Our local businesses, environment and democracy are under threat from a trade deal currently being negotiated between the EU Commission and the USA. The deal is called TTIP and could outlaw local authorities’ support of local businesses, allow multinational corporations to sue us if councils deny fracking permits and open up services like water, health and education to privatisation. What’s up for grabs are the rules and regulations that force corporations to abide by standards that protect our health, our rights, our jobs, services and the environment. These regulations for example stop corporations releasing chemicals and products into the market before they are proven to be safe. They also make sure workers get their rights and that local communities are protected from environmental disasters. But if TTIP goes ahead corporations will get to have a say on policies that govern our daily lives - before we or even politicians get to see them. And if they don’t like the rules they will be able to sue governments when they make changes or bring in new policies that could potentially affect their profits. Right now in Canada a fracking company Lone Pine Resources Inc., is suing the government for its decision to not allow fracking in Quebec. They are able to do this because of an ISDS clause in another trade deal. In Egypt the government was sued by water company Veolia for attempting to bring in a minimum wage. Germany is being sued by Swedish energy company Vatenfall for €4.7 billion because of Germany's decision to phase out nuclear power. TTIP also removes barriers to US companies who want to sell their products in Europe. Right now the sale of US beef in Europe is very limited. Hormone injected beef is banned outright. Hundreds of councils across Europe have already said they don’t want TTIP. Because of people power politicians are waking up to the threat TTIP poses and to the fact that people aren’t going to stand aside and let our democracy and rights be sold off. In addition to that a similar Trade agreement named CETA if the TTPIP fails will deliver a similar agreement between the EU and Canada, with similar legal provisions thus providing a backdoor for the same restrictive legal provisions to be implemented: CETA summary: http://www.ase.tufts.edu/gdae/Pubs/wp/16-03CETA_ES.pdf

We all have a right to adequate access to drinking water. The UN has told the Irish state that according to international human rights law, all levels of government are under an obligation to provide urgent measures, including financial assistance, to ensure access to affordable housing, and essential levels of drinking water and sanitation services.

Merlin Park meadows has been conserved as a public amenity space for many generations and is a vital green space for the people of Galway. With 84 acres of land already zoned for development within the Merlin Park hospital complex, it will have an adverse impact on the community - once it is gone, it can never be replaced. With the expansion of housing and commercial lands surrounding the area, it is a healthy environment for the ever increasing population who depend on it as an escape from polluted environments, a place for mental relaxation and physical activity. Along with the Merlin Park Woods it is the only known habitat in the city where Red Squirrel are thriving and sightings from other areas of the city are of roadkill. It is home to thousands of mammals and wildlife species such as butterflies, bumblebees and dragonflies providing a safe haven for them with huge declines in the number of these species and many threatened species in recent years. It is home to a variety of Orchids and wildflowers similar to the protected Burren in Co Clare. This is a very unique meadow within the city of Galway and is totally natural. Galway has been awarded the European Green Leaf Award for 2017, to allow development on public land and destroy this meadow would totally go against this.

The people of this community have the lowest density of green space in the state. The council refuse to discuss their plans for the site and intend to sell the land to developers. They are threatening to close a Community Garden which is thriving by delaying the allocation of allotments to residents of the Community that have applied. The area is socially deprived and has .7 % of green space per resident when the World Health Organisation recommends 9% per resident pet community.

Lough Key Forest Park is a national treasure and must at all costs be kept in public ownership. We're really worried that plans are afoot to sell it or part off, similar to what happened at Newcastle Forest where publicly owned land of which we the Irish people are the stakeholders of was leased to a foreign private company for profit gain. Una Bhan is a 'high' POEM / song in the Gaelic tradition,which tells the tragic love affair she had with a rival of her father.It is widely sung the length and breath of Ireland,and it symbolises our rich gaelic culture.She is buried on an Island close by......our heritage belongs to everyone, and no one!

This is a popular beach but a lot of sharp branches are being washed on shore and are sticking out of the sand which is a hazard, especially for young kids.

The Marine Institute has applied for a 35 year lease for an offshore electricity generating station in Galway Bay off of Spiddal. There are 5 applications relating to this all to be found on www.environ.ie. Although, there have been a couple of public meetings about this, the most recent meeting in the Connemara Coast revealed that a huge amount of people have very little or no information about what this entails. Indeed, there are too many Galwegians and Clare people who have no idea that this is the plan for Galway Bay. We would like to inform people of the details and have asked the Marine Institute and Simon Coveney, who has the power to sign off on this, for more time to examine the applications and the consequences for Galway Bay and its surroundings. Please help us spread the word quickly as we only have until August 2nd for submissions on this. Unless our TDs and Councillors stall the deadline for us.

