It is vital Water Services are kept in public ownership with public servants providing dedicated service. Privatisation of water services has failed miserably globally. Look at Thames Water in the UK, 14 billion pounds Sterling in debt, pollution, leaks, lack of repairs and now the banks move in and take over Water Services. Water will now be a currency.

We urgently call on the government to increase the number of gardaí in Newbridge up to the national average, which will help to improve community safety. We believe that this increase will require the assignment of a substantial number of new and experienced gardaí to our community.

-Students in UCC do not want to see the return of Race Day. - Race Day promotes animal cruelty, gambling, fast fashion and binge drinking. All the while, creating an unsafe environment for attendees and portraying a bad reputation of the student body to the public. -Efforts should be put into events which promote better values; events that do not use animals for our entertainment, and that do not encourage young people to gamble during a cost of living crisis. Horse Racing in Ireland -176 horses have died on racetracks since 2021. Thousands more are bred for the industry and are killed when they are not profitable. -€72.8 million of taxpayers money was paid out to the horse racing industry in 2023, compared to only €15 million total which was paid to the FAI, GAA, Athletics Ireland, Swim Ireland and the Special Olympics combined. -Horses are unique and intelligent animals, we don’t need to use them for entertainment. For more information… -Watch the BBC’s documentary ‘Panorama - The Dark Side of Horse Racing’ -Visit website of the National Animal Rights Association https://naracampaigns.org/ and read their campaign to stop Horse Racing https://naracampaigns.org/horse-racing/ -Further reading on Blood Sports in Ireland https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/?fbclid=PAAabu4O8kG-Vv2TmH-3iaB3_MvIfy2pNcc51VIVVam3SVW80ndInZ0EvA0YU -Sign petition to stop government funding of Horse Racing https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euros-to-horse-racing - Australian Coalition for the Protection of Rachorses, #NupTheCup Campaign https://horseracingkills.com To support horses in Ireland visit My Lovely Horse Rescue https://www.mylovelyhorserescue.com/

Another 7 wind turbines are proposed to be built on a mountain above Glencar in Leitrim, which already has been exploited by the wind industry more than any other Irish county. These turbines would carry the name "Charafenna wind farm" and would expand and connect with the pre-existing Carrickeeney windfarm, as well as the additional and current proposal for another 18 machines on Dough Mountain to the East. It would require excavations to create a cable connection across 9 Kilometres of farmland to the electrical substation at Manorhamilton, a significant widening of the high mountain road, the addition of a new circular industrial service road on the top of the mountain, plus 7 additional buildings (one for each turbine). Each machine would be at least 150m tall and very visible from the head of the Glencar Lake Valley and the world famous Devil’s Chimney waterfall. They would overshadow a great many residential homes in close proximity as well as their turbary rights on the mountain above, producing severe noise pollution and shadow flicker, devaluation of property and a loss of local jobs in tourism and other fields. —— From this elevation there are magnificent views across the Glencar and Glenade valleys as well as an astounding vista right across Donegal bay to the distant mountains above Killybegs. Home to hen harriers, barn owls, golden eagles, sparrowhawks, buzzards, kites, grouse, red squirrels, pine martens, hares, bats, foxes, badgers and bees - This is quite simply one of the most pristine places in Leitrim and indeed Ireland. —— And whilst of course the world is in dire need of better solutions to our energy issues, it is easy to understand that this old technology cannot possibly be the best solution. - Firstly we need widespread education to encourage every household to wake up and cut their own energy usage…there are a myriad of simple ways to do this. - For energy generation we need to be investing in far more progressive thinking than we currently do - this could perhaps include offshore windfarms instead (although not good for marine life), wave power generation, solar collection and other far less obtrusive and destructive technologies. - Wind turbines have a life expectancy of approximately 20 years and are not biodegradeable or recyclable. They end up in landfill. - They create a significant loss of biodiversity - in this case, affecting a rich and specific local fauna which includes rare and protected species. —— When making decisions which directly affect the community, our ancestors traditionally considered the impact upon at least 7 future generations. Would that we in Ireland were still this wise and forward thinking… What will our children and grandchildren say about us when they realise that we selfishly made irreversible, ignorant decisions which altered and destroyed the mountains and inhabitants of these very special places? These lands were beloved of W.B.Yeats, our great poet and thinker, who would surely be turning in his grave to see Glencar progressively overshadowed by major industry? —— In recent years Leitrim County Council has had a history of leniency in its responses to such applications, a stance which now needs to be scrutinised and reevaluated to be in line with the future, not the past. It is time that our authorities cease to think in purely monetary terms, ticking boxes to benefit themselves and their industral partners, but instead to begin to lead with impeccability and forward thinking so as to leave behind a legacy from which everyone in Ireland may benefit. Please add your voice and your intent to this petition, so that together we may share and cherish this precious land for many more centuries to come, and wisely show the way into the future for new generations who may better care for it as well as for one another…

