Millstreet is a rural community already deprived of basic services. Our rural businesses will struggle as a direct result of the withdrawal of cash services from AIB Millstreet. There are serious concerns for our elderly who cannot travel 30minutes to the nearest cash bank and will be vunderable with cash being left in their homes. We can not allow the erosion of an already deprived area to continue.

AIB Clifden needs to keep the current facilities, not only for the elderly, but for those not familiar with banking online and for those who do not wish to live in a cashless society

Kanturk is a rural community already deprived of basic services. With below standard internet connectivity this decision by AIB, who claim that their decision is a response to digital usage, is a devastating blow to our rural community. Our rural businesses will struggle as a direct result of the withdrawal of cash services from AIB, Kanturk. The removal of cash services will mean we will no longer have access to cash or cheque services at the counter OR through the machines inside the branch. We are community already with limited garda availability and this decision by AIB raises serious security concerns for business and the public, particularly our elderly. We can not allow the erosion of an already deprived area to continue.

This is impacting on older people's independence and creating barriers such as having to travel to other branches. There's a huge impact to older people as many are not online. This is a big ultimatum to older people and it's taking away their agency and choice to have face to face interaction and support for cash services. Many older people would have safety and security concerns and others use banks as opportunity for social interaction. The bank is saying the post office is an alternative but in recent years many post offices have been closed in rural Ireland thus providing no choice now for customers in these areas with these bank service changes. Many post offices may not structurally have the capacity for large groups of people which may create large queues. This decision by AIB will also impact greatly on local businesses and communities in these areas. Many older people have been loyal customers for decades and their money has helped pay for those branches and services. This is being very disrespectful to them by not having these services available to them anymore. Many older people and people of all ages may have accessibility requirements around branches and travelling to them ie. sight impairments or/and physical disability. It's really important to remember that the Irish tax payer bailed out this bank and others during the 2008 financial crash . We own over 60% stake in AIB and there has been arbitrarily no consultation with us about this. I am calling on AIB Bank to reverse its decision to rollback cash services in AIB bank branches in Waterford (Ardkeen, Tramore and Lismore). Read more here: https://twitter.com/BPhillipsWriter/status/1549512192952762368

To keep banking accessible to all, normal services also digital, this is very important.

Hot weather can make work unbearable and with record temperatures likely to be a trend in Ireland, we should introduce a statutory maximum working temperature after which employees are sent home.

As the world goes digital for all types of audio and visual entertainment, Ireland is going in the opposite direction. Radio in Ireland is stale - dominated by just a few media groups, most of which play the same music over and over again. DAB Radio stands for Digital Audio Broadcasting and can offer much more choice for the radio listener. Imagine having multiple non stop music stations of every conceivable genre? The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is the body responsible for regulating radio in Ireland, however no new licenses have been issued in the last decade. When it comes to Digital Audio Broadcasting, provision has been made in section 131 parts i and ii of the Broadcasting Act 2009 to open up Ireland to Digital Radio, however in over 13 years the above Commission has sat on its laurels and failed to realise the provisions of this act. If you have come to this petition, it is most likely because you have been listening to a DAB service in Ireland which has been set up to demonstrate what could be, if our regulators embraced this technology (like most other countries in Europe) The EU have allocated 36 frequencies in the VHF band exclusively for use by Digital Audio Broadcasters - each one of these frequencies capable of broadcasting over 20 digital music services each – if we do the maths, that’s a lot of potential services available. It is now an EU requirement for every new car to have a DAB tuner on its entertainment system. on average 120,000 new vehicles are sold in Ireland each year, it will also be a requirement soon that any "portable radio" sold must also include the DAB band to receive Digital radio. In Ireland this frequency band is completely unused. When any enterprising entrepreneurs take it upon themselves to demonstrate what could be, swift action is taken by the regulators to close these services down. Ireland needs the restrictive rules around broadcasting removed. Imagine only one takeaway, or one car retailer being allowed in each town or even each county? !! well that's the way it is with radio. The BAI needs to fully embrace DIGITAL radio and to remove, completely amend or rework the existing Broadcasting Act 2009, which combined with the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1926 and 1988 completely stymies any third party from entering the radio market. This makes the overall radio experience of Irish people much poorer than their EU or UK counterparts. DAB radio is also extremely environmentally friendly - 20 stations could potentially use the same amount of electricity as just one FM service. Three of these DAB frequencies could be used to transmit every station currently on FM across the entire country. About 40 transmitting sites would be needed to provide almost national coverage. Those sites are already being used for FM. The National stations from RTE, Today FM and Newtalk currently use 6 analogue frequencies on each site. Add into the mix the local and community stations, and in many parts of the country this exceeds 10 analogue frequencies. All these could be condensed into just 3 national DAB Multiplexes. Imagine being able to select the local radio station for Kerry while on holiday or business in Donegal without the need to use mobile data and a clunky app, or being able to tune into a Monaghan local GAA match while in Cork on the Monaghan local station. With Digital radio this is all possible. Add another 3 multiplexes into the mix and we could have 60 national non stop stations bring you every conceivable music format. DAB can also be used on a local basis. In the UK this is called small scale DAB. County multiplexes could contain numerous versions of the very successful community services, local sports events, religious services and live local government broadcasts.

