There is a ready made ideal site for a playground in Rockfield Park, namely the now unused square surfaced with tarmac which used to serve as an all weather five-a-side. DCC intend re-greening this when it could serve as a ready made foundation for a playground. A properly secured playground would be a great amenity and would lead to a more widespread use of the park by the community

Based on original articles in the media, the plan is to build approx. 700+ houses in Tinakilly. Wicklow County Council has approved the first round of this development, for 271 houses which will be built in the fields to the right of Tinakilly avenue (going up the avenue). The fields to the left of Tinakilly avenue are also owned by the same consortium and are zoned for residential development. There is no doubt, that in the future, this consortium will also apply to build an additional significant number of houses here. The plans for the 271 houses involve a phase 1 of the Rathnew inner relief road development, which will run from Broomhall interchange (traffic lights) to half way up Tinakilly avenue. Phase 2 development of this road will connect to Newrath (approx back of Fiat garage) which will see Tinakilly avenue cut in half. This road will be a two lane carriageway with footpaths and cycle lanes on both sides. This major road artery will simply destroy the existing avenue. For years, Tinakilly has been an area of significant beauty and has been respected and enjoyed by the people of Rathnew and surrounding areas. The primary schools have enjoyed their nature walks here and continue to do so. It was described by the late Éamon de Buitléar as an area of outstanding, natural beauty and one of the finest examples of a sylvan avenue. The ecosystem will be destroyed. Fauna and flora will be wiped out. Some things are irreplaceable. The environs of Tinakilly are also home to two protected structures (Tinakilly House and Broadlough House), however, as the lands where once owned by Captain Robert Halpin, we feel the entire area should be considered as a protected landscape. There is already an abundance of proposed and existing houses developments that can cater for the demand of our village. The current population of Rathnew is approx. 3,500 and we are approaching max capacity in our brand new schools (Dec 2016). This development is not in the interest of the people of Rathnew. If you agree, please sign the petition.

1. Less waste to Land Fill, 2. One off use of Non Bio-degradable Plastics finding its way to our Rivers, Seas Lakes, Oceans. 3. Less Plastic waste in Rivers, Lakes, Seas, Oceans. 4. Save energy in the Production and Disposal of one of use,of Non Bio-degrade Waste Plastic. We need to re-think our views on Plastic. Many Plastics are used in our Work Places and Homes. Film " A Plastic Ocean"

Dublin City Council have demanded the return of the building following an unanimous vote by elected Representatives to have the building returned. This has so far not happened despite a deadline imposed on Martin Keane to return the keys by 31st Jan 2018. The businessman has held the building for over 20 years and has not delivered on his promises. The building needs to be returned to Diblin City Council so that the council and the community it serves can decide together on the future of this iconic Dublin building and how best it can serve its community!

Planning laws are supposed to be beyond political interference.

Plastic is taking over our world. It's everywhere. Supermarkets cover everything in plastic, including fresh fruit and veg. 160,000 plastic bags are used globally every second! 5 trillion plastic bags are produced yearly. Side by side, they can encircle the world 7 times. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is a floating landfill of garbage in the Pacific twice the size of Texas, is mostly composed of plastic. We want to reduce the use of plastic in the world, to protect the environment and particularly marine life.

“Climate change is real! Every country on Earth must come together now to do whatever we can now to protect the future of our planet. The Paris Agreement on Climate change is a good deal for Planet Earth, including the USA. Please sign this petition to President Trump and share it.” Nevan Corcoran (aged11) This petition was started by Nevan Corcoran, an 11-year-old boy from Lusk, Co Dublin, Ireland, worried that America is planning to pull out of The Paris Agreement on climate change. Dermot Higgins, who was Nevan's teacher, is nearly finished a massive cycle around the world to highlight climate change and plans to deliver the petition to The White House.

The government is supposed to reach a decision in April 2018 on whether or not to grant a license for the right to mechanically harvest seaweed to a private Canadian company. The sale was complicated by a legality. The ownership of the right to harvest seaweed is currently under question. Traditionally local people, owned the rights to harvest seaweed and harvested it in a sustainable way. Mechanically harvesting seaweed is not environmentally sustainable and will have a serious impact on the ecology of the sea. Harvesting rights to seaweed belong to the people and should not be allowed to be sold off by the State for private profit. Seaweed is now a highly lucrative resource which should be harvested in a sustainable way for the benefit of the people of Ireland living now and for future generations.

An baol ar an dhaoine; is é Bisphenol A (BPA) cean de na ceimicí atá in úsáid chun an plaisteach a dhéanamh crua agus soiléir. tá sé cruthaithe go bhfuil Bisphenol contúirteach do shláinte an duine. Tá sé ceangailte go láidir le go leor fadhbanna sláinte ar nós cineálacha áirithe ailse. An baol ar ainmhithe; Níl bairr na mbuidéal plaisteacha in-athchúrsáilte faoi láthair, agus mar atá déanta le málaí plaisteacha, is minic go mbíonn siad ag bun na farraige, agus i mbolgaí speiceas ainmhithe éagsúla ar cheap gur bia a bhí iontú. An baol ar an timpealacht; Tá sé níos deacra buidéil phlaisteacha a athchúrsáil ná mar a cheapann tú. Maidir leis an líon ollmhór buidéil phlaisteacha a caitear amach ar fud an domhain, ní athchúrsáiltear an chuid is mó dó mar nach féidir ach cineálacha áirithe de bhuidéil phlaisteacha a athchúrsáil. bíonn an chuid is mó dena buidéil fágtha ar líonta talún, ag ligint ceimiceáin contúirteacha isteach sa talamh.

