The Niall Boylan Podcast (They Told Me To Shut Up)

Niall is joined by Eric Nelligan to break down Budget 2027, looking at the winners, the losers and whether the Government has actually done enough to tackle the rising cost of living.
They examine the changes to income tax, welfare, childcare, housing supports and energy costs, and ask whether the measures announced will make a noticeable difference to households once rising everyday expenses are taken into account.
But there is one group that has once again been hit particularly hard: smokers.
Budget 2027 increased the price of a packet of 20 cigarettes by another €1, bringing a typical packet to around €20.15, with almost 80% of the retail price now accounted for by tax. Duty on e-liquid products has also increased by 20 cent per millilitre. The Government says higher prices discourage smoking and particularly help prevent younger people from taking up the habit.
But Niall asks whether smokers have simply become an easy target at Budget time.
Plenty of products and habits can damage our health, yet smokers appear to face substantial tax increases year after year. Alcohol excise, for example, was left unchanged in this Budget.
And while increasing the price may encourage some people to quit, what about heavily addicted smokers on lower incomes who simply continue buying cigarettes? Are they giving up food, heating or other household spending instead?
Is tobacco taxation really about public health, or has the Government discovered a politically convenient group it can repeatedly tax without much opposition?
Niall discusses Budget 2027 with Eric Nelligan and asks: when does encouraging somebody to quit smoking become financially punishing them for an addiction?

Niall is joined by Karl Deeter to discuss two very different stories that have sparked plenty of reaction.
First, they look at the controversy surrounding the naked Donald Trump statue displayed at the euopean parliment and ask whether political protest and satire have now crossed into cheap provocation.
Then the conversation turns to a growing debate about animals in public spaces.
The National Transport Authority has proposed a more consistent policy allowing pets on Transport for Ireland services. Under the proposals, small dogs, cats and other small animals could travel in suitable carriers, while larger dogs could travel on a lead and muzzled. More than 2,500 people responded to the consultation, with the vast majority supporting greater access for pets, although concerns were also raised about hygiene, allergies, safety and passenger comfort.
But should that approach extend beyond buses, trains and the Luas?
Should dogs and other pets be welcomed into cafés, shops and supermarkets, or are there some places where animals simply do not belong?
Supporters say Ireland needs to become more pet friendly and that responsible owners should not be excluded from everyday life. Critics argue that public spaces have to work for everyone, including people with allergies, fears of dogs and concerns about hygiene.
Niall and Karl ask where the line should be drawn between being pet friendly and respecting everyone else sharing the same space.

Niall talks to business owner and podcaster Paul Treyvaud about the Government’s expected decision to increase the minimum wage by 79 cent to €14.94 an hour from January, and the continuing debate over plans for a €16 living wage.
For workers struggling with rent, food, energy and other everyday costs, higher wages may seem essential just to keep up. Supporters of a living wage argue that anyone working full time should earn enough to have a reasonable standard of living.
But many small business owners say they are being squeezed from every direction. Energy, insurance, rates, stock, VAT and labour costs have all increased, and another compulsory wage rise could mean higher prices, reduced opening hours, fewer employees or, in some cases, businesses closing completely.
On the other side of the argument is a simple question: if a business cannot afford to pay its workers a decent wage, should that business be operating in the first place?
Niall asks Paul who should ultimately take priority, the worker struggling to pay the bills or the employer struggling to keep the doors open?
And should Ireland move towards a €16 an hour living wage, even if some businesses say they simply cannot afford it?

Niall talks to journalist Laura Perrins about Budget 2027 and asks whether it will actually make any meaningful difference to households struggling with the relentless rise in the cost of living.
Every year we hear about tax cuts, credits, welfare increases and new Government supports, yet for many people the bills keep rising faster than the help arriving. Electricity, heating, groceries, rent, mortgages, insurance and childcare continue to swallow more of our income.
Budget 2027 promises tax relief for workers, increased welfare payments, childcare supports and measures to reduce energy costs. But will people genuinely feel better off, or are we simply getting a little more from the Government while paying far more everywhere else?
Niall asks Laura whether Government policy is really tackling the cost of living or merely trying to soften the impact of continually rising prices.
And if there was just one thing the Government could do to make your life financially easier, what would it be?

Niall talks to callers about the death penalty following the disturbing case of Christa Pike, who is reportedly critically ill in hospital after an attempt by the state of Tennessee to execute her went badly wrong.
Pike was just 18 when she brutally tortured and murdered 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995. She was sentenced to death and has spent almost three decades awaiting execution. Last week, she was given lethal injection drugs, but the execution failed, reportedly leaving her with severe swelling and chemical burns and requiring ventilation in hospital.
Nobody disputes the horrific nature of Pike’s crime, but does that justify the state deliberately taking another human life?
Supporters of capital punishment argue that some crimes are so brutal that death is the only appropriate punishment and that victims’ families deserve justice. Opponents say the death penalty is an outdated and barbaric practice that gives governments a power they should never possess.
After an execution attempt that has already caused Pike enormous suffering, should the state be allowed to try again? Has she already been punished enough, or should the sentence still be carried out?
Niall opens the phone lines and asks callers a simple but deeply divisive question: do you agree with the death penalty?