Since the beginning of Israel’s current attack on Gaza 5 months ago, over 40,000 civilians have been murdered, including over 14,000 children. This is 6 times higher than the number of children killed in the war in Ukraine and the highest rate of children killed in any conflict in modern times. Given these stark statistics, the people of Ireland are horrified that Lidl has chosen an Israeli supplier for its baby products and demand that Lidl cuts its ties with Israel immediately. Lidl’s brand Lupilu wipes are currently made in Ashdod, Israel. Formerly Isdud, a large town of 48,000, it was entirely ethnically cleansed of its Palestinian population in 1948, with no one allowed to return.

Lidl has also purchased baby wipes from Albaad, a company based in Caesarea (formerly Qisarya) in historic Palestine. This is another town that was entirely ethnically cleansed in 1948.  Continuing to source wipes from Israel, is continuing to support the utter horror and devastation being committing against the people of Palestine. In doing so, Lidl also disregards the effects on staff of processing goods whose profits fund the genocide being committed against babies and children in Gaza. It is important to note that all workers' have a right to conscientously object to handling goods that fund genocide. According to the latest Red-C poll, the majority of Irish people support the boycott of Israeli goods. There can be no business as usual with a brutal apartheid state where Palestinians are attacked, imprisoned and murdered on a daily basis.

The Brian Boru Pub has been situated on the banks of the Royal Canal and has traded as a public house for over a decade. Such is its place in the collective consciousness of Dubliners, it has featured in the prominent works of James Joyce (Ulysses) and James Plunkett (Strumpet City). The pub is to be replaced with a station on Metro North and we believe that the calls, heretofore, for the new Metro Station to be named in accordance with the pub are entirely apt. Please sign so that we can afford our built heritage the respect it duly deserves.

The high cost of gluten-free foods creates a significant financial burden, hindering coeliacs' ability to access necessary nutrition. By providing financial support, this ensures that coeliacs have equal opportunities to afford these essential dietary items, promoting their overall well-being and health equity.

Whilst many stations around the country are named after leaders of the revolutionary period, none are named after female revolutionaries. This is a sad reflection on the historical lack of importance attached the gender equality in the public realm. Constance Markievicz was a trailblazer in many ways: she was the first women to be elected to Westminster, the first female cabinet minister in Europe in the first Dáil, a suffragette, socialist and feminist. It is time we began to recognise the contribution of such women to our nation, and this would be a fine way to recognise her.

This petition is set up to show support for the Kevin family who are residing in 22 Woodview Close, Nenagh. We are pleading with the Council to be compassionate with this case. We are hoping that the family will not be evicted or forcibly removed from the home the family has lived in for over 25 years. The tragedies that the Kevin family has endured over the last 11 years are unimaginable. The untimely death of their beloved son and brother, Alan, in 2013, left the family buried in grief. Tommy Kevin (their father) was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer in July 2017 and underwent gruelling treatments which left him very sick and frail. Catherine Kevin (their mother) was also very sick with cancer, as yet undiagnosed, at that time. Paul moved back home early in 2020 to help his brothers care for both parents who were weak and unable to manage their day-to-day needs. Tommy sadly passed away in August 2021, having suffered in terrible pain at the end of his life. Paul gave up his full-time job completely in November 2021 to care for his mother as she was not coping well after her beloved Tommy’s death. Unfortunately, Catherine passed away only eight months after Tommy in April 2022, also in painful and difficult circumstances, leaving Paul and the entire family completely distraught. The last thought in his mind throughout all of this was the tenancy on the house. His sole mission was to care for his parents, and the death of his mother, in particular, was highly traumatic and unexpected. The entire family was again plunged into grief and all sense of normalcy was destroyed. Paul’s brother, Brian, was officially a Council occupant in the house and had lived in the house since he was a child with his parents and siblings. Brian tried to secure full tenancy via a succession application but found the process difficult and stressful. Having been refused succession by the Council, Brian sadly gave up the tenancy early in 2023. Throughout all of this, Paul and Shauna continued to faithfully pay rent to the council while they tried to work on a solution. They had given up their HAP accommodation at this point due to the financial stress of paying rent on two properties. Shauna had also given birth to a beautiful baby boy, named Tom for his grandfather, in November 2022. Brian, and Paul and Shauna, have returned all the documentation that was asked of them by the Council. They have tried hard to navigate a complex and difficult process to retain the family home. Paul and Shauna have even accepted that they may need to find alternative accommodation and have been searching for a rental property since July 2023 but cannot find one. There are almost no properties to be found, and anything that is available is far out of their budget, even with financial assistance from HAP. They have now accepted that they may have to part with their family pet in order to be accepted for a private tenancy. A number of properties have passed them by due to poor coordination from the Council, which is essential for a HAP tenancy. All the while, the Council has applied pressure on the family to leave the property, with a Court Order to appear in Nenagh District Court on 11th April for the purpose of seeking an eviction order. Shauna is originally from Charleville and her family mostly live in the UK now; while Paul’s parents are deceased. They do not have anywhere to go and face the prospect of going into homelessness. The couple’s second baby, a little girl, was due to arrive on 14th March and will surely be here by the time the court date comes around. Shauna faces the prospect of going to court with a newborn to be evicted with nowhere to go. It is a harrowing prospect for this young family who have tried to do the right thing by Paul’s parents in their hour of need. To make all of the above worse, each of Paul and Shauna have diagnosed medical conditions that place them under significant strain. For privacy reasons they are not detailed in this petition, however the Council is aware of the severity of their illnesses, and the effect they have on their day to day lives. The sole property that the Council showed the family as an alternative was in an old building, poorly maintained and with significant mould and damp. The apartment the family were shown was up three flights of stairs. Shauna simply would not be able to manage this physically and it would put her health at risk. Even worse, young Tom has asthma and requires an inhaler. The damp and mould would likely make him very sick, and the couple were concerned for their imminent new arrival. They regretfully declined this property. Tipperary County Council has not shown them any other properties. We, concerned neighbours of the Kevin family, would like to ask you to sign your name and address at the bottom of this petition to plead the family’s case with the Council. We will then deliver this petition to the Council and ask that it be placed on file for the Kevin Family’s housing application, and that consideration is given to giving the family a tenancy at the house their family has been paying rent, never without a delay or issue, to the Council for over 25 years (38 years when we consider the tenancy Tommy and Catherine first held before their family grew too big and they moved to Woodview Close). Surely this family deserves some consideration to be allowed to stay in the family home.

