Learning to grow your own food organically in a world where food security is a growing concern, is a valuable life skill.  Young people deserve to have the opportunity to learn to grow healthy food to ensure their ability to manage the impact of an increasingly volatile global food production system. A Leaving Certificate subject that would award 50% of the marks for practical work - as is the case with music, for example - would ensure that students can develop and maintain a school garden and orchard under the expertise of a properly qualified teacher, thereby enhancing their school environment and providing freshly produced organic food for their school's canteen.  23% of the global land surface has reduced productivity as a result of unsustainable, industrial, agriculture practices (1). Organic agriculture, which has benefits for biodiversity, soil health and water quality, is a key tool in halting and reversing this trend. Unfortunately, Ireland has one of the lowest rates of organic farming in Europe (2), which means the government should make a concerted effort to encourage the uptake of organic food production at both large and small scale.  Introducing a subject in Irish secondary schools that would allow teenagers to learn how to grow their own food sustainably would be a positive step in contributing to Ireland's food sovereignty. The subject should be based on the principles of agro-ecology, to ensure that students learn how to grow food in a way that protects and enhances biodiversity. Chemical herbicides, many of which are known to be carcinogenic, have no place in a school environment and should not be part of the curriculum.  At a time when the climate and biodiversity crises expose our food production models to ever greater vulnerabilities, it has never been more important to build local, resilient and sustainable food systems. We call on the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, to give young people the skills to make this happen by introducing Organic Horticulture as a Leaving Certificate subject.   (1) IFOAM Organics International: https://www.ifoam.bio/why-organic (2) European Environment Agenc: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/agricultural-area-used-for-organic 

What greater act of solidarity would it be than for Cork to twin with Gaza City? Gaza was a beautiful and vibrant city before the repeated, violent Israeli attacks. Both Cork City and Gaza City have suffered from acts of vengeance. “The people of Cork have been on the streets ever since October. The solidarity has been heartwarming for me as someone who was born in Gaza and who has many friends and family still there suffering unimaginable hardship. It would be the greatest honor for them if our two great cities were to be connected by ‘twinning’. ” Nasser Al Swirki. A son of Gaza living in Cork UCC links: Gaza is a University City. All of Gaza’s universities now lie in ruins. The Gaza City university has developed partnerships with 142 higher education institutions around the world. Let’s make UCC one of those partners! CUH links? Al-Shifa Hospital was the largest medical complex and central hospital in the Gaza. We will need medical partners. Environmental Links? Now destroyed. Wadi Gaza: In 2023 the Gaza Strip’s only wetland was slowly coming back to life.

Educate D8 is a community group representing families in Dublin 8. For generations Dublin 8 has experienced under-investment in secondary education. Our Educate D8 Campaign has two main aims to address the under- provision of school places in our area: 1. To secure the establishment of a new secondary school in the area. 2. To gain access to the consultation process on ethos and patronage. Why do we need a new school? 45% of children in Dublin 8 have to leave the area to go to secondary school. 2135 Dublin 8 kids will need to leave the area for secondary school by 2026. Only 11% of children in Kilmainham Dublin 8 walk or cycle to school (active travel) in comparison with 75% in Clonskeagh Dublin 6. Kilmainham children have the longest commutes in Dublin. Children in Dublin 8 face up to a 90-minute commute to Sandymount Educate Together Secondary School, which was offered by the Department of Education as a solution to our problem. The average national commute for teenagers is 19.5 minutes (CSO, 2022). 62% of the population in Dublin 8 is not Catholic (CSO, 2022). 0% of the secondary schools in Dublin 8 are multi-denominational. 89% of Dublin 8 parents surveyed would like to send their children to a local secondary school. 6th class pupils in Dublin 8 are dispersed to up to 14 different secondary schools, decimating their community. Population growth in Dublin 8 between 2016 – 2022: -the population grew by 14% as opposed to 4.6% in Dublin City. -the population of 10-19 year olds grew by 30% in comparison to 14% growth nationally. PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN AND SIGN OUR PETITION ASKING MINISTER OF EDUCATION TO GRANT US A NEW SCHOOL FOR OUR CHILDREN. Visit our website https://d8newschool.ie/ or join our campaign WhatsApp https://chat.whatsapp.com/Kl3PytsabTv1jsZfStgPTr

Books and other media with LGBTQ+ themes are extremely important for young people who may be struggling to understand their own identity, as it gives them role models to look up to and allows them an opportunity to see people like them in the stories they enjoy! Book bans, like the one being pushed by prominent Unionist politicians including MP Carla Lockhart are also incredibly discriminatory and hypocritical [1] - representation of non- heterosexual relationships should no more be banned from Libraries than heterosexual/cis gender relationships. A child will not become gay or be "transed" by reading a book with a gay or trans character included. We must not allow bigoted bad actors to import American culture war nonsense to Northern Ireland. [1] https://www.newsletter.co.uk/education/dup-mp-carla-lockhart-calls-for-the-immediate-re[…]ildrens-books-from-northern-irish-public-libraries-4562485

Education Minister Paul Givan has confirmed that without additional funding, his department will struggle to find additional school places for over 1,000 children with SEN. The Education Authority has reported that it is "extremely challenging" to find new places in schools and "urgent investment" is needed. No child with SEN should be left in limbo before the start of the new school term. The NI Executive needs to provide more capital investment to solve this crisis!

We don't have enough pools in our area so when a new pool is planned it needs to be a modern and flexible design to accommodate as many groups as possible.

With the exception of a few, higher-level institutions in Ireland do not provide free period products, despite repeated requests from our campus communities. There is a clear demand for these initiatives, from students and staff. The initiative needs to be streamlined and supported on a governmental level. By tackling period dignity head-on, we can directly tackle stigma and shame around periods for students and staff, thus making our campuses more inclusive places for members of our academic community from all backgrounds. Quality of learning and teaching is affected by menstruation - and we do not want anyone to get caught out by not having adequate products in those moments. By ensuring access to free period products, especially as the housing and cost-of-living crises worsen, we can ensure that those from worse-off socioeconomic backgrounds are supported throughout their education. The government has piloted free period products in certain education boards, but this has not yet extended universally to higher-level institutions. We have heard that there are plans to do so. We, students and staff, call to expedite this process and set down funding to make period products accessible in bathrooms across all higher-level institutions in the country.

Students in Galway are already paying some of the highest rents and tution fees in Europe, and yet this accommodation provider deems it's appropriate to take advantage of the severe lack of suitable accommodation in this city and increase their rents. This will not be taken lightly, and we ask you to sign this petition to show this provider it's not acceptable.

Having a large mural of US president Joe Biden in Ballina reflects very badly on the people of Ballina, Mayo and Ireland who hold very different views to Joe regarding the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Students who are utilising the colleges late closing times should be able to access extra water and snacks at all times, instead of relying on making/buying their own in their food shops, which are already incredibly expensive.

PhD researchers face significant adverse consequences from being classed as students. They have no statutory entitlement to sick leave, maternity leave, or the minimum wage. Their income is not classed as taxable, and therefore they are unable to make PRSI contributions or claim tax credits. They have no collective bargaining rights. The system places PhDs in constant insecurity and gives no support to those who need it. A plurality of European countries have recognised that some model of employment rights are necessary to guarantee fair pay and conditions for doctoral researchers. Ireland should follow these countries and alter the status of PhD researchers so as to guarantee these protections.

Generations of students who went to Integrated schools grew up getting their education in drafty, leaky portable classrooms. This must end.  First & Deputy First Minister - Restore the funding. You made a promise. Keep it.