Using Afrikaans to verify citizenship is racist, ignorant and insulting.

On the 9th of March, a motion to ban the building of further data centres in the constituency was put forward by Cllr Madeleine Johansson of People Before Profit and passed with the support of Sinn Fein, Social Democrats and several independent councillors. There are several reasons councillors voted to ban further Data centres in the region: Ireland currently holds 25% of Erops Data centres and South Dublin is quickly becoming the Data centre hub of Ireland with TikTok set to build one of the biggest Data Centres in Europe in Clondalkin which would use up the same amount of energy in one day then the whole of Clondalkin in three months. It is estimated that 10% of Ireland’s electricity use is currently consumed by data centres and this is expected to increase to 25-30% by 2030. Data centres consume an average of 2% of electricity globally. The continued building of new data centres is incompatible with any hope we have of reaching our climate targets in CO2 reductions. It is clear from EirGrid’s initial statement in late 2021 that the grid in Dublin is struggling to cope, something more data centres would put a further strain on. In addition to the large amount of energy used by data centres they also consume large amounts of water, again adding pressure on the capacity of water services in South Dublin where we are seeing large new housing developments. Despite the motion passing however, there is now an attempt to overturn this decision. Councillors will vote again on this on the 21st June when it will be either included in the plan or removed. After that it will be sent to the Minister for Local Government Darragh O'Brien. We need the Minister and the government to support the democratic vote of local councillors and keep the ban in place. Please sign the petition.

Around 100 residents in the Shannon Arms on Henry Street are currently facing mass evictions from several landlords, most notably, Supermacs owner and multimillionaire, Mr. Pat McDonagh. Some of the other landlords have a history of mass evictions from the properties they control. Tenants have come together as part of CATU Ireland (www.catuireland.org) to resist these evictions. Some evictions have already occurred at the Shannon Arms complex, with further evictions taking place at the end of May - let's show Pat McDonagh that the public support the tenants by signing this petition! Though these evictions have been raised in the Dáil, and with other relevant bodies including the local council, there has been no tangible intervention to help the tenants, some of whom are young families and people with disabilities. The looming threat of these evictions have deeply damaged both the mental and physical health of a number of tenants, which has led to some residents being hospitalised. Due to the extremity of the housing crisis, and the lack of housing available within the city, there are scant options available for the tenants if they are to be evicted at the end of the month. We are calling on Pat McDonagh, and the other landlords who oversee the buildings to revoke these eviction notices and let the Shannon Arms residents remain in their homes.

"11 million Ukrainians wander, they have had to abandon their homes, take their children under their arms and flee? How else can one treat the mass rapes, the mass murders, the bombing of maternity hospitals"... In view of the unprovoked aggression by the Russian government in attacking Ukraine and killing thousands of its citizens call on the Irish government to reduce the number of Russians based in the Russian Embassy in Dublin without delay. 29/03/2022 - Today the Irish government asked 4 Russian diplomats to leave Ireland. Of the 31 Russian diplomats based in its Orwell Road embassy 27 remain. Ireland has 5 diplomats in Moscow. Today the Netherlands and Belgium announced they were expelling 17 and 21 Russian diplomats respectively for engaging in espionage. The Irish government need to expel more Russian diplomats or justify why they are not. Add your name to this petition to encourage the government to take this action.  Also please ask your friends to sign the petition. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/four-senior-russian-diplomats-expelled-from-state-following-security-advice-1.4839308?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Ffour-senior-russian-diplomats-expelled-from-state-following-security-advice-1.4839308 https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/garda-expands-security-operation-around-russian-embassy-in-dublin-1.4829674

Aramark is an American based corporation that operates Direct Provision centres for the State in Cork, Clare and Westmeath, and are also commercially involved in the prison system in the United States. Aramark currently runs a large number of food outlets on the campus such as: Cafe Allegro – University Concert Hall Eden Restaurant – Main Building Cafe Cube – Kemmy River Cafe – Engineering Building Cafe Verde – Health Science Red Raisins* – Main Building *(Chopped, Mexico Kitchen, Subway, Starbucks) UL awarded their catering contract to a corporation that is frequently criticised for its treatment of those in the asylum system and its profiteering off the misery of refugees and those incarcerated in the United States. This contract goes against the community spirit of UL, and the inclusive campus we all love. The University of Limerick is considered a University of Sanctuary for asylum seekers and refugees, offering 15 scholarships each year to residents living in direct provision.

