of a house in the county is now just under €300,000 of 19% from this time last year. The number of new home transactions in Donegal has also increased by 19% to 76. Nationally asking prices rose by 9.5% over the past year. Every economist at Trinity College Dublin and author of the DAF report, Ronan Lyons, says a mixture of increased supply and higher interest rates could cause house price inflation to ease. A few months ago when you conduct a survey and asked people what they expected the increase to be, the average increase over the next 12 months was just over 5%. Now it's less than 1%, that's the lowest in a few years. So it does suggest that on the supply side conditions are improving and on the demand side for a variety of reasons including increased interest rates, it does look like the demand is softening a bit. So perhaps we'll see the inflation rate in house prices falling in the second half of the year. Police say they are becoming increasingly concerned for a missing teenager who is believed to be in the Castle Derrick area. 14-year-old Ross Ray is described as having dark hair, is approximately 173 cm tall of a slim build and is reportedly wearing black trousers, a black hoodie and white trainers. Police are appealing to anyone who has any information about Ross's wearables to contact them on 101. And for weather, Scattered Shars will continue this morning with highest temperatures today of 14 to 16 degrees. That's all from Hynand Radio, news for now, we'll be back with news again at 10 o'clock. Until then, good morning. Hello, good morning to you, 4 minutes past 9 this Monday the 27th of June. How are you keeping? It's the start of another week. Hopefully you had a great weekend, it was a busy weekend for sport, wasn't it? If you're into your GEA, plenty of footballing action, what do you think of what went on? We want your views 08, 6, 60, 25,000, there's a couple of things obviously, games being decided via penalties. What do you think? It was a very exciting game, that particular one, but there was a couple less exciting games on Saturday. You get that with the quarter-finals though, don't you sometimes with the current setup? But yesterday the football was pretty good and of course then there was the controversy at the end of full time in that game as well. We've seen that in the past, between Armagh and Galway of course, we've seen that in the past, but there was one particular incident that was, I think it kind of was an incident that goes beyond the football pitch that we're already standing around. I'm not saying they should have got involved, but anyway it's not what we want to see, is it? We'll be chatting about that and so much more besides later also, we're going to be doing a bit of a Q&A on Bitcoin. Are you one of those people that have heard about Bitcoin and wonder what it's all about? We're not there to necessarily encourage you to invest any money you might have into Bitcoin, but there's no harm understanding what it's all about. You'll see if you have a Revolute card, there's Bitcoin options and you hear it talking about Bitcoin all the time out there. So we're going to have an expert on to find out what it's all about, how it's made, how it's worth anything, how it raises value, will loses value and all that type of stuff. We're going to get an expert on on that. Also, Mabs, an expert from Mabs will be joining us as well and our awful lot of people have already cut everything. There's not much left to cut, but Mabs will be joining us with some advice as to how we can make what money we have go as far as we possibly can. So that's all coming up in the program and that much more besides get involved with early questions or comments 07491 25000, Caroline and Donna Maria taking your calls there, but your WhatsApp and text option that's there for you as always 08 660 25000. So any questions on Bitcoin, maybe you've got some questions to Mabs or you want to comment on the football yesterday and Saturday or anything else that's come up for you over the weekend. You can always watch the program as well. Go to our website, HighlandRadio.com. You'll see the links there to click in. Watch in browser or go direct to our YouTube channel, Highland Radio Ireland or our Facebook pages. Wherever you are, however you engage with us, hopefully you're with us now for the next three hours. Let's look at the Dairy People, Donegal News. They speculate over a political shakeup on the cards in Donegal. Latest census figures could spell political change in Donegal. Doll numbers look set for a shakeup in the wake of the release of the latest preliminary figures from the Central Statistics Office with an excess of 5.1 million people living in the state. There will have to be at least 171 TDs in the next doll to comply with constitutional requirements to have at least one deputy for every 30,000 people. But why? Why should more jobs for TDs be created? It doesn't it's it's there constitutionally, but we can change the constitution at a whim. Do you believe that we need more TDs? And it's not a loaded question, by the way. The many of you out there believe that we need more political representation. But, you know, we have a constitutional requirement to have one TD for every 30,000 people. And if the population increases, well, we better create those jobs, we better find the people and we better fill those jobs and pay them very, very well. Is there a constitutional requirement for a nurse per amount of people in this country? Is there a constitutional requirement for SNAs per certain amount of people or carers, for example, or consultants or whatever? Take your pick. No, there isn't as far as I'm aware. And if there is, we certainly don't live up to it. So maybe, maybe before we start creating more jobs for those in the doll and having to spend a fortune creating more seats for them, maybe we should get our priorities right in other areas. That's just one scenario. What do you think, 08, 6, 60, 25,000? Well, in a detailed breakdown of what the changes could mean nationally and locally, the Irish Times details how redrawing constitutional boundaries, how it has the potential to be highly controversial. A redrawer can make or break or break the election hopes of candidates who can suddenly find they'll gain a chunk of votes from a supportive community or just as easily lose them. This is Cormac Quinn in his analysis. But listen, the biggest controversial redrawing of all was to annex South Donegal and stick it in with Sligo Northletrum. I mean, that was crazy. So if any could think could come of it, it would be great to see Donegal united as either a one or two constituency county. Again, it's nonsense. I think that some of us in the south of the county are represented by people in South County Sligo. I'm not saying they don't do a good job, but it doesn't make a great deal of sense. Other counties maybe are more used to it than me. We might be. But I think we've enough TDs in this county to cover. A full county, if you know what I mean, I don't think we need an extra one, do we? But what do you think, 08, 6, 60, 25,000? The Dairy News this morning.  You can read more on the front and inside that paper today. Let's go to the nationals now. And the Irish Times tells us that demonstrations continued in several US cities over the weekend in response to a Supreme Court ruling, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion after almost 50 years. And we'll be speaking about this a little later on in the programme. The vast majority of the protests were peaceful, although there were isolated incidents of disorder. A fire at a Christian pregnancy centre in Colorado was being investigated as arson by authorities. A message left on the building red, if abortions aren't safe, neither are you. And I was listening to one quote from one politician who said, and this is not a commentary to the decision that's been made, but just how sometimes people say things that don't make a great deal of sense. She said that now, thankfully, because of this decision, a child in the womb can feel as safe as a child in the classroom, which I think talking about the area she's from was not a fantastic analogy, unfortunately. Well, police in Arizona used tear gas to disperse a group of abortion rights supporters who Republicans maintained were seeking to break into the State Senate building on Friday. In Rhode Island, a Democratic State, sorry, State Senate candidate was punched in the face by her Republican opponent, an off-duty police officer during an abortion rights rally in Providence. He has since dropped out of the election contest and there was more arrests and I don't know, that's going to create a lot of upset and unrest, I think, in the United States over the next while. The Irish Independent tells us that the Green Party is calling for a minimum 10 euro increase in the weekly state pension and in social welfare payments in October's budget. So that's going to be the starting point. That's the upper limit there, 10 euro per week for your pension or your social welfare payments. I imagine they're flying this kite early on and, you know, maybe it'll be eight or six or seven or five. I don't know. Is 10 euro enough, do you think? Oh, eight, six, six, 25,000. Well, an injection of 200 million into the working family payments as well as increases in the qualified child payment will also be sought in a bid to lift almost 40,000 people out of poverty in a sign of simmering government tensions ahead of the start of budget talks in the coming weeks. Junior Rural Affairs Minister Joe O'Brien of the Green Party told the Irish Independent he will be cautious about Finnegar's proposals to cut taxes for middle income earners. He said he did not see how the proposed new tax rate of 30% for those on middle incomes could be beneficial. Mr O'Brien said he would lobby for a record allocation for welfare in an anti-poverty budget. Pensions along with other social welfare payments should also see double jittered increases. He said we need to be going way beyond five euro, stated Mr O'Brien. We need to be on double figures in terms of across the board increases. His comments are the first clear indication of what the Greens will be looking for. And obviously the cost of living is going to continue to dominate papers. The Irish Daily Mail this morning. Parents face a summer of dread as they struggle to deal with primary and secondary school charges of up to 1,500 euro. It's been warned. Now, I have to choose my words carefully here because I don't necessarily want to upset anyone, but I cannot believe in 2022. And particularly in a cost of living crisis that we have a situation whereby parents are being forced to go to one or two shops to buy branded clothing, i.e. you know, particular jumpers, particular hoodies, particular trousers, particular shoes. Now, obviously trousers and shoes. You might be able to get away with that. But PE gear that has the school crest on jumpers that have the school crest on. I know some schools have made great roads on this in roads on this. But I've been speaking about this on programs like this for at least 15 years now at this stage and still there are some schools that are burdening parents with bills of, you know, two, three hundred euro for items coming from a specific shop, right, when surely we should be able to source our own uniforms right across the board and so on crests or iron on crests. Would that not make sense in the current crisis that we're in at now? As I say, I'm consciously aware. I don't know how many schools allow you to buy your own stuff and iron on or so on a crest versus how many insist that you go to the one outlet. But needless to say, I think at this time, things like this right at the start of the summer, the type of thing that we need to be working on. It's feared some families will be forced into debt as they juggle the expense of new books and uniforms with the cost of living crisis. There is recognition among cabinet members that the budget must help the squeezed middle. However, many are demanding immediate action with families pushed to the limit by record inflation. What do you think on that 08 660 25000 also to a picture of Diana Ross on the front of the Irish Daily Mail. It's not very polite to mention someone's age. But in this context, the lady is amazing. She's 78 years of age and I watched quite a bit of her performance at Glastonbury yesterday. I thought she was absolutely wonderful. Others not so much, I think, but I thought she was great, particularly towards the end. Paul McCartney did a three hour set on Saturday and I'd say half the country fell asleep and then half his age watched him. It was late, but it wasn't because it was no good. It's because of it's more of a testament to his energy levels. I thought he was superb as well. It's amazing to the whole weekend. I watched quite a bit of it was good, but they stood out for me, particularly good. All right, anyway, that's just a picture that's on the front of that paper. The Irish Daily Star today. Let's pick out a sports paper to talk about the Brawl Ireland. Our Mars, Tyrann and Kelly may be in trouble, following what appeared to be an eye gouging instant during yesterday's All-Ireland quarterfinal defeat to Galway. The tide descended into chaos when a melee broke out after the side finished level in normal time. Galway captain Sean Kelly was shown a straight red card for his part in the dustup, ruling him out of their All-Ireland semifinal against Ariane July 9th. But I didn't see him doing anything. He looked to me like he was trying to... He looked like he was trying to calm things down. I think maybe it was just a token sending off. If he misses the semifinal, I think that's pretty unfair. Our Mars, Aiden Nugent also saw red, but Tyrann's fingers appeared to make contact with Comer's eye in a separate instant that went unchecked at the time. Now, he was in his draining gear, effectively. What would be an appropriate sanction for that, though? Because obviously knee-jerk reaction is to say, well, you should never be on the pitch again. But what would be inappropriate? I don't think we need to... We don't want to overreact everything, do we? I think an appropriate response, rather than sort of like a knee-jerk response might be better. I think the GEA don't want to have a knee-jerk reaction and the GEA don't want to necessarily pander to public opinion on this one. Just till everything calms down, right? I had my opinion yesterday. I think when I watched it first, I thought that fellow should never be on a pitch again. But, you know, after a day's reflection, it was a very good game. I thought very exciting, huge disappointment for our Mars. It's terrible to see people's dreams ended on penalties like that when, of course, there is the option of a replay. But anyway, all of that thrown out there for you. My opinion doesn't matter. I'm just trying to get a conversation started. 08 660 25,000, 08 660 25,000. What do you think, though? That's the most important thing. In the Irish Sun, more than 15,000 euro was spent rescheduling flights after T. Shockmehal-Martin caught COVID-19 on his US trip. He also jetted to London ahead of St. Patrick's Day with 33,000 paid for both trips. Mr. Martin and his entourage flew across the Atlantic for an annual visit to the White House back in March. But after testing positive for COVID, the FINA4 leader was forced to cancel his White House appearance and instead held a virtual meeting with US President Joe Biden at a cost of, to you, 33,000 euro. Two wages that for a year for two individuals in this country. Finally, in the Irish Daily Mirror today, cops have said they have busted a plot to supply the alleged killer of Donagall woman, Danielle McLaughlin with cocaine behind bars.  