Highlights From The Pat Kenny Show

Are you one of those people that hasn’t got a note in their head? Dr. Peter Q. Pfordresher, Professor of Psychology and Director, Auditory Perception and Action Lab at the University at Buffalo joined Pat with the surprising science behind tone-deafness.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh a Green Party TD representing Waterford. & Party Spokesperson on Social Protection and the vice-chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands joined Pat to discuss if it is time to scrap GDP as a measure of a country’s growth and focus on well-being?

Half a million facing delays when trying to switch accounts, banks being accused of ‘deliberately undermining the switching process’. Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor of the Irish Independent fills us in on the issues.

Enda Brogan owner of Gateway Leisure in Belmullet, who had to close his leisure center down due to sky-high insurance joined Pat on the show.

Dominic Nicholls, Defence and Security Editor at The Telegraph and former British soldier analysis the fighting in Eastern Ukraine, where the Russians are attempting to capture Severodonetsk.

Bill Hughes, Television Producer with Mind the Gap Films goes behind the scenes of smash hit comedy Sister Act (1991).

Young adults are drinking less but their cocaine use is increasing significantly, a report from the Health Research Board warns. Just how widespread is cocaine use among younger people in Ireland? Conor Harris, recovering drug addict and Colin O’Gara, Head of Addiction Services at John Of Gods Hospital and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCD joined Pat to discuss.

In this week’s Green Scene we hear about the world’s biggest plant, and how 15-metre long sharks went extinct with Dr. Ruth Freeman, Director of Science for Society at Science Foundation Ireland.

The Society of Irish Motoring Industry has called on motorists to cut down on unnecessary journeys to save on fuel costs – is this a welcome suggestion and will it really help? Conor Faughnan Transport consultant, Jackie Healy Rae Kerry County Councillor and Marc Mac Sharry, TD Sligo, Leitrim, South Donegal North Roscommon all joined Pat on the show to discuss.

Jess Kelly, Newstalk tech correspondent with some very exciting iOS updates and answered all your tech questions in this weeks Tech with Jess.

The countdown is on to the end of the school year. Children's author and book reviewer Sarah Webb joined Pat with some children's book ideas to keep your kids reading throughout the summer. You can find the full list of books Sarah Webb reviewed on the show below. • Where Are You Puffling? by Erika McGann, illustrated by Gerry Daly (O’Brien Press) Age 2+ • Be Wild, Little One by Olivia Hope and Daniel Egnéus (Bloomsbury) Age 2+ • Our Big Day by Bob Johnson and Michael Emberley (O’Brien Press) Age 4+ • The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams by Shane Hegarty, illustrated by Jeff Crowther (Hodder Children’s Books) Age 7+ • The Lost Whale by Hannah Gold (HarperCollins) Age 9+ • Unleash Your Creative Monster: A Children’s Guide to Writing by Andy Jones, illustrated by Olaf Falafel (Walker Books) Age 9 + • While the Storm Rages by Phil Earle (Andersen Press) Age 9+ • Spellstoppers by Cat Gray (Usborne – coming in early July) Age 9+ • The Light in Everything by Katya Balen (Bloomsbury) Aeg 12+ • My Heart and Other Break

Some of the country’s popular holiday destinations – Kerry, Waterford and Wexford – are the counties with the highest rates of Covid-19, according to the latest figures. Cliona O’Farrelly, Professor of Comparative Immunology at Trinity College Dublin joined Pat to discuss the latest Covid surge in Ireland’s tourist hotspots.

The news cycle is dominated by a series of crises, each worse than the last. Many of these stories are the direct result of a failure to address significant issues from the past. Jonathan Healy communications consultant and broadcaster has been looking at how overreaction to a crisis, can bring its own problems.

Tom Parlon, Director General of the Construction Industry Federation joined Pat to discuss the surging cost of building materials which is set to keep house prices close to Celtic Tiger levels despite more properties being constructed at last.

Boris Johnson survives a no-confidence vote, but he is not out of the woods. Lucy Fisher, Chief Political Commentator with Times Radio joined Pat to discuss what next for the British Prime Minister

Brian Mooney, Career Guidance Counsellor and Irish Times Education Columnist joined Pat with his simple guide to taking some of the stress out of sitting the Leaving Cert along with Leaving Cert student Alex Rowley.

Eugene Drennan, President of the Irish Hauliers Association joined Pat to discuss why rush hour may be no more, as busy traffic is now spread across the day.

Three doses of the same Covid-19 vaccine or a combination of jabs work equally well in preventing infections, according to the largest study of its kind. For more on this Professor Luke O'Neill spoke to Pat this morning on the show.

The Children’s Rights Alliance is holding an online event that aims to give attendees an overview of the Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Bill and hear from political representatives about their own priorities for this landmark piece of legislation and what they believe is needed from big tech and online platforms to create a safer internet for children and young people. What more should be done to protect our children online? To discuss Pat was joined on the show by Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children's Rights Alliance.

John Fardy discusses acclaimed space western, ‘The Mandalorian’ in this week's 'Boxed'