The Before 5 Centre on Churchfield Hill was founded almost 50 years ago to support families and the community. Closing of the family centre left 100 families without childcare places next week and 14 staff without jobs. Keep the Before 5 Centre open for the families and people in the community. Image credits: Larry Cummins

To help people get around. Kids getting to school, people who don't drive are less strained to get in and out of town. As well as cutting down on emissions as less people would drive. It would help people save money and hopefully create a better social culture of there is easy access to the town and parks.

The children of Ballyhass NS and the parish of Castlemagner deserve a bus and shouldn't be subjected to the stress and worry of a lottery year on year. This affects anyone that is outside the Department of Education's radius of 3 miles from the school. This is our fight this year but it might be yours in the future.

Fast fashion may seem convenient and affordable, but the truth is, it's taking a huge toll on worker's rights. From the usage of harmful chemicals causing sickness among people working in sweatshops to child labor and modern slavery, the fashion industry is one of the biggest exploiters of labor. Garment workers, work day and night for meagre wages, while companies like SHEIN indulge in fleeting fashion trends and earn billions on sufferings. SHEIN is known not only for stealing designs from artists and small labels but also resorting to questionable practices and inhumane conditions for their sweatshop workers. These people work up to 18 hours a day, and are paid as little as 4 cents per finished clothing item. On top of that, they often face harsh penalties, losing two-thirds of their daily wages for minor mistakes in their work. To make matters worse, SHEIN has shown no hesitation in selling offensive items, like Islamic prayer rugs as decorative mats and swastika necklaces. This is our time to boycott SHEIN and show them we have had enough of their shady practices and exploitation of vulnerable people. LESS FAST FASHION, MORE WORKER RIGHTS

Join this campaign to emphasise a logical solution to the housing crisis.

It is important as lots of children every year are failed by the Irish Government my son enclude. These children have rights under the disability legislation act and we must act now before any other children are failed long term.

Encourage & facilitate use of public transport. Currently women, girls, people in wheelchairs, with bikes & buggies are either afraid or cannot access station.

What can be done? Kiltalown and Jobstown Parks and playground should be beautiful public spaces which the community and surrounding areas could be free to utilise. These public spaces require investment in resources to improve the facilities to allow these parks/playgrounds to be opened to our communities all year round. We are campaigning for: - Proper lighting to be installed within the parks/playground to increase community activity. - More facilities such as park benches and exercise equipment. - Our playground for the children of our communities upgraded and re-opened - Extend the paved walkways and incorporate the stream in kiltalown park. This would allow for a section of the park to be rewilded and would be a great asset for our local schools in order to have nature walks on our doorstep. - In other parks South Dublin County Council have invested vast amounts of funding and programs while failing to invest in our parks in South Tallaght, we demand our fair share of that funding and investments. - Park rangers also to discourage any inappropriate behaviour so that the parks/playground are used in a positive way, so people have a greater sense of security and these community areas attract more users.

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.

Since July 2020, families of 96,000 children eligible for free school meals have received £27 per child each fortnight during school holidays. These families are those who are forced to struggle the most as the cost of living surges. It is vital that this payment continues.

An Tánaiste comments about homeschooling can be read here: https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41096002.html The socialising and isolating issue is brought up very often by those who do not know the rich and varied experiences home-educating and unschooling families have and share with each other. Despite the right of parents to be the primary educator of their children, protected by the Constitution, the Tánaiste’s comments reveal that he considers there is something misaligned in parents who chose home-education over sending their children to state schools, or something misaligned with their children as a result. It is a classic misperception by those who know little about home-education that children do not learn to socialise when educated at home, and that home-educating families are isolated or somehow removed from society at large, in an ignorant bubble, as the minister himself projected. Sometimes you find the truth when you turn 180 degrees. In all fairness, it's an understandable knee jerk reaction to think that without classroom activities, children don't socialise. The reality is radically different and backed up by studies. Homeschooled children do not only have ample time for visits with their school going friends, there are many wonderful home-ed communities to connect with any time of the week. You see, as a general rule, home-educating families love meeting with home-educating families. There's people across the length and breadth of this country meeting up, organising museum visits, art projects, play sessions, camping trips, shared educational opportunities etc etc. Furthermore home-educated and unschooled children meet with a variety of people throughout the day, the post man, the busker in the street, the person giving the guided tour just to them, their grandparents, etc. etc. Within home-education children's interactions are not restricted mostly to their own age groups and therfore there is an increase in having friendships with much younger or older children and adults too. It was deeply offensive to hear the comments from our Tánaiste who is meant to protect every child and person in the county. The comments crudely undermined our sincere efforts, and were regarding a case which anchored on religious beliefs and did not in any way represent the home-educating communities of Ireland. We ask Minister Martin to please make a retraction and restore the faith of this minority group by expressing respect for personal decisions regarding our families, as is our right. Home-educating and unschooling families and their children are very much part of modern Irish society, and their local communities. We are a Constitutionally protected minority, and in other countries this legality is deemed progressive and supportive of democratic choice. Photo by Sasko Lazarov