£73 million. That’s how much Stormont exempted companies such as Coca-Cola, Moy Park and Kingspan from paying rates last year. While the rest of us fork out an average of £1,180 per year for our household rates bill, Stormont gives big businesses massive giveaways. This is incredibly unfair. Rates should be fully collected from multi-million pound companies and invested in shortening our waiting lists, cleaning up our polluted rivers and loughs, our struggling schools and many more. But it won’t happen if Stormont won't make them pay. Northern Ireland is the only place in the UK that gives away money like this. The policy was abolished in England in 1963 and Scotland in 1995. And in 2003, Stormont promised to phase out the derating policy following a public consultation. But over 20 years later, Stormont is still giving away millions through this outdated policy. We, the undersigned, call on Minister Caoimhe Archibald to scrap the rates exemption for big businesses.

The internet initially brought hope of connecting people and sharing information. Social media and algorithms initially brought the ability to have content customized to your interests and connections, and discover new content and connections which interest you. This has been completely hijacked by the advertising industry.... The most commonly used social media platforms such as X/Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/Tiktok generate profit through the advertising industry and structure their algorithms around it. They lock users into their platforms because if you leave, you lose all your connections and "like"/"follow" settings.  The algorithms are black boxes which target ads at you to maximize profit of the platform. The organizations with the most ability to buy ads are corporations who want you to consume more and more (often in a way which destroys our planet), and industry special interests who fund political and policy campaigns in their own for-profit interests. People like Elon Musk can control world conversation by buying Twitter/X. There are alternative platforms such as Bluesky and Mastodon which are not modelled on the advertising industry and which support open algorithms and moderation rules, and which are not based on a lock-in model. However very few people are switching because they have already been locked-in to the advertising based lock-in platforms. Even progressive organizations like Uplift are supporting this model by putting "share" buttons only of these advertising social media platforms (X/Facebook) and not putting share buttons for Bluesky and Mastodon. This petition calls on Uplift and similar organizations to lead the way by adding share buttons for all petitions for Bluesky, Mastodon, and any other platforms which emerge which are not based on advertising and black box algorithms.

I think I can safely say that I speak for every single Irish Rugby Fan with this petition.  This is Irish Rugby's 150th Anniversary, a landmark season that needs to be a stand out one and recognized globally.  This can't be done with the generic, collarless, socceresque jersey that was released last week.  This can't only be done with the traditional, iconic white collared Green & Gold Jersey that was announced today.  Forget the talk of limited edition, we don't want this as a souvenir jersey with no game time played in it, all true Irish Rugby fans urge the IRFU, Canterbury & Elverys Sports to reconsider their decision while there's still time and make this absolutely stunning design as Irish Rugby's home Jersey for the 2024/2025 season.  Do your part by signing this position but also do that little bit more and point blank refuse to buy the forgettable, round neck, turquoise jersey that was released last week.  Thanks for taking the time to read  Philip O'Reilly 

Oasis fans across Ireland were left stunned when they went to buy tickets to their Croke Park gigs and saw how much they were being charged. This is because Ticketmaster is using what it calls "dynamic pricing" – where the cost of concert tickets rises massively depending on demand. Some people were faced with the prospect of paying €440 for standing tickets, which so many of us couldn't even begin to afford. We are calling on this government to ban Ticketmaster from price gouging on future events. This must never be allowed to happen again.

Because recent we lost out on a family holiday and due to no communication from the passport office even when they have been contacted in relation to passports they still didn’t give no information until a TD contact them on our behalf. We not only lost out on my daughters first holiday, a family holiday the first since my brother passed away but also my sisters 50th birthday. I am more angry that when I posted this that hundreds across Ireland have come up against the same problem 

"Kilkenny says No" is a group of people of far right ideology with ties to The Irish Freedom Party protesting a previously vacant building now intended to be used to accommodate IPAS residents. The GAA is Irelands largest sporting organisation and has a long history of being diverse and inclusive and the misuse of the county emblem is a disgrace.  Many supporters and players are people of colour and the GAA must take steps to seek the removal of the county emblem from hateful, racist social media profiles. The GAA continues to develop abroad, led by the Irish Diaspora with both regional and club units now well established in the United States, Australia, Britain, mainland Europe, Canada, Asia and many other parts of the world. 400 clubs promote the activities of the GAA around the world. Sign the petition to implore the GAA to address this misuse! 

