Highlights From Lunchtime Live

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea is joined by Mary Bishop, Head of Education at Grow it Yourself to answer any of your vegetable-growing questions!

Are you the type of person to not spend an unnecessary cent? Or, do you shop at every possible opportunity? There can be a fight for the money in your pocket: so, should you be a spender or a saver (or somewhere in between)?Joining Andrea to discuss is John Lowe from MoneyDoctors.ie, as well as listeners.

As the days are getting colder, we should all spare a thought for those among us that don’t have a roof over their heads on these cold nights.There are over 16,000 people living homeless in Ireland at the moment…So, how tough is it to get out of it?Andrea is joined by Marie, who has her own experience of it…

The publicly funded IVF scheme has been running for almost two years. Like any scheme, there’s criteria. You cannot avail of free IVF if you are in a same-sex couple, and you also cannot avail of the scheme if you’re a single person, or if you need to use donor sperm or a donor egg.It turns out a lot of people are excluded - is this fair?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

It's How I live well time! Where someone joins to discuss what they do to improve their life...This week Andrea is joined by Dr. Mary Ryan, Endocrinologist and author of ‘It’s Probably Your Hormones’ to discuss how hormones can affect our mood.

Gardaí have launched a road-safety campaign focusing on things like the visibility of pedestrians, cyclists, e-scooter drivers and motorcyclists.But, some are saying that it’s a “dangerous” narrative and putting a lot of the blame on cyclists, rather than promoting safe driving.So, are the criticisms correct, and should cyclists have to wear hi-vis at all times?Joining Andrea to discuss is Editor of Irish Cycle, Cian Ginty, as well as listeners.

GP in Drumcondra Dr Brian King joined Andrea Gilligan to tackle your medical queries.

Architect and Presenter of ‘Home of the Year’ Hugh Wallace has sadly passed away at the age of 68.Joining Andrea to pay tribute and remember him is Jenny Sheahan, former winner of ‘Home of the Year’, Peter Finn, better known as Pete the Builder and more.Image: RTÉ

The National Transport Authority is set to begin a phased rollout of contactless payments across TFI Local Link Services today, which is forecast to be complete by the end of 2026.However, Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien told an Oireachtas Committee on Transport in June that contactless payments on Dublin transport may not be fully available until 2029…Why is this taking so long?Joining Andrea to discuss is Joshua Ellul, Member of the Labour Party and Dublin Commuter Coalition, as well as listeners.

We’re officially in the run up to Christmas!For the next few weeks, Lunchtime Live is going to be highlighting some great Irish businesses that you can support this festive season.Today, we’re focusing on toys kids may want to put on their lists to Santa.To discuss, Andrea is joined by Creator of the ‘30 Seconds’ board game Greg Dooley, Owner and CEO of Jiminy Toys Bobbi Cotter, Shop Manager of Cogs Toys & Games Alan Condon and Founder of The Toy Factory Giorgia Anile.

Welcome to The Pod Squad!We review podcasts every week so you always have something new to listen to.Host of the ‘What’s Trending in F1?’ podcast Elaine Power and Newstalk’s Laura Donnelly join Andrea to review ‘Stockton Street: Venus and Serena Williams’!Image: fwd.

Ireland’s maternity system is set for one of its biggest shake-ups in decades, as plans to phase out private maternity care begin to take shape. The move is aimed at creating a fairer, more consistent experience for expectant mothers, but has sparked mixed reactions from clinicians and patients.Supporters say it will streamline services and reduce inequality, while critics warn it removes the choice that many women want…So, what do you think?Joining Andrea to discuss is Tara Whelan, Founder of Resilient Emotions, Dr Krysia Lynch, Chairperson for the Association for Improvements in Maternity Services in Ireland, Journalist Chrissie Russell and listeners.

For this week’s Ask Me Anything, Impressionist Al Foran joins Andrea to answer any of your questions around comedy and impressions!

‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ is running at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from November 2025 to January 11.Joining Andrea to discuss is Tony and Academy Award–nominated Playwright, Screenwriter, and Producer behind the show, John Logan!

A new ad from the Data Protection Commission has received quite a bit of attention online.If you haven't seen it yet, basically it depicts a young girl with parents on her birthday. Strangers around her start wishing her happy birthday, with them having knowledge of her personal information such as where she attends school.It has showcased to many the risks of sharing personal information about your children online…So, do we need more attention put on this topic?Joining Andrea to discuss is Katie Makk, Presenter and Producer of the ‘Opinions Matter’ podcast, children's book writer Anne Marie O’Sullivan, Psychotherapist Bethan O’Riordan and Siobhan O’Neill White of mams.ie.

Comedian and writer Joanne McNally recently spoke on how people treat her solely based on her strong accent, particularly men…Should we ever judge people by their accents?Joining Andrea to discuss is Newstalk Reporter, Sarah Madden and Dr. Stephen Lucek, Assistant Professor in Linguistics in UCD.

Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea Gilligan with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

A horrific killing of a stag occurred in Newbridge House in Donnabate in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The stag, who was 8 years old, was one of 16 Irish red deer. The herd were kept fenced in for more than two decades as they are a protected species.The stag’s head was decapitated. and there is no doubt that it was a trophy kill.Nearby residents are shocked at the incident and have said nothing like this has ever happened before.What do we need to do to prevent animal cruelty like this happening?Joining Andrea to discuss is local Cllr Eoghan Dockrell, Co-Founder of My Lovely Horse Rescue Martina Kenny and John Tierney from the Association of Hunt Saboteurs.

December is around the corner, so it might be time to get your house ready for the festive season if you haven’t already…This week, the Home Squad are here to discuss Christmas decorations!Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Jenny Sheehan, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year’ (@workerscottage on Instagram) and Sarah Carroll (@sand.and.deliver on Instagram).

With Thanksgiving on today, how is the holiday celebrated in Ireland?It’s not a traditional Irish celebration, but American expats, returning emigrants, and a growing number of locals have embraced it in their own way; from turkey dinners in Dublin to small community gatherings around the country…Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Vice Chair of Democrats Abroad, Patti Shields, Eoin Heneghan, co-owner of the Merry Ploughman and listeners.