Highlights From The Pat Kenny Show

The waiting time for first-time applications, which take the longest to process, has been cut from 40 to 25 working days, the Minister said, adding that the department has “effectively doubled” the number of passport office personnel. He said the office has a new arrangement with An Garda Síochána to fast-track the verification processes to cut delays, and more people have been assigned to take helpline calls. Eoghan Corry, travel and aviation journalist joined Pat to discuss VIPs who are no longer welcome at Dublin airport and if more manpower will solve the passport backlog?

We continue our look at the childcare crisis with more insight from parents and how creche and childminding costs may impact careers with a report from Emma Tyrell and analysis with Louisa Meehan, spokesperson for Network Ireland and owner of Woodview HRM – Who provides Human Resource solutions to the SME sector in Ireland.

Alastair Campbell, Writer, consultant, strategist and mental health campaigner joined Pat to discuss bluffer Boris and his attempts to reassert his leadership.

Cow and sheep burps to be taxed by New Zealand, costs are likely to lead to higher meat prices – but should we still be doing the same here? Peter Thorne, Climate Scientist and Paul O Brien, National Chair of the environmental committee in the IFA & Sheep Farmer based in Kilkenny both joined Pat on the show to discuss.

Cathal Mullaney from Off the ball finds out why some of the world’s top golfers are being questioned on their morality as the Saudi-funded LIV golf tournament gets underway today.

Some properties for rent in Dublin now mention that tenants cannot work from home or won’t have permission to do so from their landlords Karl Deeter, CEO of Onlineapplications.com, Richard Grogan, Employment and Personal Injury Law Solicitor and Neil McDonnell, CEO, ISME all joined Pat on the show.

Celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin gave us some gardening tips and advice and answered your gardening questions.

Are you one of those people that hasn’t got a note in their head? Dr. Peter Q. Pfordresher, Professor of Psychology and Director, Auditory Perception and Action Lab at the University at Buffalo joined Pat with the surprising science behind tone-deafness.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh a Green Party TD representing Waterford. & Party Spokesperson on Social Protection and the vice-chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands joined Pat to discuss if it is time to scrap GDP as a measure of a country’s growth and focus on well-being?

Half a million facing delays when trying to switch accounts, banks being accused of ‘deliberately undermining the switching process’. Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor of the Irish Independent fills us in on the issues.

Enda Brogan owner of Gateway Leisure in Belmullet, who had to close his leisure center down due to sky-high insurance joined Pat on the show.

Dominic Nicholls, Defence and Security Editor at The Telegraph and former British soldier analysis the fighting in Eastern Ukraine, where the Russians are attempting to capture Severodonetsk.

Bill Hughes, Television Producer with Mind the Gap Films goes behind the scenes of smash hit comedy Sister Act (1991).

Young adults are drinking less but their cocaine use is increasing significantly, a report from the Health Research Board warns. Just how widespread is cocaine use among younger people in Ireland? Conor Harris, recovering drug addict and Colin O’Gara, Head of Addiction Services at John Of Gods Hospital and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCD joined Pat to discuss.

In this week’s Green Scene we hear about the world’s biggest plant, and how 15-metre long sharks went extinct with Dr. Ruth Freeman, Director of Science for Society at Science Foundation Ireland.

The Society of Irish Motoring Industry has called on motorists to cut down on unnecessary journeys to save on fuel costs – is this a welcome suggestion and will it really help? Conor Faughnan Transport consultant, Jackie Healy Rae Kerry County Councillor and Marc Mac Sharry, TD Sligo, Leitrim, South Donegal North Roscommon all joined Pat on the show to discuss.

Jess Kelly, Newstalk tech correspondent with some very exciting iOS updates and answered all your tech questions in this weeks Tech with Jess.

The countdown is on to the end of the school year. Children's author and book reviewer Sarah Webb joined Pat with some children's book ideas to keep your kids reading throughout the summer. You can find the full list of books Sarah Webb reviewed on the show below. • Where Are You Puffling? by Erika McGann, illustrated by Gerry Daly (O’Brien Press) Age 2+ • Be Wild, Little One by Olivia Hope and Daniel Egnéus (Bloomsbury) Age 2+ • Our Big Day by Bob Johnson and Michael Emberley (O’Brien Press) Age 4+ • The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams by Shane Hegarty, illustrated by Jeff Crowther (Hodder Children’s Books) Age 7+ • The Lost Whale by Hannah Gold (HarperCollins) Age 9+ • Unleash Your Creative Monster: A Children’s Guide to Writing by Andy Jones, illustrated by Olaf Falafel (Walker Books) Age 9 + • While the Storm Rages by Phil Earle (Andersen Press) Age 9+ • Spellstoppers by Cat Gray (Usborne – coming in early July) Age 9+ • The Light in Everything by Katya Balen (Bloomsbury) Aeg 12+ • My Heart and Other Break

Some of the country’s popular holiday destinations – Kerry, Waterford and Wexford – are the counties with the highest rates of Covid-19, according to the latest figures. Cliona O’Farrelly, Professor of Comparative Immunology at Trinity College Dublin joined Pat to discuss the latest Covid surge in Ireland’s tourist hotspots.

The news cycle is dominated by a series of crises, each worse than the last. Many of these stories are the direct result of a failure to address significant issues from the past. Jonathan Healy communications consultant and broadcaster has been looking at how overreaction to a crisis, can bring its own problems.