The Government has announced a new strategy to make working from home a permanent option for workers all around the country. The Remote Work Strategy will give employees a legal right to ask to work from home and introduce a legal code of practice on the right to disconnect from work. Workers are already legally entitled to request remote working; however, new legislation to be introduced by September will force employers to give good reasons for refusing the request. Henry McKean has been speaking to workers and experts.

Henry McKean on the Hard Shoulder

"I miss the office." Right to work from home 9 to 5.

Today the Taoiseach gave the State apology he said it not 'your shame' but 'our shame' when saying sorry to Mother and Baby home survivors. Henry McKean met people who listened to the Taoiseach’s apology who grew up near the biggest Mother and Baby Home in the country and spoke to neighbours of the former St Patrick's Mother and Baby Home on the Navan Road in Dublin.

"It was horrific." Neighbours of Mother & Baby Home

In Blanchardstown children as young as 8 and 10 are being drawn into drug running and dealing for “social status” and “easy money”, as well as family connections and rising drug debt and intimidation according to new research. Henry McKean visited the densely populated Dublin 15 suburb.

"For pocket money" Why Blanchardstown now has 10 year old drug runners

Relatives of Michael Collins and Patrick O'Donovan the Minister of State for the upkeep of museums hit out a decision by the National Museum of Ireland to withdraw from public exhibition in 2005 the hat worn by Michael Collins when he was shot dead at Béal na Bláth .   The museum says the decision was taken because a hole in the blood stained cap caused by the bullet is deteriorating and the decision was based on 'modern museum ethics’.   Henry McKean has been speaking to Historians and the National Museum of Ireland.

"Put the hat on display." Relatives want Michael Collins fatal cap shown in the National Museum of Ireland

Henry McKean asked what should we do with schools? Pic taken before Lockdown 3.

Should Schools remain closed indefinitely? #Lockdown3

Thousands of Irish people got a dog during lockdown and Christmas but not all are coping well and there have been reports of owners who bought them for company during the pandemic, feeling overwhelmed and having to give them up. Henry McKean visited the Dogs Trust in Coldwinters and met the dogs and people looking to rehome a dog.

"A dog is not just for Lockdown but for life." #SoldAPup

Start your engines! Tune in to ‘Henry’s Drive Thru Christmas’ as he zips across the county for some much needed festive fun. Joining Henry McKean are Panto stars Jake Carter and Alan Hughes, the students of St Laurence O’Tooles CBS Dublin, Ireland’s Frontline heroes and of course Santa -who will be getting his suitcase ready as he begins his much-deserved Christmas Holidays.

"Henry's Drive Thru Christmas" Frontline Heroes, Kids & a trip to the North Pole

NPHET has recommended the closure of restaurants and gastropubs before the New Year as part of efforts to deal with rising rates of the virus. From today, people can travel outside their county and three different households can meet indoors. The measures were due to stay in place until January 6th, but NPHET wants household mixing limited to one other household shortly after Christmas, as early as the 28th of December. The advice, including new restrictions for the hospitality sector, will be considered by Cabinet next week. The Taoiseach told Newstalk Breakfast that there is a "very strong likelihood" that restaurants and gastropubs will be closed for New Year's Eve.   Henry McKean has visited Drogheda for us the day restrictions have been lifted and you can travel outside your county.

"That microphone it is going somewhere where you wouldn't want your mouth." Reaction to new restrictions after Christmas.

Dairy Milk has been named top of the chocs. In a UK survey the Cadbury’s signature bar with the famous purple wrapper was named our favourite pushing rival Galaxy into second place while Snickers took third. Henry McKean has been asking people what is their favourite Irish Chocolate bar and has been visiting chocolate factories, speaking to chocolate experts and chocolate lovers. The Top ten list: 1. Dairy Milk 2. Galaxy 3. Snickers 4. Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut 5. Kit Kat 6. Terry’s Chocolate Orange 7. Wispa 8. Crunchie 9. Bounty 10. Dairy Milk Caramel  

"It's the creamy texture." What is Ireland's favourite chocolate bar?

Time now for our special series exploring Newstalk’s 20 most influential moments of the past two decades. Every day, across the station, we are looking back at a different moment, chosen by you, the Newstalk listeners.  Today, we are going back to January 1st, 2002, when the world’s largest ever monetary changeover took place with the introduction of the Euro. Henry McKean looks back at the archives with old adverts promoting the Euro with Cian Egan and Mick Lally and contributions from Eddie Shanahan, former senior manager at Arnotts who had tens of thousands of customers on January 1st 2002 being the start of the sales and a new currency.

"I miss the old Irish pounds." Euro Changeover #NT20

This week Coronation Street celebrates 60 years on our television screens. Originally broadcast live, it was the first working class soap opera, with its Manchester wit and risky story lines that captured the imagination of viewers across the UK and Ireland. Before 1960 only posh people were allowed on TV. Henry McKean looks back over the Coronation Street archives and tries to find Ireland's biggest Coronation fan and the nation's favourite Cobbles character.

"Happy 60th Anniversary Coronation Street" #Corrie60

A new study launched today by Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O’Gorman, and key stakeholders including the Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre (the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), IHREC) today launched a report on the rights and living conditions of Travellers in Ireland. It shows us some damning results. Including 10% of Travellers going to bed hungry including Children. And 90% of Travellers say there is insufficient and inadequate accommodation available, including halting sites. Henry McKean has been visiting halting sites and chatting to Pavee Point. 

"10% of Traveller Kids are going to bed hungry because of poverty." Traveller Report

Many Irish chip shops use UK potatoes because of their texture which are good for frying and taste. But because of Brexit there could be shortages of chip shop chips.  From January 1st the UK becomes a 3rd country and will be outside the EU safety rules meaning British potatoes could be banned from being imported into Ireland.  Could we live with a world without chips, is this the final nail in the coffin for 2020? Henry McKean has been chipping away on this story, speaking to chip shop owners, chip lovers and potato farmers.

Could Ireland run out of Chips? Brexit Potato Ban

The cabinet have announced their plan for the nationwide Level 5 lockdown easing and to reopen the country so we can get ready for Christmas. Henry McKean has been speaking to the people of Navan County Meath to see how they preparing.

"I can't wait to have a meal in a restaurant." #Level5 Eased

Do you know how many calories are in a chocolate digestive biscuit and would you stop eating the packet if the portion control signs were bigger? According to new Irish research portion size markings on snack packaging influence how much people eat. Men eat fewer crisps and women eat fewer chocolate biscuits when portion sizes are clearly marked on packaging, according to new research by the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit. The researchers conducted two controlled behavioural experiments to test this. To find out more we are joined by Newstalk’s Senior Snack correspondent Henry McKean.

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Henry McKean on the Hard Shoulder

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