An important part of protecting heritage is to recognise the value of a place - to the people who value it. The value the Iveagh Gardens holds for the people who value it is being arrogantly dismissed by the NCSC plan. We should not have to fight to preserve  our heritage and heritage parks against vested interests no matter how worthy those interests consider themselves. The excuse of  ‘opening up the park to improve accessibility’ is a nonsense and does not stand up to scrutiny in any argument for the conservation of enclosed parks. The only reason for  ‘opening up’ the park is to create accessibility to the Science Centre . Our heritage parks have the right to exist free from the threat of interference from vested interests.  The Government should be upholding those protections and not facilitating exploitation of priceless heritage Our public parks and Gardens must be free from interference and not handed over in whole or in part to facilitate building by vested interests.  Through the OPW  the state undertook to protect, conserve, and restore’  Iveagh Gardens for the city of Dublin. The state must honour this commitment and preserve the Iveagh Gardens intact. Save the boundary wall. Save The Iveagh Gardens. 

The year 2017 marked twenty years since Ireland’s first comprehensive plan to address poverty: the National Anti-Poverty Strategy 1997-2006. The year 2018 marked key anniversary for End Poverty activists and for the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights! The 30th anniversary of the death of Joseph Wresinski, the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela (who launched the Make Poverty History Campaign) and the 70 years of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The year 2019 is starting with the Centenary of the first meeting of Dáil Éireann which occurred on 21 January 1919 in the Round Room of the Dublin Mansion House. In this first and highly symbolic meeting, the proceedings of the Dáil were conducted for the only time entirely in the Irish language, except for previously drafted declarations including the proclamation of the "Democratic Programme" including the following pledge: "It shall be the first duty of the Government of the Republic to make provision for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the children, to secure that no child shall suffer hunger or cold from lack of food, clothing, or shelter, but that all shall be provided with the means and facilities requisite for their proper education and training as Citizens of a Free and Gaelic Ireland." On the day of the Centenary, the Irish Times in partnership with the Children Rights' Alliance launched the #NoChild2020 campaign! No Child 2020 is an initiative by Fintan O'Toole and other Irish Times' journalists aiming to provide a sustained focus on child welfare and children’s issues over the coming year. We believe that Ireland needs a new Integrated Framework for Social Inclusion, to tackle inequality and poverty. We know Ireland faces major challenges: - to end the Housing Crisis - to deliver the SlainteCare’s vision for a better and fairer health system - to tackle Child Poverty and the poverty faced by the children's families - to implement the 17 Global Goals set down in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including action to limit climate change with a strong concern for climate justice - to become a society with communities ready to leave no one behind, the promise of the UN 2030 Agenda If we are serious about tackling these issues, and serious about lifting people out of poverty and eliminating its causes, we must have a consistent, comprehensive plan to address poverty and social exclusion. Such a plan will only succeed if it is owned by civil society at large and also by the people experiencing poverty, not just politicians and the organisations that work to combat inequality and exclusion. Our call to action: let's walk as one to end poverty! In the follow-up of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (10 December 2018), as Ireland marks the Centenary of the Democratic Programme, strengthened by the launch of the "No Child 2020" initiative, inspired by the "End Poverty" legacies of Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, inspired also by the pledge of Joseph Wresinski: "To come together is our solemn duty," and following the call by Mary Robinson and the Elders to "Walk Together", we seek a new approach. Let's bring everyone who wants to make a difference together! All stakeholders: public bodies, teachers, trainers and researchers, corporates and services, youth groups and pensioners, and the people who fight against the poverty and stigma that they experience. Let's say: "We – citizens, workers, leaders, managers, carers, parents, activists or professionals or both – are ready to be part of the End Poverty plan. We all need to own this plan: to know the goals and own them. Together we wish to take part in a strong participatory process to make the next Anti-Poverty Plan the best ever. Those who live with poverty and social exclusion deserve it. They also should have the opportunity help develop this new plan. And when the plan is in place they should be able to play their part to ensure it is implemented. I have a role to play and I support this call to action and would like to be involve in the design, implementation and monitoring of our common plan!” Let us leave no one behind! All together in dignity!"

Road Safety Traffic Flow Detrimental Effect on Local Businesses Overall Look to Local Village

We seem to be allowing a continuous stripping of services from rural Ireland, this would be a start of a serious opportunity to reverse this trend and offer a genuine service to elderly people who want to remain in their homes. We could customise these hubs to suit each village or location, eg combine this service with the local community centre, a cafe a local business or a stand alone unit. This hub could be staffed by locals and would offer all the services of a post office, plus access for the elderly to a government services help desk, environmental help, grants, tourist info etc, it could also be a start of decentralisation from Dublin.

Roundup is ‘potentially carcinogenic’ according to the World Health organisation and is being sprayed in places such as playgrounds close to where children play. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/widely-used-herbicide-linked-to-cancer/

Our health is being affected by Roundup.

