Highlights From The Pat Kenny Show

Has the tipping culture in Ireland become more like the US? Is that a good thing? What is the average tipping rate, and how important are your maths skills when deciding what to tip?Tanya Sweeney, journalist and author, and Adrian Cummins, CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland both joined Pat Kenny on the show to discuss.

Vincent Durac, Associate Professor, School of Politics and International Relations at UCD, joined Pat on the show to take a deeper look at what sparked the deadly protests in Iran. 

Ireland's recent exchequer returns showed that, despite concerns surrounding Trump’s tariffs, the State was unaffected - and you can thank the corporation tax for that. Corporate tax receipts, excluding the Apple tax money, amounted to a record €32.9 billion last year.  But are we too reliant on it to fund the state and what happens if it collapses? Pat Kenny was joined by economist Colm McCarthy to discuss.

Construction activity continued to decrease in December, according to the AIB Purchasing Managers’ Index. It marked the eighth straight month of decline, despite a slightly slower fall for the final month of the year. However, there were some brighter signs looking into 2026, as new orders increased for the first time in five months. Peter Finn, better known as Pete the Builder, joined us on the show to explain the figures further.

The past week stories of surrounding X and Grok AI have dominated the airwaves both in Ireland and abroad. Degrading images of children and women with their clothes digitally removed by Grok AI continue to be shared on Elon Musk’s X, despite the platform’s commitment to suspend users who generate them. A number of countries are now banning the AI Chabot to protect users and children, but can these heinous artificial images of children actually reach a prosecution?   Mick Moran, CEO of the Irish Internet Hotline and a former Garda, joined Pat Kenny on the show to discuss.

January is usually the time when many of us decide to embrace a healthier lifestyle, whether it's cutting out the booze, joining the gym or even going for a sauna.  Saunas have become increasingly popular over the last yea,r with more people trying to make healthier choices, but do they actually boost your health?  Pat was joined by Dr Heather Massey, associate professor of extreme environments and physiology at the University of Portsmouth, to discuss.

 It’s been over nine years since the UK voted to leave the EU, yet both parties are still working on various trade agreements. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in the midst of negotiating an agricultural deal and while some see it as the UK edging closer to the EU, politicians worry what a Farage premiership will do to the already fraught relations between the two blocs.  Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary, University of London, joined Pat Kenny on the show to discuss.

: Dermatologist Dr Rosemary Coleman is our Monday Expert and tells us all about microneedling. T he procedure that involves creating multiple, controlled micro-injuries in the skin with devices embedded with fine needles.

We talk a lot about “support”, but what do we actually mean by it? We use the word support all the time, but rarely stop to define it. In real life, support isn’t a slogan or a phrase. It’s a set of behaviours, choices, and ways of showing up. And it looks different depending on what someone is going through.Stephaine Regan, Clinical Psychotherapist, and host of the Tough Love Podcast explains all.

In an age of an online world an increasing amount of people are looking to find love behind screens. Naturally enough, this is leading to burnout and fatigue when it comes to dating apps. But what is a single person to do? Pat chats to Emma Kehoe, Life Coach and host of All Of The Above podcast.

On Saturday, 20 December 2025, Garmin’s emergency autoland was used for the first time in a real-world emergency situation. The emergency autoland system is designed to take control of an aircraft in the event of pilot incapacitation and safely land at a nearby airfield. We discuss further with Kevin Byrne, Retired Lieutenant Colonel and Airport Safety and Security Expert. 

Helmets for e-scooter riders may become compulsory to reduce serious injuries. More than 9,000 people were 'no shows' for driving tests last year and what are the new car for 2026.All to discuss with Geraldine Herbert Motoring Editor with the Sunday Independent. 

Donald Trump's ambitions for Greenland are to be discussed at a meeting between the US, Greenland and Denmark this week. The US President ramped up his war of words in recent days, saying he will take the territory 'whether they like it or not' Our report Josh Crosbie is in Greenland and joined Pat this morning on the show.

  Problems for Manchester United continue to build as the club lost 2-1 against Brighton in the FA cup under Darren Fletcher. Meanwhile in rugby, Leinster managed to secure a win over La Rochelle in the URC after a dramatic eighty minutes. 

The Minister for Justice is expected to bring a bill to cabinet to overhaul the states' asylum system.  One of the many new changes includes new plans proposed by Jim O'Callaghan that will see refugee families having to wait three years before bringing spouses and children to IrelandPat discusses this further with Gary Gannon, Social Democrats TD for Dublin Central and party spokesperson for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration..

As Ireland moves closer to the introduction of the EU pay transparency directive, salary visibility has become one of the most pressing and unavoidable issues facing employers, recruiters, and jobseekers alike. We ask how will the issue of salary visibility be solved?All to discuss with Avril Clare, Founder and Owner, Avril Clare Recruitment Ltd Property and Asset Management Recruitment Specialists.

Jessie Buckley has been named best female actor at the Golden Globes for her role in Hamnet. The movie also picked up the award for the best motion picture in drama.We hear all about the awards night from Lisa Cannon, Head of Studio, DMG Media. 

After Donald Trump’s intervention in Venezuela, where is next? Lara Marlowe Paris based journalist and author discusses the potential next targets as Trump increases his rhetoric against Cuba and also Iran, following significant protests there in the past two weeks.

Friday Forum reviews the news stories of the week. Joining Pat this morning was  Regina Doherty MEP, Dublin, Fine Gael, Richard Boyd-Barrett TD, Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit and Harry McGee, Political Correspondent, The Irish Times.

Garda figures show that more than 25,000 bicycles have been reported stolen across Ireland since 2019. However, campaigners estimate that up to three-quarters of victims never report their bikes as stolen. So, a question remains what needs to be done to keep bikes safe and keep your wheels moving?All to discuss with Una Morrisson, Spokesperson for Dublin Cycling Campaign.