Because until members of Dail Eireann are insulated from the horrors of the public health service there will be no impetus to tackle a problem that has existed for many years well before the arrival of COVID and computer glitches. This problem existed when the country was awash with money.

Every empty house is a family made homeless. While hundreds of people have died on the streets, the government left €700 million of the housing budget unspent. There is an all-time high of 11,397 people in emergency accommodation, 3,480 are children. Vacant council homes have been left to rot. There are nearly 4,500 empty council homes across the country. We demand that all city and county councils renovate these homes and house those in need immediately.

The last thing this country needs is a return to the bad old days of out of control pay hikes for those at the top, while everyone else struggles to make ends meet. Banks make huge profits already, paying bonuses to their bosses will accelerate inequality.

The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) is a trade agreement that allows fossil fuel companies sue governments for billions of euro if that government were to try and stop fossil fuel projects or lower people's energy bills. It's the fossil fuel industry's secret weapon to make sure governments can't act on climate change or the cost of energy. Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Poland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Luxembourg have already said they will withdraw and the EU Parliament also wants the rest of the EU to withdraw from this dangerous and costly treaty. With the cost of energy at record levels and climate disasters becoming more and more frequent it is Ireland's time to get out. Sign today and tell Ministers Simon Coveney and Eamon Ryan that Ireland must leave the Energy Charter Treaty now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4vkgeT5xvs

Our government is going against the will of the people living in Ireland to move Ireland closer to more war and militarisation. Our Taoiseach has been cozying up with NATO leaders at military summit dinners and our Tánaiste/Minister for Trade is gearing up to put more of our public money into military and weapons. NATO has a long and persistent history of illegal war-making, illegal airstrikes, bombing civilians and other war crimes. NATO is responsible for starting and escalating wars, killing thousands of people, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and leaving countries around the world mired in violence, chaos and poverty. We must not be part of that. We support peace and say no to NATO. Notes: [1] https://www.buzz.ie/news/irish-news/irish-people-strongly-support-neutrality-26723135 [2] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/neutral-ireland-likely-get-more-involved-eu-defence-policy-deputy-pm-2022-03-01/ [3] https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/0628/1307399-taoiseach-spain-visit/ [4] https://www.codepink.org/what_planet_is_nato_living_on