Local police said they've arrested a neighbour of Bagat's and a prison officer over an alleged smuggling plot. The jail guard was detained on Wednesday while a second person was held at the weekend. Deputy Superintendent Jiv Badalvi said the warden had confessed that the drugs were meant for Bagat and had been given him by Bagat's neighbour. Bagat's murder trial has been repeatedly delayed since his arrest and charge over the killing of, over the killing. British and Irish diplomats recently travelled to meet Goa officials and express their alarm at how the case is dragging out. And we heard more importantly from Danielle's mom to about the impact those delays are having on her. Rightio, that's a run through the papers today, 086625,000. Remember, if you have any questions for MAMS or if you have any questions on Bitcoin and you know, it's a bit of a jock's position, those two issues, I understand that, 086625,000 WhatsApps and texts, or give us a call on 07491 25,000. New comments too on the GE action off the field and on the field as well. We'll be speaking about that to Brendan Deveney as well a little later on in the programme, though, as you can imagine. We understand. You have to move your bank and taking that first step can be daunting. But when you choose to move to permanent TSP, you're not just choosing an award-winning current account. You're taking the first step to easier everyday banking. Apply for our digital current account in-app today. It takes just minutes. After that, everything else will be that little bit less daunting. Don't just move. Choose permanent TSP. Application and your sole name for over 18 personal customers and residents in the Republic of Ireland only. Qualifying criteria terms and conditions apply. Permanent TSP PLC is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Donegal County Council in association with Bryson Recycling are holding a half-priced bulky goods event at Carandona, Milford and Stranola recycling centres from the 20th of June to the 2nd of July, during site opening times. For more information and opening times, visit DonegalCoco.ie or call the council on<PHONE_NUMBER>. For big-name menswear at great prices, visit Watson menswear in Letter Kenny. Top casual brands, including Mishmash, Sixth Sense, Tommy Bowe and Penguin. If you're going to a wedding or a big event, formal wear names include Rimasimo, Andre and White Label. Also a great selection of children's casual and formal wear in stock. Watson menswear, open seven days a week on Main Street Letter Kenny and online at Watsonmenswear.com. When did you last have your intruder alarm serviced? Intruder alarm should be serviced and maintained regularly in accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines. Only private security authority-licensed contractors can legally install and maintain intruder alarms. You are breaking the law if you used an unlicensed contractor and may also invalidate your insurance cover. Have a private security authority-licensed contractor check your alarm and keep you secure. For more information, visit PSA-gov.ie. Okay, we welcome on to the program now. Bishop of Ruffo, Bishop Alan McGuckian. Good morning, Bishop. Thank you so much for joining us. Good morning, Greg. Thank you indeed. And it's unfortunate that we're speaking to you under these circumstances because there has been a genuine widespread sadness and upset across the county and beyond, I'm sure, following the death of well-known and well-loved local priest Father Brian Quinn. Yes, we are all shocked and devastated. Two weeks ago, yesterday, many of us, it was the last time we saw Brian, it was a fabulous occasion when he celebrated 40 years as a priest, which he had been so looking forward to and planning for weeks and months, and it was a beautiful occasion, but that was the day that at least it began to be obvious that he was not feeling well and he went down from there, but... So in a way, on reflection, that's a blessing, isn't it? Bishop, that everyone had the opportunity to come together and celebrate that wonderful milestone. It really was and it brought together so many things that Brian, he really loved being a priest and he wanted to celebrate that and he wanted it to be just a beautiful liturgical celebration, which was another thing he really loved, and he loved people and there were lots of people gathered around that day. His parishioners whom he loved so much, his family and friends from all kinds of backgrounds that just were part of that big world of people who were Brian's friends. They were all there. So it just was a wonderful providence that that was our... That's the last memory for so many of us. From Lahi, of course, a beautiful part of South Donegal, but I wouldn't say that. He was the parish priest of the Church of the Irish Martyrs in Letter Cannae. Tell me a little bit more about what people loved about and why he was so held in such high regard, Bishop, even from a personal perspective, because your family... We're all family, don't get me wrong. Absolutely. Your family have lost one of those as well, which is... We certainly have. Yeah. The thing you had to love about Brian was he was so kind. Just when I first came here, five years ago, Brian was one of the very first to reach out and he was a man of ingenuity. He found ways of involving you. I don't know if you remember, five years ago when I came here, there was the flooding. I had just taken place over in Anishuwon. There was a fabulous big event down in the... In the Leisure and the Exercise Centre down there, near O'Donnell Park, where country singers were... Oh, the Oral Leisure Centre. Yes, I remember. The Oral Leisure Centre, exactly. Sorry. And Brian just saw this new bishop has to come down and be introduced to people. And he just had a way of knowing how to reach out, engage you, link you in with all kinds of people. Like Brian was a... He was a people person. He was kind, but he knew how to create linkages and tie people. And that's why he was sure he was involved across the diocese. He will be remembered. Like so many of our priests, he served a short time in Torrey. He was in Kilkar. He was in Milford and Golan for a while. And then this 28 years in the Irish Martyrs. He was so proud of that, you know? Like he and others remember sheep grazing on that field out there not too long ago. And now look at this fabulous centre of worship and of community. And Brian was so proud to be at the centre of that and so proud and appreciative of the people of that parish who worked with him. So he had all that. He was a people person. And bringing people together and networking with them and bringing people into networks. And he was a great cook. On a few occasions, he invited me out for lunch in his house. And oh, it was cordon bleu. He was... I hear so many skills. Lovely. And leaves so many lovely memories and stuff which is lovely. If we could all do that, it'd be lovely. Indeed it would. But with great sadness, we let him go too early. Too early. Only 64. Bishop, finally, do you want to say a few words for Father Quim? But also, of course, all the people going through last few days? No, indeed. A short prayer or something perhaps? Yeah, absolutely. Listen, all life comes from God. It is a gift of God and we give thanks for it. We give thanks for Brian. But also, there are other friends of mine who have lost close relatives in these last few days. And we just ask God to be close to them, heal their hearts and heal all of our hearts. But make us grateful for what we've had. Amen. Amen. Indeed. Listen, Bishop, thank you very much indeed for that. A lovely tribute to a great man. Thank you. OK, take care. Thank you very much indeed. That's Bishop Hallamagoki in there, who he and other members of the clergy have lost a colleague and friend as well as the personal loss for the family and those who know or knew Father Quim. So we appreciate the Bishop coming on to share his words with us. Right, moving on, we are going to take a short break. We'll be back after that with our next guest. In fact, we'll be discussing a huge political, social change in America and its implications and ramifications, not just for America, perhaps, but for beyond. We'll be back to discuss that after these messages. It's massive savings on garden furniture now in home store and more. You can save hundreds of euro on a great range of garden furniture, dining sets, rat and corner lounge sets, egg and hanging chairs, gazebos and much more. See for yourself. It's massive savings on garden furniture now in your local home store and more or online at homestoreandmore.ie. Home Store and More, a happy home. Hi, it's Claire here from Claire Clothing. As you may know, I have now opened on the Main Street in Letterkenny right beside the Bank of Ireland. Our summer sale has started. I have loads of discounts of dresses, tops, trousers, all of the summer stock. So we'll see you at our summer sale in Claire Clothing, Main Street, Letterkenny. A public interest message from Donegal County Council. Householders and building owners in areas susceptible to wildfires are advised to cut back or remove any vegetation or other combustible material in the vicinity of their house, building or oil tank to prevent wildfires damaging or destroying their property. Cleared areas should be maintained free of vegetation and combustible material. Donegal County Council would also like to remind landowners and members of the public that under the Wildlife Acts, 1976 and 2000, it's an offense to cut, grob, burn or otherwise destroy any vegetation growing on any land, not then cultivated between the first day of March and the 31st day of August in any year. Donegal County Council, protecting your environment. And you're very welcome back to the programme, right now. The US Supreme Court has ended the right to abortion in a seismic ruling that shreds half a century of constitutional protections on one of the most divisive and bitterly fought issues in American political life. The Conservative-dominated court overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that recognised a woman's constitutional right to an abortion and legalised it nationwide. Larry Donnelly is a law lecturer at NUI Galway and political columnist with the journal Dottiee. He joins us now. Larry, thanks for your time this morning and good morning to you. Great to be with you, Greg. Right, OK. I mean, this is huge. There's just no other way to describe it, is there? Well, there are many other ways, but that's one way to describe it. Yeah, I mean, look, it's it's it's it's very big decision. Roe versus Wade was obviously a defining element of the American political and legal culture for decades. So this is a big change. However, it's not one that's unexpected. The court is quite conservative. They have a particular view of the American Constitution. And in particular, they don't believe that abortion is a constitutional right, whether or not it's a legal right now will be decided by various states around the United States. And that decision has been made quite quickly. Some people, some states, sorry, had trigger laws in anticipation of this decision. Others perhaps might might take some time. Well, it had different states that take different approaches. As you indicate, some states had trigger laws which would ban abortion immediately once the decision was issued. Other states, however, have very liberal abortion laws that were enacted and will go into effect. You know, once the decision has been made. So what you're going to have in the United States really is a patchwork quilt of legal regimes around the country with respect to accessing abortion. And women who want to have abortions will be able to get them, but they will be a lot harder for them in certain states than it would have been beforehand. And you know, it depends on how you read the United States Constitution. The judges who look at the Constitution and say, we don't see anything about abortion. We don't think that abortion is a constitutional issue. Instead, it's a matter for elected politicians to decide. And the ironic thing here, Greg, is that, you know, look, this has turned out in a way beneficial to the anti-abortion cause in the United States. But if you look at the arguments that the anti-abortion side has been making in the United States, they're exactly the same. And this is a strange point. As the arguments that were made here by the pro-choice side, that is that abortions should not be a judicial or constitutional issue. Instead, it should be something decided by the people through their elected representatives. And that's how the law is going to be made now in abortion in the US. How much of this is a legacy of Donald Trump for good or bad, depending on your views for right or wrong in his influence in the makeup of the court? This has been delivered to the anti-abortion movement by Donald Trump. The reality is for many years there were Republican appointees on the Supreme Court who, when it came right down to it, were very uncomfortable with overturning Roe versus Wade. However, when Donald Trump decided to run for president, and a lot of people wonder how these evangelical Christians could rally around a guy like Donald Trump, you know, multiple times divorced, God knows how many abortions he might have been involved in over the years. Why would they support him? The reason is because when he started his campaign, he went to the evangelicals and said, look, I will give you exactly the judges that you want. And he carried through on his promise in this regard. And as a result, we have, we are where we are. And he had judges who were willing to overturn Roe versus Wade. And it should be said to disregard the principle of stare decisis, that is that the law precedent should not be overturned, except in the rarest of rare circumstances. I mean, what I find amazing is that a court decision has dictated, you know, how people can live their lives for so long. Is there no tools within government or the law or whatever that could have looked at that decision and, you know, refined it or protected it so that one court ruling being thrown out couldn't have such an impact? Pardon the clumsiness of the question, but. No, no, you know, I'll be direct in my answer. No, and I mean, the answer here is that as the court would say, and I do have some sympathy with this line of argument, you know, what the court is saying. Now, again, I think this is probably undercut by what their personal views on abortion are, what the court is saying here is we decline to express any view. We're not saying we're pro-life, we're not saying we're pro-choice. What we are saying is that this is not a constitutional issue. So to the answer to your question is the legislatures around the country are perfectly entitled to make up their decisions as to what, whether abortion should be legal or not legal. And if you don't like the regime, if you're pro-choice and you live in the anti-abortion state or if you're pro-life and you live in a very pro-choice state, your remedy is political activism.  