• Equal rights, proper pay and national job discription for Health Care Assistants and carers
    As I am both a health care assistant and help my partner with her parents who need full time care, she only gets €109 a week which is shambolic for all she does and saves the country like all other carers who look after their children, parents, and young adults with disabilities, they need more support as medication, treatment and other outgoings are very expensive and it is unrealistic to expect these people to live on such a small allowance.
    12 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Brendan Gallagher
  • Trade Unionists for an All Ireland 'Zero Covid' Strategy
    Repeated attempts to "live" with COVID-19 and to "balance lives and livelihoods" have failed, manifesting in the Governments in both Dublin and Stormont putting commercial interests ahead of the health of their people. We feel at this point there is surely no other game in town. We have been told repeatedly by public health experts that we cannot put all of our eggs in one (vaccine) basket. It is now time for the the trade union movement to act as the vehicle to deliver the utmost focus on public health and cooperation that is required from both administrations. We are calling on the Executives of ICTU and NIC-ICTU to formally adapt the 'Zero Covid' position and to use all of the tools at its disposal to bring the respective administrations in line.
    159 of 200 Signatures
    Created by TU Zero Covid
  • Refund Student Fees 2020/21
    Across Ireland, students are struggling to adapt to online learning. Even those with decent broadband and working computers are reporting difficulty keeping up and paying attention. Pre-recorded lectures with little interaction leave lecturers seeming even less approachable than before, courses which previously had time allocated to practical sessions now have significantly less or none at all. All of this, on top of the loneliness that students are facing as they remain isolated from their peers, has resulted in a massive decline in the quality of our education. We are left feeling like we are paying for the opportunity to teach ourselves. This is unacceptable. All this when the Republic of Ireland has the highest student contribution fee in the EU, with our peers in the North paying even more. The current measures that have been taken by the government to aid this situation, the free laptop scheme and €250 refund, are welcome but simply not enough. Students who paid for accommodation, only to learn that all their classes would online, deserve better. Students who are teaching themselves and feel as if they’re attending “YouTube University” deserve better. Students without strong broadband who are forced to rely on mobile data deserve better. Many of the facilities that our fees are supposed to be paying for are closed, while we still pay the same amount as last year. We demand a full refund of fees this year, and that the Department of Further and Higher Education begin to seriously consider the abolition of tuition fees. Education is a human right, and it’s high time it is treated as such. After signing this petition please share your online learning story with #WhatAmIPayingFor, and don’t forget to tag Simon Harris, Micheál Martin, the Department of Further and Higher Education and your local TDs! After you've done that, we encourage you to join catuireland.org, a tenant & community action union that's taking on landlords who are taking the piss. Finally, we're organising an open Zoom meeting to discuss further campaigns, actions and occupations that can take place to fight for our fees. Join us on the 3rd of December at 6 pm here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvceCorz4rGdcVB0A01oKRAGT6wtOte2Hj
    278 of 300 Signatures
    Created by Andrew Duffy
  • Stop Smith Toys Using Plastic Bags
    Shocking amount of unnecessary single use plastic bags being used, bad. Are they paying the levy for all these bags? It would be very easy to switch to brown paper bags(similar to TK maxx) for most of their
    5 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Carina Fitzgerald
  • No reduction to Covid19 €350 payment
    The Pandemic Universal Payment of €350 per week for all those who lost their income as a result of the Covid19 crisis was a welcome move by the caretaker government and an admission that the current social welfare rates and their previously proposed €203 payment were wholly inadequate. Currently the payment is set to run until 19 June. The payment needs to stay in place until the end of the current health emergency and until the full recovery of employment lost as a result of the pandemic. Any attempt to "taper off" the payment, as recently suggested by Minister Paschal Donohoe, may result in people being pushed back into a workplace before it is safe and financially punish them for a loss of income that was completely out of their control. The current payment does not cover all those who lost income as a result of the crisis. Many of those who work in the gig economy or in precarious employment were deemed ineligible because they were not working on or after 6 March. Both Over 66s and Under 18s who were working prior to the crisis were also deemed ineligible. The payment should be expanded to include these workers. The rate of €350 is an unofficial admission by the caretaker government that the current social welfare rates are wholly inadequate and rates for all social welfare payments including those on state pensions, disability and job seeker payments should now be increased to €350 per week. These measures should be taken as a first step towards creating a Universal Basic Minimum Payment to eradicate poverty in Irish society.
