It will help in the fight against self serving associates robbing money donated by well meaning people. The latest scandal involves Console. Draft sections of the audit revealed that former Console boss Paul Kelly and his wife and son spent almost €500,000 on designer clothes, foreign trips, groceries, and other expenses between 2012 and 2014. All three benefited by almost €500,000 in salaries and cars in the same period. This is not good enough. The legislation exists but it's not being implemented. This must change. PART 4 of the Charities Act first action: Protection of Charitable Organisations Investigation of affairs of charitable organisation. 64.— The Authority may appoint a person (in this Act referred to as an “inspector”) or more than one such person to investigate the affairs of a charitable organisation and to prepare a report thereon in such manner as the Authority shall direct.

This is important because football is one of the most important sport in Ireland. Too many clubs that were in the league have gone bankrupt due to the incompetence of the FAI. Currently, teams such as Waterford United are on the brink of bankruptcy. This has to change. By signing this petition, you're showing the FAI you care about the League of Ireland's future

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.

Irish greyhounds are being exported out of the country and ending up being exploited and abused in countries like India and Pakistan by being made race against motorbikes in an extremely dangerous and unregulated sport. [1] This is not the first time that a story has broken about the fate of Irish greyhounds when they leave the country. As it stands, the breeders and sellers have no responsibility to ensure that the greyhounds are not going to be abused and can make a lot of money selling greyhounds with no responsibility. That is why we are calling on the Minister to immediately implement an emergency ban on the export of greyhounds until a proper system is in place. It is not good enough to breed thousands of these dogs, sell them, and then shirk any responsibility for their welfare post sale. The Irish government and the greyhound industry say that they have no information on where Irish dogs are sold onto after they are sold to the UK. For this reason, there has to be an immediate, emergency ban on exports until a proper, transparent system is put in place.  Will you sign your name to this please? P.S I have updated this petition to reflect the recent revelations around greyhound-motorbike races but the ask in the petition stays the same; there needs to be a proper system in place to ensure lifelong welfare.

Is é an Gaeilge ár teanga náisiúnta, agus le Aire sinsear Gaeltachta, is féidir leis an Stát an Stráitéas 20 Bliain don teanga a neartú. Ba chóir go mbeadh gach Roinn den Rialtás áiseanna as Gaeilge a chur ar fáil, agus le béim níos fearr ón córas polaitiúil, beadh seans níos fearr do athbheocháin na teanga.

Ireland has one of the lowest levels of public funding and support for arts and culture in all of Europe. Successive Irish governments claim to honour and take pride in our rich cultural heritage, celebrated artists and world-class artistic achievements but consistently fail to nurture and support the creative community. The Arts, Culture and Heritage communities have suffered disproportionately under the last government. The impact in the sector, on jobs, community and education as well as on our international reputation has not been assessed in any credible way by the incoming government. We demand a) an independent adequately resourced Department is created b) a commitment to raising funding the arts, cultural and heritage sector to European average of 0.6% c) publication of a national cultural policy that has the endorsement of the community. CÉN FÁTH A BHFUIL SÉ SEO TÁBHACHTACH? As na tíortha uile san Aontas Eorpach, cuireann Éire an méid is lú maoinithe agus tacaíochta poiblí ar fáil do na healaíona agus don chultúr.. Bíonn Rialtas i ndiaidh Rialtas sa tír ag maíomh as an mbród agus as an mórtas a bhíonn orthu as saibhreas ár n-oidhreacht cultúir, as ár n-ealaíontóirí iomráiteacha agus as ár sár-ghaiscí ealaíne ach, ag an am céanna, déanann siad faillí orthu siúd atá ag gabháil do na healaíona, gan cóir ná tacaíocht ceart a chur ar fáil dóibh. Tá na pobail atá ag gabháil do na healaíona, don chultúr agus don oidhreacht tar éis fulaingt as cuimse faoin rialtas deireanach. Níl aon mheasúnú sásúil déanta ag an rialtas atá tagtha i gcumhacht ar an tionchar a bhí aige seo ar an earnáil, ó thaobh fostaíochta de, ó thaobh an phobail agus an oideachais de ná ó thaobh ár gcáil go hidirnáisiúnta. Táimid ag éileamh a) go gcruthófar Roinn neamhspleách a mbeidh dóthain acmhainní tugtha di; b) gealltanas go n-ardófar maoiniú earnáil na n-ealaíon, an chultúir agus na hoidhreachta go dtí meán-chaiteachas na hEorpa, 0.6% den OTI; agus c) go bhfoilseofar polasaí cultúir náisiúnta a mbeidh tacaíocht an phobail aige.

CE Supervisors STILL have no pension. In July 2008, the Labour Court recommended that an agreed pension scheme should be introduced for Community Employment (CE) scheme supervisors, to be funded by FÁS, the agency responsible for CE at that time, but now with the Department of Social Protection. Yet CE Supervisors STILL have no pension.There are people who have worked 20 years or more as CE supervisors, who have supported and trained thousands of people to find good jobs, while 8 years after that Labour Court ruling, there is still no pension for them. This shocking when you consider that it is the Department of Social Protection that funds all Community Employment schemes and supervisors. It is time to take action on that Labour Court ruling. So we ask the incoming Minister of Social Protection to step up and put a pension plan in place for CE Supervisors. Don't put it off any longer....

