Students are being warned to be wary of bogus letting agents ahead of the first round of college places being offered next week.

With results of this year’s Leaving Certificate being released on Friday, the first round of college offers will be made on Wednesday next, August 27.

Although many would-be first-year students may already have secured accommodation, it is expected there will be a rush for rooms from next week.

The warning comes as UCD’s students' union launched a campaign on Tuesday targeting homeowners in Dublin’s commuter belt to open up their homes to third-level students.

President of UCD’s Student Union, Michael Roche, joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

We also spoke to Labour Party TD & spokesperson on Education, Eoghan Kenny, who condemned the Government for not doing enough to better the situation for students.

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US President Donald Trump has said his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has accepted that there will be security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any agreement to end the war. 

He was speaking alongside Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders at the White House ahead of high-stakes talks aimed at ending Russia’s war, just three days after he held a summit with Putin in Alaska.

Trump also said the US will be “involved” in some form of security guarantees for Ukraine as part of an agreement on ending the war. 

Political Correspondent Larry Donnelly joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this.

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Faulty goods, poor online shopping experiences and botched home improvements top the list of issues consumers have contacted the CCPC about so far this year, according to their helpline report it issued today. The CCPC Consumer Helpline report breaks down calls made from January to June 2025. It details the top sectors, issues and traders that prompted consumers to contact the CCPC helpline.  

Vehicles and transport led the list of sectors that consumers contacted the CCPC about, while the top traders named by consumers contacting the helpline included Ryanair, Eir and Sky. 

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Communications Director and Consumer Affairs Expert at the CCPC, Grainne Griffin, who told us more about this.

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Earlier on in the programme we spoke to Meath-East TD Darren O’Rourke, who told us about how a number of children in Co. Meath have been denied a place on their local school bus this year.

Deputy O'Rourke says, in his Meath East constituency, there are particular challenges in North Meath on routes to O’Carolan College in Nobber, Moynalty National School, and Wilkinstown National School.

We were joined on The Agenda this morning by two Meath mums who are directly affected by this and say that their own children are currently without school transport after being refused bus tickets. 

Annmarie Daly-Lynagh and Lisa Lynagh told us their story.

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A Cork City Councillor has proposed that 15- and 16-year-olds be allowed to drive ‘micro cars’.

Quadricycles, as they’re officially known, are small battery-powered cars which are very popular on the continent.

Fine Gael’s Damian Boylan said the move should be taken to bring Ireland “in step with the rest of Europe”.

Councillor Boylan 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 and spokesperson on Education and Youth, Darren O’Rourke, says the failure by the Government to implement recommendations from the review of the School Transport Scheme means that a number of children in Co. Meath have been denied a place on their local school bus this year.

The review of the school transport scheme took three years to complete and was published in February 2024, almost 18 months ago. One of the main recommendations was to reduce the ‘nearest school’ distance criteria.

Deputy O’Rourke joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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Domestic abuse calls to gardaí have soared by 45pc in the past four years, with the figure on track to increase again this year.

An analysis of domestic abuse calls by the Irish Independent also shows that garda divisions in Dublin had both the highest and lowest rates of reports per population last year.

Ainie Grainger from Stop Domestic Abuse Ireland joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.

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A brute who sexually assaulted a woman in the UK before coming to Ireland and attacking a female jogger shows “the Government and Gardai are simply not in control”, it’s been claimed.

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín made the stark admission after the Irish Mirror unmasked “Hoyda Hamad” as a pervert with 27 aliases and 20 convictions earlier this week. 

The “non-binary” barber was sentenced on August 6 for kicking the jogger near Fairview Park on the East Wall Road in Dublin on July 26.

Deputy Toibin spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

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A Palestinian doctor living and working in Co. Meath is helping to bring international attention to a powerful new book that documents the daily testimonies of surgeons working under fire in Gaza.

The book ‘Diary of Gaza Surgeons – A Witness to Genocide’ is set to be launched next month, serving both as a historical record and as compelling evidence of the grave crimes committed against the people of Gaza.

Dr Mahmoud Abu Marzouq who works as an orthopaedic surgeon at Navan hospital has helped to co-ordinate the book and understands first-hand how these surgeons feel.

Mahmoud spends every day reliving memories with his loved ones who have died in Gaza - he has lost his sister, younger brother, four of his nieces and nephews, his brother-in-law, and many, many friends.

Mahmoud joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about all of this.

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The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) is calling for the lifting of the Dublin Airport passenger cap, increased Government spending, as well as the restoration of the 9% hospitality VAT rate in order to boost tourism in the country, which it said is at a "tipping point".

In its Budget submission, the ITIC warns of "double-digit" declines in tourists coming to Ireland and that the country is overdependent on US visitors.

In order to address this, the confederation - which represents 20,000 tourism and hospitality businesses - wants to see annual Government spending on tourism services increased by €90 million to around €340 million.

CEO of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC), Eoghan O'Mara Walsh, spoke to us this morning on The Agenda about this.

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