The salmon farming industry is detrimental to wild salmon, peoples health and the ecology of the bays where the cages are. Sea lice from the salmon cages easily infest little salmon making their journey to sea, and many don't return to breed. This massively effects angling tourism, coupled with escaped salmon who spread disease. The antibiotics and food used to farm these "organic" salmon is far from healthy. The E.U definition of "organic" is shocking, and I have never in my life heard of antibiotics growing in a field! Mussels and other native life is effected by the salmon farms, they must be stopped! For more information or to help the campaign further contact Tom Moran via the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pbpcastlebar Thank you!

Glyphosate the main ingredient in Roundup is poisonous to humans, wildlife and the environment. According to the WHO it is 'probably carcinogenic'. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/widely-used-herbicide-linked-to-cancer/ It is being sprayed on roadsides, paths, in housing estates close to where people live. Ireland has the second highest levels of glyphosate in surface water in the EU. Page 83 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4302/epdf

Its important because it will encourage dumping. The bin system is fine. Taxes are being put on ordinary people who are already doing their best to help with the rubbish by putting them into bins already as well as recycling their products. Its not right to impose such charges. We are being forced to pay a polluters charge how dare they. Its the shops have to reduce this packaging on products sold in their shops as we are paying for it now.

This is important as it appears that the Dublin Port Company failed to adhere to licence conditions in previous dumping carried out under the same licence and these failures to comply were not acted upon by the regulatory authority (EPA). These conditions were imposed to protect the Bay. As the cultural status of the site has since been raised to an SAC its protection has been recognised under both Irish and EU legislation as now being even more important. The Irish Underwater Council (IUC) believe that dumping at the designated dump site of the Burford Bank, will cause long term damage to an environment already only gradually recovering from previous significant historical dumping. While the IUC recognises the necessity of the dredging being carried out, we believe alternative dump sites must be considered. If the use of the current dumpsite is to continue, then this activity must undergo the proper appropriate assessment required for EU protected sites.

Hares are a protected species in Ireland and an national symbol. Prior to a hare coursing event the hares are collected in a cruel manner using nets and then stored in horrendous conditions most likely in small boxes until they are released into a field and chased and mauled by greyhounds. Animal rights organisations have secretly documented and evidenced the cruel methods in collection and storing of the animals. Clare Daly, a TD for Dublin North – the only Dublin constituency, she says, which still has hare coursing events – told the Dail recently that the Irish Council Against Blood Sports has a video of barbarity in Balbriggan. Daly says that the rules around hare coursing are contradictory where, on the one hand, hares are protected under the Wildlife Act but, on the other, under the Animal Health and Welfare Act all animals are protected with the exception of hares to be coursed. She said that this resulted, in 2015, in a situation where 7,000 hares were taken from the wild to be used in live coursing events. While Creed said the figures show that in 2014-15 99.3% of hares are released back into the wild, Daly said it was often to die. “Reports from the National Parks and Wildlife Service… tell us that only 17 of the 75 events held in the country last year had National Parks and Wildlife Service officials in attendance and the state of many of the hares requiring assistance, which were released back to the wild distressed, is evident in its reports, which refute the information given to the Minister by Bord na gCon.” Many hares, she said, which are released back into the wild, were very distressed and die afterwards. Creed said that under legislation ensured a prohibition on the coursing of sick or pregnant hares and a requirement that hares be released back into the wild during daylight hours. However, Daly said at a coursing event in Nenagh, some of the hares released included heavily pregnant hares. Daly said the solution is to ban coursing outright, but Creed said he has no intentions to do so. Ireland is one of only 3 countries in Europe that allow this barbaric so called sport take place. Does this have a place in a caring and compassionate modern Ireland? For the last 25 years independent TD's have attempted to and failed to have this act banned in the Dail. Supporters call it tradition, a tradition where grown men stand in a field and cheer whilst watching animals be terrorised and mauled. The word tradition is used too often to for justification for terrible acts. How can we as a nation condemn other countries for animal cruelty like bull fighting and whale hunting when we accept this in our own lands. TD's should firstly be allowed to vote with their conscious and not with the whip and the government who has given its support to the continuation of hare coursing. Its important that we send a strong message to the government that it is not acceptable in a caring and compassionate Ireland that cherishes its protected species.