North Offaly is fast becoming the home of Green energy projects that are being constructed or planed in Ireland. The Yellow River Wind farm is a prime example of a project in the area. Locals objected to the Wind farm on the grounds that there was not adequate infrastructure in place to take on the increase in construction traffic. Ultimately the case was taken to the high court where the objection was refused. At the time local councilors promised the roads would be done before, maintained during and redone after construction of the wind farm. These promises ultimately proved to be empty. A few planned projects along the r400 or that will use the r400 for the majority of construction traffic: Yellow River Wind farm: https://www.sserenewables.com/onshore-wind/in-development/yellowriver/ Rhode Green Energy Park: https://www.offaly.ie/rhode-green-energy-park/ Bio-Mass Gassification Plant: https://www.offalyexpress.ie/news/home/632520/new-biomass-gasification-plant-set-to-be-constructed-in-offaly.html Battery Storage: https://www.offalyexpress.ie/news/home/550961/plans-unveiled-for-substantial-energy-storage-facility-in-offaly.html Clonin North Solar Farm: https://www.highfieldenergy.com/SolarProjects/clonin-north-solar-farm Oxigen Waste Management Facility: https://www.offalyindependent.ie/2023/11/09/controversial-waste-facility-in-north-offaly-gets-planning-approval/ Full report on Green energy within the area can be found: https://www.offaly.ie/green-energy-2/ This campaign is focused on finding the balance between these types of projects and ensuring that local residents are taken care of. Much of the local area around the r400 is not serviced by public transport and as such we rely on our cars and on the roads, which we pay for through our taxes. The r400 has been in a state for decades, the local council have failed to make it a priority, failed to hold the companies behind the large scale construction projects accountable for their use and they have failed all of us who have had to endure an unsafe, not fit for purpose, road. When questioned as to why the r400 has not seen improvements over the years Offaly County Council claim that there is not enough funding. The only way around the lack of funding on a local level, is for the road to be made a national road. That way it's reconstruction and maintenance funding, will come from the National Government. Please join us in calling for the National and local Government's to make the r400 a national road. 

No matter who we are or where we come from, we all deserve a fair wage we can live on – but right now, Aer Lingus pilots aren't being properly paid for the work they're doing.  Aer Lingus pilots are now being vilified unfairly for daring to ask for the most basic thing – for their pay to be increased in line with inflation. Together, we want to show Aer Lingus that we support the pilots in their fight for fair pay. Responsibility for cancelled flights lies with Aer Lingus management, not with pilots.

The abuse uncovered by RTÉ Investigates at Shannonside Foods' horse abattoir in Kildare has shocked us all. Footage captured by RTÉ has shown horses being hit, punched, whipped and struck with plastic piping.  Together, we are calling on the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to shut down this abattoir with immediate effect. If those who own the abattoir feel it's OK to treat animals like this, they shouldn't be allowed anywhere near them.  Please sign and share our petition today, and help us get this abattoir shut down.

High energy users putting pressure on renewables.

Gaelscoil Inse Chór is an example of Dublin 8 being missed out for CHILD ROAD SAFETY measures because it is on 'an aerterial road'. Parents and families are fed up hearing the excuse of ‘aerterial road’ for failing to act on road safety near primary schools. When a pedestrian is hit at 50kmph they have a 50% chance of survival. If hit at 60kmph, it’s a 10% chance of survival!  Cars are speeding up Concolbert Road and South Circular Road at 60kmph near little primary school children huddled in fear, behind OVERGROWN bushes and missing crash barriers. The families of Gaelscoil Inse Chór have had enough! This is completely unacceptable!

We are siphoning off the tax base of many, often poorer countries by our corporate tax policies and loopholes. We deny them the funds for hospitals, schools, social supports and infrastructure as well as their capacity to fight climate change. As a tax haven we are doing far more global damage than anything we do that damages the world’s climate. Apple admitted to the US senate that their effective tax rate in Ireland is 2%. Microsoft acknowledged that they put €98 billion through Ireland ‘that was not subject to tax in this jurisdiction’ They paid €3 billion in tax that year ( on €24 billion at 12% ?) making it approx 2% tax rate again. The untaxed money comes from Profit Shifting to Ireland ie profits from other countries. My friend in sub Saharan Africa said all the youth have smartphones but not enough to eat. That’s the power of advertising a product-on which no tax was paid. Ireland is a country that is generous in it’s contributions to developing nations but we completely undermine this by our tax haven activities. It’s time to call for a change in direction to a more ethical business and tax model