Investor Court System (ICS) is a dispute settlement tribunal where foreign investors and corporations can take a case against Ireland for 'perceived' breaches in CETA’s investment protection standards. It allows investors to go straight to these special tribunals and sideline domestic courts and those of the European Union. Once CETA is ratified, investor court decisions cannot be challenged by either the State or the EU - this is the equivalent of handing corporations a blank cheque! Local communities and businesses across Ireland are fighting back. Together we are showing government parties and politicians that this form of corporate takeover is going to cost them dearly in the next election. And we need our local politicians to stand with us by supporting this. For more info on CETA ICS, check out this fact checker: https://comhlamh.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CETA-ICS-Fact-Checker.pdf

Investor Court System (ICS) is a dispute settlement tribunal where foreign investors and corporations can take a case against Ireland for 'perceived' breaches in CETA’s investment protection standards. It allows investors to go straight to these special tribunals and sideline domestic courts and those of the European Union. Once CETA is ratified, investor court decisions cannot be challenged by either the State or the EU - this is the equivalent of handing corporations a blank cheque! Local communities and businesses across Ireland are fighting back. Together we are showing government parties and politicians that this form of corporate takeover is going to cost them dearly in the next election. And we need our local politicians to stand with us by supporting this. For more info on CETA ICS, check out this fact checker: https://comhlamh.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CETA-ICS-Fact-Checker.pdf

Students were told in an email from NUIG in the summer of 2020 to book accommodation in Galway for the college year, as all students would have time on-campus. In reality, the vast majority of students have had little or no on-campus activity. Cúirt na Coiribe and the Westwood refuse to refund students who took out leases in the anticipation that they would need accommodation in Galway. Many of these students have never set foot inside the accommodation which they are renting.

This is important because 13 years of incredible work from the community and its stakeholders is being torn up because a Minister and his party believe they know more than Moyross community. This party have never tried to support our community and are now actively destroying its future. This is important for all communities to show those who are publicly elected that they cannot deafen the voice of the people.

If the Irish Government does not implement mandatory hotel quarantine: - there will be more needless suffering and lives lost - more and more variants will spread in the community, and the vaccines we have now may not be effective against these new variants - all of our sacrifices to bring numbers down will be undermined.

At the moment we are set to have vaccinated 135,000 people by the end of February 2021. This is simply not enough. If we want to beat this disease and get back to somewhat normality we need to rapidly increase the amount of the vaccine being administrated and to change the way that we are doing so. We need around the clock 24hr administration of the vaccine. We need to train up and utilise all of the volunteers that we can to roll-out this vaccine to everyone possible. We need to have an online system of registration including a list for cancellations to ensure that every single dose is used. We need to aggressively tackle this disease and get a better plan than the one that we have. Take a look at Israel, they have vaccinated 1.37million of their people. We need to make sure that we give everyone the opportunity to receive the vaccine should they want to in the quickest possible time. We also need to look at the priority group system and roll-out quicker to our most needed services

The Mobilise Peace campaign is reaching out to universities across Ireland, the UK and globally in a peaceful and escalating campaign calling for them to support, encourage and prepare their student, alumni and staff populations for national peaceful civil disobedience. Our global climate and ecological systems are in a state of severe crisis. Our economic system, which demands infinite growth on a planet of finite resources, is largely to blame for the above crises. Furthermore it inflicts untold suffering on defenceless others here, and around the world in numerous other ways. [1] There are many peaceful, positive practical, and powerful alternatives to our current system. These alternatives should be decided by a citizens' assembly. Governments worldwide have proven themselves to be either unwilling or dilatory to implement the changes needed. New climate models to be published in 2021 predict heating of +5C by the end of the century, translating to as much as +10C over land. [2] For perspective, 2-3 degrees of warming will result in 2 billion climate refugees by 2100. [3, 4] Through 2050 net zero targets, inordinately high per capita emissions, and raised border policies, our national and EU governments are taking a trajectory consistent with climate genocide of the Global South. There is a great injustice occurring and there is strong reason to believe that policies, laws and lawful recourse to changing them will not work. Peaceful civil disobedience may thus present the best option and possibly last hope we have of bringing about positive societal change. [5, 6] The fastest way to rapidly change a society is through non-violent civil disobedience. This has been demonstrated time and time again throughout history — the Suffragettes, the Civil Rights Movement, resistance to apartheid in South Africa and the fight for India's independence from British rule. [6] References: 1. Sachs et al., 2020, Letter from economists: to rebuild our world, we must end the carbon economy The Guardian 2. Voosen, P., 2019. New climate models predict a warming surge. Science, pp.Science, 04/17/2019. 3. Vince, G. 2019 The heat is on over the climate crisis. Only radical measures will work. The Guardian 4. Xu et al., 2020, Future of the human climate niche, PNAS, 117, 11350 5. Lemons, J. & Brown, D., 2011. Global climate change and non-violent civil disobedience. Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics, 111, pp.312. 6. Chenoweth, E., &; Stephan, M. 2011. Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict Columbia University Press. fb.me/mobilisepeace fb.me/scientistrebellion fb.me/systemchangeinternational

