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Stop unnecessary herbicide use in IrelandWe 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.4,344 of 5,000 SignaturesCreated by Rewilding Ireland
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Teach Kids to Grow Food: Make Organic Horticulture a Leaving Certificate subjectLearning 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-organic758 of 800 SignaturesCreated by Maolíosa Ni Chléirigh
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Boycott Israel goodsLupilu baby wipes are made by an company in Israel. Revenue from its sales are helping to fund the genocide of Palestinian children.11 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Anne McShane
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Mothers against Genocide call on Lidl to stop selling Israeli productsSince 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.2,641 of 3,000 SignaturesCreated by Kate Scanlan
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Reduce the Cost of Gluten-Free FoodsThe 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.356 of 400 SignaturesCreated by Gill Brennan
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Stop Irish Shops Supporting IsraelIsrael 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.16 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Christine Shilling
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The removal of Joe Biden mural in BallinaHaving 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.2,306 of 3,000 SignaturesCreated by Paul Ginty
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Skerries Fishermen & boating community ask for your SUPPORTThe new bye-laws concerning the harbour of Skerries are being brought into effect of March 1st 2024 which effect the town of skerries and the use of the harbour and the surrounding "inner harbour" use by all persons and vessels. Local government and representatives have done nothing to support the concerned people of Skerries and stop the Fingal County Council from making new sets of rules which will introduce fines and call for people to be guilty of an offence by continuing their boating/vessel activities in the harbour and surround bay / "inner harbour" of Skerries. Your support to object to the county council heavy handed and authoritarian methods is required. Not only to cause resistance to the new bye-laws but to bring a stop to local authority and elected representatives to doing "whatever they want" when it comes to our town of Skerries with little to no consideration for the people of the town. The people who have voted for such representatives yet receiving no representation once the votes have been counted. When done to others for other issues that do not directly affect YOU, it is no big deal right? Until the day it does effect YOU. Then you will understand why a town must pull together and support each other. The bye-laws proposed do not follow any law of the land of Ireland and are being introduced by the county council to undermine the use of the harbour as we have all known it for generations to date. Your support in signing this petition is to take a stand and have your say or voice heard. It is one thing to join a protest or a march and it is another to know what is going on in your own local back yard and see how changes may not always be for the better of the majority. Again if the local "reps" wish to receive continued support for their careers then it is YOU and all of us together that can demand of them TRUE & PROPER representation. Do not allow local reps and Fingal county council to sweep things under the carpet or make swift changes to the town you have grown to love without having YOUR say. You will note that some of the bye-laws are supported by acts of law or Irish statute, while other new bye-laws are creating / being invented without the support of any established Irish law or statute. It is important to sign the petition for so many more reasons than can be typed into this box. The bye-laws below have been voted on in favour of by council members and approved to come in to effect March 1st 2024. Sign below to support the towns of Skerries, Balbriggan, Loughshinny & Rush. A copy of Harbour bye-laws can be found online595 of 600 SignaturesCreated by Aidan Mc Nally
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The affordability of Sausage rolls and chicken fillet rollsI remember a time when you could get cheap chicken fillet rolls or sausage rolls for just 2 euros. Those were the days. Now, prices have skyrocketed to an unbearable level - four rolls for 3 euros, or even worse, five for 3.99 at Centra. It's a heartbreak every single time. This isn't just about nostalgia; it's about affordability and accessibility to food that many people in Ireland rely on daily. The price increase has outpaced inflation rates and wage growth in our country, making these staple foods less affordable for average Irish citizens. According to Eurostat data from 2020, food prices in Ireland are already among the highest in Europe – approximately 20% above the EU average (source: Eurostat). This price hike on chicken fillet and sausage rolls only exacerbates this issue further. We call upon local businesses and national chains alike to reconsider their pricing strategies. We understand that businesses need to make profits but not at the expense of everyday consumers who depend on these products as part of their regular diet. Please sign this petition if you believe that everyone should have access to affordable food staples like chicken fillet and sausage rolls in Ireland4 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Dev Sausage rolls
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Reduce wasteIt’s important because there is people staving while there’s enough food for everyone3 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Chloe Usher
