PMDD is a serious and often misunderstood condition that can be devastating for those living with it, affecting mental health, relationships, education, work and overall quality of life.  It is commonly estimated to affect around 3–8% of people with a menstrual cycle, yet awareness and understanding remain far too low.  Research has also found extremely high levels of distress among people with PMDD:  • Approximately 1 in 3 women with PMDD have attempted suicide • Approximately 50% have self-harmed. Too many people are left without answers, misdiagnosed, or made to feel that what they are experiencing is normal when it is not. Better education, clinical awareness and clear treatment pathways would mean earlier recognition, faster support and less needless suffering. 

This is to get the point out there to the Irish government asking and telling them something needs to be done and not having women waiting years and years for a diagnosis 

Because every Irish woman will go through this. Your mother, your sister, your friend, your colleague — this affects all of us. Because 'your bloods are normal' is not a diagnosis. And too many of us know exactly what that feels like. Because this is fixable. Better training for GPs costs far less than years of misdiagnosis and repeat appointments. We need to protect our longer term health, which will in turn be better for society, reducing pressure on the healthcare system and already over burdened GPs.

AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm) is a dangerous, often symptomless, swelling in the main blood vessel (aorta) of the abdomen, primarily affecting men over 60–65. If the aorta weakens and bursts, it is frequently fatal, making early detection via a simple ultrasound screening crucial. In the UK the National Health Service (NHS) All men living in England are invited for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) ultrasound screening the year they turn 65 free of charge covered by the NHS In Ireland you have to arrange an AAA Ultrasound screening privately it is not automatically covered on the Medical Card service. In certain circumstances a GP could arrange one on the medical card if the GP deems it to be carried out but it is not done/checked as standard. One Private Provider of AAA screening in Ireland offers it at €170 with a discount for Medical Card Holders at €150 but prices do vary greatly depending on where you have the test carried out and can be more expensive. To find out more details of AAA visit wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdominal_aortic_aneurysm To read about what the NHS UK offers to the general public read here: https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/abdominal-aortic-aneurysm-screening/

Government created this mess by failing to clarify that the Rotunda’s future is not in Blanchardstown but in Parnell Square.  We need Government to make this critical care wing happen, and demonstrate it is committed to keeping the world's oldest maternity hospital in its original home at the heart of our capital city.

Pathfinder is a collaborative HSE initiative between St Luke’s General Hospital Carlow/Kilkenny and the National Ambulance Service. It is an essential front line service that centres care around the elderly in Carlow and Kilkenny. - It supports to the most vulnerable in our communities to help them avoid a hospital stay. In 2024 they supported 300 patients and that number has been steadily increasing. They have knocked on the doors of hundreds of vulnerable people and allowed them to get the care and support they need in the comfort of their own homes. There is a wealth of data that shows hospital stays can increase the risk of catching deathly bugs or viruses. It can also increase the risk of medication errors, falls, immobility and many more instances that can increase mortality. Prevention is better than cure -  - Ultimately, where it is safe and possible to avoid a hospital stay, it can be better for a person's health, particularly someone who may already have an underlying health issue. - It also means someone does not have to go through the logistical stress of a hospital stay which makes life easier for them and often, for the people and families who care for them. Yet shockingly, over Christmas, the Management of St. Luke's decided to remove this essential lifeline and re-deploy these workers. - Despite multiple attempts they have not provided any data to suggest this move is the best use of resources or is in the best interest of vulnerable people. The management say this is a "temporary" re-deployment but the manner in which they have callously cut Pathfinders does not inspire confidence, nor have they published any data that explores the ramifications that even a "temporary" closure will have on people. To date there has been a serious lack of transparency and oversight. This petition calls on the HSE and the management of St. Luke's to reverse their decision and keep Pathfinder Workers in the community. There is no evidence to suggest that re-deploying these workers into St. Luke's will result in more early supported discharges. We need funding to enhance more essential services and ESD - Not cuts to established essential services. It is possible that the removal of this service in Carlow and Kilkenny could be the start of a Nationwide move to cut this frontline service. 

The Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) saves lives. An Advanced Paramedic should be on the RRV 24/7 - that was the promise made to the people of Roscommon. They are the ONLY personnel in the National Ambulance Service who can provide advanced life support. We need this critical service. 

When people in the Midlands ask for help with serious alcohol or drug dependence, there is often nowhere safe for them to go. Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise has no dedicated detoxification beds, meaning people can be left in overcrowded emergency departments or sent home to unsafe situations where withdrawal can be life-threatening. Laois County Council has already called on the Minister for Health to establish detoxification beds in Portlaoise Hospital. You can get behind this call by signing the petition today  This call comes following a motion that was put down by Labour Councillor Marie Tuohy at the request of the ARC Project, a voluntary group supporting those affected by addiction, and their families  Cllr Tuohy asked that three beds for alcohol and drug be set up with seven day admission pathways and integrated links to HSE addictions services and community recovery supports. Three medically supervised detox beds would save lives, support families, reduce pressure on emergency services, and create a real pathway into recovery. This is a small, practical change — but for many people, it would make all the difference.

