Stratford-on-Slaney is unique. It’s one of Ireland’s very few planned villages, built on a hill overlooking the River Slaney in 1774 and completed around the 1780s by Edward Stratford, the 2nd Earl of Aldborough. His vision was a Georgian industrial town, centred on a thriving cotton and calico printing industry that employed over 1,000 people at its peak. What’s happened? Recently, the Stratford Tidy Towns Committee placed clay mounds on our Greens without community consultation or showing residents any visual plans. Despite four requests for an open meeting to allow dialogue, they have declined to engage with us. When residents attended the most recent Tidy Towns meeting to raise objections, we were told they will only follow what the National Tidy Towns judges say about the mounds. Our community’s voice does not matter to them. Why we object: 1. Massive loss of heritage: The 2025 National judges said our Octagon, chestnut trees, and old buildings on High Street are what make Stratford a very beautiful village. These mounds destroy a 250-year-old heritage feature. 2. Health & safety: About 60 tons of soil now create dangerous bike ramps for children and block sightlines for drivers. 3. Security: Families that live on the Green are worried about privacy and falling house values. 4. Loss of tradition: The village Christmas tree can no longer be placed in the centre. Every use of the Green that served generations for 250 years will now be lost. This is our only open green space. It is the heart of our village. We are calling for the mounds to be removed and our historic Green restored.  If you believe that heritage and the original sites of our villages and towns should be cared for with pride, please sign our petition and share it with your friends. We need your support. So far we have been met with silence.

Diamond Park may be officially closed, but every day more than 40 children still gather there because it is the only accessible play space in the area. Families have nowhere else to bring their children, and the current condition of the park is unsafe, damaged, and neglected. The broken equipment, weak fencing, and lack of security mean children are playing in an environment that is not fit for purpose. At night, the park is regularly trespassed and vandalised because the fencing is too weak to protect it. This leads to even more damage and makes the space even less safe for children the next day. The community is stuck in a cycle where the park is closed, but still heavily used, and yet no improvements are being made. Rebuilding Diamond Park, installing stronger fencing, and restoring it to a safe standard would immediately benefit dozens of children and families who rely on it daily. A safe, well‑maintained playground is essential for children’s development, physical activity, and social connection. The community deserves a safe place for children to play, and this petition asks Dublin City Council to take action now.

Gorey Hill School was officially opened at the beginning of 2025 in the same grounds as Gaelscoil Moshíológ. This was supposed to be a temporary location until a new purpose built school is built on a green field site. The department has now decided the current shared site to be the permanent home of Gorey Hill and plans to build modular buildings and car parks covering the majority of Gaelscoil’s green space. This is in direct contradiction to the department’s National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development which supports schools in creating sustainable learning environments and developing “healthy ecosystems, biodiversity and conservation - essential for humanity’s continued security”. Our objection is based on: 1. Massive impact of loss of greenspace to our students, especially those with special needs. 2. Firm belief that Gorey Hill deserves the green field, purpose build school they were promised. 3. Likely loss of Naíonra, breakfast and afterschool service which are now essential to the growth of the school and the families who utilise the service each day. 4. Unsustainable overcrowding of the of the area, putting pressure on utilities and causing health and safety issues regarding access and evacuation routes. We wish to make it very clear that we are not opposed to Gorey Hill School or to the children and families who attend it. We fully recognise the importance of appropriate long-term provision for children with additional needs, and we acknowledge the dedication of their families. It is also important to note that the Gaelscoil itself supports children with additional needs, and this must be properly considered in all planning decisions. However, we do not believe the current proposal represents a sustainable or workable solution for either school.  It appears the Department is forcing two minority educational experiences to squeeze onto a single site, which if it goes ahead, will become very built up. Both schools will lack green space and the opportunity to grow and expand.

The reason for this request is to protect our children, parents and guardians, from the traffic on the main road, R610. As the school is situated on a steep hill with no access for a school bus or coach, the children and teachers have to walk down to the main road and gather behind the Grass Island to catch a bus or coach, or to walk to the playground or the tennis courts in the village. Why should the county councillors care?                                                      Because the proposed plan to change the road layout has not been proven to be an improvement but will be a serious threat to Road Safety for parents and school children. The Grass Island has been and remains a safe solution for the traffic needs of the school and village.  The implementation of the Active Travel Greenways Improvements cannot threaten the daily life of our school children or their parents.

As a public facility, Mullingar Swimming Pool has a responsibility to remain inclusive and accessible to all members of the community.  In a country surrounded by water, the ability to swim is an essential life skill, and access to effective learning pathways must be protected.  We respectfully call on Westmeath County Council to:  • Review and reconsider the decision to ban private swimming lesson • Acknowledge and address the current shortfall in available classes and access within existing programmes • Engage with pool users, parents, instructors, and adult learners before implementing major policy changes • Explore balanced alternatives, such as designated times that allow private instruction to continue alongside public use We believe there is a fair and practical solution that supports safety, inclusion, and access for everyone.  

