Direct Provision also known as asylum seekers is a term used to describe the money, food, accommodation and medical services an individual receives while their international protection application is being processed (Citizensinformation.ie, 2021). As of 2019 there were a total of 4,781 applicants for the protection status in Ireland (‘Statistics’, 2020). There were 7,330 still pending at the end of 2019 and a total of 585 people living in Ireland with the refugee status. Due to the large numbers of asylum seekers and the growing increase over the years, facilities are exhaust leading to poor treatment of the basic human rights and needs of an individual living in direct provision. Asylum seekers are given a weekly payment of €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child, as a result of this they are unable to afford education, healthcare or sufficient food (Citizensinformation.ie, 2021). Not only their physical health is being damaged, but also their mental health. People in direct provision are five times more likely to have issues in relation to their mental health (‘Direct Provision – Doras’, 2021). The total funding for the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) is €770,000 (Justice, 2020). This is to be spread across seven different areas around Ireland, allowing only €110,000 for each geographical area. This is not enough funding to provide adequate accommodation, food, education and healthcare for all. The White Paper was released in February 2021 which contains a description of the current plans in relation to abolishing Direct Provision. This is in fact great news however, change needs to be made now and cannot wait three or so more years. There are people currently living in Direct Provision and their voices and concerns need to be heard and their needs must be met. Immediate action must be taken to help those currently living in Direct Provision. The following are links to more detailed sources in relation to this issue: Information on Direct Provision: https://www.irishrefugeecouncil.ie/listing/category/direct-provision Information on the food provided: https://nascireland.org/sites/default/files/WhatsFoodFINAL.pdf Information on the White Paper: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/affd6-minister-ogorman-publishes-the-white-paper-on-ending-direct-provision/ References: Citizensinformation.ie (2021) Direct provision system. Citizensinformation.ie. Available at: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/asylum_seekers_and_refugees/services_for_asylum_seekers_in_ireland/direct_provision.html ‘Direct Provision – Doras’ (2021). Available at: http://doras.org/direct-provision/ Justice, T. D. of (2020) Irish Refugee Protection Programme, The Department of Justice. The Department of Justice. Available at: http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Irish_Refugee_Protection_Programme_(IRPP) ‘Statistics’ (2020) Asylum Information Database | European Council on Refugees and Exiles. Available at: https://asylumineurope.org/reports/country/republic-ireland/statistics/

It is vitally important as social distancing is not possible, schools are poorly ventilated, primary school children are not advised to wear masks and many students with AEN cannot wear them. We also have the largest class sizes in Europe. If education staff were vaccinated, it would reduce the risk of spreading Covid 19 and keep schools open. No wants our most vulnerable to be sidestepped so that education staff can be vaccinated but we have to remember teachers and SNAs are working with some of our most vulnerable in society. These students and the staff that care for them deserve to be protected.

Currently the cost to the DES to print and post is over two million euros each year. This money could easily be diverted to buildings, teacher allocation, AEN allocation or student capitation. The fiscal cost does not take into account the environmental cost in paper, ink or transport. Teachers have requested this change time and time again to no avail- it’s now time to change this archaic practice and use the savings to improve student experience.

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.

We the Irish people who pay the salaries of the give every have the right to decide who governs our nation. We are now faced with a government who have shown lack of compassion and care towards the Irish people as a whole. They have proved they are not trustworthy or capable of governing this country. We the Irish people voted for change in February 2020 and this has been denied by the current cabinet. We deserve the change that was voted for. Our health system is at its knees, our housing is in a state of emergency and in need of a sensible but compassionate approach. Our elderly are being robbed of what they worked all their lives to earn, those who refuse to work are being rewarded heavily through social welfare. A reform of the entire system is needed. Our rural communities are at their knees, almost at the point of extinction. Crime is at an all time high in this country and the Garda are without the powers to enforce the rule of law.

Young people desperately need sports and activities for their physical and mental well being. Taking their games and activities away from them has been cruel and damaging especially given that we have yet to hear any data linking stopping juvenile sports and halting the spread of the virus.

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 students are facing as they remain isolated from their peers, results 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 North of Ireland ranks within the top 10 of countries with highest student fees in Europe. Stormont have taken no measures to aid the situation, instead opting to leave it up to the discretion of the institution on whether or not students receive any aid at all. Students who paid for accommodation only to learn that all their classes would be 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 for the Economy begin to seriously consider the abolition of tuition fees. Education is a human right, and it’s high time it be treated as such. After signing this petition please share your online learning story with #WhatAmIPayingFor, and don’t forget to tag Diane Dodds, Arlene Foster, Michelle O’Neill, the Department for the Economy and your local MLAs and/or MPs! 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

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

With no designated parking area, parents and teachers must pull up onto the footpath to drop and pick up from school. An increasing volume and speed of traffic on the Bodyke-Limerick road, makes the situation as it currently stands dangerous for all and we would ask that this matter be taken with the urgency it deserves. Off-road parking and a safe turning area near the school are urgently required. Clare County Council and Clare TDs have been asked to look at how this might be made possible. Local community support is hugely valuable and we would urge you to sign this petition and help draw attention to this local issue.

You, the Department of Education have a duty of care for the safety & protection of our children & school staff. Parents and school staff were promised “protection measures” yet none are in place. Now at level 5, there are still no safety measures and schools are reporting that when a positive case is in a classroom, they are unable to get hold of HSE and have no guidance only to get on with it and continue with positive cases within the class. NOT ACCEPTABLE.

To ensure that 20,201 cao applicants applying on the basis of points from previous years don't miss out on college places due to grade inflation.

Keep our kids safe, keep ourselves safe so we can keep our Ireland safe!!!