    3,275 of 4,000 Signatures
    Created by Richard Boyd Barrett
  • Minimum wage should be a living wage.
    It raises quality of life for everyone; with more adequate living standards for the many people that are now barely surviving on a very unjust minimum wage that puts 'gross' profit before human individuals, families and communities whose welfare is the very cornerstone of our society in the first place.
    5 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Michael Kelleher
  • Corona crisis: Please protect our nurses Simon Harris
    It's been a tragedy. Last week, those who called for a postponement of operations that could be planned and for the freeing up of hospital capacities were branded as fear-mongers. "Ireland is different!" Or "don't panic!" Were messages that we received. In the meantime, you seem to have understood, Mr Harris, that Ireland can quickly become Italy and it will have been foreseeable. Intensive care units, protective clothing and nursing staff were lacking in Italy, it’s the same for us. It doesn't make a difference, however, because even with existing beds and technology, who will care for patients in the intensive care units, who will operate the ventilators? Who will checks on them when they are in pain? Delayed action is of course very dangerous in a pandemic and costs lives! We hope that you have finally understood that nursing staff are the silver line between disaster and survival for our nation. We understand that you have started instructing hospital managers to involve pensioners and students in the process. First of all, it is not you who is solely responsible for this catastrophic situation, but also your predecessors. But nursing staff should have expected a little more substance in recent years than idle promises. One thing is becoming clearer than ever: you as minister for health have the task of ensuring that in a crisis situation nurses are safe and supported. Of course, we will not save the day now by continuing to work without proper recognition and a safe environment to work in. We call on you now to give very clear promises: nursing staff are a valuable asset that must now be protected and valued! It is a pity that this truth has not yet gotten through to everyone. Sometimes, sadly, it takes a crisis for the truth to be revealed. It seems that more than 20% of all infected cases are nursing staff. And you have left it up to individual hospitals to source protective gear. It may surprise you, but that's not how it works! This pandemic has been coming for weeks! It is also not the first globally spreading viral disease. As hard-working citizens we expected more preparation for this crisis. We call for Immediate organisation and supply of effective protective clothing taking into account all possibilities. In a state of emergency, you will promise to nationalise manufacturers of equipment and their suppliers to protect our nursing staff! Immediate suspension of all exams for care facilities in Ireland. Firstly, this is a possible source of infection, and secondly, everything must be avoided that, in this crisis situation, takes additional work time for the nursing staff, which is then missing in the care of the patients. Mobilisation of all nurses from these test authorities for use in practice. An immediate and reliable promise of a strong, state-funded wage supplement for everyone who can withstand this situation, who bring their children to emergency care groups, who work overtime, who cannot take breaks, who cannot comply with rest periods. An immediate commitment of significant wage increases for nurses, which must be at an entry-level salary of 4,000 euros. You can save the refinancing for the period after this crisis. We urge you! Without these measures, the ventilation machines will become redundant, because there will be no one left to operate them! Act now, Mr Harris, before it's too late.
    4 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Michael Mc Laughlin
  • Mental health and wellbeing in schools for children
    It is the most important thing in life it would reduce all of the issues across the bored if we are are going to fight for mental health we should start with the younger generations we need to give them tools to help others and help themselves it is fundamental to have something in our shcools at a young age
    8 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Sarah Jane Kinsella
  • Limit chain stores to preserve small business and the heritage of Galway
    Galway is becoming a carbon copy city and losing what makes it special. It is becoming uniform, full of multinational chains instead of the beautiful independent businesses it once had and is famous for.
