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The Journal
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Journal
Who could be the next Liveline presenter?
Here's a list of the runners and riders for the next Liveline hose. Alamy / RollingNews / RTÉ / The Journal Alamy / RollingNews / RTÉ / The Journal / RollingNews / RTÉ / The Journal TALK TO WHOM? That is the question on the lips of bosses at RTÉ Radio One looking to fill the Joe Duffy-sized hole at the presenter chair of Liveline. Duffy, who announced that he will retire at the end of June after 27 years hosting one of the most-popular radio programmes in the country , is, it's fair to say, a much-admired broadcaster renowned for having the 'common touch' with callers and an innate ability to make a connection down the phoneline. So, who is best suited to take over the reins of Liveline? Or will the broadcaster scrap the 40-year-old programme? Katie Hannon Hannon regularly fills in for Duffy during the summer holidays and manages the unpredictability of the show well. She is currently the bookies' favourite for the role. The journalist's schedule might be full with her role on 'Upfront' and the station's new podcast series. The Irish Times' radio reviewer Mick Heaney has said the Co Kerry native seems ' at home ' answering the public's calls, and labelled her a ' natural in the Liveline seat ' in 2021. Colm Ó Mongáin Ó Mongáin has 19 years of experience at RTÉ and a record of hosting shows such as the Late Debate and his weekend programmes, that sometimes share a similar unpredictable nature in debate and discussion. Advertisement He first filled in for Duffy on Liveline in 2023 and has returned to present the show a number of times since, but his career has been defined in roles in the hard-news section of RTÉ – making him a less-likely candidate. Philip Boucher Hayes Boucher Hayes has also been a stand-in for Duffy and, like the exiting presenter, has a history of challenging and questioning to get to the bottom of a story. In recent years the presenter has been reporting on Ireland's climate action and presenting programmes on climate change. Boucher Hayes has also conducted a number of well-received 'deep dive' podcasts and radio programmes. Jennifer Zamparelli The Irish Mirror reported today that Zamparelli is in contention for the role as Duffy's replacement. She previously told the same newspaper that she would be honoured to do so. She has, however, accepted that it would be 'very difficult shoes to fill'. Ryan Tubridy Who knows? Maybe Tubridy and RTÉ Radio One will bury the hatchet. The broadcaster, who left the station following the 2023 payments scandal, is being tipped as an outside shot by bookmakers. Miriam O'Callaghan Broadcaster O'Callaghan is one of the few presenters on this list who has not expressed an interest in or filled in for Duffy's job before. The Dubliner might have her hands full presenting current affairs show Prime Time and a Sunday RTÉ Radio One programme, but that has not stopped punters from placing their bets on the presenter. No one As Duffy himself said upon the announcement of his retirement yesterday, the programme has been running for 40 years, 27 of which he has been in the hotseat for. With that, it can be hard to think of someone who might be capable enough to fill his shoes full time. Separately, as the Irish Independent reported last year , there is a significantly different mood at the station since the 2023 payments scandal. RTÉ is also currently in its first round of voluntary layoffs and approaches the deadline to implement salary caps later on this year. It could be easier for the station to cut its losses and celebrate the victory of Liveline, and leave it at that. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Post
07-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Post
Walsh warns: planes ready, airports are not
IATA chief points to capacity challenge as global air travel demand continues to rise Willie Walsh (picture by Sam Boal/RollingNews) GLOBAL air travel demand edged up 3.3% in March compared to the same month last year, but airlines are struggling to keep pace with the growth, IATA chief Willie Walsh has warned. 'The small decline in demand in North America needs to be watched carefully, but March numbers continued to show a global pattern of growth for air travel,' said Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association. 