Ireland has a commitment to live up to its international humanitarian obligations

How does a society learn from its errors? In a vibrant republic people obtain purpose and trust from the seat of government, which is rarely a single institution. Sadly, the Irish people are too often witnesses to how weakly their Republic is governed. The people cannot find in their institutions a sustained capacity to defend their interests. Such lack of trust is untenable. Given the benefit of learning from past errors - quite relevant to Irish society in this centenary year - we need to address an unresolved disaster from our century. The catastrophic banking collapse of 2008/9 was nurtured by the weakness of our public institutions. We need to learn from the reality of this financial disaster which casts its shadow of debt over us. We have to accept that our Republic was attacked by the negligence of our financial regulators, at numerous levels. We have to accept that there was an implosion of the public interest and this banking episode was simply the means for that to tear into our social fabric. WE can learn from these errors by demanding a forum to establish a public governance where our futures are made safer; Where we can examine and teach and guard against those who would place the citizen’s interests at risk again. In effect a foundation would be established to facilitate citizen empowerment and participatory decision making. We can find the power to insure that this state is fully aware of its responsibilities to our society. And now our Central Bank intends to vacate the ground zero of our odious debt. Is it their prerogative to tell us that this landmark is not available for learning and public discourse? We say that at long last our building can begin to explicitly serve the interests of Irish society. Note: users of the building would be Charities and NGOs who agree to engage in a cooperative enterprise to reduce disadvantage and to coordinate front-line intervention services. The types of services to be assimilated could range across housing, health and social protection, legal assistance and debt resolution facilities, planning, community development, and sustainability. The list of agencies and NGOs who could be integrated into this “hub” runs to several dozen. such a transfer might be established by a Covenant whereby for twenty years the Foundation would have control of the premises. In those two decades it could generate rental income from commercial tenancy in suitable areas of the building. This income along with other forms of public support would create a development account to allow for an eventual full legal transfer from the Central Bank.

Ireland needs a better democracy giving people a greater say and improved accountability of government. Currently less than 5% of Irish voters are entitled to the vote in Seanad Elections. This is undemocratic and elitist. In 2013 a majority of Irish people voted to retain the Seanad and gave a clear message that they wanted it reformed rather than abolished. A reformed Seanad could improve democracy in Ireland if, • all citizens are given the vote to elect Senators to the Seanad • the Seanad is given meaningful powers to enable it to fulfil its role to scrutinize government and propose legislation The Oireachtas working group on Seanad Reform 2015 concluded that “a parliamentary assembly such as Seanad Éireann whose electoral system excluded the majority of its citizens from participation lacked popular legitimacy”. The government, therefore, should show their commitment to democratic reform by enacting legislation to • • Provide for free and fair elections to Seanad Éireann where the franchise (entitlement to vote) is extended to all Irish citizens over 18 including Irish citizens in Northern Ireland and to holders of Irish passports living overseas • • A majority of Seanad seats to be elected by popular vote on the principle of one person one vote • • Strengthen the powers of the Seanad to scrutinise, amend, and initiate legislation

Are you a graduate of UCD, Trinity, NUIM, UCC, NUIG, RCSI, or NCAD? Did you know that you are eligible to vote in the upcoming Seanad election (set to take place on April 26th)? Emigrants who are graduates are also eligible to vote. But you must be registered to vote. However, due to lack of awareness and publicity, there are tens of thousands of graduates who have not registered. For the General election it is possible for a voter to be added to the Supplementary Register up until 15 working days before polling day. But in the Seanad Elections this is not currently the case. In fact, you needed to register before February 2015 to be eligible to vote in this year’s Seanad Election. The current Seanad register is not representative of people who have graduated in recent decades. For example, less than 10% of NUI college graduates since 2000 are registered to vote. That is why the Minister for Environment should set up a supplementary register for the 2016 Seanad Election. This would allow graduates to register up to Monday 18th April (which is reasonable as it is the same date for acceptance of change of address notification). This is also important for Irish emigrants because it is the only election where emigrants have the right to vote. The Minister should add to this supplementary register anyone who has registered since February 2015 and he should then promote the extended deadline for Seanad registration and the requirement for NUI & Trinity graduates to register in order to have their vote. The Seanad is in need of significant reform such as giving all citizens the entitlement to vote in Seanad Elections. Extending the registration deadline would at least, in the interim, extend the opportunity to vote to tens of thousands of Irish citizens in Ireland and abroad.

Twelve percent of the population of Ireland are migrants, of whom so many have the right to vote. Migrants bring enterprise and initiative, and in order to actively participate in Irish society, migrants must be visible in all spheres of Irish life and be represented proportionally to our number in the Irish population in all decision making processes. Irish political actors have done little or nothing to reach out to immigrants during elections. Integration has dropped off the radar and from the programmes of all political parties. A diverse republic needs inclusive politics and institutions that reflect the composition of a diverse society. Government bodies and local authorities need to do much more to engage with immigrant communities. We, the Migrant-Led Coalition, are calling on all politicians and candidates to sign up to our election manifesto and pledge to represent the needs of their migrant constituents.