Podcasts · Opinions Matter with Adrian & Jeremy

Adrian Brands Katie "Heartless" During Foreign Aid Row

4 Aug 2026 · 1 h 00 min · S6 E1371

Ireland hands out €2.35 BILLION a year in foreign aid — and in the studio, Adrian is buzzing with pride that we’ve gone from “beg, borrow and steal” to helping poorer countries. Katie isn’t having and of it. With homelessness, hospital trolleys, families stuck in hotel rooms and kids growing up with no stability, she says charity begins at home and that money should be spent here first. Callers pile in on both sides: is cutting aid “heartless”, or is it common sense when Ireland has it's own problems? And how much of that aid actually reaches the people who need it most?