Campaign to Nationalize Facebook & All Social Media Platforms Worldwide To make them Non Profit Organizations Administered by The people for the people. Facebook had misled investors and the public about potential harms associated with the platform. Facebook is wrongly prioritizing platform growth over safety. Facebook groups have proven to be hubs for misinformation and harmful content, where there often [are] no gatekeepers and false information is allowed to flourish. Facebook's closed design hides information from researchers and regulators. As long as Facebook is operating in the shadows, hiding its research from public scrutiny, it is unaccountable.

Big business are producing more, not less emissions and are making the climate crisis worse. Government decisions are letting them off the hook and pushing the burden for the climate crisis on to regular people, not the corporations who drive it.

CETA is a proposed trade deal between the EU and Canada. Buried in the smaller print there is the creation of a hugely problematic new corporate court that will override our current courts. CETA is a dangerous corporate power grab that gives multinational corporations extraordinary powers to sue us for millions of euros in shady, secretive tribunals if they believe our local and national government policies have put our interests ahead of their expected profits.  For example, if CETA were to be implemented and the government enacts limits on rent, as Ireland's largest private landlord (often referred to as a 'Vulture Fund') is Canadian - Ires Reit - they could sue the state to make up for any loss of profit to the Canadian company.  If we bring in more climate laws or regulation to work towards addressing some of the causes of climate crisis, companies can sue is if they think the laws will affect their profits too.  Governments have been sued in other countries who have introduced these new types of courts. This new court system, that supersedes and operates outside our own court system, would lead an already corporate-friendly government further down the road of putting business profits above the needs of Irish people and make secure, sustainable and affordable homes more out of reach. Once CETA is ratified, it allows investors to go straight to these special tribunals and sideline domestic courts and those of the European Union. Investor court decisions cannot be challenged by either the State or the EU; this is the equivalent of handing corporations a blank cheque! We must stand against this corporate takeover that will risk our efforts of addressing the climate, cost of living, and housing crises. For more info on investor courts and the damage they do, check out this information resource: https://corporateeurope.org/en/international-trade/2019/01/investor-privileges-vs-people-and-planet Image source: Avaaz

Most of us have been caught out by the payment of subscriptions which were automatically renewed because we forgot to cancel them. Subscriptions should only be renewed if we specifically request that they be.

What is Stamp 3 visa? Stamp 3 visa is a type of residence permit that states people cannot work or engage in business, trade, or profession. This type of stamp is issued to spouses and children of general work employment permit holders as well as spouses of Non-EEA PhD students in Ireland. Why is this important to us? As skilled immigrants in Ireland we would like to be treated with equality to access employment and contribute to the economy of Ireland. This can only be achieved by removing the obstacles that we have to go through to be considered for employment in Ireland. What can you do to help? We request for your support to petition the Irish government to allow spouses & children of general work employment permit holders and spouses of PhD students to access employment without the requirement of applying for a separate work permit. Useful resources: https://reformstamp3.webador.ie/ http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/inis/pages/registration-stamps https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/ http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Family%20Reunification%20Policy%20Document.pdf/Files/Family%20Reunification%20Policy%20Document.pdf https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/Publications/Publication-files/Employment-Permits-FAQs-2020.pdf https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/Employment-Permit-Eligibility/Immigration-Employment-Permits/

Because this affects EVERYBODY in Ireland, it is not something that happens to other people - it will impact all facets of business, enterprise, services and the private lives of individuals. Apart from the imminent and real danger to sick people living at home who require a regular, uninterrupted electricity supply and indeed to hospitals and care homes, just reflect on the effects of a power outage on electrical appliances and internet access. It will be too late to protest when the centres have been allowed to be built, most of which are absorbing energy without allowing any facility to use renewable energy supplies. It isn't just electricity supplies that will be affected, an inordinate amount of water is also required to keep these centre running efficiently. It is also important to note that these centres DO NOT employ many people. Many countries in Europe have put a moratorium on the building of these energy grabbing entities because they realise the devastating effect they have on national energy supplies.

President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins has said gambling ads are a 'scourge' of modern-day life. [1] Left unregulated, dangerous gambling advertisements will continue to cause so much damage to families and individuals. Ireland has the fourth highest number of gamblers in the European Union, according to a study by industry analysts H2 Gambling Capital. On average, losses for Irish gamblers amount to €300 for every adult, totaling €1.36 billion in 2020.[2] The deluge of online gambling online makes it far too easy to place a bet, and the rules have not kept up. The pandemic has also exacerbated this problem, with nearly half of all betting last year taking place online. The Government introduced a working group on this issue who published recommendations in 2019. Now it's time to act! NOTES 1. https://www.thejournal.ie/problem-gambling-michael-d-higgins-5491317-Jul2021/ 2. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/irish-fourth-worst-gamblers-in-eu-as-move-online-accelerates-1.4617386