The Last Word with Matt Cooper

The Government's plan to set up a new office to speed up home delivery has snowballed into a major issue, all while it is still scrambling to find ways to address Ireland's housing crisis. Tabitha Monahan, political reporter with the Irish Independent, and Daniel McConnell, editor of the Business Post, join The Last Word to explain this latest controversy and discuss whether it has exposed cracks in coalition relationships. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The number of women emigrating from Ireland has jumped 56% since the pandemic, according to a report by the Department of Enterprise. The figures also show that young women are emigrating at a much higher level than young men Sarah McGuinness, political correspondent with the Irish Daily Mail, and Labour Senator Laura Harmon join The Last Word to discuss why so many are making the decision to leave Ireland. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Sunday and Irish Independent sports columnist Eamonn Sweeney has released his latest book “The Last Ditch: How One GAA Championship Gave A Sportswriter Back His Life”. It details how, in 2000, Eamonn developed a crippling phobia of travelling, which led to extreme panic attacks and resulted him living a solitary life in West Cork. However, he was given the opportunity to write about the 2024 GAA championship and knew that if he were to take on the project, he would have to overcome his fears once and for all. Eamonn joined Matt in studio to talk about his experience and his road to recovery. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to talk through all the best new tech for outdoor activities. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Writer Louise Hegarty is the latest inductee to the Culture Club. Following the release of the her debut novel Fair Play, a classic murder mystery with a twist, Louise joins The Last Word to discuss her favourite music, books and more. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The government has defended plans which could see chief executives of commercial semi-state bodies in line for pay increases worth tens of thousands of euro. This decision has come under criticism from members of the opposition, with the Social Democrats’ Cian O’Callaghan saying there was a “double standard” when compared with lower-paid workers. Brian Carey, Business Editor at The Sunday Times explained the significance of this on Wednesday’s The Last Word. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

Charlie Weston, personal finance editor, Irish Independent, spoke to Matt about the implications of the carbon tax increases and also how a higher BER adds value to second-hand homes, and the cost of upgrading homes. To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Kneecap continue to face backlash after videos from their shows resurfaced where members of the group appear to call for Conservative MPs to be killed and shout “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”. Dee Reddy and John Caddell join The Last Word to discuss the Irish language rap trio’s track record of courting controversy and more of the latest music news. Catch the full chat by pressing the ‘Play’ button on this page!

Global tariffs, negotiating peace in Ukraine and an immigration crackdown are just some of the many moves made by US President Donald Trump since he returned to the White House. Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at University of Galway & columnist with The Journal join The Last Word to assess Trump's first 100 days in office. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Meath and Louth will contest this year’s Leinster Senior Football Final after the Royals beat Dublin at O’Moore Park in Portlaoise on Sunday. This will be the first time since 2010 that Dublin are not in the decider. Instead, Meath will face Louth after they beat Kildare on Saturday. Former Kildare footballer Johnny Doyle and Will O’Callaghan from Off The Ball spoke to Matt about the weekend’s results. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Seville is a city of incredible architecture, amazing food and colourful flamenco dancing. Sinead Kennedy, host of wellness activity breaks and travel expert, joins The Last Word to talk about the best sites and activities in the southern Spanish city. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Tom Fitzgerald, Unite Regional Coordinating officer, and Neil McDonnell, ISME Chief Executive join Matt to discuss trade union Unite's call for Climate Leave in the event of extreme weather. Unite is seeking a meeting with the Minister for Enterprise to bring their requests into the conversation for future legislation. Listen here.

Michael Dowling, managing director of Michael Dowling Mortgage and Financial Services, and Brendan Burgess, founder of askaboutmoney.com, speculate on the new mortgage product from Revolut and how it might impact the market. To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Belfast/Derry trio Kneecap have been criticised for pro-Palestinian chants during their Coachella sets, with TV personality Sharon Osbourne urging US authorities to revoke their visas. Given how outspoken they’ve been about political issues in the past, should we be surprised by the move? Furthermore, should we be more encouraging to artists and celebrities to express their views on world events? Dave Hanratty, host of the No Encore podcast, joined Matt to discuss this. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Tributes have been paid to Pope Francis, whose death was announced on Monday morning. UN climate official Simon Stiell said that the Pope was “a towering figure of human dignity, and an unflinching global champion of climate action as a vital means to deliver it”. Environmental commentator John Gibbons spoke to Matt about this. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Andy Donoghue has his top garden gadget picks from watering systems, to lawnmowers, plant sensors, outdoor lighting and outdoor sockets. To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Will Sliney, comic book artist and creator of Draw With Will, talks to Matt about his favourite music, film, TV, books and other cultural touchstones that have influenced his life and work. To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Intel will announce plans to cut more than 20 per cent of its staff this week as part of a bid to streamline operations, according to Bloomberg news. The global tech giant employs over 5,000 people across Ireland. Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss the future of Intel and to run through more of the latest business news. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Insurers are cutting benefits on health plans as they hike the price of premiums, meaning that customers are now getting less value for their money. Meanwhile, the government’s take from taxes on home energy and motor fuels has topped €4bn for the first time, with Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD accusing the government of “cashing in” on the cost-of-living crisis. Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor at the Irish Independent spoke to Matt on Wednesday’s The Last Word. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, will attend Pope Francis’s funeral at The Vatican on Saturday. Pope Francis had previously been critical of President Trump’s views on immigration, describing the program of mass deportations as a “major crisis”. Nationally syndicated columnist, Cal Thomas, and Larry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at University of Galway & Columnist with TheJournal.ie spoke to Matt about this on Tuesday. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.