Upfront with Katie Hannon - Season 2

Tonight on Upfront, the sister of Nicole Morey who was tragically killed by her own dogs, including an XL Bully, speaks publicly for the first time to Katie Hannon.  

From tomorrow (Tuesday 1 October), Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphrey's new legislation will make it illegal to import, breed or sell an XL Bully dog.  The new law was prompted by Nicole's death on 4 June this year. Tonight, her sister Jolene Morey remembers Nicole and calls for stricter measures to be put in place.  

In her first interview Jolene Morey tells Katie Hannon: "The law they're bringing out, you have to have a license, you have to have papers... But my sister had all them."  She adds: "Nicole loved them dogs. And the dogs loved Nicole, but they just turned on her." 

Jolene speaks in the interview about the horror of the night Nicole died. She was contacted to say that her sister needed help.  She says in the interview: "I was sitting in my room in darkness, and I rang Nicole because I didn't believe it was real. Then I texted her, I said, ‘Are you okay?' And got no message back. And then a video got sent to me. And they asked me if it was with my sister. And I just remember clicking into a video and seeing her on the floor." 

"I was just waiting for the phone call to say she's gone because I had a feeling in my stomach that she didn't survive it. But my mom was like, ‘No, it's only bites and stuff.' Then my uncle rang, and I just knew from his voice that she was gone." 

Jolene paid tribute to her older sister in the interview: "My family want Nicole to be remembered as how much of a good person she was. Not the girl that died from the dog attack or the videos that's going viral. Nicole did so well in life. Nicole would do anything for anyone. She's just a lovable person."

Also on the first programme of the new series, Upfront looks ahead to Budget 2025. On the eve of the Budget announcement, Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Sinn Féin TD Louise O'Reilly and Chief Economist Irish Fiscal Advisory Council Eddie Casey will debate the issues with input from the live studio audience.  

Journalist Katie Hannon hosts a live audience-centred current affairs programme where the public come face to face with those whose decisions impact directly on all our lives.

Journalist Katie Hannon hosts a live audience-centred current affairs programme where the public come face to face with those whose decisions impact directly on all our lives.

Housing special. As the election campaign begins, the potential new Ministers for housing will answer questions from Katie and the live audience. The panel includes Darragh O'Brien FF, Paschal Donohoe FG, Eoin Ó Broin SF, as well as PBP Richard Boyd Barrett, Labour Leader Ivana Bacik and Social Democrats Rory Hearne.

Upfront with Katie Hannon will hold the largest ever Party Leaders' debate, with 10 political party leaders invited to debate live in studio on Monday 18th November, as Katie asks the questions the voters want answered.

Immigration special. Katie Hannon puts questions on immigration to a panel of General Election candidates and they answer the audience's questions on the issue. 

Journalist Katie Hannon hosts a live audience-centred current affairs programme where the public come face to face with those whose decisions impact directly on all our lives. 

Journalist Katie Hannon hosts a live audience-centred current affairs programme where the public come face to face with those whose decisions impact directly on all our lives. 

Journalist Katie Hannon hosts a live audience-centred current affairs programme where the public come face to face with those whose decisions impact directly on all our lives.

What more can be done to protect women against violence? Presenter Katie Hannon is joined by guests including Kathleen Funchion of Sinn Fein, Jim O'Callaghan of Fianna Fail and Sarah Benson, Chief Executive Officer of Women's Aid.

Tonight's programme debates eulogies and who should decide how you say goodbye to your loved one in your local Catholic Church? Katie Hannon will hear from parishioners who have been hurt by a ban on eulogies as well as from those who believe they have no place in a funeral mass.  

The programme looks ahead to the next government with TDs Jennifer Carroll Mac Neill, Marian Harkin, Mairead Farrell and Roderic O'Gorman. Presenter Katie Hannon also asks is inheritance tax fair?  

Ireland's overflowing prison system - do we need more prison spaces or are we putting too many behind bars? Katie Hannon is joined by Barry Ward TD, Sinéad Gibney TD, Ken O'Flynn TD and former prisoner and comedian, Willa White.