That's what the court is saying. That's what the effect of this decision is. And again, I think the point is worth making. This is precisely the argument that the forces who wanted to repeal the Eighth Amendment. It's precisely the argument that they made that this is an issue that should be in the political realm, not the judicial or constitutional realm. I heard some commentary, Larry, that this could have knock-on effects that we could see situations that permit interracial relationships or same-sex relationships being challenged. Is there anything to that? I think that the fears on that regard are somewhat overstated. This has to do with, and I don't want to get into the extreme legalities of it, but this has to do with a doctrine called substantive due process in the United States. That is, the more liberal judges in the US think that the guarantee of due process of law in the Constitution relates not just to procedural due process, but due process and a whole range of substantive issues. And as such, they have read certain rights into the Constitution that are expressly spelled out in them. And among those, as you say, are interracial marriage, same-sex marriage, birth control, and other things. Now, at least one judge on the court, Clarence Thomas, thinks that that whole line of decisions should be revisited and overturned because, again, he doesn't believe there's such a thing as substantive due process. And he thinks that these issues are legal, not constitutional in nature. He was the only judge to make that point. And the majority opinion, Judge Alito makes clear, he says, this decision only relates to abortion. So whether courts will go that far is an open question. But I don't think that there is any appetite politically speaking if these issues do go back to the political realm. You're not going to see a ban on same-sex marriage nationally. You're not going to see a birth control legalization overturn. That's not going to happen. But could these issues get returned to the political sphere? Yeah, that's a possibility. And finally, Larry, I mean, more generally speaking, obviously, you know, politically, it's quite tense in the United States at the moment. That feeds down onto the ground as well. Some might feel this is further fuel on those flames. What do you think this means for the United States as sort of a as a country and for its future, which is being decided, I suppose, as we speak? Yeah, I mean, look, it'll add to the splinted nature of the United States. I think that in many ways that that is sad. But in turn, in the immediate term, in terms of the midterm elections, you know, my guess in the polling so far indicates this, that most people aren't going to vote on issues like abortion or indeed on the gun issue, which the Supreme Court also issued a decision on this week. You know, that the Democrats are hopeful that this will galvanize some of their supporters. It might have some of that effect. But ultimately in the midterms, people are going to vote on the price of gas, the price of groceries, inflation, those sorts of things are dominant and regrettably from a Democratic point of view. That means that it's unlikely to be a good election. But down the road, could abortion be a galvanizing effect? Could it help the Democratic Party? Perhaps, but it's going to be intensely political. And as you say, add to what is already a quite divided society. And very finally, Larry, I believe we were speaking after this ruling was leaked in advance and there was some speculation at that time that it was leaked for a reason on reflection. Who benefits from who might have benefited most from this information being made public when it was ahead of these upcoming elections? I think clearly that the Democrats were hopeful that they would benefit in the sense that it would galvanize their supporters around this issue. But I think, Craig, that the fact is that the people who are motivated to vote on this issue, they were already voting and they're already voting for the Democratic Party. So in the end, will this have a huge impact? My guess is no, but we'll see how that unfolds as time goes on. Larry, thank you very much indeed for your time. I appreciate it greatly. OK, that was Larry Donnelly, their law lecturer at NUI Galway and political columnist with the journal.ie. Just as we were concluding our conversation with the bishop on the sad passing at the weekend of Father Quinn, his funeral arrangements have been announced. And for those of you interested, I can bring them to you now. Funeral is on Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. in the Irish martyrs, remains proposing in the church from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. tomorrow, rosary in the church at 9 p.m. each night. If you missed those, we will retain them here for you. Excuse me. Some of your comments coming in. Hopefully we were as busy as we always were. Maybe some people are able to get a wee lie in now with the schools off, but so far so good. It's as busy as it always is. Travelling to Croke Park for a replay for fans is very expensive when diesel and petrol is so expensive. The GEA had no alternative but to go to penalties to finish the game. I don't think that was their motivation. And, you know, let's face it, there are at least some of those games that could be located outside Croke Park to make it easier for fans to travel to, but it will save a lot of people, a lot of money. But I wonder how many RMR fans might have been ready to go to Croke or again if they had the choice rather than for it to be decided on penalties. We'll never know. If you go on holidays, only medical card holders get basic health care covering the NHS. This is not the case. Everyone's covered. I had a look into the NHSC budgets and it is costing us approximately a third more to run it. We're doing something wrong. Okay. Thank you. Our local schools, Colmora Glentes and Secondary School offer jumper swap where parents take jumpers. Children have grown out of and swap for a jumper in a child size. Fantastic for parents. That is brilliant. And I love to hear things like that because I'm telling you, I know there are people having to come up with, you know, 250 to 350 euro to kit out their young ones for the new year. It's a problem every year for some families. It's even more of a problem for more families this year. Greg, why do we need more TDs? As you have said, more nurses, doctors, carers for the population. And then you look at our friends across the water. There are currently 650 constituencies each sending one MP to the House of Commons, corresponding to approximately one for every 92,000 people or one for every 68,000 parliamentary electors. Well, listen, even listen, I mean, the TDs aren't ringing the passport office. Are they or they aren't making an awful lot of inquiries. I presume that goes to their staff in the office. So if anything, if we have to do anything, let's give. You know, it might be less expensive to provide certain areas with more TD staff. I don't know. Do we actually need more TDs arguing? You know, that's what they do a lot of the time. Oil is down and the petrol and diesel is going up. It's crazy. It's time to pot in the green. Yeah, well, unfortunately, our petrol prices at the pumps aren't that directly linked because a lot of it's supply and demand as well. But yeah, it's the perennial problem, isn't it? Petrol prices. Oil goes up. It goes up straight away or at least it feels like that after the next delivery. Oil goes down and we just don't seem to see those savings. It's frustrating. I worked in housing years ago during the boom, says this caller. Builders building more houses than skyrocketed the prices upwards. If it did, if it did it during the boom, it will happen again. OK, that's one of you. Right, OK, we'll be back with more after this quick break. 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Morning, Greg. Good to have you with us. Your citizen science officer at the National Biodiversity Data Centre. We're speaking in the context of the creature infamous for its painful sting washing up on a Donagall beach. It's the Portuguese man of war. It's a jellyfish type organism discovered by lifeguards patrolling at Narn. They reported the finding and it was disposed of on site. Right. How rare is this, Dave? And talk to actually tell us, talk to us a little bit about the Portuguese man of war. What is it? The Portuguese man of war looks like a jellyfish, but it's not a true jellyfish like our moon jellyfish or those kind of species.  So they all group together. They form this thing that to us looks like a jellyfish and in the essence, it's a colony of animals living together. But doing much the same thing that jellyfish do, it feeds floats around the ocean, feeding on small fish and plankton and things like that. It's unusual in that it has a big float on top of it. So it looks like a balloon. When you see it washed up in the shore, it looks like a deflated balloon. And people go to balloon and then they're tempted maybe to go over and focus and that's something you shouldn't do. Because even for weeks after they're dead on the beach, they can still sting. And the sting packs a very nasty punch. They can leave welts on your on your welts, on your hands and skin. It's rarely fatal. It's usually only fatal if you're allergic, if you suffer anaphylactic shock, but it can certainly give you a very nasty sting. So children, adults and indeed pets should be kept away from them. Yeah, pets, actually, that's an interesting one. Where is the sting located? Well, basically it's on the tentacles that dangle beneath. Now, in the water, there are an even more kind of intimidating prospect because these tentacles can stretch out for up to 50 meters behind the actual float. So it's something you don't want to get behind or anywhere close to in the water. On the beach, usually a lot of the tentacles will have washed off or broken off. But they're basically the little blue things that are dangling below the float. So definitely, you know, in general, just don't touch. How much of a choice does the likes of the Portuguese man of war have as to where it travels? Do you know what I mean? And how much is it at the whim of the sea? Yeah, very little choice, really. That balloon is their means of propulsion. So they get blown with the ocean winds, really, is their main source of propulsion. So I mean, you know, for us, Portuguese man of war, prior to that 2016, we didn't used to get that many records of them. But certainly since 2016, we've been working with our colleagues in UCC who run a project called the Big Jellyfish Hunt that collects records. We generate a record upload sheet for them on our website on exploreyourshore.ie. So people can record these jelly, these Portuguese man of war. And all jellyfish records there. And it gives us an idea of their distribution. And we've noticed since 2016, we're getting a lot of records. Mostly our records don't run from Northmost would be the Mayo coast and then down around to Wexford. So we very rarely get records so far north of that. What are their purpose? I don't I don't want to upset any Portuguese men of war listening to us. But, you know, what what good are they? What good are they? Well, I mean, number one is their predators. So they predate and obviously by that means control a whole range of animals out in the plankton on the open ocean. But they're also a source of food. They're a source of food for species like marine turtles. We get leatherback turtles in our waters and they would feed on Portuguese man of war as would ocean sunfish. Some of your listeners may have come across in our waters as well. And a lot of these species now have another purpose in that they're telling us something about changes in our ocean. As I said, prior to 2016, we didn't get huge numbers of records. But ever increasingly, we're seeing them now. We're seeing them between July and March peaking in records in October and November. And we think that's probably related to changes in our ocean in terms of ocean warming and global warming and perhaps changes in in the nature of ocean currents and winds. So it's something we're keeping a keen eye on because it helps us understand what these changes are looking like and what impacts they have. And there is the importance of us logging them. That's where the importance of us logging them comes in, because we become your eyes and ears. Exactly. So the more records we get, the better picture we get of what these changes are and what we're expecting really is more change as time goes on, because the oceans are only getting warmer. We're seeing new and interesting developments in terms of ocean currents. And for this year, we have this record from Dunnegoal, but we've also had a record from further north in Port Rush. Now, occasionally, we do get records way far north up as far as the Shetland, but this is quite unusual in terms of, you know, northern limits of records for the species. Where they are more prevalent, you know, we would know around here. You get days where there's just jellyfish everywhere. You know, I'm not I don't think they show all, but they just happen to be moved around in a pack like where would you most like where are you most likely to find Portuguese man of war? And, you know, would we see the amount of them similar to what we see with other types of jellyfish that we're more familiar with? Yeah, I mean, essentially, there is tropical and subtropical species. So there's a global distribution right around the world in the tropics and subtropics. We're really at the northernmost limit. But as I say, it's becoming more and more regular now that we are seeing them. But for most jellyfish species, they'll peak. They'll have a peak month. So for, let's say, the moon jellyfish, they're the clear ones with the bright pink circles in them. They peak in June with other species that peak in July. So it's all related to their reproductive cycle, their availability of food, water temperature, things like that. So we tend to see quite a sharp peak in different species. And jellyfish mate with each other? They do, yeah. I mean, they breathe and they've got an interesting reproductive cycle. So they live in the plankton. In some species, they have a sessile or a basic stage where they're attached to things. So for the moon jelly, they're one part of their life cycle. They look a bit like sea enemies. They stay stuck to the sides of rocks. And then they produce the second phase, which is the moon jelly. You see, I have to be careful, obviously, with my language. Did they happen upon each other by accident or I suppose, deeper into the water, they have more control over their movement today? Well, again, it depends on the species. So for Portuguese manna war, they drift to the ocean currents with other species similar to that, like the by the wind sailor. But some jellyfish can propel themselves and can do so reasonably well, although they're still largely at the whim of ocean currents. They can propel themselves, but they do go up and down in the water column. But overall, they're greatly affected by ocean currents. For a Portuguese manna war, though, they're stuck at the surface. If they'll float around, they can't go down in the water column. Dave, tell us where we log our sightings. So you can log the sightings. We work with our colleagues in UTC for the big jellyfish hunt.  So I don't think that looks like a jellyfish. We can take records there. OK, thank you very much indeed. Dave Wall, citizen science officer at the National Biodiversity Data Center. Councillor Martin Reilly joins us now. Good morning, Martin. How are you keeping? Not too bad, Greg. Good morning. How are you? I'm OK. Right. So this Thursday, you're proposing Lisa McGee, the creator of Dairy Girls for the freedom of city, the city of Dairy, Ansterban. One of the handiest decisions to make, I'd imagine. Well, I hope so. I think that everybody in not just in the council, but right across the Northwest and beyond, I think, understands the contribution that Lisa's work has made to improving the civic pride of our country, the area, but also just bringing so much joy to the people who live here and people all around the world who claim heritage from this part of the world. So, yeah, I think it would be a fitting honour to bestow on her which is the highest honour the council can give is to award somebody the freedom of the city. And what an amazing writer to write about what she wrote about, but do it in such a way that is so broadly welcomed. I mean, it's that I think that's even. I think that's the real achievement here or one of them. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. For her to have reimagined her her own going up in the area and going to school and sharing those experiences in a way that is captivated audiences is truly remarkable. And I think the final series for those that may not have watched it, I won't spoil it, but the final series is so well written and so well delivered in terms of telling people about what life was like here in the in the build up to the peace process and the day to day realities for people who lived here. So she's she's reintroduced her own experiences and informed a whole new generation about what it was like to be part of society at that time. OK, we know this has been huge across Britain and across Ireland, but now it's picked up by Netflix, which means it reaches a global audience. Is it a good advertisement for Derry in Northern Ireland or it will tourists come because they want to visit the familiar sites? Like, is it is it a good image for your part of the world globally? Do you think? Yeah, it absolutely is. I was in the city on Friday when day night was made that we were going to propose her for the freedom of the city and I bumped into some tourists over at the mural in the city centre. And people there were telling me that they had come specifically to the city because of Derry girls, the couple I was chatting to had travelled around Ireland on a camper van and but wanted to come to Derry because of Lisa's work because they had seen it on Netflix. So it has drawn in people to come to this part of the world to be part of the show, to get to see all the sites that the Northwest have to offer. So I think it is really important that as well as the the the benefit to the citizens who live here in the terms of civic pride that Lisa's work has delivered, it's also acting as a tourism magnet and that's a great boost to the local economy as well. Now, if successful, I'm not sure it will be, Lisa joins a very exclusive club running through former winners or males, though, she would be the first female to receive such an honour, which is quite a surprise maybe for some. Yeah, absolutely. It was a surprise for myself as well. You know, we put Lisa's name forward for the honour and as part of that process, the council officers just to provide me with a list of previous winners. And yeah, it's she would be the first woman if she's awarded it on Thursday who will who will receive it. So I think it's in twenty twenty two is well overdue that we should award the honour to a female. But what better female I suppose than somebody who is synonymous with being a dairy girl is great that that the first woman to receive the award will be Lisa McGee. Do you expect there to be any opposition or controversy with this with this decision on Thursday or with this proposal? I don't think so. I think that right across the political spectrum here, people understand the importance of the arts and Lisa's contribution to that is not in doubt. I think is on top of that, as I said earlier, people are coming to the city to see all the areas and all the places where the series was filmed. I think that that's very important as well as a consideration. So I don't think there's any controversy in relation to the awarding of the honour to Lisa McGee. You know, I hope that on Thursday it will be anonymous and then we can move to have the official council meeting where the honour is conferred on her because the council process can be can be quite slow at times. But we have we have the first meeting on Thursday. And if that goes through, then there would be a dedicated meeting to have to confer the freedom of the city on her. Lovely. But I imagine I imagine it will go through unanimously. OK, brilliant. Thanks for that. Councillor Martin, Riley of the SDLP, I appreciate it greatly. 08 660 25000. WhatsApps and texts to that number. If you want to watch the program, by the way, you can see most of our guests or many of them at least by going to our website, highlandradio.com, watching us there or go straight to YouTube, Highland Radio Ireland or on Facebook, Highland Radio or Highland Radio News and Sport later on, we're going to be talking to Mabs about what we can do to try and save money to make our money go further. We'll be speaking about Bitcoin as well, giving you a bit of information on that. If you have any interest in, you might be you might be interested in that item. And Brendan Devaney will be joining us. We'll be talking about the weekend sport, a lot to talk about there as well. And you're texting in on that. Keep them coming. But first, we'll take a break for the news and obituary notices. Due to continued expansion, Watson, Hyder and Netton County have a vacancy for a mechanic and plant fitter. Work will include maintenance and repair of plant, tire, tools and equipment. Experience with diesel, petrol and electrical machinery will be important. A full driver's license and basic computer knowledge is essential. This position is full time and offers a competitive salary to apply. Send your CV to jobs at Watson, Hyder.ie. Is your water safe to drink? If your water tastes unpleasant or has a foul smell, it may be a sign that something is in your water. Brothers Tech, Donegal, provide a complete private well water treatment service using the best water treatment equipment to meet your needs. Or maybe you drill the new well and the water isn't satisfactory. At Brothers Tech, their expert team will also service existing problematic systems. If you're concerned about the quality of your water, call Brothers Tech on<PHONE_NUMBER>. Pet value have a brand new store at St. Mary's Row, Bunkrana. I called in at the weekend. The animals are incredible. Plus, they have so much on offer. They know a lot about what is best for your pets, from the smallest fish to the largest dog. Pet value, Bunkrana, they care about your pets. Hyderdee's auto body repairs in Etter Kenney have been keeping cars on the road across the Northwest for the past 50 years. Hyderdees are the only four approved body shop in the Northwest, but repair all makes and models. Paintless dent removal, windscreen replacement and restoration work. Hyderdees even mix their own paint, approved by most insurance companies and certified steel standards Ireland. That's Hyderdees auto body, Leather Kenney for all vehicle repairs. See Hyderdees.com. Live on air, online and on the Highland Radio app. This is Highland Radio News. Good morning, I'm Achille Clark with the news at 10 o'clock. UK MPs are voting later on new laws to give ministers powers to override parts of the Northern Ireland protocol. The UK government insists measures to allow the removal of checks on goods travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland are necessary. But the Irish government and EU says it should only be done in agreement with Brussels. Northern Ireland's Secretary, Brandon Lewis, says the changes will uphold the good friendly agreement despite concerns from opposition parties. We're very much fixing the problems within the protocol, particularly with the way that the EU have wanted to see it implemented. That has caused substantial problems for businesses in Great Britain, not supplying Northern Ireland and businesses and constituencies and communities in Northern Ireland, not being able to access the products they need. Allocation of replacement resources for Garde in West and Eagol has been widely welcomed. It emerged last week that Falkara was left without a patrol car as the vehicle had reached end of life, while the Dunfanahe and Creaselot areas were without a car for the last eight months. It's now been confirmed that a patrol car and an additional guard has been deployed to serve the Dunfanahe and Creaselot area, as well as a temporary patrol car allocated to Falkara. Councillor Michael McLaughrey says the news instills a sense of safety among locals again. It's great for the Garde to be calling a local going forward, for the ten Garde to be going forward, that they actually have security and other vehicles for the Dunfanahe and Creaselot stations. They are the patients that they must have had this last October, having no vehicle at their disposal underneath it and they only imagine the prostations and objects that were to cost them on monies or on saturations. It's good for the people that have been already going forward, at least now people have peace of mind. Highest prices in Dunnegol continue to rise. The latest DAF.ie report shows that the average cost of a house in the county is now just under 200,000 euro, up 19% from this time last year. The number of new home transactions in Dunnegol has also increased by 19% to 76. Nationally asking prices rose by 9.5% over the past year. High-economist at Trinity College Dublin and author of the DAF report, Ronan Lyons, says a mixture of increased supply and higher interest rates could cause house price inflation to ease. Three months ago, when you conduct a survey and ask people what they expected the increase to be, the average increase over the next 12 months was just over 5%. Now it's less than 1%. That's the lowest in a few years. So it does suggest that on the supply side conditions are improving. And on the demand side, for a variety of reasons, including increased interest rates, it does look like the demand is softening a bit. So perhaps we'll see the inflation rate in house prices falling in the second half of the year. Police say they are becoming increasingly concerned for a missing teenager who is believed to be in the Castle Derrick area. Fourteen-year-old Ross Ray is described as having dark hair, is approximately 173 centimetres tall of a slim build and is reportedly wearing black trousers, a black hoodie and white trainers. Police are appealing to anyone who has any information about Ross's wear bites to contact them on 101. A Portuguese man of war jellyfish has washed up on the Donegal beach. The discovery of the creature known for its painful sting was made at Narn last Sunday. Dave Walls, citizen science officer at the National Biodiversity Data Centre, says the number of these jellyfish being found in Ireland has been on the rise. They get blown with the ocean winds, really, is their main source of propulsion. So I mean, you know, for us, Portuguese man of war, prior to that 2016, we didn't used to get that many records of them. No, since 2016, we're getting a lot of records. Mostly our records, though, run from Northmost would be the Mayo Coast and then down around to Wexford. So we very rarely get records so far north of that. Intributes have been paid to Father Brian Quinn. The well-known priest who was part, priest of the Church of the Irish martyrs, letter Kenny, passed away at the weekend, age 64. Anesha Pavlahi recently celebrated 40 years in the priesthood. Bishop of Raphaux, Alan McGockey, and on today's 9 to 9 show, said Father Quinn's kindness was striking. The thing you had to love about Brian was he was so kind. When I first came here five years ago, Brian was one of the very first to reach out and he was a man of ingenuity. He found ways of involving you. Just had a way of knowing how to reach out, engage you, link you in with all kinds of people. He was a people person. He was kind. Whether or not outbreaks of rain and drizzle this afternoon and evening highest temperatures today are 14 to 16 degrees. That's all from Highland Radio News for now. We'll be back with an update again at 11 o'clock. Until then, good morning. The obituary notice says for this Monday morning, June the 27th. The death has taken place of Kathleen Logan, Urbleria Mallon Head, remains reposing at her home. Funerally leaving her home to more morning at half past 11, going to St. Mary's Church like Mallon for Requiem Mass at 12 noon. Burial afterwards in Mallon Presbyterian Church like Burial Ground, house private from 11 p.m. until 10 a.m. Donations and lay of flowers if desired to the Donegal Hospice. The death has occurred of Michael Kelly, 27 Black Rock Drive, Bally Buffet and formerly of Capri Bally Buffet. His remains will be reposing at his family home this evening from five o'clock until 10 o'clock. Funerally leaving his residence at half past 10 on Wednesday morning for Requiem Mass at 11 o'clock in the Church of Mary in Marklitz, St. Norler with interment afterwards in Drumbo Cemetery. The Requiem Mass will be streamed live by the parish Facebook page. Donations and lay of flowers if so desired to the Donegal Hospice, care of any family member, family, neighbors and close friends. Welcome family time from 10 p.m. until 11 a.m. and on the morning of the funeral, please. The death has occurred of Anna Mary, Mae McGinty, Golden Bally Buffet remains reposing at her late residence. Funerally leaving her home to more morning at half past 10 for Requiem Mass in the Church of Mary in Marklitz, St. Norler at 11 o'clock and interment afterwards in St. Norler Cemetery. The Requiem Mass will be streamed live via the parish Facebook page. Family time, please, from 10 o'clock tonight and before the funeral tomorrow. The death has taken place of Peter Kelly, Walters Town Cove, County Cork, formerly of Garvin Clawen. Requiem Mass in St. Colman's Cathedral Cove this morning at 11 o'clock followed by burial in St. Colman's Cemetery. Peter's Requiem Mass will be live streamed on the parish webcam. The death has taken place of Monica Macanenny, Nate Deasley, 100 Lisnefin Park, Straban and formerly of the Glebe Siomills. Her remains are reposing at her home. Funerally leaving her home to more morning at quarter past nine for Requiem Mass in St. Mary's Church Melmite at 10 o'clock and interment afterwards in the adjoining Cemetery. Donations and lay of flowers pleased to the Foyle Hospice, Cairf Quigley, Funeral Directors. The Requiem Mass can be viewed live via the parish webcam. And the death has taken place of Michael Benedict Bradley, Gortian. His remains are reposing at his lead residence, 27 Fowler Road, Orton American, Gortian, County Tyrone. Funerals from there this afternoon for one o'clock Requiem Mass in St. Mary's Church Riskey, followed by interment in the adjoining Cemetery. No flowers, donations if desired, to Marie Curie Cancer Care. For more details, including any family health guidelines for wigs and funerals, please go to highlandridio.com. And now a modern masterpiece. The new Italian stack from McDonald's, two 100 percent Irish beef burgers with mozzarella, crispy onions, lettuce, a rich tomato sauce and a cheese sauce all in a tomato and herb style bun. And next in the collection, the crispy chicken italiano with tomato, mozzarella, red onion, lettuce and a basil pesto style sauce. Bellissimo. Holiday from home with the McDonald's summer menu, available until the 26th of July. From 11 a.m. subject to availability. And you're very welcome back to the programme. Hello, Greg. My children's secondary school is also putting their PE gear as compulsory from September. So I have to pay 90 euro in total as well as uniforms, box, etc. Scandalous, I feel. Thank you. It's just not the right time to be at that. Listen, again, I'll probably be upsetting some people in saying that. And I'm open to all views, obviously. I mean, it's just the it's just it feels a bit personal to me because I know what it's like to try and get the money together. OK, so I have to be honest as well. I can't sit here and say something I don't believe. 