Ensuring affordable and accessible halal meat and poultry options in major Irish retailers is not just about meeting the dietary needs of the Muslim community—it’s about fostering inclusion, equity, and mutual respect in a diverse society. Here’s why this matters: 1. Economic Fairness: Many families are struggling with rising costs, and the higher prices of halal-certified products in specialty stores place an additional burden on Muslim households. Access to affordable options can ease financial pressure and ensure fair treatment for all consumers. 2. Cultural Inclusion: Ireland is home to a growing multicultural population. By providing halal-certified products, major retailers can demonstrate their commitment to inclusion, respect for diversity, and the values of a progressive, welcoming society. 3. Convenience and Accessibility: Currently, many families must travel long distances or pay premium prices to access halal meat and poultry. Introducing halal products in major retailers will make it easier for individuals and families to meet their dietary needs without unnecessary hardship. 4. Health and Well-Being: For many, halal food is more than a dietary choice—it’s a fundamental part of their faith and identity. By supporting this campaign, we can ensure that everyone in our community can access food that aligns with their values and beliefs. 5. Support Your Neighbors: Joining this campaign is an act of solidarity with your Muslim neighbors and friends. It’s a way to show that you care about their well-being and believe in equality for all. 6. Build a Stronger Community: When communities work together to address shared challenges, we create a more united, compassionate, and inclusive society. 7. Encourage Positive Change: By advocating for accessible halal products, you’re helping to ensure that businesses adapt to the changing needs of our diverse population, setting a positive example for other industries. 8. Set a Precedent for Inclusion: Supporting this initiative sends a powerful message to policymakers, businesses, and organizations across Ireland that inclusivity is not optional—it’s essential. Together, we can create a fairer, more inclusive Ireland where everyone feels supported and valued. Your signature can make a difference. Join us today!

No Matter who we are or where we are from, we all deserve access to a sweet treats from time to time.  Over the last number of years we have seen a rapid increase in the price of a Freddo chocolate bar. Reports coming in that some shops are charging close to €1 for the beloved bar.  We have seen with many other chocolate bars that the size has been reduced and the price increased. We are calling on Cadbury to ensure that both the price and weight of a Freddo bar is protected.  Cadbury made a pre-tax profit last year in 2023 of over €6 million euro. The time to protect our beloved chocolate bar is now! 

The climate and biodiversity emergency (and the wider global polycrisis it represents) is entirely different from all other issues in this general election campaign. It is global in scope, raising genuine existential risk for the stability of all human civilisation within the lifetime of young people already of voting age. It transcends and dwarfs the other “conventional” political issues: there can be no enduring solution to housing, healthcare, education, emigration, economic development, peace or justice unless there is a successful response to the climate and biodiversity emergency. For Ireland to play even its minimal fair share in such a global response would now require fundamental and disruptive changes in current political priorities. It is utterly impossible to do justice to this issue without a full debate devoted exclusively to it, and driven by an audience selected explicitly to represent future generations who are entirely reliant on the decisions being made now. "We need to focus every inch of our being on climate change. Because if we fail to do so, then all of our achievements and progress will be for nothing. And all that will remain of our political leaders’ legacy will be the greatest failure of human history. And they will be remembered as the greatest villains of all time because they have chosen not to listen and not to act." - Greta Thunberg, speech to the European Economic and Social Committee, February 2019. [Note: This initiative follows on a previous petition during the #GE2020 election campaign. Image credit: sculpture by Isaac Cordal, "Follow the leaders".] 

Support Is Crucial:  We cannot wait any longer. The heart of our communities—restaurants, pubs, cafés, and shops—are at risk. Each closure means more jobs lost, more social spaces gone, and greater isolation for all of us. If you work in these industries, your job could be next. We are nearing a tipping point, and without public pressure, the future of our cities, towns and villages are in jeopardy. Sign the petition + Spread the word. We need the help of your voice to demand government action now before it’s too late. Together, we can protect our businesses, our jobs, and our communities. As a customer or fellow worker who values your local coffee shop, retail or hospitality business, realise that we are suffering and that your support and encouragement is important. Follow Us for further action. Follow us on X for updates. Don't let it be another Dark Door. Support material for your business. Posters/POS art work  & What's App Badge (make your customers aware & to sign the petition) FUTURE ACTION DARK DOORS DAY A day of mass nationwide voluntary closures. This silent protest will have Restaurants, Pubs, and Shops, will darken their doors to highlight the plight of these sectors. A date will be confirmed soon. Follow us on X for updates. Minister Jack Chambers Message him on  X We are Open for Change,  Goverment, Where are you?

1. Cultural and Traditional Use: Turkey tail has a long history of use in traditional medicine in various cultures, it is a native mushroom to Ireland and its removal may limit access to a valued natural remedy. 2. Sustainability Concerns: Promoting its unrestricted use could encourage sustainable harvesting practices, while removal might lead to overregulation and discourage responsible foraging. 3. Consumer Choice: Many individuals seek natural health products, and removing Turkey tail from the list may restrict options for consumers looking for herbal remedies. 4. Scientific Evidence: There may be insufficient justification for its classification as a novel food if existing studies support its safety and benefits, suggesting it should be available without stringent regulations. 5. Economic Impact: For small businesses and foragers involved in the Turkey tail market, removal from the list could harm livelihoods and economic opportunities tied to its sale and use.

We are in a biodiversity crisis, this is the absolute minimum that can be done. Herbicide use is indiscriminate of plant and destroys the remnants of nature in places. We have seen the low numbers of butterflies and bees this year - how can we expect the numbers to increase when we spray the plants and pollinator corridors vital to their life cycles.

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 

Lupilu baby wipes are made by an company in Israel. Revenue from its sales are helping to fund the genocide of Palestinian children.

Since the beginning of Israel’s current attack on Gaza 5 months ago, over 40,000 civilians have been murdered, including over 14,000 children. This is 6 times higher than the number of children killed in the war in Ukraine and the highest rate of children killed in any conflict in modern times. Given these stark statistics, the people of Ireland are horrified that Lidl has chosen an Israeli supplier for its baby products and demand that Lidl cuts its ties with Israel immediately. Lidl’s brand Lupilu wipes are currently made in Ashdod, Israel. Formerly Isdud, a large town of 48,000, it was entirely ethnically cleansed of its Palestinian population in 1948, with no one allowed to return.

Lidl has also purchased baby wipes from Albaad, a company based in Caesarea (formerly Qisarya) in historic Palestine. This is another town that was entirely ethnically cleansed in 1948.  Continuing to source wipes from Israel, is continuing to support the utter horror and devastation being committing against the people of Palestine. In doing so, Lidl also disregards the effects on staff of processing goods whose profits fund the genocide being committed against babies and children in Gaza. It is important to note that all workers' have a right to conscientously object to handling goods that fund genocide. According to the latest Red-C poll, the majority of Irish people support the boycott of Israeli goods. There can be no business as usual with a brutal apartheid state where Palestinians are attacked, imprisoned and murdered on a daily basis.

The high cost of gluten-free foods creates a significant financial burden, hindering coeliacs' ability to access necessary nutrition. By providing financial support, this ensures that coeliacs have equal opportunities to afford these essential dietary items, promoting their overall well-being and health equity.

Israel is withholding food, water and medical aid from Gaza. Babies and children are starving and dehydrating to death. Aid is being seized or turned away by Israeli forces at the border. They are using starvation and deprivation of medical aid as a weapon and children are paying the price.

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.