Highlights From Newstalk Breakfast

Now men can often be bad for getting the health NCT and this month the Irish Heart Foundation are encouraging people to get their hearts tested. So we sent a rather nervous Shane along to get tested.

Both Ryanair and Aer Lingus have had to cancel a number of flights in and out of Dublin Airport today as a result of a strike by French air traffic controllers. Joining Jonathan this morning with the details is Eoghan Corry, Editor of Air and travel magazine.

The Government is planning to introduce a windfall tax on energy companies, but the Taoiseach said it is still unclear how much money the levy will raise. Micheál Martin has said it was "difficult to be precise on the exact amount" of money that may be forthcoming to Ireland as a result of European Commission proposals to cap energy prices and tax profits. Muireann Lynch, Energy Economist at the ESRI

The workplace has been designed for men, by men, and society still tilts the scale in their favour. That’s the view of Edwina Dunn, Businesswoman and founder of The Female Lead, who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

As a mass exodus of young Irish nurses continue to emigrate to Australia, one nurse that immigrated to Ireland from Australia with her family has been experiencing difficulties registering with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland for over a year. Toni Mayola Su joins me now to tell me more about her story.

Many Irish people are in denial about their drinking habits with a large share of binge drinkers not believing they are consuming dangerous levels of alcohol - that’s according to new research from the Health Research Board Chairman of the communications clinic Terry Prone spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

The only benefits of expensive Commissions of Investigation is to the legal profession due to their high costs. That’s according to Brian Stanley, Sinn Fein TD and chair of the Public Accounts Committee who spoke to Shane this morning on the show.

Palliative Care Week takes place this week to tell us more about it Ciara was joined by Fundraiser for the Mayo Roscommon Hospice and one third of ‘The Tommy, Hector and Laurita Podcast’, Laurita Blewitt.

The introduction of distance, location and time-based road usage charges was among the recommendations from the Commission Taxation yesterday. But would this be a good idea? To discuss Ciara spoke to John Fitzgerald, Adjunct Professor in Economics at Trinty College Dublin, and Michael Healy Rae, Independent TD for Kerry .  

Cost of living Protests are taking place across the country with a national protest organised for September 24th. The Cost of living coalition are calling on people to take to the streets for what they say will be ‘biggest protest in this country for many, many years.” For more on this Shane spoke to Mick Barry, Socialist Party TD Cork North Central and part of the cost of living campaigns organising protests.

Minimum wage will rise to €11.30 per hour from January 1st, an 80-cent increase from the current wage at €10.50. There are hopes that minimum wage will be phased out and replaced with a living wage by 2026. But will this increase encourage people to re-join the workforce to save our service industry? Tony Foley, Emeritus Associate Professor of Economics with the DCU Business school spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning to discuss.

The leader of Sweden’s incumbent Social Democrats conceded defeat in the country’s knife-edge election last night, handing victory to a loose bloc of rightwing parties that includes the far-right Sweden Democrats. Becky Waterton is the Deputy Editor of The Local in Sweden and spoke to Shane this morning.

The regional Independent group will today table a motion in the Dail on the security of our electricity supply. Independent TD for Galway East Sean Canney spoke to Ciara this morning on the show.

Women aged 17 to 25 years old will be able to access free contraception from their GP’s, starting today. While the scheme is largely welcomed, some doctors are raising concerns about their ability to take extra work. Will the scheme end up putting more pressure on the system? Illona Duffy Monaghan based GP, spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

The Government is set to increase the minimum by 80c to €11.30 per hour. The Cabinet will sign off on the increase at a meeting today, and the change will come into effect on January 1. Shane spoke to the CEO of ISME Neil McDonnell and People before profit TD, Richard Boyd Barrett.

Revenge porn is an outdated, salacious term that implies blame should be focused on the victim. That's the view of Outreach Co-ordinator at Active* Consent, Dr Caroline West Newstalk Breakfast spoke to Lauren Dooley, who has experienced this type of abuse firsthand.

Increases in parental leave and childcare relief are among numerous calls to help parents and families deal with the cost-of-living crisis. But do we do enough to help single people who are struggling? For more on this Shane spoke to Andrea Smith who is a Freelance Journalist.

A number of primary school management bodies have issued a joint statement calling for an “immediate increase” in the basic capitation rate. They warn that they cannot continue to rely on “voluntary contributions from already hard-pressed parents” to pay for heat, light and water in schools To discuss this further Ciara spoke to the Chief executive of Educate Together, Emer Nowlan.

Without much more ambitious action, the impacts of climate change will be increasingly devastating across the planet. That’s the grim outlook from a multi-agency report coordinated by the World Meteorological Organisation. Cara Augustenborg is a Professor of Environmental Policy at University College Dublin and a member of the Climate Advisory Council discuss this more with Shane this morning on the show.

The Fianna Fáil parliamentary party is here in Mullingar today for a party “think-in” ahead of the start of the Dáil term tomorrow. Ciara spoke to party leader, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin