James WIlson

2 weeks ago | newstalk.com | James WIlson |James Wilson

Is it ever okay to shout at children? Today, British politicians will hear evidence from scientists about the long-term mental health impact on children of being shouted at by adults. On Lunchtime Live, listener Joanna agreed that shoutin can be “damaging” for children but added that parents are “only human”. “Sometimes, if a parent asks their kids 10 times to tidy the playroom and you get the eyeroll or they don’t do it, it’s natural at times, you may raise your voice,” she said.

2 weeks ago | newstalk.com | James WIlson |James Wilson

The EPA is encouraging the public to report bad smells from industrial sites. The organisation has revealed that complaints from the public have dropped by nearly half in the last three-years. Officials few said they rely on the public to keep them informed and fear they are missing out on “great intelligence”. On Newstalk Breakfast, EPA spokesperson Pamela McDonnell said the organisation has published a list of sites with a poor record of compliance.

3 weeks ago | newstalk.com | James WIlson |James Wilson

The Government missing its target for social homes was “entirely predictable”, Sinn Féin has said. Last year, the State had a target of 9,300 new build social homes; however, only 7,871 were built. In response, Housing Minister James Browne vowed to bring a “renewed urgency” to delivering social homes. “I will be meeting with the chief executives of all 31 local authorities to discuss their targets and plans to bring forward projects on their own land,” he said.

3 weeks ago | newstalk.com | James WIlson |James Wilson

A pension expert has predicted the beginning of auto-enrolment could be delayed until 2027. The Auto-Enrolment Retirement Savings Scheme means employers and their staff will pay into a pension fund for an individual when they retire. The scheme is designed to boost the standard of living of future generations of pensions and is based on similar models in other western countries.

4 weeks ago | newstalk.com | James WIlson |James Wilson

The trope of the ‘wicked stepmother’ has been written about in children’s stories for generations. On Lunchtime Live, stepmother and social worker Deirdre McCarthy described it as an “absolute minefield”. “Stepfathers don’t seem to have the same [pressure] put onto them,” she said. “It doesn’t seem to come up as much. “For me, it’s about navigating it early and having that conversation with the other co-parent is the vital component of it before you ever introduce anybody to your children.