A move like this is exactly what we need to turn the tide on plastic pollution. We all know how devastating plastic waste can be on marine life, and by 2050 it is predicted that there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. If enough of us pressure the local members in our area - we could create a ripple effect that will make all restaurants and café’s ditch single use plastic straws. If a town like Westport can commit to making all its pubs plastic free, why can’t others? [3] “We are a coastal town and want to preserve the wildlife and nature in Westport, so getting rid of plastic straws helps us to do that,” Chambers said. "It is very likely that all the other businesses in the town will come on board.” Notes [1] http://www.rai.ie/restaurants-association-ireland-ban-plastic-straws [2] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/more-plastic-than-fish-in-the-sea-by-2050-warns-ellen-macarthur [3] http://www.thejournal.ie/plastic-straws-ban-westport-3999771-May2018/

A move like this is exactly what we need to turn the tide on plastic pollution. We all know how devastating plastic waste can be on marine life, and by 2050 it is predicted that there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. Plastic straws should only be given out when requested by people who have a need for them. If enough of us pressure the local members in our area - we could create a ripple effect that will make all restaurants and café’s ditch single use plastic straws. If a town like Westport can commit to making all its pubs plastic free, why can’t others? [3] “We are a coastal town and want to preserve the wildlife and nature in Westport, so getting rid of plastic straws helps us to do that,” Chambers said. "It is very likely that all the other businesses in the town will come on board.” Notes [1] http://www.rai.ie/restaurants-association-ireland-ban-plastic-straws [2] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/more-plastic-than-fish-in-the-sea-by-2050-warns-ellen-macarthur [3] http://www.thejournal.ie/plastic-straws-ban-westport-3999771-May2018/

If Westport can do it then Drogheda can too! A move like this is exactly what we need to turn the tide on plastic pollution. We all know how devastating plastic waste can be on marine life, and by 2050 it is predicted that there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. This is why Uplift members are banding together to create local petitions and call on their local cafes, restaurants and pubs asking them to commit to stop using plastic straws. If enough of us pressure the local members in our area - we could create a ripple effect that will make all restaurants and café’s ditch single use plastic straws. If a town like Westport can commit to making all its pubs plastic free, why can’t others? [3] “We are a coastal town and want to preserve the wildlife and nature in Westport, so getting rid of plastic straws helps us to do that,” Chambers said. "It is very likely that all the other businesses in the town will come on board.” Notes [1] http://www.rai.ie/restaurants-association-ireland-ban-plastic-straws [2] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/more-plastic-than-fish-in-the-sea-by-2050-warns-ellen-macarthur [3] http://www.thejournal.ie/plastic-straws-ban-westport-3999771-May2018/

A move like this is exactly what we need to turn the tide on plastic pollution. We all know how devastating plastic waste can be on marine life, and by 2050 it is predicted that there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. This is why Uplift members are banding together to create local petitions and call on their local cafes, restaurants and pubs asking them to commit to stop using plastic straws. If enough of us pressure the local members in our area - we could create a ripple effect that will make all restaurants and café’s ditch single use plastic straws. If a town like Westport can commit to making all its pubs plastic free, why can’t others? [3] “We are a coastal town and want to preserve the wildlife and nature in Westport, so getting rid of plastic straws helps us to do that,” Chambers said. "It is very likely that all the other businesses in the town will come on board.” Notes [1] http://www.rai.ie/restaurants-association-ireland-ban-plastic-straws [2] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/more-plastic-than-fish-in-the-sea-by-2050-warns-ellen-macarthur [3] http://www.thejournal.ie/plastic-straws-ban-westport-3999771-May2018/

Both Gemma O'Doherty (award winning journalist) https://gemmaodoherty.com/ and respected financial whistleblower Johnathon Sugarman http://whistleblowerirl.blogspot.com/ have un blemished track records in uncovering political and financial corruption for the public good in Ireland. Notably issues that are totally relevent, newsworthy, affect peoples lives and need to be known by the Irish public. For instance Gemma O'Doherty was the first to uncover the penalty points scandal and has yet to be interviewed or allowed to comment on this issue! Johnathon Sugarman who is a financial whistleblower with indepth knowledge about the financial and banking corruption that is rife including the recent Drumm judgement. Why have they not been asked to comment? Is this a form of media censorship? Many People believe that for any other reason than balance alone they should be given a voice on mainstream media otherwise this is a form of Censorship in Ireland.

Ireland is facing a child obesity crisis with huge long term implications. Part of the reason for this is the marketing of high sugar and high fat foods specifically targeting children. Fast food chains are particularly guilty of this. Granting permission to a fast food chain restaurant beside a primary school and Montessori school will have negative consequences for the health of the 100s of children that currently pass this site on a daily basis and the 1000s that will do so in the long term if permission is granted. Let’s protect our children and set an example to other Councils around the country

The plant can not sustain our use of plastic. Plastic is a by product of fossil fuel which is not renewable. Our oceans are polluted by millions of tons of plastic which are nit recycled properly. With bin charges goin up on the general public more and more plastic waste is finding its way to landfill and the seas. In order for our planet to survive we must return to the use of glass bottles..

