This is important to remember how far we have come in providing abortion as healthcare in Ireland and to say ‘Never Again’ should religious views predominate over human rights.

Aside from being unfair to NAPCP members who have worked hard to meet rigorous professional requirements, for the HSE to continue with these exclusionary hiring practices would be gravely irresponsible and potentially damaging to members of the public - many of whom are not currently receiving the care that they need.

My name is Laura Warren, and I am from Kilkenny, Ireland. I am a multi-award-winning Nutritionist, Naturopathy Practitioner, and Yoga Teacher predominantly on Facebook & instagram as Elite Living Nutrition. I work with people online to help them improve their health and nutrition. I am also passionate about raising awareness about health and safety, particularly regarding the dangers of sunbeds. I want to share my story—one that highlights a preventable tragedy. I was diagnosed with Stage 1b Melanoma, a deadly skin cancer, after years of using sunbeds and exposing my skin to ultraviolet radiation. In my youth, I was encouraged to use sunbeds to get a “base tan” before holidays—a practice that has proven to be extremely dangerous. I also suffered from acne, and beauty therapists advised me to use sunbeds for clearer skin. I wore inadequate sun protection, believing I was safe. This reckless exposure nearly cost me my life. My melanoma was just about to invade deeper into my skin on my left breast, threatening my vital organs and lymph nodes. I underwent two surgeries to remove the cancer, and I was lucky to survive. But my battle didn’t end there. Over the next two years, I faced multiple tumours, including a 3.3cm suspected follicular cancer in my throat which had to be removed by Dr. Paul Lennon (Dublin) who specialises in Throat & Neck Cancers, he had to remove half my Thyroid in the process to ensure he got all the tumour.   Some months later I discovered a 3cm tumour in my left forearm which was suspected as a rare soft tissue tumour called liposarcoma. Thanks to the skill of Ireland’s top surgeons, I am now cancer-free and in very good health. My story is a stark warning: Melanoma is one of the deadliest cancers, and its incidence is rising rapidly in Ireland. Yet, despite the clear links between sunbed use and skin cancer, Ireland remains one of the few European countries still allowing the indoor tanning industry to operate freely. Countries like Australia and Brazil have already banned sunbeds—so why is Ireland still lagging behind? The evidence is irrefutable. Sunbeds increase the risk of melanoma and other skin cancers. They are a public health hazard, yet they continue to be promoted and accessible. It’s time for Ireland’s government to take decisive action. We need a comprehensive ban on sunbeds to protect our citizens—especially our children and teenagers—from preventable cancer. Every day we delay, more lives are at risk. Melanoma can spread rapidly and is often deadly if not caught early. We owe it to ourselves, our families, and future generations to act now. Banning sunbeds would save thousands of lives and prevent millions in healthcare costs.  The fact is there are new sunbed salons popping up every week in Ireland and anybody can walk in off the side of the street and use them for as long as they want, because they are not policing them.  There are mothers taking their young kids into the salons to wait for them in the waiting areas while they tan themselves exposing their babies and young kids to the deadly UVA & UVB that travels from sunbeds. Our government must prioritise public health over industry profits.  Ireland was able to bring in legislation to be the first country in Europe to bring in the smoking ban, our government can legislate when they want to so why are they hiding behind Europe now and waiting for them to make a move?  Australia and Canada made the right decision years ago—what is Ireland waiting for? We demand answers and immediate action for a full ban on the use of commerical sunbeds in Ireland or at the very least stronger policing and rules and regulations with them. I am calling on every Irish citizen to stand with me. Sign the petition. Demand a ban on sunbeds. Let’s make Ireland a safer place—free from the preventable dangers of indoor tanning. Together, we can save lives. It’s time for change. It’s time for Ireland to ban sunbeds.

