The Last Word with Matt Cooper

As the United States and China continue to exchange tariff jibes, what will happen to the Chinese owned social media platform TikTok, which was already facing a US ban, and how expensive could Apple's iPhone become? Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to discuss the impact that US President Donald Trump's escalating trade war is having on tech. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

On Wednesday, Donald Trump announced he would be pausing plans to introduce tariffs on goods from most countries for 90 days. Explaining why he did so, the US President said “People were jumping a little bit out of line. They were getting yippy”. Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone spoke to Matt about this on Thursday’s The Last Word. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their conversation.

A study released by DCU has found that teachers at both primary and secondary level in Ireland are experiencing burnout and poor mental health. The report says that better support is needed to help teachers who face serious challenges in their jobs. Dr. Pia O’Farrell, from the School of Policy and Practice in DCU and co-author of this report and Jennifer Horgan, Irish Examiner columnist & secondary school teacher, spoke to Matt about the findings on Thursday’s programme. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

To celebrate the release of his eighth novel “The Bureau”, author Eoin McNamee joined Matt for this week’s Culture Club. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all of his choices.

RTÉ staff have been told that the organisation's redundancy scheme will open later this month with payments capped at €300,000. Ian Guider, columnist with The Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss this and more of the latest business news. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Rory McIlroy is once again looking to complete a career Grand Slam at The Masters, but can he finally pull it off? Lawrence Donegan, founder and editor of McKellar Magazine, joins The Last Word to discuss McIlroy's chances of winning the 2025 Masters. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor, Irish Independent, discussed where tariffs might hit consumers in terms of fuel prices, pensions and energy prices. To catch the full conversation, press the ‘play’ button on this page.

On the Easter bank holiday weekend, Today FM will be counting down the best 500 songs of the last 25 years, and you the listeners can get involved by voting for your favourites via https://vote.todayfm.com/big500. Matt, Dee Reddy and John Caddell got involved on Tuesday’s music slot by picking some of their standout tracks. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their choices.

China has vowed to "fight to the end" as President Donald Trump threatens to impose further tariffs on Chinese goods. Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and journalist Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss Trump's escalating global trade war and more of the latest news from the United States. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

An independent review into the use of unapproved metal springs in paediatric spinal surgeries has found that "children were left unprotected from risk of harm". The report by the Health Information and Quality Authority found there was inadequate oversight within Children's Health Ireland and that families could not give informed consent to procedures using these devices due to a lack of information. Former director general of the HSE Tony O'Brien joins The Last Word to discuss the findings of the report. Hear the full conversation by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Munster recorded an impressive win against Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle on Saturday in the Investec Champions Cup last 16, setting up a mouthwatering tie against Bordeaux Bègles. Meanwhile, Leinster kept Harlequins scoreless at Croke Park which saw Leo Cullen’s side safely through to the quarter-finals. Former Munster player Alan Quinlan and Off The Ball’s Will O’Callaghan spoke to Matt about the weekend’s results. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Brian Honan, chief executive and cybersecurity expert, BH consulting and Louise Corrigan, US immigration lawyer, Louise Corrigan Law discuss discuss the recommendation to delete social media apps if travelling to the US, if you have been critical of current US Policy. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Sarah Slattery from the travelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to talk about the best options for couples, families and solo travelers who may be looking to head away on a cruise. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Russell Brand is charged with rape and sexual assault, Chappell Roan says all her friends who have children are 'in hell' and the rarely used Farmleigh House is costing the taxpayer almost €3.25 million a year. Fionnuala Jones and Dave Hanratty join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories. But first, Nick Ferrari, presenter of Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC, explains the charges against the comedian and actor Russell Brand. Catch the full conversation by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Trauma surgeon Dr Morgan McMonagle recently spent six weeks on a humanitarian mission in Gaza. On The Last Word he recounts the challenges faced by healthcare professionals in Gaza and the grim reality of treating patients in an active war zone. Hear the full conversation by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

New research from the ESRI has shown that only half of fathers are using paternity leave, with issues around levels of income a common reason for not doing so. Claire Keane – Associate Research Professor in Taxation, Welfare & Pensions at the ESRI and co-author of the report and Frances Byrne, Director of Policy, Advocacy & Campaigning with Early Childhood Ireland spoke to Matt on The Last Word about this. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

On Thursday, the death was announced of former intercounty manager and legendary figure, Mick O’Dwyer. Micko was arguably the most influential manager in the GAA’s history, guiding his native Kerry to 8 All-Ireland titles with some of the game’s most prolific players like Páidí O’Sé, Jack O’Shea, Eoin “Bomber” Liston and Pat Spillane. He also managed Kildare, where they won two Leinster titles under his guidance and also reached the 1998 All-Ireland final. Following that, he had spells with Laois, Wicklow and Clare. Former All-Ireland winner with Kerry, Marc O’Sé and former Kildare footballer Johnny Doyle, who played under Micko, spoke to The Last Word to remember him. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

IDA Ireland chairman Feargal O’Rourke considers next steps to guarantee continued inward investment into Ireland following Trump’s 20% tariffs. Kate English, Chief Economist with Deloitte, Paul Colgan economics journalist and Robert Armstrong, US Financial Commentator with the Financial Times, discuss the implications in Ireland, EU and in the US of Trump’s reciprocal tariffs and whether a trade war will ensue. To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

From keeping track of passwords to clearing old email accounts, Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to discuss the measures you can take to protect your information and keep your online life running smoothly. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Legendary singer-songwriter Roisin Murphy was the latest inductee into the Culture Club on The Last Word. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all her music, film, TV & literature choices.