'That means the challenges associated with accommodating more people who need to travel—specifically alleviating supply chain problems and ensuring sufficient airport and air traffic management capacity—remain urgent.' Although passenger traffic increased from February's 2.7% year-on-year growth, capacity grew faster—by 5.3%—leading to a dip in the global load factor to 80.7%, down 1.6 percentage points from March 2024. International travel rose by 4.9% while domestic demand showed more modest growth at 0.9%. Capacity increases of 7.0% and 2.5% respectively outpaced those gains, continuing the trend of falling load factors across the board. Willie Walsh, a Dubliner and former Aer Lingus pilot, previously led both British Airways and its parent group IAG before taking the helm at IATA in 2021. His tenure has been marked by vocal advocacy for more efficient infrastructure and cost discipline across the aviation industry. In recent months, Walsh has also been a prominent voice in the debate over Dublin Airport's passenger cap. He has called for its immediate removal, arguing that the cap restricts Ireland's aviation growth and limits economic opportunities. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) represents some 320 airlines worldwide, accounting for over 80% of global air traffic. It plays a central role in shaping airline industry policy and standards, as well as tracking market trends. See More: IATA, International Aviation, Willie Walsh
The Journal
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Over 350 people are sleeping on mattresses on the floor in Irish prisons
Muiris O'Cearbhaill reports from Galway MINISTER FOR JUSTICE Jim O'Callaghan will be told today that there are 358 prisoners sleeping on the floor in Irish prisons – double the number previously described as unacceptable by one of his government colleagues. O'Callaghan, after addressing the Irish Prison Officers' Association's Annual Delegate Conference in Galway today, will hear that overcrowding in Irish prisons is creating an unsafe working environment for staff. Overcrowding, which President of the Association Tony Power describes as a 'major concern' among prison officers, is impacting almost every prison in Ireland. As of yesterday, 5,344 people were in custody in the nation's prisons. 358 of that total were sleeping on top of mattresses on the floor, according to the official daily statistics from the Irish Prison Service. The service began officially recording the number of mattresses on the floor this week. The number of people sleeping on the floor is more than double the amount which Tánaiste Simon Harris labelled 'not good enough' during his tenure as justice minister in 2023. Speaking today, Power will tell the event: 'Previous ministers made hollow promises of 650 extra spaces with new builds promised for Cloverhill, Midlands and Castlerea and a four-story block on the grounds of the old Separation Unit in Mountjoy. 'Two years on and not a sod has been turned on any of these projects'. Department of Justice plans have allocated almost €50 million to start delivery plans at Ireland's four main prisons – Castlerea, Cloverhill, the Midlands and Mountjoy – to accommodate an extra 670 people each year. Advertisement File image of a prison cell at Cloverhill Prison in Dublin. Rolling News Rolling News A spokesperson for Irish Prison Service has previously said the injection of funding will potentially add 1,100 more spaces on stream between 2024 and 2030. The Irish Prison Officers' Association has regularly met with O'Callaghan since his appointment in January to stress staff's concerns about overcrowding, Power will say. It says 'nothing' will change unless the issue is addressed through the allocation of funding in next year's budget to create more prison spaces in Ireland. Unsafe conditions for staff Power will say today that he does not 'want to sound alarmist, but if we don't find an immediate solution to this problem, we will have a tragic event or some form of crisis on our hands'. It is understood that the minister will also be confronted today on the lack of resources available to staff in Irish prisons and will be presented with images of contraband – including drugs, phones and weapons – which have recently been seized. There is a total of 4,666 beds in the Irish prison system but the service's standard practice has been to maintain a safe working capacity was understood to be keeping up to 300 beds free. This allowed for a safe ratio of staff to people in custody. But as more people are committed to Irish prisons, fewer free beds are kept free and the number of prisoners sleeping on the floor increases. The number of people on temporary release has also increased, with nearly 600 people serving sentences outside of custody. As previously reported by The Journal , prison management has been accused of using the system as a 'release valve' to alleviate the pressure the system is facing from overcrowding. O'Callaghan has previously voiced support for introducing measures which mitigate the 'clogging up' of prisons through the imposition of sentences on people convicted of crimes such as shoplifting or those living with addition. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
