Highlights From Newstalk Breakfast

The Tour de France will not be welcome back in Ireland until it can prove it is clean”, that’s what then Minister for Tourism and Sports Dr Jim McDaid said in 1998 off the back of the doping scandals that overshadowed the event. Is it time we welcome it back to our shores? Joining Shane this morning was Ian O’Riordan, Sports Journalist with The Irish Times.

Women going through the menopause who have complex needs such as high blood pressure or a history of breast cancer will now have access to specialist care in the Rotunda Hospital. Two further clinics are due in Cork and Galway in addition to those in the National Maternity Hospital, the Coombe Hospital, and Nenagh Hospital. ]Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

Just half of Ireland’s sewage was treated to EU standards - well below the EU average of 90 percent. That’s according to a new wastewater report from the Environmental Protection Agency. Noel Byrne, Programme Manager with the EPA, spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

Liz Truss’s UK government was plunged into complete disarray yesterday as Suella Braverman was forced to quit as home secretary and party discipline collapsed in the House of Commons. Could Truss’s run as Prime Minister be coming to an end already? Columnist with The Times and former Conservative MP, Matthew Parris spoke to Shane this morning.

There's a call for the winter homeless beds to be brought on stream sooner to bring people in from the cold. The Dublin Region Homeless Executive is set to publish arrangements next week for The Cold Weather Strategy. Newstalk reporter Josh Crosbie spent a night with the Feed our Homeless outreach team. The charity says the system is often at full capacity.

Minister of State for Transport Hildegarde Naughton is today launching new bus routes for the midlands and the northeast and the minister spoke to Ciara with more on this announcement.

If you struggle with cutting back on your weekly alcohol intake, you’re not alone. Broadcaster Adrian Chiles used to knock back 100 units a week, and while he knew he couldn’t quit alcohol cold turkey, his new book “The Good Drinker: How I Learned to Love Drinking Less” outlines a number of ways to cut back on the sauce.

Dogs from Dublin are being sent as far afield as Sweden and Italy in efforts to rehome animals following the removal of Covid-19 restrictions and the closure of Ashton dog pound. Almost 1,000 dogs have been delivered to the new Dublin county and city dog shelters over the last year following the closure of the Dublin 15 pound, which had been providing animal shelter services to Dublin’s local authorities. For more on this, Shane spoke to Bray base vet Pete Wedderburn.

Sinn Féin must answer serious questions about the party’s links to a criminal convicted for facilitating one of the most high-profile gangland murders in this country. That’s the view of Fine Gael TD, Jennifer Carroll MacNeal who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

Ireland must not let long-term optimism on the potential of offshore wind or hydrogen blind us to the short-term vulnerabilities of our energy supply – so says Paul Deane, Research Fellow in clean energy in UCC. He will address the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs later today on issues affecting our energy security. In advance of the committee meeting, Paul spoke to Shane this morning.

The Central Bank later today is set to announce that it will ease its mortgage rules to allow households to borrow up to four times their income in taking on a home loan. Is this a positive step for people trying to get on the property ladder? Speaking to Ciara this morning was Brendan Burgess, Founder of the consumer forum Ask about money.com

Business Editor Joe Lynam brought us all the business news live from Shannon Airport. Joe was also joined by Mary Considine is the Managing Director/Ceo of the Shannon Airport Group.

Minister Catherine Martin will bring measures to Cabinet colleagues today to promote gender balance on current affairs and music shows. This new media service code which will be made by Coimisiún na Meán could include a requirement for stations to transparently show or publish their levels of gender balance for music or current affairs. But is this necessary? To discuss this Ciara was joined by the features Editor with the Irish Mirror, Larissa Nolan.

A ban on evictions is set to go before the cabinet today. The moratorium is expected to last until the end of March however, it is unclear when it may kick in. To discuss Ciara spoke to the Chairperson of the Irish Property Owners Association, Mary Conway and also People before profit TD Paul Murphy.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said Ireland will participate in the European Union's training mission for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which is expected to get underway in mid-November. Does this compromise our neutrality? To discuss further Shane spoke to Mark Price, steering committee member of the Irish Anti-War Movement, and Ger Aherne, Retired Brigadier General.

Tens of thousands of students who sat Junior Cycle exams last June have yet to receive their results. Is the end in sight for those who anxiously await? To discuss further Ciara was joined on the show by Carl O’Brien, Education Editor of The Irish Times.

"Give her a chance" - That’s the message Jeremy Hunt has given to Conservative MPs who have questioned Liz Truss’s Leadership. The new chancellor believes she will still be prime minister at Christmas - despite five Conservative MPs already publicly calling for her to leave Number 10. Lauren McEvatt, Former UK Government Special Advisor spoke to Ciara this morning on the show.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has confirmed the Finance Bill will include a new levy on concrete, in an effort to reduce some of the burden on taxpayers, despite Fianna Fáil TDs previously claiming it was “dead in the water”. Tom Parlon, Director General of the Construction Industry Federation spoke to Shane this morning.

Vaccines that target cancer could be available before the end of the decade. That’s according to the husband and wife team behind one of the most successful Covid vaccines of the pandemic. For more on this Shane was joined by Professor Seamus O’Reilly at Cork University Hospital.

A new study carried out by the ESRI has found the likelihood of deprivation in adulthood was 35% higher among individuals who grew up in poverty when compared to individuals who grew up in ‘very good’ financial circumstances. Dr Katriona O’Sullivan is Associate Professor in Psychology in Maynooth University and she joined Ciara on the show.