Agenda

A selection of human interest reporting, interviews, opinion and lifestyle features.

I went for a 13-week appointment and experienced the deafening agony of the silent sonogram

When you are accustomed to a national fluency in the language of grief, miscarriage can be desperately lonely

I thought that after a month of not drinking, my relationship with alcohol would fix itself. I was wrong

The idea that a month of abstinence can help you regain control and become a ‘better drinker’ is a myth for any alcoholic

When should your boss call the Garda? The labour law questions raised by Sinn Féin controversies

Internal investigations and the provision of references are fraught territory for employers, say workplace experts

Liam Payne’s death is a tragic end to the story of five cheeky boys who charmed millions

One Direction singer’s death begs questions about the pressures of fame and the support offered by the music industry to young artist

‘A day of hope’: Irish hospital patients get access to ‘early phase’ cancer drugs

Patients with advanced cancer now able to participate in testing of potential new treatments previously available only abroad

Are you entitled to go on maternity leave a second time straight after your first ends?

Some employers may not be ‘best pleased’ about a second maternity leave being taken so soon after the first

Galway children face ‘cars travelling at 80km/h’ as walk-to-school week begins

Lack of footpaths at Crumlin National School in rural Ireland highlight challenge of getting more pupils to walk or cycle from home

‘The salary isn’t close to what I’d need for a place of my own’: UCD researchers frustrated by pay

One postdoc has moved 80 miles from Dublin for housing, while another is unable to bring in family because of lack of accommodation

‘Everyone is upset, stressed and shocked’: Ukrainian families in south Dublin face relocation on Monday

‘Everyone hopes and prays that something will be organised this week so we can stay long-term’

My child got burned at his check-up. It summed up our crumbling public health system

I haven’t used the word ‘kip’ since I was a teenager, but this was the least suitable place on earth to examine a toddler

Meet the budget’s real winners: A family of five on an income of more than €70,000

Interplay of temporary and permanent measures means that this is a budget for better off people with children – the more the better

‘Ludicrous, irritating and very wrong’: E-Scooter users on public transport ban from Monday

Incidents abroad involving lithium batteries overheating and causing fires on trains and buses have prompted a prohibition from next week

‘Chicken curry is very popular’: What to expect on school menus as free scheme is extended

Free hot school meals programme to include all 3,000-plus primary schools from next year

What changes have been made to inheritance tax in the budget?

Budget 2025: Everything you need to know about the inheritance tax cut which comes into effect today

Remote working: ‘Surely the company won’t force my team back into the office if they suspect we might all quit?’

We ask experts in all aspects of workplace engagement for their views and solutions on issues resulting in conflict or stress for employees

Cosmetic surgery tourism: Demi Moore’s new film shows what influencer videos won’t – the scalp infections and weeping wounds

The Substance is a cautionary tale that focuses on the dark side of our growing obsession with cosmetic procedures

Budget 2025: What do under-35s want?

Housing woes: ‘I think it’s awful that young people feel they have to go away … there’s no housing for young people’

Have Irish immigration numbers risen ‘too quickly’? How Ireland compares to other European countries

An analysis of immigration numbers following Leo Varadkar’s remark that people are ‘right’ to believe numbers have risen too quickly

Would you benefit under a Sinn Féin budget? Winners and losers in the alternative plan

Budget 2025: Party always intended to pledge higher spending than Coalition, but will voters trust it to balance the books?

Apprenticeships: ‘It’s like the country got nearly a bit too snobby or elitist when it came to education’

Career route offers an alternative to those either not interested in or unsuited to university, and those who want to work and earn at the same time

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