Highlights From Lunchtime Live

New figures from The Central Bank of Ireland have shown that motor insurance premiums rose by an average of 9% to €623 last year.Despite a drop-off of 1,000 in the number of private motor claims last year, the total cost of settlements rose by €42 million to a record €896 million, up 38% on the pre-Covid average…If there are less claims, why is car insurance on the rise and how can we tackle these rising costs?Joining Andrea to discuss is Brian Hanley, Director of the Alliance for Insurance Reform, Editor with Completecar.ie, Shane O’Donoghue, Moyagh Murdoch, CEO of Insurance Ireland, as well as listeners.

When you make changes to your home’s interior, there are some mistakes you can make that even a professional can fall into.This week, the Home Squad are here to discuss those mistakes, and how you can avoid them!Joining Andrea to discuss is Jenny Sheehan, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year’ (@workerscottage on Instagram) and Tanya Neufeld Flanagan, Interior Designer and podcast host.

Parents who have children in hospital have enough worries to deal with than to think of what they should have for lunch. With catering in hospitals, staff would have no problem but to help ease the burden by providing something as simple as tea and toast to parents. However, if you are not breastfeeding your child, you must fend for yourselves.Joining Andrea to discuss is Consultant in Pediatric Intensive Care at Crumlin Children’s Hospital, Suzanne Crowe, Certified lactation consultant and member of Association for Improvements in Maternity Services in Ireland, Maria O’Sullivan and Irish Times Journalist and host of the Conversations with Parents Podcast, Jen Hogan and more.

Hurricane Melissa has been called the “storm of the century”.It’s one of the most powerful in Atlantic history, and has left a path of destruction in the Caribbean, hitting the Bahamas, Cuba and Jamaica.So far, dozens of people have been confirmed dead.In Jamaica, it's estimated up to 90% of homes in the devastated town of Black River have been stripped of their roofs.Orlagh Kilbride lives in Kingston, the island’s capital, with her family, and joins Andrea to discuss.Image: AP

Would you give your seat to the disabled or elderly on public transport? Newstalk Reporter Kyle Butler noticed some worrying behaviour after he moved to Dublin, and joins Andrea, as well as Mark Fennel, Author & Life Coach, to discuss.

We’ve decided to do a deep dive on some of our favourite albums to explore the stories behind them.What did the artists really think of each other? Where did the inspirations from the songs come from?Joining Andrea to discuss is Head Tour Guide at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience, Alan Buckley, who’s going to talk through some of Westlife’s greatest hits as the band celebrates their 25th anniversary!

Nearly €450,000 was spent on an ad campaign to entice Irish builders to come home. Ads were posted on billboards and on social media with tag lines like ‘You’ve built Sydney, now come and build back home’.Is this money well spent? Or an enormous waste when housing targets here aren’t being met?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

As Halloween week creeps in, many people are getting into the spirit by settling in for a good scare with their favorite horror movies. For some, that means spending most of the film peeking through their fingers, bracing for whatever terrifying moment might jump out from the screen.Well, if you are in any way anxious, scary movies may be your best friend. Research carried out has discovered that fictional tales of terror may bring some psychological benefits, including reducing the anxiety we feel about events out in the real world.Would you watch a scary movie if it reduced your anxiety?Joining Andrea to discuss is Dr Sarah Cleary, Karen Beckett, Chartered Psychologist and Researcher and Patrick Osborne, author and Screenwriter.

Lunchtime Live's Reasons to be Happy looks at some of the news stories that you might have missed that will leave you feeling more optimistic.98FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…

Kildare Freelance Photographer Aisling Hyland posted on Instagram in recent days to voice her disgust over the lights being switched off at both Camogie and Football Ladies County Finals in St. Conleth’s Park…She joins Andrea to discuss, as well as Deirdre Hurley, Chair of Laurence's Ladies, Ciara Wheeler, St. Laurence's player, Niamh Tallon, Founder of Her Sport and Róisín Forde, Maynooth Camogie player.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we’ll be talking Making Babies.Andrea will be joined by Professor Shane Higgins, Master of the National Maternity Hospital, to cover every area of trying to have a baby. From the very start of knowing how to prepare, right up to pregnancy – and all the bumps in the road in between.This week, Shane joins Andrea to answer some listener questions!

With Halloween week well underway, many parents and children are decorating their homes and prepping their costumes to take to the streets on Friday night to Trick or Treat.The dreaded fear for most parents is just how many sweets their children will consume on Friday night. Is there a way to manage the amount of sugar our children will eat this Halloween?Joining Andrea to discuss some healthy tips for this spooky season is Siobhan Berry, known on Instagram as @mummycooks.

Noel is the primary carer for his father. After becoming his father’s carer, he had to reduce the amount of hours that he works so he can spend time at home looking after his dad. Noel works 18.5 hours per week. He has no option but to work remotely so he can be there when his father needs him. Noel has since received a letter from the state to say that he owes them €22,000, as they have told him that he works more than the 18.5 hours…Noel joins Andrea to discuss his story.

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Anna Daly is joined by Dermot Wells, Head of Health & General Insurance at Cornmarket and Health Insurance Broker to answer your health insurance questions!

You may have heard this shocking story over the weekend, as well as the video that accompanied it.It shows two Drag Queens recording a video during Cork Jazz Festival where they are being homophobically abused...They are Krystal Queer and Lucina Schynning, and they join guest host Anna Daly to discuss.

Today, we're diving into the world of live music and concert-going, and asking you: How much would you be willing to pay to watch your favourite band? Has dynamic pricing crowded you out from getting to a gig – and have escalating costs changed the atmosphere in the crowd? For many, live music is the ultimate experience. But, how much are you really paying for the love of music?Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Jess Spencer, Presenter with Spin 1038, Dave Hanratty, Host of The ‘No Encore’ music podcast, Freelance Journalist Kate Henshaw and listeners…

According to a recent survey 1 in 3 people allow their dog to sleep in their bed.Many people say it's great company, it's great for the cuddles and, as our heating bills creep up, sharing the bed with a furry friend is certainly one way of staying warmer!But, is sharing a bed with your dog hygienic?Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Dr. Primrose Freestone, Associate Professor in Clinical Microbiology with the University of Leicester and Laoise Downes, owner of Outpaws and Wedding Woofs, a bespoke dog service.

It's How I live well time! Where someone joins to discuss what they do to improve their life...This week Andrea is joined by Sandra Lewis, Librarian with Edenderry Library, to discuss how you can set up your own book club!

When a loved one passes away by suicide, it is often hard to grieve. Knowing what to say and how to process one's emotions can be challenging. Many times, people turn to social media to express their feelings.A County Galway priest has urged people to be mindful of what they post online following deaths by suicide. Fr Mark Quinn appealed to the public to avoid comments such as “he’s in a better place” or “she’s at peace with the angels,” saying that while well-intentioned, such phrases can send harmful messages.He warned that these expressions may imply that death brings peace, which could be dangerous for those struggling with their mental health…Fr Quinn said greater care and sensitivity are needed when offering condolences, reminding people that thoughtful language can help protect those who are vulnerable while still showing compassion to the bereaved.How can we grieve the loss of a loved one? Are we better off to stay away from social media in this instance?Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Fr P

For this week’s Ask Me Anything, Conductor and Composer Michael T Dawson, joins Andrea to answer any of your conducting questions!