08, 6, 60, 25,000. Greg, Finn Harps had a two-all draw with Saints on St. Pat's on Friday night. They came from two down in injury time. Great point gained. I thought I'd mention it to you because all you talk about on your station is the GEA. Not everyone follows the GEA, Greg. So give all the sports we mentioned. Thanks. Well, firstly, I don't work in sport, right? But I know for a fact, because I was listening, there was extensive coverage of the Finn Harps game on post-match reaction as well as there always is. But listen, that's fine. You don't really think we're going to talk about a game on Monday night on Friday. Personally, I watched the G at the weekend. You know, there was over well over 100,000 people drove down to Dublin to watch it. It is pretty significant, you know, but that doesn't mean that the Finn Harps game wasn't significant. And that's why it got the coverage it does and continues to do here. Maybe you don't listen to the radio on Friday nights or Saturdays. That's fine, though. It's no surprise America banned abortion at the rates. They're shooting their school kids. They'll soon been on left. Their gun laws also need looked at. Good morning, Greg. In terms of the alleged eye gouging instance and listen, do we know yet fully really if there was contact with the eye? We have to be careful as opposed to some extent. But this caller says I think the perpetrator should get the maximum ban under current GA rules while I was completely disgusted with his actions. I don't agree with the very personal attack on this man on social media. I imagine and really hope that he is remorseful this morning. On the other hand, the Galway Captain Sean Kelly should have had his red card rescinded immediately. Yeah, indeed. I didn't see the sense in that. These social media pylons from wherever they come and they come from every direction. I don't get that at all either. It's not something I'd want to be part of, something I would share. You know, we can have an opinion but organised and orchestrated pylons all over the place, particularly on the cesspit that's Twitter or has it has become now. You literally cannot engage with people on Twitter.  You can't actually not express an opinion without someone making it personal. It's horrible. It's horrible and people think that what's being discussed on Twitter is everything. It's the be all and end all that if something's trending on Twitter, well, everyone must be talking about it, which is nonsense. It's not. It's useful. Don't get me wrong. But the way it's got now and who's left on it, you can't if you engage with them in the most polite manner within two tweets, you're being insulted. It's really quite remarkable a place to be honest. Caller says that local people in her town cannot get plan and permission, yet there are holiday homes being built all over the place. Young professional people are living and working abroad who can't come home because they feel there's nothing to come back home for and they won't be granted plan and permission for how surely we should be encouraging our professionals to come home and use their skills here in Ireland. There is no future here for the younger generation believes that caller and more of you texting in last one before the bingo numbers. Great match yesterday says this listener. Galway versus Armagh riveting all the way through and spoiled by what commentators used to seemingly call a bit of argy bargy, which seems to be an integral part of any GEA match. Not yesterday, though, it was a full scale war.  No, it was the player themselves who wrestled, punched and gouged their shameful way around the world. It's only the lads having a wee difference of opinion. Not anymore. The commentators were almost speechless with rage and embarrassment. GEA bosses. It's time to implement some changes if players are allowed to get away with what we saw yesterday. They'll continue to do it when they only get a slap on the wrist and a smiling reprimand for the good of the game. Swallow your pride and do what the rugby rules do. Stop the clock when placed up so that referee can't be assaulted for giving too much or little time, which can close. Change a whole game. Let the clock take the blame anyway. Those who play know better than me. My concerns are just the observations of a spectator. Our national game's reputation was not enhanced yesterday, sadly. Listen, I mean, we know the countdown clock. It's very successful in the ladies game, I think. We know how it works, how to work it, whether it's good or bad, because it's tried and tested. That would be one option. Secondly, in the Lexi Croke Park, there's zero need to send all those players down the one tunnel. There's alternatives. You could have them go down separate tunnels. I mean, other than the gouging, was it not a wee bit of argy-bargy? I don't know. I mean, I don't know. What do you think? I'll wait 60, 25,000 WhatsApps and texts. All right, my views changing all the while. Good luck if you're playing the bingo today and good luck and thank you for supporting the National Council for the Blind of Ireland. Back after these and the break. It's time for NCBI Bingo on Highland Radio. It's Monday the 27th of June. You're playing on the green sheet. The reference number is S6. It's game number 26. The numbers are 70 8 78 40 71 19 85 63 20 And finally, 45. Phone your claim to 9104833 before 8 tonight. Leave in your name, contact number and the name of the shop where you purchased your book.  Get all your NCBI Bingo information at highlandridio.com. If you've got magic moments or great memories captured on your smartphone, now is a great time to have them printed at McGee's.ie. Simply upload your favorite photos, choose your size and finish, and McGee's will take care of the rest with the results. Bingo every Monday night at Halfway House Bingo Burn Foot. Doors open at 7.30 with eyes down at 8.30. 2,500 Euro must go. The snowball is now 5,750 Euro on 45 numbers or less. If you're not in, you can't win. That's Halfway House Bingo tonight at 8.30. On the next week's episode, we'll be back with another video. If you give it here, I invite you to join myself and Jimmy Stafford. This Monday night for another edition of The Monday Night Sessions. On the show this week, we have a packed line up. Joe Murray and the team from Sessions in the House will be joining us, along with Anthony McCollum, Earl Walsh, James Murphy, Pandy Walsh and Ted Ponserby. So, there'll be plenty of new music as well. That's The Monday Night Sessions. This Monday night at 8.00, right here on Highland Radio. Now, the money advice and budgeting services will generally as MABS, its manager for the North Conect and Ulster region, is Carl Cronin. He joins us now. Carl, good morning to you. Good morning, Greg. Good to see you again. And you. In terms of interactions, contacts with MABS, are you seeing an upward trend? We are indeed, Greg. Last month alone, our national headline received 2,647 calls. And we've not seen figures like that since January 2012. So, certainly there are more and more people contacting us. And that's quite hard for me to see from our perspective, because people are reaching out for help and advice and support and finding out what we can do for them and coming to our offices to engage our advisors to work through these problem deaths that they're having. Do you log or can you sort of see any trends in the change of demographic from those that are contacting now to perhaps who may have contacted you previously? Well, MABS is for everybody, Greg. A lot of people would consider us for low-income families, but the reality is anybody can contact MABS for any reason. And you don't have to be in debt to contact MABS. There may just be a change in your financial circumstances or in the household. For example, an illness, a redundancy, maybe family separations. There are lots of factors that lead to financial hits to the household. And it's important to be aware that personal debt problems emerge as a result of things that happen to people, not by things that people set out to do intentionally. So it's those life events, those kind of forced majeure that we talk about that hit on the household and cause problem debt. And that's when people come to us for advice. I saw some of the advice MABS issued and it was along the lines of, if you've just cooked dinner in your oven, leave the oven door open and presumably the motivation being that will heat your kitchen. It doesn't waste that heat. When you are officially issuing that type of advice, on social media and elsewhere, does it not mean that the country is in such a state that some people are almost, you know, beyond health from the likes of yourself that at this point it requires government intervention? There is government intervention required, Greg, but on our social media platforms, we do have tips and tricks that help kind of bridge those gaps for families. That was pretty desperate, that one now. Well, what that is, we are seeing a rise in energy costs and utility costs right across the board and they are jumping in percentages of 10 and 12 and 15%. And the high ticket items, the big energy items in our households are those that generate heat.  So if there is a secondary benefit to be gained from having the oven on and we all know the kitchen is warmer when the oven is on, leave the door open, let that heat go to another use. Yeah. Okay. No, I get that. I'm not critical of it, but it just sounds desperate to me. Do you know what I mean? That's where we're at. So like what kind of, do you have some general advice for people before we get into some questions, Karl? Yeah, sure. As opposed from the outset, Greg, I want people to know what we are and who we are and what we do. So Mabs is the state funded money advice and budgeting service, as you mentioned. It's a completely free service. There is no charge to anybody for coming to Mabs. And what we do is we support people to achieve solutions for their personal debts and their problem debts. We act as third parties to engage between that person and their creditors to get those sustainable repayment arrangements back in place that they can realistically afford. You know, if you're sick, you would go to the doctor. If you have financial problems and worries and stresses as a result, come to us and let us alleviate that pressure. So a few general things that we do encourage in terms of whether it be mortgages, utility bills, phone providers is always to shop around. There is always better value to be got out there. And if we look at mortgages as an example, because that typically is the highest expenditure that will go out from a household every month, mortgages or rent. You know, look at maybe fixing your rate at this stage. We do know that interest rates are going to increase. If you don't have mortgage arrears, you could well be better off fixing your rate at this stage and knowing exactly how much your mortgage is going to be every month going forward and having that comfort from a budgeting perspective to know what it's going to cost you. And you can put that aside and not be concerned when you do hear about interest rate rises in the media going forward. The same goes for your electricity bills or whatever you're going to fix. Sorry, I think you're pardoned. Just ask yourself about the fixing. And I'm acutely aware as you are as well, there are people with homes affected by MICA and other materials that the situation's even more complicated for them. Are you saying now is the time to fix your mortgage? Because it would offer price certainty, but for many people it might see their payments go up. And at this stage we know of two increases from the ECB. We don't know what increases may be beyond that. So the advice from Mabs officially is to fix your mortgage now. It's important to look at what is available to you, what the options are. Look at the cost comparison. And that's where our headline will come into effect if you're concerned about what your current rate is, what a half a percent or a quarter percent interest rate increase will do to that. What is on the table in terms of fixing your rate at the moment. But by fixing the rate, that will give you peace of mind and comfort. It may not be in the best option of everybody. So it is important to look at the figures. And if you want some support on that, give our headline a call or send a message to our WhatsApp number and we'll be able to work through that with you. If my life circumstances have changed and I either have begun to or will start to struggle with the likes of electricity bills, for example. A long-term 80 euro mobile phone contract that I've got another 18 months on. But my means are not there anymore. Or the mortgage company. Do you engage with these people first or come to MABS first? Well, we'll come to MABS at any stage. You don't have to be in debt to come to MABS if you anticipate a shock to the household finance. But in terms of sorry, what MABS might be able to do to intervene, because you can become a middle person, can't you? We can. We can act as the third party, as the honest broker is what we are referred to in the credit industry. Between the debtors and they're the ones who have the mortgages or the utility bills and the credit. That's the provider, be it the utility company or the bank or wherever it may be. So realistically, what we will do, Greg, is we will sit down and work through the household budget. We will look at all the money that's coming into the household. See is there room there for improvement? Maybe there are some entitlements that the family aren't accessing or the individual isn't accessing. Maybe some benefits that they're entitled to claim. We will maximise the income for the household on one side. Then we will look at all the expenditure and see, okay, is the best value for money being got here? Once the food, the electricity, the heat, the medical costs, the housing, once all that's covered, they're the priorities. See where the discretionary money is going. Is there any room for savings there? And see what's left over at the end of every month. What can realistically go towards paying the loans, paying the creditors, paying the credit unions, whoever it may be. And it may be a case of just re-engaging with them and getting alternative repayments in place. And within that, is there a provision for someone's sanity? In other words, maybe they don't have access to TV unless they pay for it. Or maybe it is to get out of the house once a month or whatever. I mean, when users are calculating all that, is that factored in as well? Or do people contact you and you go, you could do that, you could do that? Like is it more nuanced? No, social inclusion plays a big factor in anyone's budget. And that is your television, you're going to maybe, you play bridge maybe once a week or whatever the case may be, whatever that is for you. Because we all need to have that downtime, that recreational time. So social inclusion plays a big part in anyone's financial budget. Let's get some questions. I recently got in trouble with my ability to pay my electricity bill. Can I come in for support for this? Can Mabs help me get a coin-based payment machine in my house? Yeah, well, absolutely come to Mabs to get a repayment arrangement negotiated in the first instance and don't let the issue escalate where they're threatening disconnection. The coin-based electricity or pay-as-you-go meters, as they're referred to, they're not in circulation anymore. It's all credit. Just like buying mobile phone credit in a shop, you buy credit for your electricity, pay-as-you-go meter, and then you punch in your code and it tops it up by 10 or 15 or 20 euro or whatever the amount is you've bought.  