The Hard Shoulder

This week Emmet Oliver was joined by Saoirse Hanley Irish Independent columnist and Niamh O’Reilly to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

An Irish hospital has been trialling an AI tool that will allow cancer patients to report their symptoms via their phone. The tool, developed by Irish company eAltra, gives medical teams the chance to assess the needs, concerns and health of patients in advance of their arrival at their appointment and also decide if they are suitable for treatment such as chemotherapy on the day or whether it is to be postponed. Denis Roche founder of eAltra joined Emmet Olilver to discuss

Off The Ball's Cameron Hill joined Emmet Oliver on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action.

In the wake of the long-awaited finale of Stranger Things finally dropping on Netflix you may have seen a storm of negative reaction to the ending online. From How I met Your Mother to the infamous final season of Game of Thrones, this has become a bit of a trend, but why do we never seem satisfied with the endings of our favourite shows?Are these endings really as bad as the online conversation would have us believe and are there any universally satisfying endings? Joining Emmet Oliver to discuss is Entertainment Journalist Olivia Fahy

Before Christmas, flu cases were surging, with more than 3,500 confirmed cases reported. That figure has since fallen, with 1,777 cases confirmed in the most recent week. While the numbers may have plateaued, health officials are warning that pressures on the system are likely to continue in the weeks following Christmas.To discuss this further among other issues that the country is facing, Emmet Oliver was joined by the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.