Hundreds are unprotected from bedroom tax and over a thousand unprotected from the benefit cap due to loopholes in the current welfare mitigations. The 9 month benefit cap grace period will come to an end at Christmas, impacting 46,000 people who began claiming Universal Credit in March at the start of the pandemic. All those affected are families with children and 77% are lone parents, losing around £200 a month. The loophole can be closed but the Minister for Communities must act now.

Dear Friends, I just created the petition: Ag fas le cheile! Say yes to a 100% Organic, 100% Chemical-free and 100% GMO-free Ireland. It would mean a lot to me if you took a moment to add your name because: A journey’s end matters not, for it is the journey itself that inspires, enriches and delights. As I took “the road less travelled” 18 months ago, I could not have imagined the amount of learning to be had on this road; for I am now less dependent on certain modern conveniences than I was in May 2019. Now in November 2020, I am • 100% shampoo-free • 100% clothes detergent-free • 100% washing-up liquid free • 100% dishwasher liquid free • 100% all-purpose cleaner free • 99% bin-free. In short, grey water that leaves my house is virtually chemical free with a minimal toxic load to the environment. My garden is 100% Organic, 100% Chemical-free and 100% GMO-free and has been for about 10 years. With the continued support from local Clare businesses and shops, Clare media and a waste prevention grant from Clare County Council, Operation de-Plastification with its “slim your bin or bin your bin challenge” has been able to inform, encourage, support and lead-by-example on the quest to waste reduction, particularly plastic related waste in the shape of single-use plastic bottles and plastic packaging. With the submission to Clare County Council for the Clare Local Development Plan 2022 – 2028 "100% Organic, 100% Chemical-free and 100% GMO-free", I am hoping to sow the seed for a different Clare, and by extension a different Ireland, to highlight a path that has been taken by other countries successfully and to encourage as many people of all ages and guises, including businesses and politicians, to re-think their habits and attitudes in relation to • everyday conveniences • everyday routines • everyday practices to aid the recovery of our planet, with an intact environment which in turn will support our future. The attempt to combine the Operation de-Plastification campaign and the vision for a post-pandemic County Clare, has generated the “ag fás le chéile” petition, where shoppers, sellers and consumers can voice, with their signature, their request for an enduring “green” Ireland. The petition aims to address all people living in Ireland: • Shoppers: we want to buy local, sustainable, affordable, nutritious, delicious, organic, plastic-packaging-free, chemical-free and gmo-free goods • Sellers: we want to sell local, sustainable, affordable, nutritious, delicious, organic, plastic-packaging-free, chemical-free and gmo-free goods • Consumers: we want to enjoy local, sustainable, affordable, nutritious, delicious, organic, plastic-packaging-free, chemical-free and gmo-free goods Assuring our environment’s and our survival, “the road not taken” may lead to a life and life-style where less is more, as less is more than enough in my experience. With the kindest regards, Cornelia Wahli Operation de-Plastification Campaign Slim your Bin or Bin your Bin Challenge “Ag fás le chéile” Petition ____________________________________________________________________ https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/ag-fas-le-cheile-say-yes-to-a-100-organic-chemical-free-and-gmo-free-ireland Real change happens when everyday people like you and I come together and stand up for what we believe in. Together we can reach lots of people and help create change around this important issue. After you've signed the petition, could you also take a moment to share it with others? It's really easy – all you need to do is forward this email. Thank you!

