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‘A lot of middle-income people, like myself, need help with rising costs’ – workers share their hopes and fears for Budget 2026

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Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · 6d

In today's @independent.ie I spoke to people around the country on different incomes about their fears and hopes for the upcoming #budget2026
m.independent.ie/business/mon...

On Tuesday, October 7, the Government will reveal the details of Budget 2026. With a package of around €9.4bn, split between €7.9bn in public spending and €1.5bn in tax measures, it is likely that we ...

Women seeking detection of breast density to aid cancer battle are being ‘fobbed off’

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · 14d

#journorequest - looking to talk to people in Ireland on various different salaries about their hopes/fears for the upcoming #budget2026 - Am happy to plug something for them. DM asap if any thoughts. Shares appreciated.

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · 15d

In @irishtimes.com this woman told me about why breast density is important when it comes to detecting cancer.
www.irishtimes.com/health/2025/...

Campaigners push for recording of vital information to help reduce risk of cancer being missed

‘Listen more than you speak’: How to make a good first impression in your first job

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · 18d

#journorequest - looking to talk to adults in Ireland who live at home with their parents due to lack of affordable housing. DM today if any thoughts. Shares appreciated.

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Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · 18d

#journorequest - much as I hate mentioning the 'C word' at this early stage, am looking to talk to people in or from Ireland who go out for dinner on Christmas Day or are planning to do it this year. DM if any thoughts. Shares appreciated.

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Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · 19d

In today's @irishtimes.com one woman told me how about the difficulties she faced when starting her first job, while experts advised on how people can make a good impression in their new job.
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/educ...

New to the workforce? Hit the ground running with these tips from career coaches

I thought my back pain and tiredness was menopause – it was ovarian cancer

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · 23d

In today's @independent.ie this woman told me how a pain in her back turned out to be ovarian cancer. She urges other women to know the signs and seek advice if any concerns.
m.independent.ie/life/health-...

Everybody experiences back pain at some point or other, so when Maggie Noone felt a twinge in her back and her right side while out walking with a friend on holiday in March 2023, she put it down to h...

Family feuds: ‘I have to see my aunt in secret . . . Mam keeps asking me to choose sides’

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Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · 23d

In today's @irishtimes.com this woman told me how a family feud is impacting her mental health and experts advised how to cope if you're caught in the middle of warring relations.
www.irishtimes.com/health/your-...

Fallouts are not uncommon but they can damage the mental health of those caught in the middle. Here’s what psychologists recommend

‘Each day was a battle when I was homeless, now we can breathe again’: Mum praises Depaul for help in turning her life around

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · 23d

In today's @independent.ie this woman told me about her experience of homelessness and CEO of Depaul Ireland said that its new research showed that work still needs to be done to help people secure a roof over their heads.
m.independent.ie/irish-news/e...

A mother who found herself and her young child homeless after arriving in Ireland has described the situation as a “frightening battle”.

‘The joy, cheers and hugs are something I’ll never forget’ – why more Irish couples are going all in on gender reveal parties

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Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · 28d

As Aldi launches a new gender reveal cake, in today's @independent.ie I spoke to couples in Ireland who decided to surprise guests, and themselves about the gender of their baby.
m.independent.ie/life/family/...

From Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker to Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, finding out the gender of your baby in front of family and friends has become something of a trend.

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · Sep 10

#journorequest looking to talk to adults in Ireland who still live at home about whether or not they pay rent and if so, how much. Can be anonymous if required. DM if any thoughts. Shares appreciated.

Prostate cancer: ‘Getting the news was a shock – I was 49, very fit and had no symptoms’

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · Sep 2

As #BlueSeptember & #prostatecancer awareness month gets underway, in today's @irishtimes.com this man told me how a routine test diagnosed the disease when he was still in his 40s. He urges other men to attend regular screening. @mariekeating.bsky.social
www.irishtimes.com/health/2025/...