    181 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Clare Anne
  • Insurance Referendum
    The cost of insurance is ruining the country causing all sorts of disruption to business and leisure activity. A referendum would allow us to move onto the same system as the rest of the EU (ex UK) where awards are determined by Government and not the Courts.
    5 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Paul Dixon
  • Appoint State Marriage officers individually - not via religions/isms etc.
    I'd like to become a 'new' registered State Marriage Officer. Voluntarily I'm involved in a 'regenerate Tipp town' effort. If people wanted low fuss/cost weddings (once three months notice etc. followed) for a bit of local tourism I'd pick them up at Limerick Junction (the Railways crossroads of Ireland) whisk them to our deconsecrated Famine workhouse chapel/Glen of Aherlow/Rock of Cashel/Swiss cottage for a service. Right now I am 'barred' from becoming a Solemnizer. More importantly - we may have voted for marriage equality - but the practicalities (which sends many tourist dollars abroad) of booking a solemnizer/officer is quite different. Many go for a church wedding now - not as their first choice - but because it's extremely difficult to find a solemnizer otherwise. Here's a breakdown - online / HSE you'll see current list of approx. 5000 'approved' solemnizers. 76% of those were put on the list by virtue of being R. Catholic church priests (all men). There are say another 20% as 'religious - many some form of Christian , Jews, Muslims, Protestants and minority religions things like Celtic mystics, druids, witches etc all included. That leaves say 4% deemed 'non religious'/secular. For those who want a cold impersonal Registry office wedding during office hours only - not with friends at the weekend 3% of that 4% is HSE/civil servants for office hours/town hall weddings (which suit some - but others go midweek to get the paperwork only and get another celebrant/not on Solemnizer list for their weekend do with their friends - they do it not by choice that way). Of course we do 'hunt' some abroad with all this 'BS'. So now - below 1% - we are at what the State reckons will do you even if supply not meeting demand. Our 1% can only apply 'via' the Spiritualists or the Humanists. Both are philosophies/isms even if not religions. You can 'play along' and pretend you're a Spiritualist or a Humanist for the day - even though you might be against what they stand for. But that's it. You want non religious? OK - there's Registry office for you midweek if you don't want a wait. Don't like those? Contact the Humanists or Spiritualists. You don't really 'follow' their thing and don't like Registry idea. It's the big bad aeroplane for you. You don't want to answer a question about religion? Cultural catholic not a regular massgoer? Well lots of priests would prefer you'd go elsewhere (pity they have 3/4 of the 'supply' side cornered. Let's see - you're a committed aethiest/agnostic/deist/no ism - don't want registry office - did you try Vegas? You're gay - well we know straight off 3/4 of them won't touch you even if you're a committed Catholic. That's why licences shouldn't be given via bodies/religions. You don't join the Humanists just so you can apply to join the Gardai - via the Humanists. The approved body approach is not fit for purpose/beyond patching up. A new system where any individual can apply. Gender quota'ed. I'd have national supply limits / usage monitoring, supply matched to preference demand whether by religion etc. Have some training and monitoring these new State Marriage Officials. Transition period where current Solemnizers can get onto new list. If say a priest doesnt want to reapply to the new system they continue doing church weddings - but - a reg. official maybe does the State's business in Church Registry etc. In other countries it is a simple State function - uncoupled from religions - they are not 'approving bodies' etc. We gave equal marriage to some of our citzens which they didn't have before. Now it's time for this bit of housekeeping to bring us into the 21st century.
    7 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Tom Richardson
  • Put 'The Northern Irish Hard Boarder' between Scotland and England
    It would allow for a peaceful resolution if May was actually willing to agree to it, and even if (or I suspect when) it was rejected out of hand it would do good for the relationship between reasonable Ulster Unionist political factions and our Republic.
    6 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Colm O'Rourke