Podcasts

Public sector workers are warning that patience is running out over pay, and the threat of industrial action is becoming increasingly serious. Niall Boylan talks to callers about whether Ireland could be heading towards a major wave of strikes across essential public services, and whether workers in areas such as healthcare, education, public transport and social protection should have the same right to withdraw their labour as anyone else.

In this episode, Niall Boylan speaks to economic journalist with The Sunday Times Ireland, Cormac Lucey, about Ireland’s continuing cost of living crisis and whether Government policy is actually making inflation worse. Prices rose by 3.4% in the year to July, with some household costs increasing far more sharply. Education costs were up 8.9%, clothing and footwear increased by 8.5%, while housing, water, electricity and gas rose by 7.7%.

In this episode, Niall Boylan speaks to Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn about Ireland’s continuing financial and political support for Ukraine. Ken O’Flynn has criticised Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s participation in the Coalition of the Willing, warning that “standing with Ukraine cannot mean a blank cheque with no questions asked.”

Why are men’s mental health struggles so often dismissed until they reach crisis point? A woman has written to the show about her husband, who is in his 40s and says he is depressed. He is self employed, but has stopped looking for work, spends most of his time at home and appears to have lost interest in almost everything, including himself. His wife says she has supported him for months, attended the doctor with him and encouraged him to seek further help, but she feels he is making little effort to change his situation.

Should Ireland follow Portugal and ban full face coverings in public? Niall Boylan is joined by journalist John McGuirk to debate whether Ireland should introduce a nationwide ban on clothing that conceals a person’s face in public, including the burqa and niqab.

In this episode of The Niall Boylan Show, Niall opens the phone lines to listeners to debate a controversial question: should married couples with children receive greater priority for social housing in Ireland? The debate follows comments from Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice, who has argued that marriage provides children with greater stability and suggested that married couples with children should be given greater priority when social housing is allocated.

In this episode, Niall Boylan is joined by journalist Laura Perrins to debate whether the law is tough enough on young drivers who deliberately put innocent lives at risk.

The discussion comes after a horrifying series of wrong way crashes in Ireland and Britain. Two weeks ago, eight teenagers travelling in a stolen car drove the wrong way onto the M50 before crashing head on into another vehicle, leaving an innocent motorist seriously injured.

The Irish Government is considering tougher citizenship rules that could increase the standard residency requirement from five to eight years. Applicants may also have to demonstrate English proficiency, financial independence, good character and an ability to support themselves and their families. These are currently proposals being considered, rather than rules already in force. The Sunday Times

Fewer Than 100 Points to College Lecturer: Are We Lying to Teenagers About the Leaving Cert? Niall talks to Cleo Knight, Ms Offaly 2026, who left school with fewer than 100 Leaving Certificate points believing she was not academic and that higher education was not for her. The only course she thought was available to her was jam-making, but Cleo had very different ambitions.