The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Andy O'Donoghue reviews the best and more affordable smartphones on the market from Google, Samsung and Oneplus.

Dublin's four local authorities are developing plans for a new tourist tax in the capital which they say could help fund the upkeep of the city. A working group is due to be set up later this year to consider the proposal. Sinn Féin councillor on Dublin City Council Séamus McGrattan and Paul Gallagher, chief executive of the Irish Hotels Federation, join The Last Word to discuss the potential for an additional charge for tourists staying in Dublin. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

A new report from the Mental Health Commission has said that there is an urgent need to improve mental health services at emergency departments and that steps should be taken to make access to care easier. Professor Jim Lucey, Inspector of Mental Health Services at the Mental Health Commission, spoke to Matt on The Last Word about this. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Saxophonist, member of Moving Hearts, and author of Music and Mayhem, Keith Donald talks to Matt about the culture that made him, from his early music influences and his time playing with Van Morrison and Christy Moore. To catch the full chat, press the ‘play’ button on this page.

Pharmaceutical companies are calling for 'radical policy change' from the European Union in order to limit a potential 'exodus' of future investment in Ireland and other EU member states. Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss the warning issued by pharma executives to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and more of the latest business news. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Easter eggs appear to be the latest products to be impacted by inflation, with a 200g egg now costing approximately €7.50. That’s more than double the price of five years ago. Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent spoke to Matt about this, and also about how the introduction of the auto-enrolment scheme is facing further delays. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky started the war with Russia, saying "you don't start a war with someone 20 times your size and then hope people give you some missiles." Cal Thomas, nationally US syndicated columnist, and journalist Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss Trump's comments on Ukraine and more of the latest news from the US. Catch the full discussion by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Union of Students in Ireland has urged students travelling to the US on a J1 visa this summer to be "cautious and informed" about the potential risks of "activism", as US authorities continue to clamp down on university protests. Jenny Maguire, president of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union, and Fiona McEntee, US immigration attorney, join The Last Word to discuss the possible threats faced by Irish students in the US if they are outspoken on certain issues. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Kaitlin Murphy, Travel Writer with TravelExpert.ie joined Matt for the travel slot on The Last Word, where this week’s destination was Japan. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all her recommendations.

Rory McIlroy won his first major tournament in 11 years when he was crowned Masters Champion at Augusta on Sunday night. After so much heartbreak over the last decade, McIlroy finally completed the career Grand Slam, which has only been done by five other players in history. Lawrence Donegan, Founder & Editor of McKellar Magazine, The42.ie’s Gavin Cooney and Will O’Callaghan from Off The Ball spoke to Matt about an incredible weekend of drama. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

Mick Mulvaney, former chief of staff to Donald Trump, joins The Last Word to discuss the US President's attitude to Russia, the motive behind his tariff plan and what Trump and his administration really think of Ireland. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Amanda Knox, podcaster, writer and exoneree, talks about rebuilding her life following her acquittal for murder in Italy, and reintegrating into life following infamy and trauma. To catch the full conversation, press the ‘play’ button on this page.

Shop owners push back against outdoor drinking on a popular Dublin city street, record-high house prices push young people to ditch their dream of owning a home, and could pets be bad for the environment? Sarah McGuinness, political correspondent with the Irish Daily Mail, and Ben Finnegan, Today FM news anchor, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Pat Marry and Robin Schiller, authors of The Ice House Murder, detail the investigation into the murder of mother of three Irene White, at Ice House in Dundalk. To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

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!