This rule serves no purpose other than to exclude, reject, and leave a disproportionate number of former residents, along with the representatives of sadly deceased residents, feeling that after so many years they yet again don't matter in the eyes of the state and are rated second class in the country in which they were born. It is not about mere financial compensation. No amount of money can repair the feelings of loss, separation and damage that was deliberately and purposefully inflicted upon innocent mothers and their children by state and church. It goes far beyond monetary considerations. The hurt and emotional damage caused by the introduction of this arbitrary rule is immeasurable. It must be addressed and remedied with urgency.

A Chairde, As a "blow-in" to the Rhode area in Co Offaly I have been shocked at the state of the local roads within the area. At the beginning of this year, after spending more money on suspension issues on my car I did a small audit of section B04 (local roads) of the Offaly county council budget. The main findings so far: Variance of over €445K in the 2022 budget compared to Prior year figure in 2023 file. No additional funding provided with the exception of €150K additional funding in 2024. No Data or information relating to how much of the budget has actually been spent. No Data provided on where the money is actually being spent. After speaking with other locals, it appears that due to a lack of representation within the Rhode/Edenderry area, Other areas in Offaly are looked after at a higher rate than we are. I have sent on a Freedom of Information request to Offaly County Council asking for the following: "Would it be possible to ask for a breakdown of Section B04 for budget's 2020/21/22 and an explanation for the variance in 2022 figures. Is there an "Actual V Budget" Breakdown available anywhere? Can you provide expenditure data on B0402 Local Rd Surface Rest/Road Reconstruction/Overlay? Is there data available for what road's/areas resurfacing works were carried out for 2020/2021/2022/2023 and the associated spends? Same as above for B0405 Local Roads General Maintenance Works. It is clear that B0402 Local Rd Surface Rest/Road Reconstruction/Overlay has seen no increase in budget for over 3 years, can you provide an explanation as to why? Is there a forecast for the additional 150K that has been budgeted in B0405 Local Roads General Maintenance Works in 2024? Is there currently any National or EU schemes available for the reconstruction of local roads in rural/farming communities?" My Request has been refused by the council and I am in contact with the Office of Information Commission in order to appeal the decision. I am asking that you sign this petition in support of transparency within our local council and would ask that you contact your local councilors and ask them to release the Data that has been requested: https://www.offaly.ie/c/councillilors/ Go raibh maith agat! Ross

Books and other media with LGBTQ+ themes are extremely important for young people who may be struggling to understand their own identity, as it gives them role models to look up to and allows them an opportunity to see people like them in the stories they enjoy! Book bans, like the one being pushed by prominent Unionist politicians including MP Carla Lockhart are also incredibly discriminatory and hypocritical [1] - representation of non- heterosexual relationships should no more be banned from Libraries than heterosexual/cis gender relationships. A child will not become gay or be "transed" by reading a book with a gay or trans character included. We must not allow bigoted bad actors to import American culture war nonsense to Northern Ireland. [1] https://www.newsletter.co.uk/education/dup-mp-carla-lockhart-calls-for-the-immediate-re[…]ildrens-books-from-northern-irish-public-libraries-4562485

Education Minister Paul Givan has confirmed that without additional funding, his department will struggle to find additional school places for over 1,000 children with SEN. The Education Authority has reported that it is "extremely challenging" to find new places in schools and "urgent investment" is needed. No child with SEN should be left in limbo before the start of the new school term. The NI Executive needs to provide more capital investment to solve this crisis!

Although standardisation of ESG reporting is difficult, we believe that it can provide greater transparency and reduce issuers' discretion of reporting which we believe may provide leeway for ignorance of important topics. This will lead to a fairer more transparent reporting of ESG topics and in turn, will enforce companies to reduce their unsustainable practices.

Israel is withholding food, water and medical aid from Gaza. Babies and children are starving and dehydrating to death. Aid is being seized or turned away by Israeli forces at the border. They are using starvation and deprivation of medical aid as a weapon and children are paying the price.

Self-builders are saving between €7k and €30k+ thanks to the development contribution waiver. It's been extended until the end of 2024, which is great news for those who are at the planning stage or looking for a builder to hire. With construction costs high and builders hard to get, we need the waiver permanently instated those building a new family home.