Yeah, but it's more expensive and you put in that 10 or 15 euro and it starts whining very quickly. But I suppose for some people, that's the only way they can keep the lights on if they're able to pay as you go. Can you give an advice on which bank account to get? I find if I budget to the very penny, then the quarterly fees kick in and I'm behind again. I mean, I want your views on this, of course, but look, there are banks where there's no quarterly fees at all. Now, there are digital banks and people have to make decisions in relation to that, but you can avoid bank charges at the moment completely with certain types of bank accounts. But what's your view on it, Carl? Yeah, banks and bank fees structures vary widely from bank to bank, but there are some very good cost comparison websites out there, bonkers.ie and the ccpc.ie. So you can look at your current, look at current accounts in there. It'll show you all the different current accounts available in Ireland at the moment and the fees they charge. So it's a really one-stop shop for looking at the different bank fees, bank's charge and picking which one suits your lifestyle the best. I bought a car which was lifted by the higher purchase company. Now I'm financially in a better place. How do I clear my name as a bad debtor? Well, you can check where your status on the consumer credit register, on the central credit register, so they say. And if the car was lifted and that has been cleared now, they can put in a note on the central credit register to advise that, just like putting in a text message to say, well, car was repossessed, debt cleared now. So anybody going into look at that, if they're going for a loan elsewhere, they'll be able to see that and see the rationale behind that being noted on the CCR. Does it damage your credit rating in any way accessing your credit rating? Not at all. No, not at all. Okay. I've been using Revolut as a way to help me manage my weekly spending.  Again, sorry to...  Just get a statement from Revolut. Yeah, you can get statements from Revolut and the bank will ask for statements from Revolut and they're quite easy to download and give them onto the bank. Yeah. And it is actually far more detailed in your spending than a lot of traditional current accounts. It is. And the beauty of Revolut and those digital banking platforms now is that you can actually save on those as well but money aside, save your change and save for special events. So there are really good options on those digital banking platforms for consumers. And what that means, you can set it... You can have a vault. So if you buy something for 9.28, it will pot if you want the 72 cent to round it up to a 10 or into the vault and there's other ways of doing it. And it is one of the outlets at the moment, which is a bank in Ireland that doesn't have the quarterly fees as far as I'm aware. That's right. Acala says, I feel like the only thing is this... and what people are holding off on, it's still a Lithuanian iBan and that can be problematic for some people in terms of getting the money paid into it. But my understanding is Revolut and others are looking to get an Irish iBan in situ this year. Acala says, I feel like I do everything I can to save, buying own brands, et cetera. And we know the statistics, the sales of iBrand, own brands have gone through the roof. But this Acala says, is there anything that is usually overlooked that we can save money on? I'm really at my wit's end now. So they're trying to cut it to the bone and they feel they've cut it to the bone. But is there anything that may be missing their call without going through their finances with them? Yeah. Well, people are surprised when we go through bank statements with them at the amount of direct debits going out. Small little incidentals every month. For example, for streaming services or maybe mobile phone bills, et cetera. And the question we asked, then, is if we multiply that by 12 months, what did you pay that bill if it was an annual bill coming in once a year? So I take maybe music streaming as an example. You may be paying 12.99 or 15.99 a month for it. But if you factor that across the whole year, would you pay 140, 150 euro for that if that bill was coming in once a month? Are you getting enough use out of it? Well, also, with the likes of that, sorry, you can use Spotify for free if you endure ad breaks. So you can... That's right. If you're prepared to listen to ad breaks, you can save 150 plus per year. That's right. So look at all those little subscriptions going out of your bank account every month and see which of the ones that I actually don't need or don't use enough of here. That's one thing that's regularly overlooked on. I remember myself meeting a client as well who used to automatically buy a cup of coffee on the way to work, picking up the paper, picking up the coffee, and admitted himself by the time he got to work, he went down the sink because it was cold. The paper was unread at the end of the day. That was 25 euro a week, Monday to Friday going out on those little incidentals. It was habitual more so than what he needed every day. But Carl, this is what makes me feel it's inevitable that we're heading towards recession because of that example you have just given and I know it's meant very well. That is, if 10 people do that and they don't pull into the local coffee shop, that coffee shop is under pressure. It ends up closing and the people who were employed there end up potentially on social welfare and this is why I think it's important that the government have a role in this because this is how it feels when we start reducing our discretionary spending and making those type of cuts, the ramifications then on business, it's a domino effect. Sure, but I suppose in that instance I was pointing out to that client that he was not getting the best value for his money and where he could save, that was nearly 100 euro a month Greg that he could allocate elsewhere towards an electricity bill or maybe setting money aside for oil, heating, whatever the case may be. I wasn't pulling any up, it's just what I fear of what's coming down the line because I know it was very well intended. And also too, I went through my direct debits, I was paying Amazon twice. Not for very long now in fairness but this is what flagged it up. I was paying, I think it was like $4.99 for mobile phone insurance per month on a phone that I hadn't used in five or six years. So it wasn't huge savings but the way I added it up that was 250 euro at the end of the year in my pocket compared to just direct debits. I didn't know where it was going at all or what it was for. I just saw, I won't name the company but it was a large insurance company and I presumed it was house insurance or I presumed it wasn't, it was a policy on a mobile phone from years ago that has long gone to meet its maker. And just on the team of mobile phones Greg we are very tempted when we're out of contract to get a mobile phone provider to renew a contract and get the latest phone model that goes along with that but bear in mind you are paying for that phone every month as part of that contract. If you have a really perfectly functioning phone at the moment and you're out of contract a sim only contract is all you need and you can get that for as little as 10 or 12 euro a month just to have a sim in your phone if your phone handset is good and not causing you any problems. And regular list as we know as well it's a short out, it's a small outlay for a phone made in India but I was able to save an absolute fortune over the course of a year. I'm struggling to pay off my college debt I'm yet to find work in the field I've studied although I do have a part-time job between the college debt, rent and the cost of living rising it's hard to see a future where I can get a loan for a car can I even apply for a loan when I have this one out I think having a car will help my chances of getting a job in my field it's a tough one isn't it? So that caller needs to get a good grip on their finances starting off and make sure they're not falling into arrears with their college debt or any other financial commitments they have at the moment. So that's where a budget comes into play and we are there to support people develop a realistic and sustainable budget and if there isn't enough to meet the full contractual repayments every month on the college debt or whatever debts are being paid back paying something is better off than paying nothing at all and letting arrears build up and that's where we can negotiate those alternative repayment plans with the creditors on behalf of that caller. Some specific questions is there any way to avoid and they mentioned a particular bank bank of Ireland is there any way to avoid a six-year-old maintenance fee at the end of every month with bank of Ireland now I don't expect you to focus solely on bank of Ireland but these are the types of your quarterly charges aren't they they are the charges they are the charges we sign up to when we're taking out those agreements with the banks but again it's shopping around you know this bank won't have those maintenance charges more than likely so bonkers.ie or the ccpc to look at the different charges maintenance fees etc for those banks and pick the one that suits your lifestyle and switch there are switcher teams in most of these banks who will help you switch your current account from one over to the other and you will save in the long run save on the fees. My son had a gambling addiction which has been addressed but he now has a lot of debt issues can maps help him get a loan from someone like the credit union to consolidate the debt really and pay it off at a lower interest rate that he can just keep paying one person to keep the debts under control I mean that was a big thing a lot of people were doing leading up to the last recession getting one loan to group loads of loans what's the advice in relation to that? Yes and we can certainly offer support in that as well so if you have some from very high interest rate credit for example credit cards are typically the highest interest rate credit we would see most frequently in our offices charging 23 and 25% on credit card balances those debts small debts could all be amalgamated into one manageable debt which for example as your caller says the credit union at a much lower interest rate and then paid off at a pace that suits the debtor and the interest rate the interest savings alone on that will make sure those debts are cleared much quicker than if you were to leave them with the various lenders and presumably if he is currently paying all of the loans a lender will look at that and go well if you can manage what you're paying now if you're honest with them like if you can manage what you're paying now maybe we can help you out they will consider that I presume but can you make an argument for it I think really what they're saying you know what I mean can you as an honest broker can you say well look this person is doing this we're pretty confident that we can't stand over their ability to pay this consolidated loan like in other words can you help or influence with a lender can MABS we can we can advocate with a lender on behalf of a client but first of all it's about getting a realistic and sustainable picture of their finances first that we and the client can go to the lender and say this is the current financial situation and by consolidating the loans this is where we're going to be going forward and they'll be able to set savings aside for future credits down the line for example for a credit union or whoever whoever it may be my son bought his car via cp is it pcp or is pcp I was totally against this this is coming from mum or dad but now he's heading off to Australia and has to pay a lump sum off on the car is there any way out of a pcp agreement we need to look at the specific agreement there to see what it was when it was taken out how long is left in it is there an option just to return the car at the end of a period which generally is built into a pcp so without knowing the full details there but I would say get in touch with our MABS helpline or get in touch with a local MABS office they'll be able to go through the agreement with you and point out what the options are available for that particular quarter and I presume you would encourage that person to sort it out because the easiest thing in the world is to go to the other end of the world and sort of let it slide but he might want to come back or she may want to come back two or three years and that debt will still be there and they'll have to deal with the consequences of it so they really need to get that in order before they head away I presume absolutely the financial problems don't go abroad with the caller so that needs to be sorted out because more than likely they will be looking for credit at some stage when they do return and they don't want to have a debt that may be long forgotten about hanging over them and impede that going forward do you have much contact from people is it within your remit and it's off the back of the list we have here for an older couple and they don't have to be an older couple you can have trust issues or interaction issues with technology regardless of your age but where their lending institution especially now they're switching away from Ulster Bank it's trying to force them into sort of an online kind of a setup you know what I mean maybe it not having access to branch or whatever I mean is that's what you hear a lot what advice do you give people who say look it's digital I'm not comfortable with it I don't know how to do it and it's going to seriously impact how I can look after my money and budget and track it and all that type of stuff yeah for a lot of people there is no replacement for going into an actual bank branch and transacting face to face with a cashier across the desk and thankfully that option is still available in many in many branches around the country we can't expect everybody to move digitally no matter what age they are and then we are seeing a trend where we have financial scams and text messages and what not becoming more and more sophisticated which will make people naturally suspicious of online and digital banking so you know if they're more comfortable going into a branch and transacting with a current account and keeping off the online apps and what not that's perfectly fine and they can still do their day to day banking the post office network often offer banking facilities and they really are stepping up to the mark now where banks are closing in many towns and villages across the country if people contact you how soon are you resourced staff wise like is there delays or things moving quite quickly or what's the situation not at all thankfully we are very well resourced around the country and in this particular region Greg you know we can see us within a few days for a face to face appointment if needs be a lot of people are opting for virtual engagement now because it seems to suit them better so we can offer zoom calls on a day and a time that suits anybody some people don't like calling for whatever reason so we have a WhatsApp chat and