Highlights From Newstalk Breakfast

Details of the US-TikTok deal continue to emerge, with Chinese company ByteDance retaining a 19.9% stake in the business. What does this mean for users, and should we be concerned about US propaganda on the platform? All to discuss with Jess Kelly, Newstalk Technology Correspondent.All with thanks to Renault.

School absence has grown since the pandemic and shows little sign of improvement. That’s the warning this morning in a new report from the Economic and Social Research Institute. To discuss further was Simon Lewis Primary School Principal and Podcaster. 

Pressure mounted on Donald Trump’s administration on Sunday to fully investigate the previous day’s killing by federal immigration officers of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Locals in Minneapolis express heartbreak and anger at the death of Alex Pretti, who shot by an ICE agent this weekend. We get the latest on this with Washington Bureau chief of The Guardian, David Smith.

There is no date for the introduction of drug testing of Gardaí, almost five years after the policy was announced. The Department of Justice said the delay was because regulations to underpin a drugs-testing scheme are “complex and have required thorough consideration”. For reaction to this we heard from Former Garda Sergeant, Christy Galligan.

Only 20 per cent of Irish consumers are very confident in their ability to choose the most cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions for their home. That’s according to new research from Bord Gáis Energy. All to discuss with Valerie Hand, Retrofit manager with Bord Gáis Energy.

Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless and Minister of State Marian Harkin are encouraging students to explore all their options before the upcoming CAO application deadline of February 1st.  For for great guidance for students and parents we heard from  Brian Mooney, Guidance Counsellor and Irish Times Columnist. 

A meeting is due to be held this morning by the Department of Agriculture to discuss the first detected case of the bluetongue virus in the Republic as the virus was found in a cattle herd in Wexford  Speaking to Jonathan on this was Dennis Drennan, President of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association.

The second last episode of The Traitors UK ended on a tense cliffhanger ahead of this evening’s finale.  BBC TV Critic, Scott Bryan gave us a sense of what viewers can expect. 

Earlier this week, Irish Independent Technology Editor Adrian Weckler was telling us how European countries are cracking down on dodgy boxes and Ireland could follow suit with new penalties of its own.   But according to Michael McNamara, Independent MEP for Ireland South, paywalls and unfair consumer practices will continue driving customers to the dodgy box. Michael explained more to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

In the new year, a lot of people would have jumped on new “detoxes” from juice cleanses to an “activated charcoal” diet. But are these detoxes the real deal, or a simple fad?  All to discuss with Sarah Keogh, Dietician and Founder of Eatwell. 

Donald Trump has said he has secured total and permanent U.S. access to Greenland in a deal with NATO, whose head said allies would have to step up their commitment to Arctic security to ward off threats from Russia and China. We discuss further with Paul Rogers, Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University.

The parents of Daniel Maguire, who died last September when after inhaling deodorant, are calling on retailers to ban the sale of aerosols to children under the age of 16.   Daniel’s mother Yvonne told Ciara all about her son Daniel.

Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has said Larry Murrin will continue to serve as chairman of Bord Bia and that he has his "full confidence". With more on this we heard from Francie Gorman, President of the Irish Farmers Association and Dennis Drennan, President of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association. 

A year on from Storm Éowyn, the Government has failed to act quickly enough to strengthen protections against extreme weather events.   That’s the view of Roderic O’Gorman Green Party Leader and TD for Dublin West who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

The EU has underinvested in Arctic security but it is now time to "step up."  So said President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen at a press conference following an emergency EU Summit in Brussels.    President Von der Leyen said the summit had proposed to "double its financial support" for Greenland. We get the latest with Jack Power Europe Correspondent for The Irish Times.

The holy grail commuter girl uniform is currently as follows: black trousers, basic white T-shirt, Longchamp bag, trench coat, Adidas sambas and a claw clip.  That’s the view of Lydia Spencer-Elliott, writing in the Independent UK. So is fashion lacking originality? Lydia joined us on the show.

“Poor nutrition now leads to long-term health costs” That’s the warning from Darina Allen, Chef, Author and founder of Ballymaloe Cookery School.  She is set to appear before an Oireachtas committee today to discuss the Hot School Meal programme, and Darina spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

US President Donald Trump has said that he will not “use force” to seize Greenland, and he has dropped the threat of tariffs against several European countries.  Speaking at the World Economic Forum, he said taking the country is a “very small ask” compared to what the US has done for many decades.  Ciara discusses further with Ben Tonra, Professor of International Relations in UCD and director of the Irish director and Secretary of the Irish Defence and Security Association. 

Public transport will finally accept contactless payments in 2028, according to the National Transport Authority.  The rollout will begin in the Great Dublin Area, with infrastructure for the new system due to appear by next year.  For more on this we heard from Brian Caulfield, Professor in the School of Engineering at Trinity College Dublin. 

The Government's long-awaited 'housing tsar' will be appointed within the next eight weeks. The person will be tasked with cutting through red tape and accelerating the delivery of new homes.   But not everyone is convinced of the powers they may have, and the salary cost of the position.  We discuss further with Eoin O’Broin Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Mid-West and party Spokesperson for Housing.