Highlights From Lunchtime Live

All this week, Andrea is taking on the challenge of only eating Irish produce for all her meals. Today, on Lunchtime Live, Andrea got to try the best of Irish cocktails and cheese. Mixologist, Darren Geraghty, was on hand to mix-up some 100 per cent Irish cocktails. He was joined alongside Dee Laffan, food writer, who paired some beautiful Irish cheeses with the drinks.

A customer at Oscars Café Bar in Dublin, spent four and a half hours in their café and ordered two drinks and plugged 3 devices into an extension that they brought with them. When the customer was asked to plug out the plug board, they left the premises. Andrea was joined by Ronan Flood, Owner of Oscars Café Bar, Paul Treyvaud, Owner of Treyvaud’s restaurant in Killarney and other listeners to discuss this and the rising energy costs for businesses...

Every week, listeners have the opportunity to 'Ask the Expert', in a slot where our expert guest answers some of your burning questions. As the Government launch their new pension plan this week, Frank Conway, financial advisor and founder of MoneyWhizz joined Andrea to discuss the new system and hear from listeners...

Grandmother, Pat Ryan got her first tattoo recently at the age of 81. Have you done anything unusual later in life? Andrea was joined by Pat on Lunchtime Live alongside listeners Fiona, Paddy, Ann and Paul who all took on a new adventure later in life...

All this week, Andrea is taking on the challenge of only eating Irish produce for all her meals. But how hard is it to drink only Irish products too? The food we have tried all week has been delicious, but we had to give the wine a try too. Andrea visited Wicklow Way Wines, to taste some Irish made wine - made from berries...

The HSE have recommended that pregnant women who live for more than half an hour away from a hospital should no longer have the option of a home birth. Community midwives have said this will have a huge impact on women in rural areas. Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by Coco, who has had four homebirths, Shelly O’Halloran, a Doula in Limerick, David Hall, Owner of Lifeline ambulance and other listeners to discuss...

Is paid parking detrimental to towns? Or does it cut out people taking advantage of free parking? Andrea was joined by listeners on Lunchtime Live to discuss...

Sage&Stone Café in Duleek, Co Meath has banned customers wearing pyjamas on their premises. A social media post from the café reads "we draw the line at people coming to dine in our Café for breakfast wearing their pyjamas. No Pyjamas allowed." Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss wearing pyjamas out in public...

Videos circulated online last night from the Cherry Orchard area in Ballyfermot in Dublin. Phone camera footage shows two stolen cars being driven dangerously around the streets of an estate in the Dublin suburb, and eventually ramming a Garda car. Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by Brendan Cummins, a youth worker in the area, Brendan O’Connor is the President of the Garda Representative Association and other listeners to discuss the anti social behaviour in the area…

We’ve been hearing about the horrors around school bus journeys for the last few weeks. Some parents have gotten in touch with the show today because their children have additional needs and have not got a place on their school bus. Andrea was joined by Jade, who has a daughter with autism, Rosanna, a mother-of-two children with special needs and Padraig McGovern, Principal of Duleek National Girls School to discuss...

All this, Andrea is taking on the challenge of only eating Irish produce for all her meals. Yesterday she hit the shops to do a big shop and realised it was a little bit harder than she thought to get some of her staple products easily. Andrea was joined by Chairperson of Blás na hÉireann, The Irish Food Awards, Artie Clifford, to discuss buying Irish produce...

A few weeks ago, Andrea was joined by Organic Farmer, Lisa Fingleton on the show. She is challenging people to eat only Irish produce for the month of September. Her goal was to highlight how little of the food we eat is actually made here. For this whole week, Andrea is taking on the challenge of only eating Irish produce for all her meals. To learn a little more about why we’re doing this, Andrea was joined by Food Writer, Dee Laffan, alongside other listeners who got in touch with the show...

Energy companies have been slammed for increasing their standing charges by as much as €300. In some cases, customers will now have to pay as much as €700 a year – and this is all before switching on a light. Andrea was joined by listeners across the country to discuss how the rising costs will affect them...

Halloween used to be the festival of homemade costumes and cheap sweets. But it seems to be slowly becoming more and more commercialised. Are we in danger of ruining it? And turning it into just another commerical holiday? Shane Beatty was joined on Lunchtime Live by Barbara in Dublin, who is a witch, Barry, a pagan from Cork and Eimear McKeon, host of the 'Because You Were Home’ horror podcast to discuss...

Delays, lost bags, big queues and cancelled flights – anyone travelling abroad recently has likely been affected by one issue or another. Has all the glamour gone out of flying? Does all the stress associated with flying abroad actually put you off foreign holidays? Shane Beatty was joined on Lunchtime Live by listeners to discuss their experiences travelling abroad...

Jac Sinnott, a mother of two from Waterford says she is feels like she’s living a half life while trying to be an activist to receive the healthcare she needs. Jac, who was diagnosed with cavernoma on her brain last year, joined Shane Beatty on Lunchtime Live to talk about her condition and the treatment she has received thus far...

Every week, we give you the chance to #AskTheExpert. This week, we put your questions to Colin Baker, from Back from the Future about tech for your commute...

Taxi drivers in Dublin are saying that the city is getting violent, and as a result some of them are too concerned to take night shifts. Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by Jim Waldron, Spokesperson with the National Private Hire and Taxi Association and Paul, a taxi driver in Dublin to discuss this and the ongoing taxi shortages...

A restaurant in the UK has added carbon emissions to its menu so customers can see the environmental costs each meal has. ‘The Canteen’, in Bristol, say they want to help their customers stay informed about the global impact of their food choices by listing the carbon footprint of every dish alongside its ingredients and price. Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by listeners, Tony Keogh, head chef with Cornucopia restaurant in Dublin and Trudie Power, Chairperson of the Wexford Food Family and CEO of Trudies Kitchen to discuss bringing this in here in Ireland...

Some 700 GPs are due to retire in the next six years, according to the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP). At least 2,000 new GPs will be needed within the next seven years to meet existing demand. Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by listeners affected by GP shortages. Dr Aideen Brides, a GP in Monaghan town also joined the programme to discuss...