Dublin City Council have demanded the return of the building following an unanimous vote by elected Representatives to have the building returned to community control. Cllr Tina MacVeigh got the support of the community and all the public representatives to return this iconic building to Community Control ! This has so far not happened despite a deadline imposed on Martin Keane to return the keys by 31st Jan 2018. The businessman has held the building for over 20 years and has not delivered on his promises. The building needs to be returned to Dublin City Council so that the council and the community it serves can decide together on the future of this iconic Dublin building and how best it can serve its community! The latest that Cllr Tina MacVeigh has done is to ask the council for a public consultation to deliver a simple message to our council why we the community needs this building in community control ! This June we need to give them a simple message take the building back and let the community have a community space !

Planning laws are supposed to be beyond political interference.

Our University should put the welfare of students at the center of everything that it does. We need a freeze on fees for all students and affordable rental options. We are a collective of undergraduate and postgraduate students in Trinity College Dublin who can no longer stand by and watch the commodification of our education. Last month, in a referendum held by TCDSU 82% of students voted strongly against the implementation of Supplemental Fees. The College Board decided to ignore the voice of the students, and implement Supplemental Fees at a flat rate of €450. Last year, College signed the Student Partnership Agreement, which promises to promote democracy and ensure that students are stakeholders in decisions that College make. Trinity’s decision to introduce supplemental exam fees is evidence of their continuing disregard for students, their opinions, and their welfare. Please sign this petition to show your support of the #TakeBackTrinity campaign. If you are a Trinity student or staff, please sign with your tcd.ie address If you are not please use your preferred email address. We thank you for your support!

Whilst the rest of the Europe prepares for the introduction of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to protect citizens personal data, Fine Gael right now is trying to exempt itself and Govt from these laws! Given the state of the nation where we see daily evidence of Garda and ministerial corruption including the cover-up of the Mary Boyle child murder case, fraud investigations at the Garda training college, on-going criminal activities within the Dept of social protection, allegations of corruption in NAMA, proof of theft, over changing and illegal home evictions by Govt owned banks and most recently smear campaigns and intimidation of Garda whistle-blowers and jailing of anti-corruption activists this is not the time to give the Govt more cover to hide behind, we need greater full transparency than exists presently. Fine Gael right now is trying to circumnavigate data protection laws including the incoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It is trying to do this through the introduction of The Data Protection Bill 2018 which in fact not only weaken Irish citizens’ rights dramatically but also see the Fine Gael government is able to break established laws that it will still meanwhile, demand others to obey. By any stretch of the incoming situation being created by Fine Gael, this is blatant one law for them and another for the rest of the people in Ireland. In short, the Data Protection Act 2018 as it is being presented, waiting to be Dail voted on, is a complete disgrace and is far from acting to the benefit of all. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties says that the bill “impacts fundamental human rights, and on first reading gives rise to serious concerns across a broad range of privacy rights issues”. “The ICCL believes that proper analysis and consideration of these issues is required, and we are concerned at the apparent haste with which the Government is pushing through important legislation in a highly sensitive area.” Independent Senator Alice Mary Higgins has stated: “The bill proposes a number of wide, often vague, exemptions which allow the State and public bodies to override an individual’s right to privacy and data protection and, outrageously, it also seeks to exempt public bodies from fines when they break the rules. No financial consequences are a recipe for disaster.” The bill will see state departments will be unaccountable for passing people’s personal data to others, from one department to another or from a department to private companies. This is unacceptable. Section 54 of the bill will seek to restrict the data rights of individuals regarding GDPR when the state deems at it sees fit, that they should be restricted. This is totally unacceptable. The bill will see that the government can process a person’s data contrary to GDPR where the ‘public interest’ is in question. In other words, Ignore data protection. This too is totally unacceptable. The bill will see allow the new Data Protection Commission to have a discretionary option to not investigate a complaint made to it, as it sees fit. This is just incredible unjust and unacceptable. From the expensive farce that is the Public Service Card (the national identity card in all but name) and its attached new national database, accessible by over 140 various state sections, to the giving away of people’s personal data to private companies like Seetec and Turas Nua in “JobPath”, the rights of the people of Ireland regarding their personal information are disgracefully being watered further down. We therefore call on you NOT to support the Dail passing of the Data Protection Act 2018. If you do this, it is a betrayal of the people of Ireland and an open disregard to the protection of their personal rights. Words by Jeff Rudd

St Anne’s Park is a valuable public space given in trust to Dublin City Council by the Guinness family, for citizens of all ages, abilities and social groups. It is also part of the environmental buffer zone for Bull Island, a UNESCO protected environment. Right now Crevak Developers are trying to by-pass proper planning procedures and steal a public space for private gain. An application for this development was previously turned down and people are already objecting for any reason [1] The more of us that raise our voices in objection, the better our chances will be to save St Anne’s! NOTES: [1] http://ilovestannes.ie/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Suggested-grounds-for-objection.docx