.

In its Budget 2026 submission, the leading membership and advocacy organisation has urged the government to name a date to introduce pay parity for Early Years and School Age Care graduates, who are educated and trained to the same level as their peers in primary education.

Frances Byrne, Director of Policy at Early Childhood Ireland, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us about the childcare situation in both Louth and Meath, and about how bad the staffing retention issue is.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.