a messenger service available you can see the details there behind me<PHONE_NUMBER> if you want to send a message by WhatsApp into our team of advisors and our helpline is available there Monday to Friday on<PHONE_NUMBER> again a team of fully trained advisors there to take your queries but if it is quite a complex situation they will refer you to the nearest office and we'll get you in and see you quite quickly and finally is it fully confidential and non-judgmental it really is nobody will know you're coming to Mab's unless you disclose it to them but there shouldn't be any kind of stigma attached to coming to us you know it may just be budgeting advice it may be there's a wedding in the family next year or you've got first communion next year and you want to put some money aside every month but want to figure out realistically how much can I afford every month you mentioned back to school costs at the top of your program Greg that's a big one for families now but the back to school clothing and footwear allowance opened last week for applications again we can support people with that application process if needs be and if you're not entitled to that allowance there is the additional needs payment scheme from the Department of Social Protection another scheme we can support people with their applications with so you know the message we want to get out this morning is do reach out and contact us don't suffer in financial stress and anxiety alone get in touch with us either on our website Mab's.ie or our helpline and let us work with those financial worries work you through them and get to a and I just want to emphasize that point with you if that's all right Carl because there are people listening to us who are rejecting the calls the calls are coming and firstly it's a number then it's unknown and they're breaking it you know what I mean they hit the red button on their mobile phone and they're stressed and then the letters are coming through the door and they're afraid to open them or they're not opening them and they'll say right stuff it you know what I'll worry about that I don't have the means to deal with it and then of course the impact I can have on one's own mental health and the family and whatever there is no need in this day and age for someone to suffer like that in silence and I know exactly how all of that feels by the way I'm speaking from experience ring the likes of Mab's and instantly may instantly you could be on a path through is there any protection once I've engaged with you like am I you know what I'm doing if I can is there not is it protection from in other words I'm trying to engage I'm dealing with Mab's I'm facing up to the issues that works in my favor presumably and if so how so other than trying to get to a solution yeah we would have a lot of protocols in place with the main lenders that work very very well for the benefit of our clients so you know in many cases there is just no money at the end of the month to address these loans at the moment and it may be a case of putting a loan repayment on hold for six or 12 months and reviewing at that stage so there is an element of protection working with Mab's the client can opt to have when we engage as third party and they authorize us to do so the letters will come to us and the calls will come to us as opposed to the client to alleviate that pressure and stress from them and then we bring them into the office and work through it step by step to get them back onto that financial path of freedom again and there is a very good HSE website that we would advise called stresscontrol.ie which there is a lot of good courses and online tips and whatnot there for people going through these kind of anxious times because we are all experiencing them for example last week I saw in our local shop a liter of milk went from 160 to 180 overnight certainly our incomes haven't gone up 12.5% to meet these cost increases so we are all in this together but do reach out to Mab's and let us offer the advice and support and get to financial independence in the long run. Carl, thank you very much indeed you can contact Mab's on<PHONE_NUMBER> email helplineupmab.ie or whatsapp<PHONE_NUMBER> Carl. That's it Greg and just before you go can I mention two very quick things this later in the year Mab's will be 30 years old so we might be back on to you again to do something in that sense and last week our office in letter Kenny moved from Lower Main Street to Fort Linn House so people will see the new big Mab's sign at the roundabout in Fort Linn House and we are up there on the first floor in a brand new spacious office there in letter Kenny. Thank you very much indeed that is Carl there Carl Cronan manager of Mab's the money advice and budgeting services North Conect and Ulster so please if you are one of those that is the head barrier just reach out to Mab's and try and just let yourself drop your shoulders a little bit and get a bit of a life back The Lennon Festival Remelting is back pre-festival events this week include on Wednesday 29th at 6pm Crab fishing at the Quay at 7pm there's a raft race followed by a novelty kayak race with prizes galore at 8pm it's the RNLI display at the Quay on Thursday 30th the singing pub is at the Purdy House for more information see Lennon Festival on Facebook it's Claire here from Claire clothing as you may know I have now opened on the main street in letter Kenny right beside the bank of Ireland our summer sale has started I have loads of discounts of dresses, tops, trousers all of the summer stock so we'll see you at our summer sale in Claire clothing main street letter Kenny Tickets are now on sale for Century Complex VIP meal deal which includes a two course meal and backstage admission to selected movies in Century Cinemas VIP screenings a combo with popcorn soft drink and a free refill all for 33.95 per person for further information and to get your tickets visit CenturyCinemas.ie for me it started with the specially selected Parma ham from Aldi so silky so melt in the mouth you'll speak Italian after it what about the specially selected sourdough cob Irish so you'll still sound Irish after eating that don't even get me started on the line basil and mandarin hand and body lotion shame you can't smell it over the radio all this choice starts with Aldi every day amazing this is a notice for all tractor and agri plant owners minimise your downtime when you need tyres and call Donegal Tires Donegal Tire we can go to you and fit your tyres on site or repair your existing tyres if you have a puncture waste time and leave the hassle to us so call Donegal Tires now 1074 9721 482 to organise your call out enjoy the summer fun at the historic Lifford Old Courthouse with activities for all ages try to escape from a real sale in jailbreak Donegal's only escape room activity or experience life as a prisoner in an interactive guided tour with a difference or at LiffordOldCourtouse.com is your current car ready for change if so now is a good time to visit DMG Motors Donegal Town choose from their Skoda range including the Fabia, Scala, Superb, Carrock, Kodiak, Kamek, Octavia and the all new electric Enyaq now available for delivery all fitted with the latest technology Skoda Connect with a whole new range of simply clever features DMG Motors have made buying a new car with finance available on all new vehicles test drive the new Skoda today call 97 21396 Skoda made for Donegal OK you're welcome back to the program I'm interested as I always am but particularly in this next call because I was at a beach recently and I saw a sign on a door saying there is a wheelchair wheelchair that you can take onto the beach available and there was a mobile number to ring and I was wondering who answers it is it a local, is it the council who answers it so I'm interested to have this conversation with Ruth now who seems to have come across something similar Hi Ruth Hi Greg Good morning to you Right OK so what was your recent experience Ruth? Well maybe buying us to go on to a Skoda trip to Rathmore on Beach and I thought I would get the wheelchair organised for him for the beach but both me and my husband contacted the number that we found online and nobody answered and nobody returned our calls so unfortunately Jack didn't get any Skoda trip because he couldn't go on the beach with his normal wheelchair Was it a landline or mobile number Ruth? A mobile number And did it ring even or? It rang and rang and rang and I tried several times and my husband tried several times but there was nobody answered Right and then obviously you have to explain to your son then as to why he can't go on the Skoda trip like everybody else Yeah OK so your question today is who is supposed to answer the phone or who do you ring to get access to this wheelchair to get access to the beach? Yeah, yeah because we actually went to the beach yesterday and it wasn't a great day but we thought we'd go for a run and we went to the beach Yeah and there was nobody nobody there, no sign up on the Balden to say what number to contact or nothing and we asked a few businesses around the pier and they didn't seem to know a lot about it either But it is apparently it's supposed to be available it's just how do you get access to it Yeah, yeah Right OK and this is in the Rathmorelin area as to say I'm not talking about Rathmorelin I just happened to see a sign on a door quite a bit away from the beach I'm not going to lie that said a wheelchair a beach accessible wheelchair was available and I was curious as to who answers the phone or who organizes it but from your experience you're not on the wiser as it relates to the Rathmorelin chair either No, I like the lifeguard station was up yesterday like surely even if they had access to the key or something would that not be a better idea because they were there most of the time Ruth leave it with us we'll get an answer for you OK, thank you No problem Ruth thanks for sharing that with us as we'll get an answer as best we can A caller says a basic bank account has no fees when I tried to open one they made it difficult and said no appointments till September I refused to be put off and I accepted the September appointment Can you confirm with the Mab's guide that a basic account has no fees all I need my account for is direct debits, electricity and to make a monthly payment to my landlords account, thank you Greg I've never come across with a mainstream bank a basic account like in other words what else are you on about maybe it doesn't need a card is that what you mean or you don't need to be able to spend out of it I'm not sure I've never come across a basic account like that but I've never looked for one either our Mab's guy is gone so anyone out there can help I'll wait 60, 25,000 I'm that far gone now that when I boil two eggs for breakfast I then use the water I boiled them to shave I do think a lot of shops and businesses are actually just using the cost of living crisis to raise their prices even if it's just by a couple of cents for a product and they don't really need to I would appeal to businesses not to raise their prices if they don't need to or at least hold out for another while listen I understand that when things are bad we kind of trying to look around to see who's trying to take advantage of us but I was running through some figures there of small businesses and just simply the one thing and I think this is going to be the big one here that's going to put serious, serious pressure on our economy the cost of electricity alone it's just the electricity alone for small businesses has gone through the roof to the point whereby a lot of businesses that were relatively viable have got their recent electricity bill and are wondering if they're going to be able to operate going into future bills going from 1200 to 5000 those type of increases that is your local shop presumably that's your local you know your local small store all of those places they don't all rate of electricity is actually much higher than the domestic rate and any of you businesses out there if you're affected by it you can back me up on this but as I say I was looking at some of the figures and for small businesses particularly and the reason I mentioned small and medium businesses is because they often don't have the sort of the latitude rate to be able to absorb some of this but their electricity costs have gone through the roof and no one wants to hear about it but those are the ones then that have to put up prices and so on and so forth and we're reluctant to pay more obviously we are because our wages aren't going up for most of us so why where are we going to get the money to pay more but if you can sort of back me up on that point any small businesses out there medium sized businesses you know whereby the cost of electricity is putting pressure on your actual viability you may not want to speak publicly on it and I understand that if you do that's fine as well but get in contact with us to help make that point with me on 08 660 25,000 08 660 25,000 right ok more of your comments coming in on the weekend footballing action and everything around it right ok Sean O'Donoghue is CEO of Killebeck's Fishermen's Organization the Killebeck's Fishermen's Organization has become a partner in a project which aims to construct a floating wind farm around 50 to 80 kilometers off the coast of Donegal good morning to you Sean sorry Sean I picked your partner and I had the wrong line in there good morning Sean oh yeah ok good morning just one of those days come here I know why would the KFO team up with Hexicon what's the motivation here yeah the motivation here very much so is that we saw what was happening in the east and the south coast and what was developing there we said we needed a new approach here and that's what we have done here is that the we are not interested are that we made it clear over the last number of years we were not interested in developers calling to us with lines drawn and maps and saying having an objection to this we said we're not interested in talking to anybody like that we are interested in that we want to develop this that we are the ones calling the shots here in terms of location and all of that in terms of the fishing activity and to be fair we got a winning partner here in Hexicon that had the same objectives as us here and I think as we have said as far as I'm aware this new approach is the first in the world for the stakeholders which would be the fishing and the environment and the developer as well we're not aware and I'm certainly not aware of anything that's been done like this across the world so what is the nature of the relationship are you business partners we're not business partners as such we have a memorandum of understanding with Hexicon and that may ultimately lead to a partnership but at the moment the key thing for us is developing offshore wind and in doing that we had a number of principles that we wanted to get across here the first of them was that we weren't interested in any developer coming to us as drawing lines and maps and that's what Hexicon have agreed in this memorandum of understanding and has Hexicon paid the care for? No absolutely not no because we as far as we are concerned here renewable energy is going to happen and as far as we are concerned we want to make this happen in a fashion that will not have a detrimental effect on fishing and the environment and this new approach is doing this as such it may very well lead on the road you asked me it may very well lead to a partnership which is all about doing this in the right fashion but do you if constructed I'm just