Covid 19 infection rates are rising again. The crisis is not over and requirements for social distancing are still vital. Any removal of mobility measures designed to facilitate safe movement into the city is dangerously premature. Shannon Bridge is a crucial transport corridor for schools. Over 3,500 children will soon travel to schools directly served by Shannon Bridge. Provision must be made for safe active travel to these schools. This is mandated by the National Transport Authority, Green Schools Ireland, and the Department of Education; The Department of Transport guidelines state 'use public transport only for essential journeys, walk or cycle if possible.' The COVID-19 Response Plan by the Dept. of Education for the safe and sustainable reopening of Primary and Special Schools states 'promote alternative means for children to get to school in a safe way, including walking, cycling and more generally in reducing the impact on public transport'. (July 2020). The Green Schools Plan 'An Ideas Document for Safe Access to Schools' also reiterates the need to prioritize active travel, including walking and cycling, and suggests the implementation of 'a cycle bus or walk-and-stride facilities'. (July 2020). In installing a cycle lane to provide safe travel for cyclists and a safer passage for pedestrians along the pathway- now insulated from motor vehicles- the Council has acknowledged the need for such infrastructure. Removal of such infrastructure is a retrograde step for the Council, when other local authorities across the country are introducing cycle infrastructure to support people who cycle and those that want to cycle but feel its unsafe to do so due to fear of accident, driver hostility and current route layout. Up to 40 children and parents from the Cycle Bus (which serves 2 primary schools in the city centre) use the inbound lane to cross the Shannon each morning on route to school and work. Before the lane was opened exclusively to cyclists and pedestrians, these children shared a lane of traffic with cars, vans, buses and HGV’s on a daily basis. It was, all would agree, the most unsafe aspect of the Cycle Bus’ journey each morning. If Limerick wants to support the increasing numbers of people cycling, then the Council must support 'people first' measures like maintaining a safe segregated cycle lane on one of our bridges.

The noise pollution, dust, and traffic a quarry only 1/2 a kilometre away from the school would create throughout the day would be detrimental to the peaceful, quiet, and healthy learning environment needed for students with special needs. This is a new school being built, and nearly completed, at a location designed especially for these special students with various disabilities. The quarry application must be denied as such to protect the rights of these disabled students with special needs.

Public transport is essential. 2000 people in Portlaw have no bus service since March. This is extremely worrying not just for those without cars but with Schools and Colleges gearing up for return in less than a month,people need real public transport. The wider community also need to access urban centres for work,healthcare and services.

Our industry moves Ireland , school children,Airports, train stations ,Ports ,Government Departments infant when groups of people need to be moved around we are the industry that does it . We are the ones that move Ireland with out us no one gets to their destinations in one vehicle . Our full size bus takes 6 cars of the road for every full size Coach .We transport school children on a daly basis .Our precious daily cargo is people dont wait till its to late when the operators are no longer in business . School transport have been totally ignored in relation to getting back on the road and having extra cleaning time cleaning equipment and not funding. Refund on vehicles that have been parked up since March on road tax,cvrt or extenstions Allowing this industry claim vat on all business like our counter parts in Northern Ireland.

Public Health advise currently advises on social distancing of 2m and the wearing of face masks/coverings in public settings when indoors. Schools fall into this category and it is very apparent that social distancing will not be possible at 2m and unlikely in many settings at 1m. We need to afford our students and teachers and school ancillary staff the same HSA and health guidelines as other workers. Let’s keep our schools safe and open- the virus is airborne and therefore the safest return to school includes the wearing of face masks/coverings In classrooms and crowded indoor school settings.

