Niall opens the phone lines today after receiving a striking email from a listener:

Her sister is planning to spend €5,000 on her three children this Christmas — money she’s actually borrowing to make it happen. When she challenged her sister, saying it sends the wrong message and teaches the kids they can have anything they want, the pair fell out.

The sister fired back:

“It’s my money, my children, and none of your business.”

So who’s right?

Is it irresponsible to go into debt for Christmas, or is everyone entitled to raise their kids as they see fit? And have we all lost the run of ourselves when it comes to Christmas spending?

Niall talks to callers who share their own stories, opinions, and family rows on the topic.

Text or WhatsApp your thoughts: 085 100 22 55

On today’s episode, Niall dives into one of the most shocking and heartbreaking housing stories in Ireland right now — the collapse of the Ringfort Estate development in Rathmoylon, Co Meath, and the desperate families caught in the middle of it.

Niall is joined by Áontú leader Peadar Tóibín along with John Ennis and Elma Beirne, one of the couples who paid a deposit for a home in the estate five years ago. Elma, now pregnant, is among the fifteen buyers who signed contracts and paid deposits of €27,500–€30,000 in good faith. Today, only five still hold any hope of seeing those contracts honoured.

Despite the houses reportedly being completed and fully connected to utilities, none have been handed over. In 2023, buyers were suddenly asked for an extra €60,000 after the developer, Meathamatic Ltd, blamed rising costs. And now, in a dramatic turn, the company has been put into liquidation following a Revenue audit that uncovered major issues with unregistered construction contracts and a large VAT liability.

This week, tensions boiled over when affected buyers — including Elma — were initially blocked from entering the creditors’ meeting in Dún Laoghaire. Peadar Tóibín stood with them as they pushed for answers, demanding to know why the Government refuses to intervene and finish an estate that families have already paid for.

Why are completed homes sitting empty? How can a company collapse with buyers’ money tied up inside it? And what responsibility does the Government have when ordinary people are left homeless by failures in oversight?

Niall, Peadar, John, and Elma break down the human cost, the political failures, and what needs to happen next so these families finally have somewhere to live.

2025 has been a whirlwind year in Irish politics—depending on where you stand, it’s either been a welcome shake-up or a slow-motion disaster. A new government found its feet only to stumble through a botched presidential election. Immigration and housing remain unsolved crises, the National Children’s Hospital is still unfinished, prisons are overcrowded, and more people than ever say they no longer feel safe.

Today, Niall sits down with John McGuirk of Gript Media to dig into the state of the nation:

Is there any real hope for change in 2026, or are we staring down another year of political stalemate and frustration?

Join the conversation live at 12pm and share your thoughts.