As the world goes digital for all types of audio and visual entertainment, Ireland is going in the opposite direction. Radio in Ireland is stale - dominated by just a few media groups, most of which play the same music over and over again. DAB Radio stands for Digital Audio Broadcasting and can offer much more choice for the radio listener. Imagine having multiple non stop music stations of every conceivable genre? The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is the body responsible for regulating radio in Ireland, however no new licenses have been issued in the last decade. When it comes to Digital Audio Broadcasting, provision has been made in section 131 parts i and ii of the Broadcasting Act 2009 to open up Ireland to Digital Radio, however in over 13 years the above Commission has sat on its laurels and failed to realise the provisions of this act. If you have come to this petition, it is most likely because you have been listening to a DAB service in Ireland which has been set up to demonstrate what could be, if our regulators embraced this technology (like most other countries in Europe) The EU have allocated 36 frequencies in the VHF band exclusively for use by Digital Audio Broadcasters - each one of these frequencies capable of broadcasting over 20 digital music services each – if we do the maths, that’s a lot of potential services available. It is now an EU requirement for every new car to have a DAB tuner on its entertainment system. on average 120,000 new vehicles are sold in Ireland each year, it will also be a requirement soon that any "portable radio" sold must also include the DAB band to receive Digital radio. In Ireland this frequency band is completely unused. When any enterprising entrepreneurs take it upon themselves to demonstrate what could be, swift action is taken by the regulators to close these services down. Ireland needs the restrictive rules around broadcasting removed. Imagine only one takeaway, or one car retailer being allowed in each town or even each county? !! well that's the way it is with radio. The BAI needs to fully embrace DIGITAL radio and to remove, completely amend or rework the existing Broadcasting Act 2009, which combined with the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1926 and 1988 completely stymies any third party from entering the radio market. This makes the overall radio experience of Irish people much poorer than their EU or UK counterparts. DAB radio is also extremely environmentally friendly - 20 stations could potentially use the same amount of electricity as just one FM service. Three of these DAB frequencies could be used to transmit every station currently on FM across the entire country. About 40 transmitting sites would be needed to provide almost national coverage. Those sites are already being used for FM. The National stations from RTE, Today FM and Newtalk currently use 6 analogue frequencies on each site. Add into the mix the local and community stations, and in many parts of the country this exceeds 10 analogue frequencies. All these could be condensed into just 3 national DAB Multiplexes. Imagine being able to select the local radio station for Kerry while on holiday or business in Donegal without the need to use mobile data and a clunky app, or being able to tune into a Monaghan local GAA match while in Cork on the Monaghan local station. With Digital radio this is all possible. Add another 3 multiplexes into the mix and we could have 60 national non stop stations bring you every conceivable music format. DAB can also be used on a local basis. In the UK this is called small scale DAB. County multiplexes could contain numerous versions of the very successful community services, local sports events, religious services and live local government broadcasts.

Unregulated private consultants or 'experts' are routinely used in the Family Law Courts to determine if children should be forced to be 'reconciled' with a parent (usually a father) without any consideration of the children's wishes or reports of evidence of abuse and violence in the home. Because of the 'in camera' rule there is no exposure of this widespread practice, no data, no oversight or accountability and if women and children speak about what is happening they can be criminalised for breaking the 'in camera' rule. Very recently a woman's young children were taken without warning from their school in the company of Gardai. They were removed from the care of their mother and the only home they have ever known and forced to live in their father’s house. They are not allowed to see or speak to their mother. The children have told their teachers, doctor and the social workers what they want and why but the court won’t listen and says they can’t have a voice - on the recommendation of a so called unregulated 'family expert witness'. The 2015 Child and Family Relationship Act says that all children have a right to be heard in matters concerning their lives and should be involved in decisions made about them. The children’s father has continued to exert power and control through post-separation abuse. The greatest way to hurt her is by taking the children away from her, aided by unregulated experts in the family law courts who are silencing victims of domestic violence and their children. We hear from many mothers who are victims of domestic and sexual violence, that in the family courts, when it comes to guardianship, custody and access hearings, domestic abuse survivors are not being heard or prioritised. Many of the reports are very similar to the story outlined above. The reasons offered for these forced separation/reconciliation decisions by 'family court experts' are unreliable. Their arguments draw on concepts that are unscientific and discredited ie. parental alienation. To stop this 'in plain sight' abuse of children and women who are survivors of violence - scrutiny of the decisions being made in Family Law Courts is urgently needed. Unregulated experts have to be investigated and their decisions published and reviewed. Mandatory training and education, accreditation and accountability for all professionals is desperately needed for all professionals working in the Family Courts. There must be independent monitoring and oversight. Children should have the right to live free from fear. Our children should never be subjected to forced removal from their home and family and silenced by so called unregulated 'experts'. Children’s views, voice and wishes, their feelings and human rights should be paramount in all decisions by the court regarding contact arrangements.

Whistleblowers expose workplace wrongdoing that impacts on other workers, services to the public and public finances. Failing to listen costs us much more. Victimising whistleblowers has a negative effect on society as well as punishing people of integrity.