Disposable Vapes are a product that have surged in popularity in recent years. These products are a threat to: 1. Public Health - With disposable vapes nicotine is delivered through an aerosol vapor which has been shown to have inflammatory effects on the respiratory system. As well, experts have warned of the potential of disposable vapes to act a gateway for smoking, especially for young people and adolescents. 2. The Environment - Disposable vapes are single-use items that contain plastic, electronics, and lithium-ion batteries. Disposable vapes are more frequently becoming a source of litter on our streets. This can result in harmful waste materials, such as mercury and cadmium, being leached into our environment, negatively impacting human health and biodiversity. These risks are simply not worth the convenience of a single use product! 3. Waste of Valuable Resources - The opportunity cost of global disposable vape production for the green economy is massive. The very materials such as lithium and copper are the precious materials needed for greener technology. It is estimated 90 tons of lithium and 1,600 tons of copper were used for the global production of disposable vapes in 2022. To put this into perspective, this amount of lithium is equivalent to the amount needed to produce 11,000 electric vehicles and is enough copper for 1.6 million electric vehicle charger units So let's put an end to the madness that is disposable vapes. Let's protect our health, our young people and our environment. Sign the Petition! Interested in reading more, check out the following source: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/minister-defends-plan-to-ban-disposable-vapes-theyre-making-the-world-worse/42071990.html https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/new-laws-to-ban-sale-of-vaping-products-to-under-18s/42141930.html https://web.archive.org/web/20220718111558id_/https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/378/bmj-2021-065997.full.pdf https://www.ft.com/content/6d5ed980-8b91-4372-9e7e-14eda5419325

May 25th is five years since the Repeal referendum when the people of Ireland voted overwhelmingly for choice, compassion and care - after an historic mass movement forced the government to finally let the people decide. Now, an official review has found many serious problems with the abortion law. Instead of acting quickly to fix them, the Government wants to delay, to drag things out and avoid taking decisions until after the next election. That’s why on May 25th this year, People before Profit is introducing a Pro-Choice Bill in the Dáil to fix the problems in the law and provide for real choice. The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) (Amendment) Bill 2023 would: abolish the patronising and medically unnecessary 3 day wait to access abortion care fully decriminalise abortion to end the chilling effect for doctors - a draconian 14 year prison sentence still applies to medical professionals if they perform abortions outside the law. This is hindering access in cases of fatal foetal anomaly and for pregnant people suffering serious risks to their health or life. The number of abortions provided on life or health grounds is no larger than it was before repeal, forcing women in medically dangerous situations to travel. reform the fatal foetal anomalies law to ensure care is available here for all those who need it. Currently, half of parents in this tragic situation are still forced to travel to access abortion care. abolish the rigid 12 week limit and allow abortion on request until viability to provide real choice. The 12 week limit makes no allowance for women and girls pushed over the limit by failed procedures or inability to access medical appointments. It fails those with irregular periods who didn’t realise they were pregnant in time; women whose situations change, for instance being subjected to domestic violence, which often begins during pregnancy when they are at their most vulnerable; and many others in the myriad other difficult situations that pregnant people can face. We need your support to pressure politicians to vote for the Bill so that it becomes law.

The Columban Way is a rural community driven project focused on connecting communities using low impact walking tourism to provide socio-economic opportunities where large ticket tourism offerings are scarce on the ground. The project is staffed through 100% volunteering with support from Carlow County Council, Carlow Tourism and Failte Ireland. With your support we will be able to continue our work towards Bangor, Co. Down and through Europe to Bobbio, Italy.

An equal society is a better society for everyone.

The shore of Belfast Lough is special - lovely walks at low tide, seals, birds, the beach. It's a perfect place for people to enjoy, and to improve their physical and mental health, and appreciate our natural environment. Yet it's closed off. Access denied! NIWater and MEABC have the power to change that. So simply open the gate, and #ShareTheShore!

The swimming pool in Ballaghaderreen is an important and well used amenity, it's closure is a loss to the town and needs to be re-opened.

People living in cities need access to nature, but in Inchicore the canal and river are largely walled off and inaccessible. Plans have existed for decades to open up "blueways" for public enjoyment and recreation but we have seen little progress between Suir Road and Blackhorse. We need public pressure to progress much needed improvements.

