Recent floodings show us that Midleton needs proper protection from flooding, so that residents, business owners and the whole town can feel safe during storms or high tides. Floods are destroying many homes and businesses in Midleton, recent damages show that the situation is very bad. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for leading and co-ordinating flood relief schemes to provide flood protection for towns either directly or in association with relevant Local Authorities. Midleton needs a proper flood relief scheme, expedited, as the town has already suffered multiple floods. Floor relief scheme can save the town and further suffering of residents. It is vital not only for protecting property and ensuring public safety but also for fostering sustainable development, preserving the environment, and enhancing the community's ability to withstand and recover from natural disasters.

Recent floods show us that Youghal needs proper protection from flooding, so that residents, business owners and the whole town can feel safe during storms or high tides. Floods are destroying many homes and businesses in Youghal. By prioritizing the implementation of a flood relief scheme, Youghal can effectively protect its infrastructure, preserve its cultural heritage, sustain its tourism industry, protect its coastal ecosystems, and enhance the overall resilience of its community in the face of coastal flooding and related natural hazards. **** Phase 1 of Flood Relief Scheme in Youghal is done. Phase 2 should be implemented as soon as possible, not within next 5 or 10 years, as otherwise town will be flooded yet again. [1] Flood Relief Scheme document for Youghal - Blackwater: https://www.floodinfo.ie/publications/?t=22&a=669

The Owenmore Fishery has been sold from one private landlord too another. Its has never been in the hands of the Irish People. For the Dingle Peninsula to be recognised as the crown of the Kingdom then the people demand this government to buy what is truly ours. For too long the Dingle Peninsula has not got the recognition that it deserves that stops now. The pass and the river that drains it needs to be in the hands of the Irish people!

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