In 2023, 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement, only 8% of NI kids go to integrated schools despite huge demand. Right now, the Department of Education has a public consultation on their 'Action Plan' and anyone can comment. Tell the Department of Education - we want a REAL Action Plan for integrated education.

To let the government and the banks know that the people are hear to be served and not to be exploited. Tax payers money was use to bale out the banks in the last financial crash. And a charges put back on to the the Irish people. So really we as the people of Ireland should have more of a say in how we get treated buy the banks.

The decision by MU’s Governing Authority and senior management to replace democratic elections with a selection process, whereby they assume, with the assistance of a private recruitment firm, the responsibility of handpicking staff representatives, is an attack on basic principles of democracy and good governance.

**Gaeilge thíos, Irish below** On the 26th June 2023, a long-awaited and long-delayed review into PhD support in Ireland was published. It recommended that government-funded PhD candidates receive a stipend of €25,000/year starting September 2023. Since then, bodies such as the SFI, the IRC, & Teagasc have remained silent, have not committed to raising stipends, and have not responded to PWO inquiries for clarification on how they would react to the review’s recommendations. The vast majority of the PGRs in Ireland are paid the equivalent of less than minimum wage, with the vast majority being held at 30% below minimum wage or worse. During the ongoing cost of living crisis, however, even a minimum wage is not enough to live on. They are desperately in need of better pay and increased support, so it is essential that stipends are raised as soon as possible. Moreover, PGRs need to know what their financial situation will look like in the near-future so they can make informed decisions about their accommodation in the midst of a longstanding housing crisis that is further exacerbated by the worsening cost of living crisis. With upcoming research costs for conferences, publications, and presentations, as well as the prospect of moving and various other important financial decisions, PGRs need clarity on what level of support they can count on from their funding agencies. However, with the current lack of communication about the potential stipend increase, PGRs have been left in limbo. Some PGRs are making long-term commitments on the basis of the stipend they receive, such as tenancy agreements, and cannot accept further delays. The Postgraduate Workers’ Organisation therefore demands that SFI, the IRC, Teagasc, and other PhD-funding bodies raise stipends to at least a living wage (i.e. €25,000/year) by September as recommended by the recent review into PhD support in Ireland, and that this increase be communicated immediately and clearly to all PhDs. ---------Gaeilge--------- Ar 26 mí Meitheamh 2023, foilsíodh tuairisc ar thacaíochta na PhDanna tar éis tréimhse feithimh agus moillithe fada. Mhol sé stipinn €25,000/bliain do PhDanna a raibh maoiniú acu ón rialtas ó Mheán Fómhair 2023 amach. Níl raibh trácht ar bith ó chomhlachtaí cosúil le SFI, leis an IRC, ná le Teagasc ar an scéal, níl gealltanas tugtha acu stipinní a ardú, agus níor fhreagair siad ceisteanna curtha ag an EOI maidir le soiléiriú ar na freagraí a bheas acu. Íoctar níos lú ná pá íosta do mhórchuid na dtaighdeoirí iarchéime in Éirinn, agus bíonn móramh acu 30% faoi phá íosta nó níos measa as. Le linn an géarchéim mhaireachtála reatha, ní leor pá íosta fiú le maireachtáil. Tá géarghá ag na taighdeoirí iarchéime ar tacaíochtaí agus pá níos fearr agus níos airde, agus mar sin is gá go mbeidh ardú tagtha ar na stipinní chomh luath agus is féidir. Thairis sin, caithfidh taighdeoirí iarchéime tuiscint cé chaoi mar a bheas an scéal sna míonna atá romhainn le go mbeadh siad in ann cinntí cónaithe a dhéanamh go feasach. Go áirithe le linn géarchéimeanna tithíochta agus maireachtála, tá an-ghá leis sin. Le costais comhdhálacha taighde, foilseacháin, taispeántais, aistrithe, srl. i measc go leor cinntí airgeadais eile, ní mór soiléireacht a thabhairt do taighdeoirí iarchéime maidir le cé mhéad tacaíochta a bheas ag dul chucu óna gcomhlachtaí maoinithe. Leis an easpa cumarsáide atá ann anois maidir le ardú na stipinní, fágadh lár lár na taighdeoirí iarchéime. Tá ar cuid acu cinntí fad-téarmach, cosúil le conartha tionóntachta, a ndéanamh acu de réir an stipinn atá ann faoi láthair, agus ní féidir leo leanúint ar aghaidh gan tuilleadh soiléireacht ar an scéal. Éilíonn Eagraíocht na nOibrithe Iarchéimithe mar sin go ndéanfaidh SFI, an IRC, Teagasc, agus comhlachtaí maoinithe PhDanna eile an stipinn a ardú go pá inmhaireachtála (.i. €25,000/bliain) ar a laghad roimh mí Mheáin Fhómhair mar atá molta ag an tuairisc le déanaí ar thacaíochta na PhDanna in Éirinn. Éilítear chomh maith go ndéanfar an ardú seo a fógairt go soiléir le gach uile PhD.

Join this campaign to emphasise a logical solution to the housing crisis.

It has been known, since at least as far back as 1998, to Cork County Council, and their successor organisations responsible for Water Services, Irish Water, and Uisce Éireann, that untreated sewage has been escaping from a failed sewage treatment system into a public park in the village of Shannonvale, Clonakilty, County Cork. This area, which serves as the village's sole public recreation space, is situated on the north bank of the River Argideen, upstream from the point where Uisce Éireann extracts drinking water for the entire Clonakilty municipal water supply. Despite the evident threats to public health, this issue has persisted for over 25 years, since it was first reported to Cork County Council.