We have come together to draw attention to a 28.87 acre site being sold in Carlow. Gateway & Adjoining Lands, Strawhall, Athy Road, Carlow Town, Co. Carlow is for sale by Greencore Group plc. Advertised as “Tremendous potential for further development” There is zero mentioning of any mature trees nor woodland within the advertisement; lot 6 has a well established woodland (Link below for sale details) We are calling on you to help us protect these trees from potential destruction. We want these woodland back as a public amenity. . We want to protect the wildlife under the Wildlife Act 1976 that call this place home already. Trees are vital to preserve and hugely important to biodiversity in the ongoing climate change. And as we have seen before, trees and woodlands removed overnight; we have come together to prevent this from happening. We need our trees! Though this is not solely about the trees and wildlife this is about the community coming together seeing the potential these lands already have for the community. For our future community. Protecting and enhancing our environment for future generations. And only a brisk walk away from our town centre. What we need? We need time. To buy time we need support. We need you to join us, sign our petitions, and share our social posts. Write your support to newspapers. Contact the local representatives. Contact the Carlow County Council. Spread the word for the love of our trees we are coming together! Already a large community has come together in Carlow and further nationwide to bring these woodlands into the public domain. We hope you will share some support and hopefully some day you will get to come visit 😉 Contact us [email protected] (Link to sale details below in "campaign website")

Endometriosis affects 200 million people worldwide and yet there's only 200 specialists globally to perform effective excision surgery. Every single day patients are suffering debilitating chronic pain, extreme fatigue and a variety of horrific symptoms which leaves us with zero quality of life. Our economy suffers because we are unable to work. In the UK endometriosis costs the economy £8.2bn a year in treatment, loss of work and healthcare costs. A note from the organiser below. A chara, We invite you to join us for the Irish EndoMarch 2023 on Sunday 26th March. This event is part of the global EndoMarch movement, aimed at raising awareness about endometriosis, its associated issues, and creating a supportive community for those affected. Endometriosis has a significant impact on the lives of women in Ireland, and more needs to be done to improve diagnosis, treatment, and support for those affected by the condition. A dedicated multidisciplinary centre is required to improve care for those living with endometriosis in Ireland. Improved Diagnosis: A multidisciplinary centre would assemble an expert group from diverse backgrounds, encompassing gynaecologists, radiologists, pain management specialists, pelvic physiotherapists, and surgeons. This collaboration would result in a precise identification of endometriosis, leading to a prompt and accurate diagnosis for patients and reducing the requirement for multiple surgeries and procedures. In Ireland, the delay to diagnosis is an average of 9 years. Coordinated Care: A multidisciplinary centre would allow for seamless coordination of care, with all members of the team working together to develop and implement a comprehensive treatment plan. This would minimise the current issues faced by those with endometriosis and reduce the risk of miscommunication, ensuring that patients receive the best possible care. At present, women are left to source individual care providers with no standardised model of care. Access to Expertise: A multidisciplinary centre would bring together a team of specialists with a wealth of experience and expertise in endometriosis. Patients would have access to the latest treatments and technologies, as well as the expertise of specialists who are up-to-date on the latest research and developments in the field. It would also allow for Irish research teams to recruit participants and generate new research potential. Improved Quality of Life: A multidisciplinary centre would provide a comprehensive approach to care, including pain management and support for emotional and psychological well-being. This would help to improve the quality of life for patients with endometriosis, reducing the impact of the condition on their daily lives. It would reduce the delay to diagnosis, reduce the need for women to travel outside of Ireland for treatment and improve not only the health outcomes, but also the fertility outcomes of those availing of the services. It is imperative for both the medical community and society as a whole to give endometriosis the attention it deserves. It is crucial to listen to the experiences of individuals living with endometriosis in Ireland and to have faith in women's accounts. Whether you have personal experience with endometriosis or simply want to support the cause, this event is open to everyone who is passionate about improving endometriosis health and awareness outcomes. To register for the event and for more information, please visit the EndoMarch 2023 event page on Eventbrite: https://EndoMarch2023.eventbrite.ie We hope to see you there to join us in the campaign to raise awareness about endometriosis. Sincerely, Kathleen King Team Ireland EndoMarch 2023