Highlights From Lunchtime Live

From car park charges to cúpla focal, Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

Gardaí caught 266 drivers on their phones yesterday as part of a national day of action targeting mobile use behind the wheel.762 motorists have been caught by gardaí using their phones while driving already this year, which marks a fourfold increase on the daily average last year.So, why are we still not getting the message when it comes to phone use behind the wheel?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

When you’re looking to do a bit of work on your kitchen, should you make a kitchen island part of that plan? This week, the Home Squad are looking into it!Andrea is joined by Arlene McIntrye, Creative Director of Ventura Design and Sarah Carroll from Sand and Deliver DIY to discuss.

A plea for support from a mother raised more than €400k in just a few days on GoFundMe, but a lot more is needed to help 7 year old Archie…Una Ennis, Archie’s mum, joins Andrea to discuss why she put out a plea for help.Image: @una_ennis_xo on Instagram

We are approaching the one-year anniversary of the deposit return scheme.So far, 900 million plastic bottles and cans have been brought back to machines and shops, but Larissa Nolan, Features Editor and Columnist with the Irish Mirror, told Newstalk earlier today that she thinks the scheme is a nuisance...What do you think? Are you in favour of the Deposit Return Scheme?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

There has been positive news from Gaza yesterday, with an announcement of a prospective ceasefire…But, how optimistic are the people of Palestine that it will last?Andrea is joined by people from the area to discuss.

For this week’s Throwback Thursday, Rebecca Shekleton, Presenter on 98fm’s Big Breakfast joins Andrea to look back on the year 1977!

The Programme for Government was released yesterday, a 162-page document covering the coalition’s plans for the next 4 years...One of the education promises includes improving the student teacher ratio to 19:1, but how bad is it currently?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea is joined by Skincare Expert, Eavanna Breen, to learn about how the cold season can affect your skin, and the best ways you can look after it.

A scammer duped a French woman into paying out hundreds of thousands of pounds after convincing her that she was in a relationship with Brad Pitt.The scammer used AI to make images of Brad Pitt, sick in hospital, to scam her out of €830,000. She thought she was helping with cancer treatment for him.Andrea is joined by Becky Holmes, author of ‘Keanu Reeves Is Not In Love With You’, to discuss these types of scams.

From February 3rd, the price of a Guiness will go up another 6 cents, along with other pints produced by company Diageo.What impact does this have on the hospitality industry?Andrea is joined by publicans and listeners to discuss.

Andrea’s guest is a prolific sperm donor, who says he will soon have 100 children across the globe…Kyle Gordy joins the show to discuss.

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.Today FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…

Senior representatives of the Jewish community in Ireland have objected to President Michael D Higgins giving the keynote speech at the Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration in Dublin later this month.What do you think?Is it right for our President to speak at the Holocaust memorial day in Dublin?To discuss, Andrea is joined by Richard Boyd Barrett, People Before Profit TD for Dun Laoghaire, Daniel O'Dowd-Epstein, Lior Tibet and Dorcha Lee, retired Army Colonel and Peacekeeper.

Welcome to The Pod Squad!We review podcasts every Tuesday so you always have something new to listen to.This week, Entertainment and Culture Journalist Rory Cashin and Laura Donnelly from Newstalk’s Newsroom join Andrea to review ‘Shell Game’!Image: Evan Ratliff

A Derry nun has begun the path to sainthood with a special ceremony in Madrid.Sister Clare Crockett from Derry died in an earthquake in South America on the 16th of April 2016.Andrea is joined by Clare's sister, Shauna Gill, to discuss.

A study has found that a shocking number of female sports stars don’t see themselves as role models.According to new research from Lidl Ireland and the Ladies Gaelic Football Association 43% of LGFA inter-county players said they do not currently consider themselves as role models.So, why do female sports stars have such a difficult time in seeing themselves as sports stars?To discuss, Andrea is joined by Hannah Looney, Dual football and Camogie player for Cork, Aishling Sheridan, former Collingwood Football Club AFL Women’s player in Australia & Cavan LGFA player, former Cork LGFA star Valerie Mulcah, Linda Gorman, former Ireland player, Coach, & Ireland’s first Female International Soccer Manager and more.

Last night, Andrea went to see The Brutalist, which stars Adrian Brody. It was great, but was also three and a half hours long, with an intermission to break it up.So, is that too much of a length, and is this something that more films are doing?To discuss, Andrea is joined by Irish Independent Journalist Saoirse Hanley, author and Screenwriter Patrick Osborne and Mark Anderson, Director of the Omniplex Cinema Group.Image: A24

It’s How I Live Well time! Where Andrea Gilligan is joined by someone to discuss what they do to improve their life.This week, Andrea is joined by Dwayne Edgar, Founder of Inner City Running Club to learn more about running in a group like this one!

Since 2019, personal injury claims have fallen by about 40%, and yet, premiums continue to rise and affect businesses.Joining Andrea to discuss how business is being hurt by insurance costs is Leah O’Brien from Breifne Gymnastics Club Cavan, Ger Hough, owner of JJ Hough's Singing Pub in Bangher Co. Offaly, Paula Donohoe, owner of Clever Cloggs Creche in Ballyconnell in County Cavan and Jackie Conboy, Co-Founder of the Music & Entertainment Association of Ireland.