Because it's the right of the people

Amazon is destroying millions of items of unsold stock, dumping products in good condition, destroying environment and filling landfills. It's time to ban this exploitation. https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-40988816.html https://www.itv.com/news/2021-06-21/amazon-destroying-millions-of-items-of-unsold-stock-in-one-of-its-uk-warehouses-every-year-itv-news-investigation-finds

We are deeply concerned at the government’s plan to change Ireland’s proud policy of neutrality and how they are going about this. There is public discontent at the prospect of Irish Neutrality being jettisoned and replaced by membership of militarised peace-enforcement alliances with the EU and NATO. The Fianna Fail/Fine Gael government initially spoke of a Citizens’ Assembly to study the issue of Irish Neutrality [2] but abandoned that proposal in favour of the tightly managed Consultative Forum which allows the government to control the conversation, and takes the debate plus final conclusions away from the public. The Forum programme is biased in favour of the Minister’s agenda to build consent for the Government’s plans. The whole exercise is undemocratic. [3] In contrast with the small number of ‘pro- neutrality’ speakers included in the four days of meetings, the forums are loaded with speakers against the established neutrality policy of the country. Some of the issues and perspectives that the public want addressed, such as nonviolent civilian defence, or how to develop a positive neutrality role, are not on the government set agenda. The forums are not as advertised- ‘a public space for open debate’. They are only being held in three cities, with very little publicity informing people of the limited public tickets available and how to access them. Even the days and times of the forums are exclusive, falling during the working week and starting too early and finishing too late for parents taking children to school to be able to attend. This is all most unsatisfactory. There are concerns over the fact that instead of a Citizen’s Assembly the government’s forum will conclude with the chairperson [4], who was hand-picked by the Dept. of Foreign Affairs, compiling a report with recommendations for government consideration. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] “Triple Lock” The approval procedures that govern the despatch of contingents of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) on overseas peace support operations is commonly known as the “triple lock”. The “Triple Lock” was introduced to allay the Irish electorate’s fears that the EU ‘Nice Treaty’ was a threat to our sovereign neutrality after the treaty was rejected by Irish citizens in a referendum in 2001. Subsequently the Nice Treaty was passed in a second referendum in 2002. The requirements of the “triple lock” were formally set out in Ireland’s national declaration associated with the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. It comprises of 3 requirements: to be endorsed by the Government, Dáil* and United Nations (UN)** *There is no requirement for Dáil approval where, the international UN Force is unarmed, where the size of the PDF contingent does and will not exceed 12 members, or if the contingent is intended to replace in whole or in part or reinforce a contingent of the PDF serving outside of the State already serving as part of an International UN Force. ** The requirement for a UN resolution as part of the “triple lock” reflects the central importance of the UN in granting legitimacy to peace support and crisis management missions. Minister Micheál Martin questions if the Triple Lock remains fit for purpose using the argument that Russia can use its seat on the UN Security Council to veto a UN resolution and thus prevent Ireland being sent on specific military missions. (https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2023-05-18/32/) The Minister is not being balanced in his arguments. He has never raised any objection to the multiple uses of the veto by the USA on the UN Security Council, which has prevented many justified sanctions taking place. The Minister is also being disingenuous, as Russia has never opposed a proposed Irish peace mission that has come before the Security Council. The real reason for his wanting to dismantle the Triple Lock is to undermine Irish neutrality. As the Triple Lock mechanism is not written into the constitution it can simply be removed by the government without a referendum. [2] Micheál Martin (as Taoiseach 08-03-2022) https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2022-03-08/2/ “I think we could look at a citizens' assembly to discuss these issues in the fullness of time, where detailed prepared submissions and perspectives from a wide range of opinion could be articulated.” [3] Afri commissioned 2-minute video for Swords to Ploughshares about the Consultative Forum: Not A Con Forum But A Citizens Assembly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLagfomCPFI https://www.swordstoploughshares-ireland.com [4] Chairperson Dame Louise Richardson DBE (Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) Her 2006 book on ‘Terrorism’ shows some of her work and views. https://innatenonviolence.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Louise-Richardson-Terrorism-review.pdf

Over 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.

Currently the passport office doesn’t accept these ID cards, that are issued by the electoral office. Often times these are the only photo ID people will have - and currently the only one that is free.

According to the 2016 Census, there were 25,808 people living in the Gorey electoral area which includes Courtown. Each year the population of North Wexford expands dramatically as people move to live in the county during the summer months, and with the growth of working-from-home options, many now remain in North Wexford all year round. Added to this the number of tourists who come to spend time on our beaches, points to a clear need for an extension of lifeguarding services. The development of lifeguarding services at additional beaches in North County Wexford is key to developing and marketing our beaches as a tourist destination. The provision of accommodation, footfall to and from food outlets, local store shopping, and the development of sea-based activity/enterprises, other seasonal enterprises, will all benefit from lifeguarding additional beaches in the north county. North Wexford Open Water Swimmers aka Sammy's Swimmers is a community of over eighty swimmers of mixed abilities, from daily dippers to competitive open water swimmers (triathletes, iron (wo)men, marathon swimmers, and one channel swimmer). While the majority of members are living locally, every summer we welcome back our seasonal residents. We share a passion for the sea and surrounding coastline.