In March 2022 former Minister for Infrastructure Nichola Mallon refused permission for the planning application for a mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility and waste incinerator at Hightown Quarry, beside North Belfast. The planning decision was made following over 5,000 objections submitted by the local community, and a wide range of political representatives from MPs to Councillors. It will increase the market for waste disposal and discourage recycling. Waste technology, waste composition and recycling policies had all moved on since the project was first conceived 15 years ago, and it should be abandoned once and for all - not blindly pursued with public money. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-60893249 The planning refusal followed a long running campaign by the No-Arc21 group who represent residents around the Mallusk, North Belfast and South Antrim areas, who are opposed to the controversial project. This planning application was refused by a previous Environment Minister Mark Durkan, and successfully challenged in the Courts by No- Arc21. There is comprehensive and widespread political opposition to the project from all political Parties in South Antrim and beyond. Alternative do exist and if this Incinerator goes ahead it will reduce recycling and result in millions of tonnes of CO2 being emitted and accelerating climate change. This challenge is a flagrant waste of public money and resources can be better targeted to increase recycling to 70% by 2030 as per the Climate Change targets on Waste Management. During the current inflationary pressures that many households and workers are facing at present, councils should not be wasting more money on a legal case which questions local Ministerial powers to make such decisions. Over £20 million has been spent on the "Waste Monster" to date, how many pot holes, hospital beds, pay rises for key workers etc. could have been sorted in the over eight years of this white elephant. Bin the Burner

Ukraine's national debt is €120 billion, that's almost 80% of their GDP. They are spending €6bn a year just servicing this debt, and have had years of austerity measures pushed as a result. This is illegitimate debt, built up due to the oligarchisation of society, the failure to tax the rich and currently increasing rapidly due to the brutal Russian invasion. Now a growing international movement is demanding this debt be cancelled. Given our own history, Irish people should be at the forefront in demanding the the cancellation of this odious debt.

1. A State construction company would divert scarce skilled construction labour to building projects where it is urgently required. In the midst of a national housing crisis, just over a quarter (26.6%) of Irish construction workers are actually building residential homes. Many are building hotels and offices. 2. We cannot rely on the private sector to provide affordable housing and social housing because this does not align with the business interests of ‘for-profit’ private housing developers. 3. A State construction company would attract more young people toward pursuing a career in construction by offering quality permanent employment and better pay and working conditions. There is currently a shortage of skilled construction workers, we urgently need to attract more young people to pursue a career in construction in order to meet Housing for All building targets. 4. Statistics show it is considerably cheaper for local authorities to directly build social and affordable houses than to buy completed units from private for-profit developers. https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-40744002.html?msclkid=433241c3b3b911ec927ed3f61cdce8d4

Electric Ireland says it will increase its residential electricity prices by 23.4% and gas prices by 24.8% from 1 May. These price hikes will create real hardship for communities up and down the country, already struggling with the cost of living. Electric Ireland (ESB) has extra responsibility as a state owned company (and thus owned by the people of Ireland) to take into account our well-being in decisions on prices and to put this before profit. We ask Paddy Hayes CEO of Electric Ireland (ESB) to put communities first and help alleviate, not worsen the cost of living crisis.

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