The review of this legislation is accepting submissions until September 11th 2020. The Criminal Justice Act 2017 Part 4 was put in place after lobbying by individuals and groups, some of whom were founded by and still have members of religious orders who ran Magdalene Laundries in their organisations, who believe all sex work is exploitation. This is not the case. This stance means ALL sex workers are being classified as exploited which in turn is distracting efforts from identifying real human trafficking victims. Human trafficking victims exist in many industries in Ireland including agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing and many more. Child trafficking is also a problem in Ireland. Yet, we are targeting consenting sex workers. The belief was that the criminalisation of the purchase of sexual services would end the demand for sexual services. This has not come into fruition. Ireland has been downgraded to Tier Two Watch List in the latest Trafficking in Persons Report and there have been NO PROSECUTIONS for human trafficking in Ireland EVER. Consensual sex workers exist in Ireland and will always exist in Ireland. This legislation has unfairly targeted their earnings, their safety and their autonomy rather than tackling human traffickers. These people and organisations have had very little communication with sex workers or experience in investigating cases of sex trafficking or other forms of human trafficking. This means there are victims of trafficking who are not even being looked for. This law has cut the flow of information to Gardaí from sex workers about real trafficking victims and children being requested for exploitation. Not only that but violence against sex workers has increased to dangerous levels because clients are afraid to get caught and sex workers are stigmatised to the point where abuse is deemed a natural part of their work - which should never be the case. Nicer clients have been scared away by the illegality of purchasing of sexual services and many who are still buying sex are the ones who take risks, putting sex workers in Ireland in serious danger. Sex workers report more issues with clients regarding safe sex. Sex workers in Ireland are not legally allowed to work together for safety under Ireland ‘Brothel Keeping’ legislation so they do not even have that comfort. To make buying sex illegal On top of the Brothel Keeping legislation, without first ensuring sex workers have access to social services and housing and all the other things they need to survive is horrific. For these reasons we are demanding an end to the Criminal Justice Act Section 27 part 4! TACKLE HUMAN TRAFFICKERS NOT WORKING PEOPLE!

Please support the permanent pedestrianisation of New Street, Malahide. At the moment a 10 week trial is in progress to guage the pros and cons of this measure. Some businesses have mounted an energetic campaign to return New Street to it's former position as a car dominated hostile space for human beings. Don't let them win! If this is reversed, it will be a major setback to efforts to provide livable and walkable communities for all of us.

There're already soccer, GAA and running facilities, cycling lanes and children playgrounds in the park, but nothing for growing amount of people interested in basketball. The OPW says they have no plans to install basketball court there, but we want the park to be enjoyable for everyone. This is not a huge investment and many will benefit, as well as public health.

This is the largest adult safeguarding investigation in the UK of its kind. The PSNI has examined CCTV footage and has so far established that there have been more than 1500 criminal assaults on patients in a 6 bed ward in a time period of 6 months. Two weeks ago yet another staff member was sacked from the hospital for abuse on a patient. The abuse is continuing. There can be no tolerance of abuse and it is critical that the individuals and institutions responsible should be held to account. That includes those who were directly responsible for the abuses but crucially also, the institutions and individuals responsible for systemic failures or whose action or inaction otherwise permitted the abuse to occur. These people were in the care of the state and are amongst the most vulnerable in society.

NHS services will be impossible to provide under the new Coronavirus Regulations, and those already in poverty will be hit hardest. New regulations requiring dentists to vacate surgeries for one hour after carrying out ‘aerosol generating procedures’ such as drilling, fillings and root canals, will drastically reduce the number of patients they can see, and make it financially impossible for surgeries to offer treatment under the NHS. Those in poverty often delay treatment due to the cost of dental charges. Without a good NHS system their oral health, including diagnoses of serious conditions like mouth cancer is going to suffer and their general health will follow suit.

After weeks of mixed messages from Government and Health Officials about the effectiveness of mask-wearing, there are now efforts to make up for lost time through regulation. It took the HSE until April 22 to introduce a mandatory policy for the wearing of masks. No official advice on face-coverings for the public was issued until May 13. As of this week, it is now a requirement on public transport and more recently in shops. It is not too late for everyone to buy-in to a new regime of mask-wearing, but we must re-focus the conversation on the accessibility of masks. The State's inadequate response in this crisis of public health, brings about a request from the public and a ask for our policymakers: we demand free distribution. The goal of mask-wearing is to save lives, not to further put them at risk. There are gaping holes in the plans announced which carry the risk of fuelling public tensions between those wearing them and those who may have a valid reason for not wearing one. On this basis, we are calling for the immediate ramping up and distribution of free masks for the entire population.

The public transport system remains unreliable for staff who have no other means to get to work. For those of us who drive we are working extended hours to juggle ongoing childcare issues which have not been rectified by the recent reopening of some childcare facilities. We are and have been under enough pressure for the last 4 months. Free parking is a small mercy to grant us for our tireless efforts. Please reconsider this decision Dublin City Council. Image source: https://www.newstalk.com/news/over-e5m-taken-in-by-hse-in-car-parking-charges-last-year-1325831