Proposals to tackle issues and dangers associated with horses on public roads have all been based on a top down approach, with the most recent seeking to castigate and blame the Traveller community for horse-related issues to do with animal cruelty and accidents on the road. While law enforcement is an essential part of any response in all these cases, real progress can only be based on inclusive consultation and on respect for each other's culture.

Since 2008, Shannon LNG have held planning permission to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in northern Kerry. The terminal was never built, but now the company are looking to get an extension of the planning permission. We are calling on An Bord Pleanála to deny that extension, because LNG is not the right step for Ireland’s future. Liquefied natural gas is fossil gas which has been turned into a liquid so that it may be transported. It is highly flammable and very dangerous to the local environment [i]. The coastal area surrounding the proposed site for the LNG terminal is a Special Protected Area with a large population of waterbirds [ii]. An LNG terminal would be a huge threat to the biodiversity of this beautiful area. The LNG processed at this terminal will most likely be fracked gas imported from other countries, such as the US. Ireland banned fracking because of the devastating impact it holds for both people and wildlife [iii]. We cannot now profit from the exploitation of other communities at the hands of the fracking industry. Importing LNG and increasing our dependence on fossil gas is the wrong direction for Ireland. The planned Shannon LNG terminal would import twice as much gas as we currently use [iv]. If we want to prevent catastrophic global warming, we need to transition away from fossil fuels now. Europe can only afford to burn gas at current levels for 9 more years [v]. If we build LNG terminals with a life span of 30 years or more, it will be very difficult to ensure the necessary transition to renewable energies. We need to take a stand and say no to investment in new forms of fossil fuel infrastructure, and focus on creating a safe and sustainable future for all. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [i] Associated Press in Plymouth, Washington. ‘Five workers hurt after natural gas plant explosion in Washington state’. The Guardian. 1 April 2014. [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/01/five-injured-natural-gas-plant-explosion-washington]. [ii] National Parks and Wildlife Service, [https://www.npws.ie/protected-sites/spa/004077] . [iii] The Irish Times, ‘Ireland joins France, Germany and Bulgaria in banning fracking’ [https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/ireland-joins-france-germany-and-bulgaria-in-banning-fracking-1.3137095]. [iv] European Commission. Projects of Common Interest. PCI 5.3 – Shannon LNG Terminal and connecting pipeline. [http://www.lngworldshipping.com/news/view,northwest-europe-ponders-new-deepsea-lngimport-capacity_47036.htm https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/pci_5_3_en_2015.pdf] [v] Kevin Anderson and John Broderick, Natural Gas and Climate Change (2017).

OUR COMMUNITIES ARE DROWNING IN WASTE and not enough is being done to manage the situation. During a recent litter pick with local residents we came across the illegal dumping in the picture above, beside 3 schools in Knocknacarra. Dangerous waste like broken glass and discarded condoms are in the spaces where our kids walk to school every day, posing a real threat to their safety. This is shocking and something needs to be done FAST. We know that enforcement is successful. In Wicklow the Pure Project has seen a 45% reduction in fly-tipping by using covert CCTV. This is because people are less likely to dump if they think they will be caught. This in turn will SAVE THE COUNCIL MONEY on its large waste bill. We call on the Council to implement the following: - CCTV and prosecuting offenders MUST be prioritised - In 2015 there was just 1 prosecution under the Litter Pollutants Act 1997 for illegal dumping with a fine of €400 in Galway. Prosecutions are what stop others from engaging in the offence. - RATS -There are serious safety issues, with residents in areas such as Droim Chaoin reporting rats, because those from outside of the estate are driving in and dumping bags of rubbish. I have seen burst black sacks of food waste left at the side of the road. More regular clean-ups and signage are needed in these areas. - PLAYGROUNDS - Bushes around playgrounds do not seem to be cleaned by the Council, which means dangerous items are left around our children, such as the glass and razors that we found around the Millennium playground in January. The whole area must be cleaned each time. - Local clean-ups tend to happen on a Sunday, with bags being left until Wednesday for the Council to collect them. This should be happening on a Monday to reduce waste spreading around the neighbourhoods. - BINS - We also need more bins through-out the City and County - GLAN SUAS programme. For some time now the next clean-up on the Galway City Council website is reported as 'To Be Announced'. This was a collaboration between community groups and the Council. The Council should re-engage with this programme. So please sign this petition and send a message to the local Galway City and County Councils that we demand CCTV, prosecutions of fly tippers, regular clean-ups, collection from community clean-ups on Mondays, more signage and support from the City and County Councils. Pauline O'Reilly, Green Party, Galway West