Our local libraries are an amazing resource. Weekends are a great time to go to study, take your children, and browse around as there is lots to do there. When a bank holiday weekend comes around the local library shuts that preceding Saturday. I have gone to my local library on lots of Saturdays during the year planning to have some quiet study space only to realise as its a bank holiday they are shut! I imagine there are many people out there who have had this experience. This wonderful resource should be open particularly at a bank holiday weekend allowing people access to the wonderful facilities.

The summer football works. The current set up is not without its issues but with a bit of fine tuning, eg make the break shorter in summer, it will work no question. Give it a chance. With the current proposal to revert back to winter football without giving calendar football a chance it’s sending a strong message to the kids, if something is hard,quit!! regardless of who it affects.

Because it is disrespectful, depressing and completely wrong. It is not the answer and the only people who would ever have to live like this are those who can't currently afford the ridiculous rent levels. Stop pushing people out of Dublin & think about the kind of cities and communities we want - not what developers want.

Regarding a decision on 17th May at the girls National Boxing Championships in the National Stadium where Tullow Amateur Boxing Club's member Chloe Black was not allowed to box on the basis of an AIBA rule which disallows competitors to be involved in any other individual, physical, contact sport. We wish to have this rule abolished. The rule in this particular case was only applied as a result of an alleged complaint which apparently was then withdrawn. This rule was not applied to any other boxer competing on Friday night who were also involved in other individual, physical, contact sport as stated by members of the IABA committee who made this decision not to allow Chloe a 12 year old box in the final. The reason the IABA gave Tullow BC coaches for allowing the others to compete was because they said they only had to act on complaints that were lodged and there were no complaints about any other competitors participating in other physical, contact sports. This unfair and unjust rule which was only circulated on Thursday 16th May affects every child in Ireland involved in boxing. It has left Chloe Black devastated and in a position where she is unable to compete in boxing and was disallowed to compete for a second National title. Boxing is a sport that she loves and holds 1 National title, 2 Leinster titles and 3 Michael Andrews titles and has an unbeaten record. All because Chloe is involved in Carlow Muay Thai club which the IABA class as a physical contact sport. Please sign the petition to fight this rule on behalf of every young boxer in Ireland.

Provide the children of our community with basic facilities to help keep them involved in sports

As construction has yet to begin on the new school building in Millennium Park, the current campus in Craddockstown is running at full capacity, with an estimated 120 incoming 1st year students starting in August 2019 the question is where are the students going to be housed with a student population of 388 currently. Last year we were promised 6 prefabs would be in place for August 2018, they were not onsite and fit for purpose until January 2019. We are now facing the very same situation. We have had enough, its not good enough for our Children to be let down yet again, we have put our trust in the process repeatedly, it is not delivering. We are taking a stand for our Children's right to an education in a place that is not cramped and overcrowded, that they have space and freedom to move freely between classes and break times,a place there is no negative impact on students mental health and well-being. This is a Community Issue, we all need to stand together.

This school provides so much more than just education and care for its 21 students, it gives those children a sense of independence and belonging. it’s also a growing school with an increase in students due next September

Under the Loco Parentis rule, parents of disabled children are restricted from leaving their own home while a respite nurse is in the home to provide in-home respite. An adult must remain in the home. This is not respite. Parents who are caring 24/7 for their medically fragile children must be able to recharge, run errands, go to medical appointments, spend time away with their other children, and much more. The siblings of the disabled children must also be able to have the most normal social life outside of the home as possible. For this to happen, parents must be able to leave the home with these siblings during in-home nursing respite hours. This rule is particularly discriminatory against lone parent carers who don't have a partner to be the adult to remain in the home as the Loco Parentis. Of all carers, lone parent carers are typically under the most amount of stress - physically and emotionally - and as such, being able to leave the home, even just once a week for 5 hours, is desperately needed. Ultimately, the best care possible for the disabled child is what is at risk if the parent carer is unable to maintain their own physical and emotional well-being. The other children in the family, and family unit as a whole, are also at risk of harmful, irreparable dysfunction if essentially trapped in their home due to such an inhumane, unjust, policy as is Loco Parentis. This rule, implemented by the HSE, is clearly a violation of human rights and the rights of children.

YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SOCIAL & ECONOMIC FABRIC OF THE TULLAMORE TOWN & COUNTY - The ARTS CENTRE will be based in a pre-existing retail unit – bringing vibrancy, social & economic prosperity into Tullamore & County - Attract people/increase footfall into the town; Will increase vacancy rates on retail units; Will put money into the pocket of retailers. - The ARTS CENTRE creates Social cohesion providing opportunities to bring people/communities together - The Arts Centre shows that Tullamore & county is investing in itself – a focal point for cultural tourism, the experience economy, supporting local retailers, employment, etc WE NEED TO CATCH UP WITH & COMPETE WITH OTHER MIDLAND TOWNS & COUNTIES - Do we want our county town, Tullamore to drop down the ranks to the 6th, 7th, etc town in the midlands? - No, we want it to be the No. 1 town in the midlands! - How can we complete? The ARTS CENTRE & its programme will be a unique opportunity for Tullamore; innovative; forward thinking, etc. NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN - Now is the time, to invest and commit to Tullamore town & county - Show us now that you, our representatives are going to support this town to move forward & prosper - Don’t miss this opportunity and the €2million already ringfenced that is due to expire at end of 2020 - Approx €200K already fundraised by the community HOPE & BELIEF IN TULLAMORE & COUNTY - We are doing this to provide hope for our young people, older people, vulnerable people, for our retailers, for culture, social & economic development - A symbol of Hope for Tullamore & County– create a buzz, bring life back into the town & county - A BELIEF in & reason for people to stay in Tullamore & County; to return, to attract new people.... Sign this Petition, giving your thoughts on the matter, for this to be submitted to the Offaly County Council.

Ireland has changed, we are a more inclusive, equal and progressive society and sex education in Irish schools must reflect this. Young people we work with have said that sex education is not fit for purpose, does not reflect the variety of identities and sexual orientation of people today, putting the health and safety of young people at risk. Recommendations by the Oireachtas Committee on Relationships and Sexual Health, and the NCCA Review of the RSE, echo what our young people say.

This is a vital service for parents and children in the community. Pressure needs to be put on Dublin City Council and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to come up with a solution to sustain this creche

As parents to 2 terminally ill boys, Cathal (4) and Ciaran (3) we do not want any other parents to suffer our pain unnecessarily. We want our boys to be amongst the last born in Ireland with a disease that could have been treated at birth. Our sons have a rare condition Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) with a life expectancy of 5 yrs. Through a trial gene therapy treatment program in Milan, Italy, we were able to treat Ciaran who is now 2 years post therapy and doing well. For Cathal however there was no chance of treatment be cause once the condition had been diagnosed it was to late. Through our experience in Italy we learnt of their program to expand their newborn screening program from 4 diseases to 40 in 1 year. This has been a huge success and will save so many lives and so much suffering that we must follow their lead and protect our children here in Ireland. The Italian government has presented this information to the EU parliament and their ministry of health and the charity organisations who drove this change have openly offer their assistance to us to copy their model in this expansion. I have written to every politician in Ireland and shared this information and the relevant contacts with our HSE. But I have been advised from the people who made it happen in Italy that public will and pressure on the government are the best ways to effect change. All the studies and validations for all 40 diseases they now screen for are available to use, along with the financial cases for each disease. Making this change will also save millions of euro! 1 in 1500 births in Ireland will have 1 of these detectable and treatable conditions. 1 baby every 8 days. We have watched our son Cathal grow to be a beautiful 2 year old boy with no problems and then slowly fade over the last 3 yrs. He is fully paralyzed now and close to the end. We cannot bear the burden of knowing there will be other parents like us unless their is an immediate action taken on this. Please take the time to sign this petition and to share it with everyone and anyone you can. There is a wonderful opportunity to make a huge change here in Ireland, saving the lives of children and the suffering of so many families. https://www.facebook.com/themartinfamilytrust