An examination of child deaths linked to violence, abuse and neglect in domestic circumstances could help identify gaps in the supports available to vulnerable children.

The Minister for Justice has confirmed that his department is developing a Domestic Homicide Review model for Ireland, which will examine the circumstances surrounding deaths linked to domestic and family violence and how agencies responded.

Fine Gael TD Paula Butterly has welcomed the move, saying every effort must be made to understand what happened in these cases and learn lessons that could help prevent future tragedies.

The proposed review will include cases where children have died through violence, abuse or neglect, as well as children killed during incidents of domestic or family violence.

Deputy Butterly 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.

At least 23 children in Carlanstown and North Meath have been left without a place on the school bus to O’Carolan College in Nobber, just days before schools reopen.

Sinn Féin TD for Meath East and Education spokesperson Darren O’Rourke is calling on the Government to urgently provide additional places, saying key recommendations from the School Transport Scheme review have not been implemented.

He says the affected families are facing significant stress, with some parents potentially having to change their working arrangements as a result.

Deputy O’Rourke has written to the Minister for Education, Michael Moynihan, seeking approval for extra capacity on the affected routes.

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Deputy Darren O’Rourke, and also by Audrey, whose daughter is one of the children without a place.

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

A group of parents say they are being left with no option but to look for their own solutions after their children were offered school places but cannot access school transport.

Edite Miloslavska from Dundalk is one of those parents. She says she applied to three local schools for her daughter, but all were full, leaving her to accept a place further away. Without a transport option, getting her daughter to school has become a daily problem.

The parents have contacted the Department of Education and the School Transport Section, while also exploring a private bus service. But with only around 17 families committed to paying €35 a month, the company said it would need around 25 children to make the service viable.

Despite those efforts, Edite says there is still no solution — leaving parents asking what they are supposed to do when their child has a school place but cannot get to school.

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

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

A young man has died following a fatal hit-and-run involving a van and a bicycle in Kells last night.

The collision happened at Nugentstown at around 8.05pm, with the cyclist, who was aged in his late teens, pronounced dead at the scene. 

The van failed to remain at the scene following the collision.

Sinn Féin TD for Meath East Darren O’Rourke has described the news as “absolutely heartbreaking” and is urging anyone who was in the Nugentstown area between 7.30 and 8.30pm last night, or who has any information, to contact Gardaí.

Deputy O’Rourke joined us on The Agenda this morning with his reaction to the tragedy.

We will also be hearing about Deputy O'Rourke's calling for an end to the reliance on the goodwill of staff to mask systemic failures in our education system.

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

The Junior Transport Minister says he is looking at new measures to prevent wrong-way driving on Irish roads.

It follows the fatal M9 crash and new figures from Transport Infrastructure Ireland showing that 62 drivers have been detected travelling in the wrong direction in the first seven months of this year.

Minister Seán Canney is due to meet with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority on Friday to discuss possible safety measures and how the number of incidents can be reduced.

Minister Canney says action needs to be taken before there are more tragedies, and the meeting will look at what can be done to improve safety and prevent drivers from entering roads in the wrong direction.

Minister Canney joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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

TikTok is facing calls for greater accountability over its role in amplifying videos of dangerous and illegal driving, after refusing to appear publicly before an Oireachtas committee.

Fianna Fáil Senator and member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Media, Alison Comyn, has described the refusal as “completely unacceptable”, arguing that social media platforms must answer for how dangerous content is shared and promoted to young people.

Her comments follow a number of serious road incidents, including the fatal collision on the M9, with concerns that social media can glorify dangerous driving and encourage others to copy it.

Senator Comyn says a private briefing is not enough and is calling for greater scrutiny of how platforms remove dangerous content and how their algorithms distribute it.

Senator Comyn joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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

A Kerry disabilities campaigner has criticised a Channel 4 documentary which questioned the existence of ADHD, saying claims made in the programme could have serious consequences for families living with the condition.

Jean O’Sullivan says there is already a stigma surrounding ADHD, with some children and families facing comments that a child is simply being “bold” or disruptive rather than experiencing symptoms associated with a diagnosed disorder. She believes the documentary could reinforce those attitudes and discourage families from seeking the support and help they need.

The Great ADHD Myth? has faced strong criticism, particularly from families of children diagnosed with ADHD. Channel 4 has defended the programme, saying it was intended to encourage public debate around ADHD and the increasing use of medication to treat the condition.

Jean says she has spoken with a number of families who are angry and upset following the documentary. She believes discussions around ADHD need to be handled carefully, given the potential impact on those living with the condition and their families.

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

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

Grocery price inflation has eased in recent weeks, with the latest figures showing prices rising at a slower rate than they were earlier this year.

Like-for-like grocery prices were up 3.87% in the four weeks to August 9th compared with the same period last year, according to Worldpanel by Numerator. That is down from 5.87% in the previous four-week period, a two percentage point drop.

The figures will come as welcome news for shoppers, who have faced significant increases in the cost of their weekly shop. However, there are concerns that grocery prices could rise again due to the summer drought and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

With pressure still on household budgets, there are questions over whether this easing in inflation will continue in the months ahead.

Labour TD for Louth and finance spokesperson Ged Nash joined us in-studio this morning on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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

Residents, commuters and businesses in Julianstown are being encouraged to attend a public meeting this week to discuss plans for a traffic relief scheme for the village.

The Julianstown Traffic Relief Scheme is currently at Phase 2, with four western road corridors now out for public consultation. However, questions have been raised about how the options were assessed and why other possibilities, including direct access between the M1 and R132, are not included in the current consultation.

Traffic analysis suggests around 60% of morning traffic travelling south through Julianstown continues towards Junction 7 of the M1. The current proposals would also require new crossings of the River Nanny, bringing additional engineering and cost considerations.

A public information meeting will take place at the CityNorth Hotel on Thursday at 7.30pm.

Emma Haran from the group joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more…

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

Public transport is not nearly as dangerous as people think it is, according to the Commuter Coalition.

New figures from the NTA show that 46% of people believe antisocial behaviour on buses, trams and trains has increased this year, with concerns around safety continuing to affect how people view public transport.

However, Commuter Coalition spokesperson Lochlann Gallagher says those fears need to be put into context. He argues that while people may encounter antisocial behaviour from time to time, it remains relatively rare across the thousands of journeys made every day.

Lochlann also says regular users tend to view public transport as “much, much safer” than those who rarely or never use it, suggesting that people’s perceptions may not always reflect the reality of travelling by bus, tram or train.

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

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