The Chairman of the Drogheda Cycling group, Noel Hogan, says Louth County Council are “kicking the can down the road” on implementing plans to install active travel routes in the town and these delays are wasting taxpayer’s money due to increasing costs.

His comments come as the government has today announced Phase 2 of their Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 plan which focuses on 12 actions which Minister Darragh O’Brien says have the potential for “truly transformative impacts”.

Over the past number of years, the Drogheda Cycling Group has been campaigning for safer cycling routes and more Active Transport options for the town and Mr. Hogan, says that Louth County Council have been “kicking the can down the road” to such an extent that it’s impossible to have any confidence in their predictions.

Noel spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about all of this.  

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A children’s sports summer camp scheduled to take place in Co Down has been cancelled after the local Orange lodge raised “significant concerns” over the inclusion of children from a GAA club.

The camp was to be run by the North Down Cricket Club and Cricket Ireland has since said it is “dismayed and disappointed”.

Kelly Armstrong from Alliance MLA spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

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The US Ambassador to Israel has criticised the Occupied Territories Bill, calling on Ireland to "sober up".

The bill would prohibit trade between Ireland and Israel's illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

It was scrutinised yesterday by the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and was introduced by Independent Senator Frances Black.

Mike Huckabee described the bill as "so stupid" and questioned if it could be attributed to an act of "diplomatic intoxication".

"Did the Irish fall into a vat of Guinness," he said in a post on social media platform X.

Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence & Meath-East Fianna Fail TD Thomas Byrne joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us about this.

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The European Commission is set to propose merging Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funding with other funds, in a radical overhaul of how farmers receive financial supports from the European Union budget.

Draft documents of the proposals indicate that from the start of the next EU budgetary cycle in 2028, the commission plans to pool dedicated agricultural and rural financial supports into a single National and Regional Partnerships fund.

The proposal would mean CAP would no longer be a stand-alone fund within the EU budget but would instead be merged with EU cohesion, migration, and infrastructure funding.

Farmer and IFA member Tom Byrne spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

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This morning on The Agenda we were joined by Louth-based Senator Alison Comyn about the Annual Enterprise Ireland Report which went before Cabinet yesterday.

We also discussed the issue of dangerous crossroads in Collon.

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A senator who shared her seven-week baby scan in the Seanad to highlight shortcomings in laws around miscarriage expressed disappointment that the Government has stalled on giving more rights to parents.

The Coalition said Nicole Ryan’s proposed bill – which would give parents who suffer a miscarriage the right to leave from work – will be brought back to the Oireachtas in a year’s time.

Ms Ryan held up her baby scan photo in the House last week, saying it was the “only evidence I have that my pregnancy ever existed”.

The Sinn Féin senator said she did it to “remove the taboo” around pregnancy loss before 12 weeks, something she said few people were willing to talk about.

Senator Ryan joined us on The Agenda this morning to bravely share her story with us and to talk to us in more detail about the pregnancy loss bill.

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Plans to bring in health labels on drinks could be pushed back until 2029 instead of being announced next week.

The planned introduction of the law next year would have made Ireland the first country in the world to insist on health warnings on bottles containing alcoholic drinks.

Alcohol Action Ireland says postponing the decision is another instance of the Taoiseach and Health Minister turning their backs on public health.

CEO Sheila Gilheany says waiting for the green light from the Europe won't work in this instance, and she spoke to us this morning on The

Agenda about this.

We were also joined by Fine Gael TD in Offaly, John Clendennen, who recently called for the deferral of certain alcohol labelling provisions in light of increased trade tensions

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Homeless charities have expressed concerns over reports that local authorities could stop families who refuse multiple social housing offers from accessing emergency accommodation.

The Irish Examiner reported this week that the government could give Ireland’s city and county councils the power to remove offers of homeless accommodation to those who repeatedly decline an offer of housing.

It comes as homeless figures continue to climb to record levels, with 15,747 people – including 4,844 children – living in emergency accommodation during May.

Ber Grogan, Executive Director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, described the government’s proposal as a “kite-flying” exercise that does not address the undersupply of housing that is driving up homeless figures, adding that it would ultimately mean more people sleeping rough.

Ber spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about all of this.

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It is “not fine” for the government to be purely a commentator in the Covid 19 review, particularly when there are families in Dealgan House in Dundalk who still don’t know what happened to their loved ones, five years on, Louth TD Ruairí Ó Murchú has told the Dáil.

The Sinn Féin TD was speaking during a debate about nursing homes, prompted by the recent Prime Time Investigates programme.

The Louth TD said it was “hard to believe we are back here again” discussing nursing homes, 20 years after the Leas Cross scandal, which led to the establishment of HIQA.

He said HIQA needs more powers, particularly for unannounced visits to homes.

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

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