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Save Lough Derravaragh and the Children of LirOver the past few years there have been a soaring number of planning applications across the Island of Ireland to build very large “Solar Energy Farms” covering thousands of acres of agricultural land, with some in high amenity areas. Such projects involve taking over productive food-growing fields with hundreds of thousands of tall solar panels in order to generate “green” electricity for periods typically 35- 40 years. During this period the farms are unable to grow any food crops or raise animals. Only a few exceptions graze sheep, though this is going out of fashion with the developers. The developers usually offer to “improve the local biodiversity” or similar “green” sounding platitudes but there are no guarantees that the existing wildlife will not be permanently impacted or that the land will be even used for grazing. Solar photo-voltaic (PV) panels produce electricity from sunlight, but are very inefficient in producing energy compared to their land greed. Offshore wind power and hydroelectric systems, along with nuclear generation are significantly more efficient for their land footprint and have been chosen by the Government as the primary large-scale routes for energy investment towards our net zero goals. Nevertheless, solar developers are keen to cash in on the publicity of the net zero targets whilst they still can, removing valuable food producing land in the process. Solar panels on individual homes, offices, public buildings, and over car parks can and do contribute to offsetting electricity used in those buildings. The ISEA issued a report in 2022 showing that over 1.3 million homes in Ireland have roof space for solar panels which equates to 13GW capacity meeting 19% of renewable energy targets. County level findings also show that using maximum theoretical potential on each roof that up to 38% of Westmeath’s residential energy demands would be met by solar PV in homes. (https://www.irishsolarenergy.org/_files/ugd/dcb342_31fe5681d3fd4f56b322141c9886af5c.pdf) Energy sent over the transmission network is lost the further it travels, contributing to energy waste. Like a bucket of water with a small hole in the bottom. But this is reduced to almost no loss when installed on a rooftop and used by the building. These industrial solar energy plants, if needed at all, should be located on previously developed “brown field” sites and rooftops, not on valuable agricultural land. And certainly not adjacent to communities and in areas of high scenic and historic beauty, where they will destroy the public amenity and visual openness of the local countryside. Over the coming decades as we face up to the challenges of Climate Change, which is predicted to reduce food yields across the globe, we need to be able to produce enough food for ourselves. It is predicted that we will need to produce more food due to increasing populations. We need to be able to feed sustainably and covering viable agricultural land with solar “farms” is NOT the way to achieve this. It is time to call on the Government to end the development of large-scale Solar Energy “Farms” on prime agricultural land and take other measures to realise the benefits of solar pv such as making it mandatory for a minimum of 50% of all new builds to include rooftop solar power or giving communities the opportunity to participate in community owned projects like those set out in RESS 3 and supported by SEAI. If this gets approved it sets a dangerous precedent and there are more developments (similar in size) in the pipeline taking up large quantities of our prime arable land. If you care about the destruction of our countryside and wildlife (protected and unprotected) in our beautiful lake county then please sign and share for others to sign. We need to stop this now! Imagine acres and acres of glass and metal monstrosities where there once was crops, birdsong and animals grazing. Please Don’t let our Lake county become a Solar County.13 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Derravaragh Conservation
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Ban Disposable Vapes IrelandDisposable Vapes are a product that have surged in popularity in recent years. These products are a threat to: 1. Public Health - With disposable vapes nicotine is delivered through an aerosol vapor which has been shown to have inflammatory effects on the respiratory system. As well, experts have warned of the potential of disposable vapes to act a gateway for smoking, especially for young people and adolescents. 2. The Environment - Disposable vapes are single-use items that contain plastic, electronics, and lithium-ion batteries. Disposable vapes are more frequently becoming a source of litter on our streets. This can result in harmful waste materials, such as mercury and cadmium, being leached into our environment, negatively impacting human health and biodiversity. These risks are simply not worth the convenience of a single use product! 3. Waste of Valuable Resources - The opportunity cost of global disposable vape production for the green economy is massive. The very materials such as lithium and copper are the precious materials needed for greener technology. It is estimated 90 tons of lithium and 1,600 tons of copper were used for the global production of disposable vapes in 2022. To put this into perspective, this amount of lithium is equivalent to the amount needed to produce 11,000 electric vehicles and is enough copper for 1.6 million electric vehicle charger units So let's put an end to the madness that is disposable vapes. Let's protect our health, our young people and our environment. Sign the Petition! Interested in reading more, check out the following source: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/minister-defends-plan-to-ban-disposable-vapes-theyre-making-the-world-worse/42071990.html https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/new-laws-to-ban-sale-of-vaping-products-to-under-18s/42141930.html https://web.archive.org/web/20220718111558id_/https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/378/bmj-2021-065997.full.pdf https://www.ft.com/content/6d5ed980-8b91-4372-9e7e-14eda54193253,169 of 4,000 SignaturesCreated by Lyndsey O'Connell