In light of the recent outbreak of COVID-19 and the lockdown maternity leave/ maternity benefit should be extended by 3 months for those who's maternity leave was affected by the lockdown. With all childcare facilities being closed many parents face issues of where to leave their babies, with facing loosing their jobs if they have nowhere to leave them. Maternity leave is time when you and baby can attend baby groups, spend time with family, attend needed appointments and with a country being in lockdown none of these things are happening. Many babies have not met their family members or met other babies to socialise in baby groups, these things are vital for baby development, bonding and educating for babies and their parents. Due to COVID-19 many of us are scared to leave our homes and bring babies outside, with the uncertainty of when this is going to end, maternity leave and maternity benefit should be extended giving families reassurance and support. Follow us on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ExtendMatLeave2020/ or on Twitter @matleave2020

It has been difficult to keep the spirits up during confinement, knowing the end of the effort wasn’t so far away, or wasted, kept the focus and the effort going. The news of the long deferral have so deflated the LC students, who were studying so hard up to now. I worry about the consequences this decision might have on their resolve up to now. It would also interfere with plans to study abroad, and would have further implications regarding college entry, after correcting time is added in. Times are tough, but there’s no need to dismantle everything and take the carpet from under their feet. College classes can be taken online, exams can be scheduled in a way that social distancing is adhered to.

Both the Abortion Rights Campaign and the Government want to keep people safe during this emergency. It is in all of our interest to minimise the strain on our healthcare system and to prevent people who are not sick from coming into contact with those who are. Remote consultation is already in use in Ireland by, for example, VideoDoc and Spectrum Health, and more recently, by individual GPs as they adapt to the current crisis. Providing abortion consultations remotely has proven safe, effective, and acceptable in other jurisdictions. We urge the Minister for Health to clarify that an in-person visit is not required in order to satisfy the Act and put appropriate protocols in place. We urge the Minister for Justice to assure doctors they will not be prosecuted if they offer medical abortion remotely at this time. Sign the petition and let the Government know you support those who need to access abortion services, healthcare workers and all those working in the health sector.

This is a major challenge to the health well being of all our communities. It is crucial to stop the spread of the infection. It is recognizing the right of all to health and life.

A toxic combination of being cut off from family and friends, shut refuges, financial hardship, loss of work, closed schools and community services means women experiencing violence are in great danger because of Covid19. The Courts are barely open and even though they say they'll continue to hear emergency domestic violence cases, it's clear that it victims won't be able to get emergency barring orders because all other services they need - from childcare, support workers, transport, legal advice will be either non-existent or too hard to access. Its not clear what will happen if we are ordered to go into full lockdown. Women and children experiencing violence will effectively be locked in with violent partners - and no support system. The Istanbul Convention to which Ireland is a signatory requires for special measures to be taken to prevent and protect women from gender-based violence. 22 other European Countries that are signatories to the Istanbul Convention have already granted special powers to police to make Emergency Barring Orders Regions that have already seen large numbers of Covid-19 cases such as China and have taken measures to reduce the spread by confining people to their homes have reported significant increases in incidents of domestic violence. The time to act is now. About Sisi Sisi is a collective of survivors of intimate abuse in Ireland. It formed in Aug 2018 as an action group and voice for women. This is a unique survivor led platform in Ireland, and is a highly innovative way to bring lived survivor experience to inform state institutions and policies. Our vision is an Ireland where women are free from violence, including sexual abuse and coercive control. Our mission is to support women survivors of violence, including domestic abuse and coercive control, to be leaders, and to grow and develop utilizing their lived experiences and by taking collective action in the pursuit of freedom, equality and structural change.

This will help the children survive sids we will lose less children die. 2000-3500 children die each year and i want to decrease that

Tusla’s new Child Abuse Substantiation Procedures will allow in certain certain circumstances for people under investigation for child abuse, including sexual abuse, to personally interview their alleged victims. The new procedures constitutes inter alia: • a victims right to privacy and dignity throughout an investigation process being severely undermined by these proposals. • a complete lack of regard for the well-being of the victim: the new procedures have potential to retraumatise victims. • a barrier to reporting abuse: it is extremely difficult in any circumstance for victims to come forward with a complaint of abuse. The prospect of having to meet an abuser may have implications on people coming forward with cases of abuse in the future. • an erosion of child-safeguarding.

This plan is outrageous and puts an excessive charge on the use of these proposed privately owned ATM’s, (approximately 1000 combined) which will most likely hit lower waged workers, students and people in receipt of social welfare payments, to name just a few. This proposal is another unjust ploy by Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Bank to increase their profits, at the behest of the ordinary person. The aforementioned Banks have sold off branches, and reduced in person cash services at their branches. Furthermore, people in Rural Ireland will have to travel to find a Bank owned ATM in order to avoid this financial burden. I also call on the Irish Government and the Financial Regulator to stop this proposal from going through.

Due the shortage of secondary school places in Gorey

Our schools are facing overwhelming challenges in the provision of education for our children with special needs. The campaign for The Right Inclusion Model for Every Child calls for the State to provide for the rights of every child to an education. To respect the rights of all of our children, sufficient resources must be provided to those who have special educational needs. The Proclamation of our Republic promises to ‘cherish all the children of the nation equally’. Under the current model, inadequate resourcing means that children with additional needs are not guaranteed their right to equal access to education. The goal of our campaign is to achieve cross-party support for The Right Inclusion Model for Every Child ahead of the General Election and to have the principles of this model included on the next Programme for Government. We assert that The Right Inclusion Model for Every Child must include; • SNA allocation to match the needs of the children • Transparency in the Process: There are currently not enough SNAs in the system to match the needs and the appeals process is not fit for purpose. The proposed General Allocation Model cannot match the needs going forward, given that current needs are not being met. Meaningful consultation with schools, parents and children’s advocacy groups is necessary to inform the right inclusion model. • Multi-Disciplinary teams: Immediate removal of waiting lists for Assessment of Need to ensure timely, appropriate access to multi-disciplinary services. This will require considerable increases in staffing and resourcing of the various services. • Options for children and their families: To have options of placements in mainstream schools, special classes within mainstream schools, and special schools according to each child’s needs. We are asking for every General Election Candidate to sign up to our campaign and to pledge to deliver The Right Inclusion Model for Every Child as a matter of priority in the next government.

We need a safe place for our children and adults to cycle on the road for commuting to school and work. This would also provide for recreational cycling and people to enjoy the coast in a safe and peaceful manner. At the moment there is no continuous safe cycling for people in DLR. Most people currently don't cycle due to the dangerous nature of the roads in DLR. This could provide an impetus for cycling with a link all the way from Booterstown to Sandycove. There's been talk of a cycleway along the coast for over 20 years and still no sign of it.

I am committed to being part of the Irish Left, and helping this country to move more to the left. As part of this, I have had the privilege of attending the "School Strikes for the Climate," to support Ireland's young climate activists. These children and teenagers have shown themselves to care more passionately about fixing the climate crisis than many of Ireland's adults. In 2015, we had the same-sex marriage referendum. We saw that year how many of our young people really care about making our country a more equal and fair place. Our teenagers have things to say, so I strongly believe we should let them have their say. It is time for us to lower the minimum voting age in elections and referendums to sixteen. To do so would not only make Ireland a more equal country, but it would help to bring fresh input and ideas into the national conversation. So please sign this petition to Leinster House and share it with others. Thank you.