Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro offer hope to millions as obesity becomes one of the most serious global public health challenges, affecting up to two billion people by 2030, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

The WHO, which has launched its first guidelines for use of skinny jabs, warned that medicines alone will not solve the challenge as it called on governments to create healthier societies.

Some 56% of people in Ireland are living with obesity or are overweight, according to the latest Department of Health figures.

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Donal O’Shea, who is a consultant Endocrinologist & the HSE Lead for Obesity, who spoke to us in more detail about this.

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Recent statements by Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, and the government’s approval of a new package of asylum and citizenship reforms, have dominated headlines across Ireland over the past number of weeks.

Abolish Direct Provision Ireland (ADPI) are welcoming efforts to reform the asylum system — they say they believe a fair, transparent process is important. What they are calling for now, however, is humanitarian justice for the people already living, working and contributing to Irish society.

They have launched a national Amnesty Campaign, demanding humanitarian amnesty for around 1,500 members — many of whom have lived in Ireland for years, whose children have grown up here, who are self-sufficient and ready to integrate fully.

Their campaign has already gained significant political support, including from two MEPs and more than 30 TDs nationwide. On 13 November, they presented a humane and economically responsible alternative to the 26-year-old Direct Provision system outside Leinster House.

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by spokesperson for Abolish Direct Provision Ireland, Mahfoud Cherragui, who spoke to us some more about this.

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Ireland's bail system is "cumbersome", "inefficient" and "haphazard", according to a new review recommending key changes.

Commissioned by Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan and carried out by senior counsel Lorcan Staines, the review makes 15 recommendations.

They include allowing Gardaí to immediately arrest someone suspected of breaking their bail conditions, introducing new laws around house arrest, and significantly improving information-sharing between Gardaí and the courts.

The family of Shane O'Farrell has been calling for bail reform since he was killed in a hit-and-run in County Monaghan 14 years ago by a man who was out on bail.

Shane's mother, Lucia O’Farrell, says the minister now needs to make the necessary changes, and Lucia joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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Sinn Féin TD for Meath East, Darren O’Rourke TD, recently commended representatives from the Widow and Bereaved Partners Ireland (WBPI) advocacy group, who he hosted in the Audio Visual Room in Leinster House earlier this week, for their courage in sharing their personal stories and advocating for improvements within the system. 

The 2022 census showed that there are 210,083 people widowed in Ireland. Representatives of the advocacy group outlined a range of cruel, bureaucratic barriers they face and proposals to address them.

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Meath resident and member of WBPI (Widow and Bereaved Partners Ireland), Sharon Kavanagh, who told us more about this.

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Sinn Féin TDs Darren O’Rourke and Joanna Byrne, alongside Councillor Maria White, last night launched a set of proposals to address the Garda recruitment and retention crisis, at a public meeting on Garda resources held in Bettystown.

The meeting heard that Meath has the lowest number of Gardaí per head of population in the state, a situation that is having a direct impact on community safety. The local representatives said the Sinn Féin proposals would tackle this long-standing issue.

According to the Meath East TD, the number of sworn officers in the county stood at 318 as of September 2025 — the same number as in 2018 and just three more than in 2009, despite a huge population increase.

Deputy O’Rourke joined us on The Agenda this morning to give us all the latest on this and tell us more about what happened at the public meeting earlier this week.

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The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has issued a warning that consumers are being targeted by "increasingly sophisticated online scams".

The warning comes as Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales kick off the busiest shopping period of the year.

With recent CCPC research revealing that around one in four people expect to make a purchase in the sales, the watchdog is advising consumers to be extra vigilant.

It said shoppers should be "especially wary of ads on social media, as scammers are using convincing clones of trusted websites and fake local shops to trick shoppers".

To highlight the dangers posed by different types of scams, the CCPC has published case studies of real life scam tactics that have been used on people who contacted the watchdog afterwards.

Deputy Director of Financial Education at the CCPC, Muriel Dolan, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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Louth councillors have hit out at the controversial €1.2 million bill left behind after Drogheda hosted the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2018 and 2019.

The council confirmed at their Budget 2026 meeting that it will begin to make annual payments of €100,000 to clear the debt accumulated by the Fleadh taking place in the Louth town.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr. Maeve Yore said she and other councillors had raised their concerns over a number of years about the more than €1 million, and who was responsible for paying it.

Councillor Yore joinsed us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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Most countries regard a declining population as a threat, and a rising population as a good thing.

This is one reason why the ageing societies of Western Europe have welcomed millions of immigrants in recent decades, as their native populations have declined.

At Government buildings on Wednesday, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan was at pains to frame Ireland’s problem as one of immediate capacity, not underlying demographics.  Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has said Ireland’s rate of population growth is too high and the Government’s new restrictions on family reunification and citizenship grants are intended to reduce it.

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Political Editor at The Irish Times, Pat Leahy, who wrote a piece this week highlighting just how many people moved to Ireland last year and how many of them were asylum seekers.

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We are joined on the programme now by Aontu councillor in Navan, Emer Toibin, who took to social media yesterday to voice her anger and frustration over what she says are “serious issues” with the NX and 109 bus routes from Navan.

Councillor Toibin says that Navan commuters are now at “breaking point” because of it. 

Councillor Toibin has been in touch with the NTA over this issue, and she joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about what is going on here. 

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Hundreds of tricolours erected across Dublin city by anti-immigration groups will not be removed.

Dublin city council will instead launch initiatives to promote a deeper understanding of the Irish flag according to the Irish Times.

It follows concerns that any large-scale removal would provoke an angry response and could put council workers in dangers

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Independent councillor in Dublin Central, Malachy Steenson, to get his reaction to this.

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