Bus Eireann has confirmed that families will be paying almost twice as much next year for their children to get to school by bus.  This comes at a time when many families are already dealing with the mountingfuel costs and other price hikes driven by the conflict in the Middle East, and now those with school-age children are being asked to pay significantly more for next year's school transport. The price hikes were confirmed last week as transport portal opened for the 2026/27 bus tickes, with many families now facing almost double the cost for the coming academic year. Not only will this put additional financial pressure on parents getting their children to school - but it's also goes against the Government's commitment to ensuring that public transport is an affordable, reliable and attractive option for all, whether in our cities, towns or rural communities.

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St. Patrick's Day is Ireland's most important national and cultural celebration, recognised globally.  Establishing a fixed annual long weekend would: • Enable greater participation in parades, cultural events and community celebrations • Support tourism, hospitality, and local economies across the country • Provide a consistent national holiday structure This change would preserve the cultural, historical and religious significance of the 17th of March while improving how the public holiday is observed for the benefit of society and the economy.

Yesterday the world, and our community, celebrated World Book Day. Our children dressed up as their favourite characters. We celebrated the important role of reading in development, in mental health, and in how we understand the world. Yet in Donabate, a rapidly expanding community, we have recently been severely downgraded in our library services. Our library was in the community centre. The library had something for everyone in the community: lots of colourful books for younger children, spaces for teenagers to study with friends or on their own, and a wide range of books for adults. In January the library was relocated to the old Credit Union building. The building itself is beautiful. But, unfortunately, the new library is 169 square metres — over 200 square metres smaller than the previous space. Now there is a lack of comfortable space for children to relax and read - the toys and art supplies have been removed. Secondary school students have also lost the space they used for studying, and adults of all reading tastes have seen a drastic decrease in selection. There was a general feeling in Donabate, with its rapidly expanding population, that the new library was to be an upgrade. However, there are now serious concerns that the community is losing significant library space in the short term, and it is completely unclear when the library will return to a size comparable to what it originally was — let alone when it will be appropriate for Donabate’s significantly increasing population. We understand that the new building is only Phase One, and that there is a planned Phase Two expansion to enlarge and enhance the library in the future. While we welcome any long‑term investment, planning & construction timelines for Phase Two are unclear.  There is serious concern it will take years to deliver. Our community — especially our children, young and old — needs a functioning, accessible, and appropriately sized library now, not at some distant point in the future. We are calling for Phase Two to be prioritised and accelerated, with interim solutions put in place immediately.

Dublin City Council has announced plans to redevelop Mountjoy Square. https://engage.dublincity.ie/en-IE/projects/re-imagining-mountjoy-square-park-part-8/2 This in and of itself is to be welcomed. No one argues against the park currently being in a squalid state of disrepair. However, the current plans fail, beyond token measures, to provide appropriate play and sports facilities for the youth of the area. We must have sports facilities in Mountjoy Square where we can attract and nurture local young people, offering a pathway to a happy, healthy life in the grey concrete jungle of the North Inner City. Sports and physical activities are not just games; they teach teamwork, discipline, resilience and the value of perseverance.  How can we expect our children to thrive if they have no spaces or where they play, learn and grow are neglected?  No facilities, cracked courts, worn-out fields send a message that their growth and health are not a priority. The redevelopment of Mountjoy Square is a huge chance to show them that the opposite is true. Dublin City Council shouldn't miss the open goal!

For years, our school community has been waiting for progress on an approved new school building. In the meantime, hundreds of children continue to learn in an ageing main building that no longer meets the needs of a modern primary school. Several classes are housed in portacabins due to overcrowding. Recent severe weather has exposed just how serious this situation has become. • One portacabin classroom suffered a floor collapse. • Two additional classrooms and the reception office are dealing with active leaks. While school staff handle these situations with professionalism and calm, the reality is stark: young children are being educated in infrastructure that is visibly failing. This is no longer an inconvenience. It is an urgent issue affecting the safety, wellbeing, and educational experience of hundreds of local children. At the same time, Dunboyne is expanding rapidly. A major housing development is already underway, and an influx of young families is inevitable. It is deeply concerning that while residential construction accelerates, critical educational infrastructure remains stalled. Parents have shown patience and good faith for many years. But children only experience primary school once. They should not spend those formative years in deteriorating facilities while the wider area grows around them. We are calling on our local representatives and the Department of Education to: • Treat the new Dunboyne school building as a priority project • Provide a clear and binding timeline for commencement and completion • Confirm the current stage of the project and the immediate next steps Our children deserve safe, modern learning environments. Our growing community deserves infrastructure that matches its expansion. We are asking for action, clarity, and momentum — not further delay. Dunboyne Junior & Senior Primary Schools - Parent Association

Aughrim Street has high traffic levels during school hours. There are large groups of pupils crossing at the same times. A new bus route now passes along Aughrim Street, increasing traffic volume and making the crossing busier and more dangerous. The School Warden on Oxmantown Road needs their hours extended to cover the 1:30 p.m. collection, as many younger children finish at that time and require safe crossing support.