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Deputy Butterly says she shares RTEs concerns over the killing of journalists and that Ireland must continue to voice support for a two state solution and continue to call out the genocidal acts of the Israeli government.

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While potential presidential candidates are preparing to set out their stall to local authorities, including Louth County Council, one local councillor has criticised the nomination system as “a closed club.”

Ciaran Fisher, Independent councillor for Dundalk/Carlingford, said the upcoming presidential election “promises to be a more novel affair than the local and general elections of 2024.” 

The deadline for nominations in the 2025 election is noon on September 24, leaving successful nominees with a short window to campaign for support.

Councillor Fisher joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to s some more about this.

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With the budget just under a month away, what will ministers Paschal Donohoe and Jack Chambers deliver on October 7th?

The one-off cost-of-living measures of recent budgets may be discontinued, but what will be in their place to help families feeling the pinch? Will there be tax cuts? And what can renters and those looking to buy a home expect?

Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about what we can potentially expect from Budget 2026.

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We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Aontu leader & Meath-West TD Peadar Toibin, who took to social media last night over his question to Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, regarding blood donors being asked if they are still the same sex they were assigned at birth, - Deputy Toibin says that if some donors refuse to answer they are not allowed to donate blood.

In his post on ‘X’, Deputy Toibin wrote:

“I asked the Minister for Health, is she aware that:

blood donors are being asked “Are you still the same sex that was assigned to you at birth”. 

And that some donors are refusing to answer a question that has no basis in science, and they are then not allowed to donate blood”.

Deputy Toibin spoke to us about this.

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Yesterday, there was a discussion in Cabinet about Ireland increasing its support for Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has participated in four meetings of the so-called ‘Coalition Of The Willing’ – a group of 31 countries that have pledged enhanced support for Ukraine by declaring their readiness to participate in a peacekeeping mission on Ukrainian territory, including, potentially, through the provision of peacekeeping troops.

Ireland is currently supplying Ukraine with non-lethal military assistance, such as first aid kids, bulletproof vests, and training in removing explosives. But the Government is now weighing up whether to go further by contributing to an international peacekeeping mission, should a ceasefire or formal peace deal be reached.

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Fine Gael Senator & Vice Chairperson of the joint oireachtas committee of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Garrett Ahearn, who is just back from Kiev.

We also heard about Russia's violation of Polish airspace on Wednesday.

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A Louth Fianna Fáil councillor has hit out at her party over the make up of Local Community Safety Partnerships, which are replacing Joint Policing Committees.

Emma Coffey said Fianna Fáil had dropped the ball during a discussion at the Dundalk Municipal District's monthly meeting yesterday evening, where its Chairman Fine Gael Cllr Robert Nash and Fianna Fáil councillor Andrea McKevitt were chosen as nominees for the Louth Community Safety Partnership.

Previously councillors were represented on the Dundalk, Drogheda and Ardee JPCs, but the new model only provides for two from each municipal district along with the Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council.

Councillor Coffey says she has concerns about the new model, and she spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

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US conservative activist Charlie Kirk, an influential ally of President Donald Trump, was fatally shot on Wednesday while speaking at a Utah university, sparking a manhunt for a lone sniper who the governor said had carried out a political assassination.

Authorities said they still had no suspect in custody as of Wednesday night, some eight hours after the midday shooting at Utah Valley University campus in Orem, Utah, during an event attended by 3,000 people.

The lone perpetrator suspected of firing the single gunshot that killed Mr Kirk, 31, apparently from a distant rooftop sniper's nest on campus, remained "at large," said Beau Mason, commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety, at a news conference four hours later.

Political Correspondent at The Journal, Larry Donnelly, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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