Marie Keating Foundation’s cancer campaign for Blue September urges men to get PSA blood test

Double the space and €5.40 pints: House price refugees flee the capital and bring life to towns and small cities

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Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · Sep 2

#journorequest Looking to talk to people in Ireland who have had a gender reveal party or are planning one. DM if any thoughts. Shares appreciated.

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · Aug 30

In today's @independent.ie I spoke to people who have made the move from Dublin to a smaller town to avail of a more affordable lifestyle
m.independent.ie/news/double-...

Recent reports that the rate of house price inflation has surged again makes particularly bad news for younger couples in Ireland’s biggest cities, where the price of even the smallest properties have...

Christmas stores in August: Utter madness or do people really want to start their festive shopping this early?

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · Aug 29

It may still be August, but retailers are already rushing to stock their shelves for #Christmas - In today's @independent.ie
I spoke to shoppers about whether or not it's too early, with many (like myself!) believing it should be on hold until end of November!
www.independent.ie/life/christm...

The kids may have gone back to school and the sun might have taken a bit of a sabbatical, but that doesn’t mean that it’s time to start decking the halls with boughs of holly. There was a time when th...

How parents can have difficult conversations with their children

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · Aug 28

In today's @belfasttelegraph.co.uk I spoke to parenting experts about how to have difficult conversations with children and teenagers.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/family/...

We’ve all heard the tag line “it’s good to talk”, which applies to so many aspects of our daily lives, but never more so than the relationship between a parent and their teenager.

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

‘The cost of feeding the students is the biggest expense’ – how much money can a Bean an Tí make?

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · Aug 28

As many Irish teens enjoyed a summer in the Gaeltacht before going #BackToSchool in today's @independent.ie
I spoke to a Bean an Ti about what is involved in the role, whether it is good financial option and how much it costs to feed the kids!
www.independent.ie/business/mon...

It has become a rite of passage for Irish teenagers. A few weeks in the Gaeltacht to improve their proficiency of our native tongue is the objective, but arguably for the youngsters, it’s even more ab...

I’ve had ‘frozen shoulder’ twice. Here’s what helped – and what didn’t

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · Aug 27

Anyone who has ever experienced adhesive capsulitis will relate to my piece in today's @independent.ie
on having the painful and debilitating condition not once, but twice in the past few years.
www.independent.ie/life/health-...

We’ve all experienced pain in our shoulders from pulling a muscle or even spending too long on a certain task, but the specific pain associated with adhesive capsulitis, or frozen shoulder as it is mo...

‘The first year after our daughter died of a brain tumour was hell on Earth – but we’re starting to live again’

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · Aug 27

In today's @independent.ie I spoke to a couple whose daughter died when she was just 3 years old They credit the support of
@oscarskids.bsky.social for helping them through their darkest days and urge people to support the fundraising efforts of the charity.
www.independent.ie/life/family/...

When Eva and Neil Arthur welcomed their twins Daithí and Nora in 2019, they were naturally over the moon.

‘They need three of everything’: parents of triplets struggle with back-to-school costs

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · Aug 27

#journorequest - looking to talk to a careers expert in Ireland for a piece. DM today if any thoughts. Shares appreciated.

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · Aug 26

In today's @irishtimes.com I spoke to parents of triplets about the cost and the reality of getting their kids ready for school and to financial experts about how to ease the burden
@themoneydoctor.bsky.social

www.irishtimes.com/ireland/educ...

No hand-me-downs between children of the same age leaves families stretched financially

Fostering and finances: ‘You receive an allowance, but it doesn’t always meet the child’s needs’

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · Aug 26

With selection boxes in the stores and some shops already having opened their Christmas shops, am looking to talk to people in Ireland about whether or not #Christmas2025 is advertised too early #journorequest - DM asap today if any thoughts. RTs appreciated. 🎄🎄

Arlene Harris @arleneharris.bsky.social · Aug 26

In today's @independent.ie I spoke to foster parents in Ireland about the financial side of fostering and why it's important to help the children in their care to learn about money and start a savings account.
m.independent.ie/irish-news/e...

Families, couples and even single people from across the country have been welcoming children in need into their homes for decades.