Ireland finds itself under increasing pressure to reduce its agricultural GHG emissions. Climate change is upon us and is a serious threat to our environment, social and economic world, subsequently affecting our ability to continue a business-as-usual approach to food production. The state cannot continue to ignore the fact the expansionist agenda in agriculture is not working. It is not environmentally, economically or socially sustainable. Environmentally Unsustainable: Under Food Harvest 2020 and Food Wise 2025, our emissions under a best case scenario are set to rise by 6/7% to 2020 Over 53% of water pollution is directly related to agriculture, with one in three rivers and lakes now at risk of further pollution. What’s more, biodiversity continues to decline, with rare species on the verge of extinction Economically Unsustainable: Ireland’s agri-sector is dominated by small farmers, who are struggling to survive. Farmers find themselves caught between pressures in trying to get a fair price for produce and a CAP ( European Common Agricultural Policy) that rewards the bigger land-owner. Farm incomes continue to decline, a fact blamed on falling milk and grain prices, with the OECD-FAO outlook predicting that markets will continue to remain weak Socially Unsustainable: A shocking and unacceptable fact is that only 1% of Ireland’s agricultural land is used to grow vegetables. Ireland has to import vegetables worth 1.2 billion euro each year, making us vulnerable to fluctuations on the market. Earlier this year, a drought in Spain resulted in higher prices for vegetables. Food prices hikes impact everyone forcing many to substitute vegetables with cheaper, nutritionally poor, energy dense foods. Leading to various health problems. Climate change, political instabilities and other factors can affect imports, if imports stopped today we would have approximately 4 weeks of fresh produce left on our shelves. We are not food secure! We stand on the side of small farmers, who risk it all, day in day out, to produce healthy food, true custodians of the land, protecting the environment, preserving biodiversity, keeping skills alive and ensuring that future generations have the opportunity to produce nutritionally good food. These farmers continue to be pushed to the fringes, by the state and the EU. With this petition we want to show that we stand with these farmers. That we care and all want a sustainable food future. If you care about what’s on our plate, care about local economies and about a sustainable future. Make you voice heard by signing this petition. Let’s speak as one voice to the Irish government and tell them: - to support small farmers financially - to support farmers in diversifying their holdings - to offer supports to increase the amount of vegetables produced in Ireland for food security - to increase environmental standards in agriculture beyond carbon footprints and give incentives to those who meet and surpass those standards - to practice the polluter pays principle and heavily fine those who continue to pollute our land and waterways - to increase reforestation with native species in and around farms, to support farmers in transitions to agroforestry 1. http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/air/airemissions/2020_GHG_Projections_2016_Bulletin.pdf 2. http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/water-quality-in-one-in-three-irish-rivers-and-lakes-is-at-risk-of-deteriorating-35850649.html 3. http://www.thatsfarming.com/news/curlew-ireland 4. http://www.independent.ie/business/farming/beef/beef-farmers-will-again-struggle-to-cover-costs-in-2017-35290234.html 5. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/ifa-president-says-farmers-again-struggling-to-make-a-living-1.2057112 6. http://www.independent.ie/business/farming/schemes/system-failure-massive-difference-in-cap-payment-rates-35118778.html 7. http://www.irishtimes.com/business/agribusiness-and-food/average-family-farm-income-down-9-to-24-060-1.3102770 8. http://www.agri-outlook.org/

These chemical based weedkillers are highly carcinogenic and linked to a variety of potentially fatal diseases. Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller, Pathclear, Gallup, Pistol, Weedol and Mossgo are to name but a few of the weedkillers currently on the market that contain the cancer causing chemical glyphosate which is lethal to all living organisms. Ireland has the second highest level of glyphosate in our surface water in the EU and the third highest death rate of cancer in Europe. To ensure a safer, cleaner living environment for our current and future generations we want a complete ban of glyphosate weedkiller. We are extremely concerned that our Agricultural sector/farmers are bombarded with misinformation and pressure from government bodies that are directly lobbied by toxic chemical companies. 1. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/farmers-weapons-of-mass-destruction-carry-cancer-fears-1.3148492 2. http://greennews.ie/why-is-ireland-diluting-legislation-on-banning-hormone-changing-chemicals/ 3. https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/france-tables-eu-wide-non-agricultural-pesticide-ban/

The INHFA represent over 30,000 farmers in the West of Ireland. As they have no seat on any of the decision making committee, these farmer have no voice on these committees, which decides the future of farming and rural life in Ireland.

Dublin City Council are rumoured to be very close to banning glyphosate - the toxic chemical found in Monsanto's RoundUp weedkiller. If hundreds of us sign this petition, it might give them the push to finally stop using glyphosate.

These chemical based weedkillers are highly carcinogenic and linked to a variety of potentially fatal diseases. Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller, Pathclear, Gallup, Pistol, Weedol and Mossgo are to name but a few of the weedkillers currently on the market that contain the cancer causing chemical glyphosate which are lethal to all living organisms. Ireland has the second highest level of glyphosate in our surface water in the EU and the third highest death rate of cancer in Europe. To ensure a safer, cleaner living environment for our current and future generations we want a complete ban of glyphosate weedkiller. We are extremely concerned that our Agricultural sector/farmers are bombarded with misinformation and pressure from government bodies that are directly lobbied by toxic chemical companies. http://greennews.ie/why-is-ireland-diluting-legislation-on-banning-hormone-changing-chemicals/ https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/france-tables-eu-wide-non-agricultural-pesticide-ban/

The diversion of motorway levels of traffic into our community will further congest our roads, increase levels of carbon emissions and noise and make our community less safe particularly for our schoolchildren and senior citizens.