In The News

For a child to access disability services they must have – as their legal right – an assessment of need. It puts them on a service pathway. But the waiting list is long and growing every year. It currently stands at 21,782 which means some children will wait years for diagnosis.

To speed up the process and deal with the stubbornly long waiting list, the government has announced details of a new “autism assessment and intervention pathway protocol”.

How will the new protocol work? Who will conduct the assessments?

Several stakeholders say no, but who are they and what are their issues with a plan intended to shorten waiting lists?

Social affairs correspondent Kitty Holland explains the new protocol, and the growing backlash against it.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Andrew McNair and Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has firmed up its forecast for a return of El Niño this summer, increasing the risk of record-breaking heat and extreme weather events starting in June and lasting until at least November.

Such is the threatened power of this weather pattern, it’s been called a super El Niño.

What happens when temperatures soar and the heat is simply too much, impacting our health and ability to go about our daily lives? And what about flooding? And wildfires?
That’s the sort of temperature level promised by El Niño. So what will it mean for Ireland?

Why, in a country where weather is the number one topic of conversation, are we so poorly prepared for extremes?

Caroline O’Doherty is the Climate and Science Correspondent with The Irish Times and she explains why a rise in sea temperatures in the tropical Pacific this summer could have such a massive impact on Irish weather.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Isak Andic, who created the Mango clothes brand, died from a fall while our hiking with his only son, Jonathan, in the mountains outside Barcelona, it was treated as a tragic accident.

But for the Spanish police, something about events on that hiking trail in December 2024 just didn’t add up.

First there were inconsistencies in Jonathan’s police statements. Then forensics found evidence that suggested something more sinister may have happened to the 71-year-old billionaire.

In May, in a move that created shock and headlines in Spain, Jonathan was arrested in connection with his 71-year-old father’s death.

He has been released from custody having posted €1 million in bail. But what happens now? Will the case go to trial to decide if the fashion mogul’s death was an accident or murder?

Madrid-based reporter Guy Hedgecoe has been following the story.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is there such a thing as “summer on a plate”? What makes a great seasonal dish? And where is the best restaurant in Ireland for a memorable staycation night out?

These were some of the factors Irish Times restaurant reviewer Corinna Hardgrave and food writer Joanne Cronin had to consider when they come up with their annual must-keep list: “100 great restaurants, cafes and places to eat around Ireland for summer 2026″.

It appeared in The Irish Times Saturday magazine and is available now online.

They came into studio to give the run down on the list and how restaurants are navigating a challenging time to do business.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Andrew McNair.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The trial of Jeffrey Donaldson began on Wednesday with the jury warned they would hear about “difficult and traumatic incidents” the two alleged victims claim they experienced as children.

By the end of the second day, Thursday, they had heard more of the substance of those alleged incidents, including watching a video of a police interview with the witness known as Complainant A.

She and the other witness, Complainant B, allege sexual abuse by Donaldson when they were children.

The jury heard how Donaldson wrote to Complainant A, saying he regretted “all the hurt, pain and distress” he had caused.

The former DUP leader, one of Northern Ireland’s most high-profile politicians, is accused of 18 offences – one count of rape, four counts of gross indecency with or towards a child, and 13 counts of indecent assault – between 1987 and 2008. The 63-year-old denies all charges.

Eleanor Donaldson (60), who has been judged medically unfit to stand trial, is charged with aiding and abetting in connection with the charges. She denies the charges.

Irish Times Northern Editor Freya McClements is reporting from Newry Crown Court. She tells Bernice Harrison about what the jury has heard so far, how Donaldson's defence lawyer questioned Complainant A, and what comes next.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.
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