trying to get this clear because people will be interested to know if constructed do the KFO get shares in this offshore wind farm is that part of this deal it may very well lead to that but at the moment and what would that money be used for Sean oh sorry the whole idea here is that there's a huge community part of our MOU is that there's a huge community development here in terms of developing kidney bags not her own kidney bags but this is of a community benefit to the rest of the government as well so all the money would be going into the communities and the fishing and the port as well okay and I mean this could happen reasonably quickly couldn't it what hang on a minute just in case somebody thinks this is going to happen overnight I think the what we are envisaging is that if everything it goes according to plan you're talking someone in the region between 2027 and 30 before the first phase of this will happen that's reason the way things move in this country that's what I mean by reasonably quickly okay I wasn't expecting anything by November you know okay right well listen I mean we have to break for the news now but we'll tease that further down the line as things develop but it is to say it's unique it's a one off yeah and this would be a huge benefit to to kidney bags and to to the government to be a game changer in terms of high check jobs and in terms we the part of all memorandum of understanding you develop developing an alternative energy hub and kidney bags as well such as hydrogen and ammonia which could be used to fuel all the fishing vessels going forwards as well fascinating we definitely need to talk more thanks Sean have a great day yes okay bye bye news on the way after the break one stop shop to prepare for the holidays wet and wild are fully stocked with sandals, swimwear, sunglasses, UV protection, midgen mosquito protection, tents, stoves, cool boxes, cool bags, sleeping bags, backpacks, child carriers, first aid kits, money wallets and waterproof phone covers keep you and your family safe on holiday this summer with a visit to wet and wild driving a Fiat 500e is choosing an all new all electric car with an impressive range and not 80% fast charging in 30 minutes it's choosing a car that's so full of tech it will confidently and safely drive you into the next decade it's choosing to believe in a better tomorrow welcome back, future Fiat 500e prices start at 24,995 euro after government subsidies book a test drive at joseph darty limited mobile or visit fiat.ie newly engaged and searching for the perfect venue the four star in Kurtz Hotel Ghidor winning popularity is dunagall's leading wedding venue thanks to its reputation for excellent food, beautifully upgraded ballroom and a deli location on the shore of river claddy with the majestic erigal mountain providing the perfect backdrop start planning your wild atlantic wedding with a private viewing on 07495 32900 and discover our newest wedding packages and Kurtz Hotel Ghidor part of the gallon hospitality group does your Kia or Nissa need to be serviced? there's a host of benefits to servicing your car with iMotors our workshop has dedicated software and computers that are designed for your Kia and Nissan, our technicians are trained to the manufacture standards to make sure they understand your car call us today or visit our website to book in, we also offer servicing on all other branded vehicles alright friend and nveni is going to be joining us very shortly we're going to be talking about bitcoin and so much more besides stay right where you are on the 9 till noon show this monday morning but at 9 o'clock that was two hours ago so let's fast forward to 11 o'clock and get a news update and say good morning, Emma Ryan thanks Greg, good morning Tribute have been paid to Fowler Brian Quinn the well-known priest who was parish priest of a church of Irish martyrs letter Kenny passed away at the weekend age 64 and he recently celebrated 40 years in the priesthood our replacement patrol car has finally been allocated to the Dunfanahee Garda station the Dunfanahee and Chrysler areas have been without a car for the last 8 months it's now been confirmed that a patrol car and additional Garda have been deployed to serve the Dunfanahee and Chrysler area as well as a temporary patrol car allocated to Fowler the average house price in Dunningall is now just under 200,000, the latest DAFDAI reports shows house prices in the county have increased 19% compared to this time last year police say they are becoming increasingly concerned for a missing teenager who is believed to be in the Castle Derg area 14-year-old Ross Ray is described as having dark hair approximately 173cm tall of a slim build and was reportedly wearing black trousers, a black hoodie and white trainers police are appealing for anyone with information about Ross's whereabouts to contact them on 101 a Portuguese man of war jellyfish has washed up on a Dunningall beach the discovery of the creature known for its painful sting was made at Narn last Sunday and finally UK MPs are voting later on new laws to give ministers power to override parts of the Northern Ireland protocol the UK government insist measures to allow the removal of checks on goods travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland are necessary that's all for now, we'll be back with news again at 12 noon talking about something from Dunningall washing up on the coast over there I don't know, probably not maybe Portuguese man of war, not from Portuguese or man of war a new survey has been released and this is on the widest scale of things it's not a big maybe it's not a big thing, maybe it is but I'm just curious as your comments as your views on this because apparently a third of people can't afford to accept a wedding invitation and the average cost now is €659 what do you think have you turned down a wedding invite because it's not even just the travelling accommodation because a lot of us could avoid that but it's the amount maybe that's expected to be given in the car and is it something that maybe you've had to think twice about some of your comments on facebook so far we posted this to see what they say it only costs that if you want it to if you can't afford that kind of money you can do it a lot cheaper, best to set yourself a budget and work from that but I think some people might be able to might be at the point saying we don't want to go down there and not have a certain amount of money or not put a certain amount in the car and be afraid that they could be judged by that and just make up an excuse but this call says about right when everything's added up for some people and other it's not going to be so ridiculous for me in August because I will not make it so I never paid that much for a car so we asked also on instagram can you relate to that statement 73% of you could 27% of you couldn't the poll is running for another 24 hours by the way so it's not too late to have your say so a third of people cannot afford to accept a wedding invitation because the average cost is 659 euro do you relate to above statement most of you do three quarters of you in fact go on to instagram our instagram page if you want to have your say in relation to that and now a modern masterpiece the new italian stack from mcdonalds 200% Irish beef burgers with mozzarella, crispy onions, lettuce a rich tomato sauce and a cheese sauce all in a tomato and herb style bun and next in the collection the crispy chicken italiano with tomato, mozzarella, red onion, lettuce and a basil pistol style sauce bellissimo holiday from home with the mcdonalds summer menu available until the 26th of july from 11 a.m. subject to availability Liam you listened to Sean before the news there were you? yes I lost Sean what do you think of this tie-in between this energy company and the KFO it's good to have the industry's input right from the get-go in terms of planning and it's 80 odd kilometers off the coast it's win-win isn't it Liam that's not great why not what's your concerns because the run paragraphs are sure for that and you can't you can't bottom-throw you can't static fish would be pots with unnamed areas the run the paragraphs are sure actually we had proposal centres there for the north-west out of north-west of Anastahald run out to the Stanton bank where the paragraphs were coming in across east of coming up east of Anastahald running into that blue side beach at Shroove the other direction of it was taken as proposals was taken and to Lafayette it's across our fishing grounds it runs up and you can't bottom-throw north to the edge or do any bottom engagement trawling or fishing any kind with unnamed areas and it's not that isolation so they're professional fishing grounds I get you and you know far more than this than I do of course I think the strategy is going to happen it's a thing is it not better that the fishing industry has involvement than not? Well what I see in the fishing at the moment for young men and under fishing they're not coming into it so when I fished down we're fishing at the moment we had to leave Greencastle and leave the north-west go to Fish Brawns now you see with a large shorty vessel engaged in ground surveys across the fishing grounds to the Charlieford line would be the traditional Mavious line there run out of Kierlingford that's all that we and Degin as fishermen at the coastal communities that's there and that's what you call as multi-naxis coming on and ocean grabbing and it's been widely like there's a world-form set up on us to the multi-naxis command and we're left on the shoreline yes if you're young enough you maybe could go and train and go on away in these boats and that but it's our heritage that we're giving up once you put them down on the ground that's the fishing over in that area they own the ground they're multi-naxless they own the ground we give our oil right away we're going our fishing right away and nobody's saying nothing about it this has all been done there seems to be a big move on it there now Greg and we see it there down at night and through the night and all there the last day I came up I was coming up from Clark Head a large survey vessel was towing a cable behind it doing a summer test on the bottom the insured men I don't think they're aware that they're going to last their whole they're going to be forced out of it they've done this in England a lot of areas in England told them that they could get on board but it hasn't happened they're done a survey and our government giving away our natural resources to one energy and will the prices be any different for ESB when I was going to school 50 years ago or more you took your sandal they're all coming on the shore I don't know if it's global warming but there's a big scare among them tactic on about it just looking at this that's happening there's a lot in there Liam I'm sure we'll talk again in the future thanks for now right Brendan can you move over to your right just a wee bit good man so I can hear you because that Brendan is taking his seat yes Greg are you obviously we want to talk about the action on the picture yesterday and you know we've got an Ulster team still in the race but a lot of conversation about two things really from the weekend I think well firstly Saturday's games were a bit disappointing but you get that with the system we have in quarterfinals it's not unusual we had two great games yesterday or one particularly good game but two good games yesterday we shouldn't be surprised there's a couple of dodgy quarterfinals in there it does happen I suppose a bit of a petty Ross Kalman would beat the last day I just don't think Claire we're going to be up there much I don't think actually Ross Kalman would have been able for a day but Derry just looked phenomenal and this conditioning that people's talking about when you get to Crow Park really the big pitch people are wondering about Derry's ability in terms of that tactic and how they play it but their fitness is such that when they're breaking in that open space physically they were just on another level and that's some unbelievable performance particularly from Rogers and Glass and of course up front Shane McGwigan they were just Chrissy McKay as well I suppose at the back they now look like outside their goalkeeper it's their own probably weak link going on this semi-final they don't have a top class keeper and they seem to struggle a bit the weekend not so much with the kickouts but this is general goalkeeping I think he was really good at his angles badly messed up on that and Galway are going to pose much a more dangerous threat going forward in the Goals term but certainly set up for Crack that game in many ways save the championship or sorry the next game obviously there are my Galway games save the championship and quite a way of course but those games of Saturday right they never really caught fire we never really expected them to we were hoping Claire could be a bit plucky the dubs took a while to get going much like Kerry yesterday he didn't see the best of them but it didn't really matter it was never really in doubt I don't like the victories obviously it's inevitable that people are going to start they probably won't want to hear the conversation amongst the team and management of Derry but people are going to say you know is this going to be just an amazing story is this going to be that year that from nowhere not literally but Derry could actually cause a huge upset and win the All-Irelander anything is possible in sport you play what you have in front of you they have to pay better to win it if you look at the stage last year we were on the semi-final and over straight knocked out then but we didn't give them much of a hope I think if anything now Derry are probably in a better position because they went down to Crow Park and played a phenomenal match and they've obviously beaten the three big teams in Ulster and they certainly look like they have all the ingredients say the one small thing is that they would be the goalkeeper if they had a top-class goalkeeper everything and why not well that is the thing that goes back to haunt them I hope it doesn't come down to something like that but if you look at their ingredients in terms of man markers, height in the middle fitness, forwards you can score players you can score over the pitch racking up five goals so they certainly have all the ingredients to do it if you look at their carries and your doublins you study how they played and I know they didn't play that well you certainly from a Derry perspective wouldn't be fear in playing these sides you would relish it now which is an unbelievable story I mean how to score is so important like more so with Mayo when you don't have that yeah that's it and players over the pitch can do that and I think see that that fitness and strength that we have and I suppose the condition is number one and if you look at the level that have gone against Clare you know when they were both division two teams this year you can see Derry just had that step up on the championship that Clare wanted to resist to say it was a pity it was in the last comment because I think they would have stayed in the game but I just think the way Derry is playing now why not? it's up to them maybe 24 years since an Ulster League hopefully there's some documentary team following them around with the camera because it will make some show as they are especially they can go on and do it before we talk about I mean the controversy surrounding the RMR game it was a fantastic game of football wasn't it I missed the last three or four minutes because I went