Due to the coronavirus schools across Ireland have been cancelled, despite this the second years are still having to complete the CBAs (classroom based assessments). This is unfair as every other year group that have completed them received a better opportunity to get help. The current second years deserve the same platform that previous students have had. Because of the current situation, there is a lot of unnecessary stress and confusion being caused.

Most students and families often struggle to put together college fees, with some skipping classes to work. Given the current situation, a partial refund for the period where classes were/are no longer conducted in the college is only reasonable and fair as this can help students to get through these tough times and pay for the upcoming academic year.

Because we all liked it the way it was ! And It was also a resource for locals in the D8 area who aren't students at the college; be they people from the flats, students from other colleges, unemployed, former drug addicts, you name it.

We now have less than 10 years to reverse the climate emergency. The solutions to climate change are good for all our other issues with * cleaner air * warmer homes * smaller energy bills *better public transport * localised economies * organic food * biodiverse gardens * rich wildlife areas * seas teaming with fish and other marine animals * a more equal society. Let Ireland lead the world on this.

Due the shortage of secondary school places in Gorey

Mduduzi is a founding member of the Melting Pot Luck, which was established in early 2017. He is integral to our group and has been our chairperson since November 2019. The Melting Pot Luck wouldn't be what it is without Mduduzi. Together, we have organised multiple small and large-scale events which have brought the community of Galway and people living in Direct Provision together through food and music. Our group has helped to break down the barriers that separate people, building friendships and promoting intercultural understanding. Mduduzi is from Zimbabwe and has been living in Direct Provision in Galway for the last 3 years. Despite living in those challenging and limiting conditions he has successfully integrated in Galway and has become a key part of the community. Mduduzi embodies the spirit of what makes Galway great, and he works tirelessly to help improve things for people living here. He is an amazingly talented, positive, warm, hard-working and socially conscious individual and he has made a huge effort to integrate and engage with the community in Galway. As well as volunteering with The Melting Pot Luck for the past three years Mduduzi has been involved with numerous volunteer programs with organisations like Galway City Partnership (GCP) and Amnesty International, running educational workshops in schools and training sessions with professionals. He also developed a social enterprise initiative with The Melting Pot Luck, GCP and Tiny Traders market during summer 2019. He is actively involved in the Galway arts scene, DJing regularly with Galway African Diaspora at Áras na Gael. Mduduzi is also on the committee for the University of Sanctuary at NUIG where he studies Science. We are all absolutely shocked and devastated that our friend and chairperson of our group has been told he can’t stay in Ireland. Mduduzi deserves better than the situation he is now faced with. He deserves sanctuary, he deserves welcome, and above all, he deserves to make a home and build a future here in Ireland. This dream, and all the work he has done in the community is at risk of being destroyed if he is deported. TD Charlie Flanagan has the power to grant Mduduzi humanitarian leave to remain in Ireland, and we urge him to do so. We ask you to please sign this petition to support our campaign, and share it widely with your contacts. Thank you.

Students here pay around £4000 per year to attend university. These fees are a barrier to students from working class backgrounds and financial issues are a major cause of student distress and anxiety. The burden of balancing the books of the new NI Assembly should not be placed on our young people. Education is a right and should not be a commodity.

Our schools are facing overwhelming challenges in the provision of education for our children with special needs. The campaign for The Right Inclusion Model for Every Child calls for the State to provide for the rights of every child to an education. To respect the rights of all of our children, sufficient resources must be provided to those who have special educational needs. The Proclamation of our Republic promises to ‘cherish all the children of the nation equally’. Under the current model, inadequate resourcing means that children with additional needs are not guaranteed their right to equal access to education. The goal of our campaign is to achieve cross-party support for The Right Inclusion Model for Every Child ahead of the General Election and to have the principles of this model included on the next Programme for Government. We assert that The Right Inclusion Model for Every Child must include; • SNA allocation to match the needs of the children • Transparency in the Process: There are currently not enough SNAs in the system to match the needs and the appeals process is not fit for purpose. The proposed General Allocation Model cannot match the needs going forward, given that current needs are not being met. Meaningful consultation with schools, parents and children’s advocacy groups is necessary to inform the right inclusion model. • Multi-Disciplinary teams: Immediate removal of waiting lists for Assessment of Need to ensure timely, appropriate access to multi-disciplinary services. This will require considerable increases in staffing and resourcing of the various services. • Options for children and their families: To have options of placements in mainstream schools, special classes within mainstream schools, and special schools according to each child’s needs. We are asking for every General Election Candidate to sign up to our campaign and to pledge to deliver The Right Inclusion Model for Every Child as a matter of priority in the next government.

We need a safe place for our children and adults to cycle on the road for commuting to school and work. This would also provide for recreational cycling and people to enjoy the coast in a safe and peaceful manner. At the moment there is no continuous safe cycling for people in DLR. Most people currently don't cycle due to the dangerous nature of the roads in DLR. This could provide an impetus for cycling with a link all the way from Booterstown to Sandycove. There's been talk of a cycleway along the coast for over 20 years and still no sign of it.

Theophilus Ndlovu, aka 'Touché', came to Ireland seeking asylum in July 2016 and has spent the last 3.5 years living in Direct Provision in Galway. As a talented spoken-word and hip-hop artist, Theo has made enormous contributions to the Irish community, performing at countless cultural and charitable events across the country. He is a founding member of the multicultural music project 'Atmos Collective', and has facilitated numerous music workshops in Galway - teaching, motivating and inspiring hundreds of young people along the way. He is an irreplaceable member of the collective, which was recently granted funding by Galway 2020 as part of their 'Small Towns Big Ideas' scheme, to host community music workshops in the city and county over the next 12 months. Atmos Collective and this incredible project simply could not and will not exist without him! Theo came to Ireland young and alone. He has talent, passion, and is doing his absolute best to give something positive back to Irish society. His ongoing creative output demonstrates that he is dedicated and well-integrated into the creative community. Impressively, it has all been of his own initiative, despite his challenging circumstances. Hardworking and with an infectious energy and positivity, he has been an outstanding role model in the community and an incredible asset to both Galway and Ireland. We cannot afford to lose him! Recently, Theo has wrestled with anxiety and depression, brought on by his time in Direct Provision. We have a humanitarian duty to support and protect those who have had to endure this inhumane and degrading asylum system. Despite all of this, Theo is now facing an imminent deportation order. Only Minister Charles Flanagan has the power to grant 'permission to remain' to Theo and prevent his deportation. PLEASE take the time to sign this petition and to email the Minister and the Taoiseach, at [email protected] and [email protected], pledging support to Theo and his future in Ireland – which has become his home. Contact [email protected] for more details or an email/letter template!

Better productivity. More efficient usage of time Employee satisfaction Lower unemployment rates And most importantly it is better for the environment as we won’t produce as much greenhouse emissions.

If mental health promotion was given a more central and compulsory role in the curriculum the wellbeing of the young people would improve. The communities we work in are some of the most deprived areas in the UK. The suicide rate is around 70% higher in deprived areas than non-deprived areas, and rates of pupils needing tuition due to anxiety and mental health continues to be high. We need schools and the Education Authority to monitor how our schools are addressing mental health.