Blister packs are really important for people with medical conditions and for older people. These are the very people who already struggle to pay bills, and keep food on the table. 

Ireland Needs Real-Time Reporting of Sewer Discharges - Just Like the UK  Across Ireland, rivers, lakes, estuaries, bathing and coastal waters are being polluted by regular storm overflows and sewer discharges,  yet the public has no way to see when or where these events occur. Unlike the UK, Ireland has no national, real-time monitoring system to tell communities when their local waters are contaminated.  Under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations and Directives, Uisce Éireann and sanitary authorities are already legally required to monitor wastewater discharges and assess their impacts on receiving waters. But many overflows have no monitors or are not up to code. Without transparent, real-time reporting, these obligations are not meaningfully met, and the public remains unaware of pollution events happening in their own communities.   Why This Matters  • We can’t plan future wastewater capacity without accurate overflow data. Ireland cannot model infrastructure needs or comply with the Water Framework Directive if it does not quantify the true scale and frequency of sewer overflows. Real-time and historical data on CSOs are essential for evidence-based planning, upgrading the network, and preventing future pollution crises. • Public health and the environment are at risk. Untreated storm overflows often contain sewage, agricultural runoff, chemicals, and pathogens. They threaten bathing waters, drinking-water sources, shellfish areas, fisheries, wildlife, and recreation. • The technology already exists. The UK’s publicly accessible monitoring platforms — such as the National Storm Overflow Hub — show that real-time reporting is fully achievable and enormously beneficial for communities. see: https://www.streamwaterdata.co.uk/pages/the-national-storm-overflow-hub • Transparency builds trust. Citizens deserve to know when their local waters are unsafe. Real-time data empowers swimmers, anglers, families, fishers, environmental groups, and local authorities to make informed decisions. We, the undersigned, call on Uisce Éireann and the Irish Government to: 1. Fully comply with statutory obligations Ensure comprehensive monitoring of all wastewater discharges, including storm overflows and combined sewer overflows, as required under Irish and EU law. 2. Create a national, public, real-time reporting system   Build an open-access online platform (like the UK system) showing:   • when and where overflows occur, • their duration and estimated volumes, and • the type of discharge (untreated, partially treated, stormwater, etc.). 3. Use this data to plan for future capacity Commit to using real, measured overflow data to identify system weaknesses, inform capital investment, and meet long-term obligations under the Water Framework Directive and climate-resilience planning. 4. Protect our rivers, lakes, and coasts Reduce harmful discharges and ensure the public can see in real time when pollution events occur. Ireland deserves clean water, transparent reporting, and evidence-based planning.   We urge Uisce Éireann and the Irish Government to act now.  

Right now, across Ireland, women are having instruments pushed through their cervix, tissue ripped from their uterus, and samples cut from internal organs - while fully conscious and in agony. They bleed for days afterward. They vomit from pain. They pass out. They leave traumatised. And they were offered paracetamol. Or nothing at all!! This is barbaric! We don’t do dental fillings without numbing. We don’t remove moles without local anaesthetic. We definitely don’t ask men to endure vasectomies while gritting their teeth. But somehow, when the procedure involves a uterus, pain relief becomes optional. Medical science was wrong when it operated on babies without anaesthesia - we tortured infants for decades because doctors “didn’t think they felt pain.” We were wrong when we dismissed women’s heart attacks as anxiety. We were wrong about endometriosis, about fibromyalgia, about countless conditions where we told patients their pain wasn’t real. We are wrong about this too. And patients are suffering because of it. These tissues have nerves. If sex can hurt, biopsies hurt more. If periods cause cramping, imagine instruments dilating your cervix and scraping your uterine lining. If Childbirth causes pain, imagine forcing labour in cervical dilations then tearing a piece of that tissue out!  If it bleeds for days, it was violent enough to require anaesthesia. There is NO medical reason to withhold pain relief. Local anaesthetic doesn’t compromise samples. Sedation doesn’t affect outcomes. The only barrier is a medical system that doesn’t believe women’s pain matters. This ends now.  Sign this petition to demand the HSE mandate anaesthesia for gynaecological procedures. Demand honest informed consent. Demand that Irish patients receive the same dignity as patients in every other medical specialty. Please sign this, because Every signature says: we will not be tortured for healthcare anymore. 

The model of providing care off site from the maternity hospital exists already in other areas, within the gynaecology department in the main hospital. It is acknowledged how overburdened UHL is, but women's healthcare should not be neglected again. Providing a care pathway for those miscarrying in a site within Ennis and Nenagh for those with a confirmed miscarriage would allow the specific care needed for those patients and alleviate the need to go to UHL.  This would reduce the trauma caused to the woman and partner and allow them to focus on recovery and processing the miscarriage without the extra burden of emotional trauma by mixing miscarriage care and antenatal care.