Higher education in Ireland has been turned into a money racket by years of neoliberal government policy and negligence in Higher Education Institutions. While fees for students in the north and south of Ireland have increased dramatically over the past 15 years, the quality of education has been diminished. Most teaching staff are under-paid and overworked, and are given precarious employment contracts that offer little in the way of workers' rights and job security. Students are forced to work part-time or full-time during college to pay fees and rent, which has huge impacts on their academic performance and their health. Funding for essential services like student health and counselling have been cut, with further cuts planned in anticipation of the economic downturn. The fees paid by students are not being invested in education or support for students; they are instead being used to give salary increases and bonuses to the upper management of our colleges and universities. These issues existed before the pandemic, but the outbreak of COVID-19 has highlighted and exacerbated many of the issues we face in higher education. Students are shouldering a large portion of the burden of COVID-19. We have lost jobs, lost family members, worked on the front lines and are still being financially exploited by the higher education system. Student nurses and midwives in particular have played a vital role in the fight against COVID-19, but the state refuses to pay them for their work. On top of that, these essential workers are still forced to pay thousands in college tuition fees. It's clear that neither the government nor the upper management in our colleges care about education - they only care about our money. It's time for students to fight back against exploitation and neoliberalism in higher education in Ireland, and demand that student fees be abolished entirely. Higher education should be publicly funded, and those working in education should be properly paid for their work. The Campaigns demands are: - A public higher education system funded from general taxation - Abolish the student contribution, registration fees, and other fees paid directly by students. - Pay student nurses, midwives, and other students such as social workers for their work on placement. - Pay postgraduate teachers a living wage - Reverse the outsourcing of university staff, offer permanent contracts - Hire more admin and teaching staff to alleviate the workload in universities and ITs - Reverse cuts to student services - Increase the income threshold for the SUSI grant, and increase the grant allowance for SUSI - Cap rents for student accommodation and introduce a differential rent based on income

The loss of Ballykisteen Golf Course impacts the lives of the 400+ members and the 20 employees that are directly and indirectly employed by the club. It removes a vital facility that brings together families from across the county, breaking apart a local community and isolating those that rely on the club for social interactions. In 2017, the Great National Hotel Group received funding support from Enterprise Ireland, a government-funded investment body focused on the creation of local jobs and economic growth. Despite this state-sponsored funding, the hotel group is planning on selling the course as farmland this week, impacting 20+ jobs in the locality and devastating the local economy. We have made numerous efforts to find alternative buyers that are interested in keeping the course open. Unfortunately, hotel management has failed to prioritise buyers interested in keeping the golf course open. Despite requests for both information and cooperation, we have had minimal communication from the hotel. Our understanding is that a contract for the sale of the land is to be signed and concluded this week with the golf course being sold as farmland. We are pleading with the hotel to do all in their power to preserve this facility for the locality. Let's do all that we can to fight for this precious amenity at the heart of our small, but mighty community.

Dear Minister As writers in receipt of payments from the Public Lending Remuneration scheme (PLR), which provides that writers receive a compensatory payment for each time their works are loaned from the public libraries, we consider that the present situation of remuneration needs to be improved. This is especially so in the present difficult situation of Covid19 restrictions in which physical book sales have collapsed. There are also the difficulties for writers (and other artists) with regard to book launches, readings and other events which now, under the restrictions, are not possible, thereby leading to a serious loss of income. The current PLR rate of €0.0412 per loan has not been increased since its introduction in 2008. EU legislation states “PLR must provide authors an adequate living and must not be merely symbolic”, yet collecting bodies consider the rate in Ireland “derisory”. This matter should be visited as a matter of urgency with the representatives of the writing community, such as the Irish Writers Union. We also believe that eBook loans should be included in the data for PLR, given the current COVID crisis and the resulting enormous surge in eBook loans compared to physical loans. How can fair remuneration under PRL be calculated for 2020 if eBook loans are excluded. There is also the anomaly vis a vis the UK, whereby although there is a bi-lateral arrangement enabling UK authors to benefit from Irish PLR, and Irish authors to avail of UK PLR, there is currently a disparity between how each country’s payments are calculated. This anomaly should be addressed as soon as possible in the interests of fairness. We hope you will give this matter your immediate attention.