Portugal’s decriminalization process is over a decade old, there are several long-term benefits that have been recognized, including the following: Substance abuse and addiction rates have been cut in half since decriminalization Addiction treatment and rehabilitation is less expensive than incarceration Individuals with substance abuse problems are much more likely to find recovery in rehab than in jail People completing treatment can become productive members of society much more easily than convicted felons Violence related to drug trafficking is greatly reduced Courts are freed up for other important work The rebellious, countercultural essence of drug use is changed when society sees it as a disease and not a crime

Carlow is one of the four counties in which not one single GP has signed up to provide the abortion service to people. People in Carlow campaigned tirelessly for abortion and Carlovians voted overwhelmingly for local healthcare. We have ended the need for people having to travel abroad. Carlow cannot continue to export people seeking healthcare to other counties.

The motivation behind this petition arose from the recent diagnosis of 6-month old baby Juniper with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). SCID is a life-threatening genetic condition. Therefore, we are calling on Simon Harris, the Minister for Health, to introduce screening for this disease in the newborn screening programme (heel prick test). Children with this condition have a severely impaired immune system and are particularly vulnerable to severe infection. The treatment for this condition (haematopoietic stem cell transplant-HSCT) has a much higher success rate if diagnosed early and before the affected infant acquires infections. The incidence in Ireland is approximately 1 in 37,000 children (1-2 cases per year); making it more common than half the diseases currently included in the test. In Ireland, the majority of SCID cases are not diagnosed until the affected infant develops symptoms of infection. Survival rates after HSCT in children with SCID diagnosed late and with infection have been reported at approximately 70%. Children diagnosed and treated early (before 3 months of age), before they have acquired any infections, have a much better chance of survival (>90%). A diagnosis of SCID can be made on the heel-prick test using PCR-based technology. Considering the vast difference in survival rates and the impact on children and families, it seems obvious that SCID should be included in the newborn screening programme. Internationally, this screening has already been included, with success, in New Zealand, Canada, Taiwan and every state in the US. Pilot schemes have also started in Israel, Australia, the Netherlands and the UK. Moreover, studies in these countries have also concluded that early diagnosis in the heel prick test and treatment prior to infection is more cost effective to the healthcare system. Diagnosing SCID early is particularly important since the introduction of the live rotavirus vaccine. While this vaccine is safe for healthy children, it can be dangerous for children with SCID. This highlights yet another crucial reason to implement screening for at birth. For Juniper’s parents, her diagnosis of SCID has been devastating and shocking, considering that up to a few weeks ago they believed she was a healthy and thriving baby. Unfortunately, due to the lack of testing for SCID, she spent 3 weeks in hospital, on 3 courses of antibiotics, while deteriorating rapidly before an accurate diagnosis was made. Now they must travel to the UK for life saving treatment, and face a lengthy and difficult journey ahead. Juniper’s parents do not want any other parents to endure what they have had to, when a simple blood test at birth could have prevented Juniper from contracting infection and given her a higher chance at survival. If you are a medical professional please include this in your signature. For more information on SCID please visit https://www.ipia.info/what-is-primary-immunodeficiency/severe-combined-immunodeficiency-scid/

Irish adoptees have no automatic right to access our adoption files, birth certificate, health, heritage or history information. A right to identity is a recognised human right and adoptees are denied this right. This affects Irish Adoptees from historic, domestic adoption, along with their children and extended families.

The Irish Cancer Society say that they are getting getting letters, threatening phone calls, threats that their name will be made public if they don't the fees. This is deeply distressing and inhumane.

Food as a subject would be broad and encompass different aspects of food, from cooking to growing, from history to culture. A food subject will promote healthier eating, the local economy and our connection to nature.

According to the latest IPCC report, the next twelve years are crucial for action on climate change. There are four ambitious climate and environmental Bills which have been brought by Opposition Parties to the Dail. If the government truly wants to make Ireland a leader on climate change, it should support the passage of these Bills immediately. These are - The Climate Emergency Measures Bill (Bríd Smith PBP) - The Microgeneration Support Scheme Bill (Sinn Fein) - The Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill (Green Party) - The Waste Reduction Bill (Green Party) This is a simple ask. These are all sensible Bills which will move Ireland towards being a cleaner, greener and fairer place to live. We have no time to wait. #ClimateActionNow

Since the economic crash in 2008 hundreds of thousands of Irish people have been affected by financial legal issues which can end up in court proceedings. There are currently 20,000 cases for repossession in the Irish Courts. With a typical family of 5 that is over 100,000 people. Some experts say 250,000 - 500,000 are affected by potential repossession in Ireland. While every criminal in Ireland from the petty thief to the rapist, murderer, drug dealer and maybe even Bankers in criminal proceedings are entitled to legal aid, Civil Legal aid is only available for family law issues in Ireland. People in financial difficulty have to try and represent themselves in Court, or, just not go to Court at all, and lose their homes by default; without a defence being put forward. While ordinary citizens go unrepresented, the financial institutions often have a Solicitor, or maybe even two, and one or two Barristers. A Fair Trial requires there to be balance and equality between the parties and is known as an Equality of Arms. In Irish Courts there is #NoEqualityofArms The "Scales of Justice" are completely lob-sided in the financial institutions favour. Ireland... #ThisIsNotDemocracy Article 47 of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights says everyone is entitled to be advised and represented if the legal issue involves EU law, but this is not implemented in Irish law and, Judges appear not to have jurisdiction to grant legal aid in Civil Cases. Irish Citizens are being denied one of the most Basic and Fundamental Human Rights, the Right to a Fair Trial. The foundation of democracy is based on the Justice & Legal systems. If basic human rights guaranteed under EU law are been withheld from Irish Citizens then... #Ireland... #ThisIsNotDemocracy Minister, please introduce emergency legislation to make civil legal aid available to the tens of thousands of people in the Irish Courts involved in repossession proceedings. No Fair Trial = Ireland... #ThisIsNotDemocracy Ireland needs #CLAN PS: Please support the Irish #CLAN Please share on social media and ask your friends and family to do the same, the Irish #CLAN needs everyone's support!

The average cost of seeing a GP in Ireland now is €60 - and the cost can be as high as €80 in cities like Dublin. People are ignoring illness and not accessing care due to the cost of seeing a GP. This is not acceptable in a country like Ireland - whilst GP care is free in other comparable countries like Britain, Canada and Germany - or costs as little as €7.50 in other EU countries like France. It doesn't make economic sense either - illness costs the Irish economy hundreds of millions a year, and delayed diagnoses mean poorer outcomes and more intensive treatments for patients. We can stop this together - which is why the Minister for Health must move immediately to make GP care free for all.

Dublin City Council are set to bulldoze the Weaver Square Community Garden & Family Allotments from 31st December 2018. This is a serious concern for ALL residents of Dublin 8: 1. Dublin 8 is being subjected to an onslaught of short-term, high-density property development (Hotels, student accommodation) at the expense of the existing community. Over 2000 such units have been constructed in 2018 in this district alone. 2. Dublin 8, a high-density urban community, has the lowest amount of green space per m2 in Dublin. Now it will have even less! 3. This is the latest Dublin 8 community resource lost to property development in 12 months. We have already lost Dublin Food Co-Op, Green Door Market & Flea Markets. There is also uncertainty over the future of Meath St, Liberty Market, St Theresas & now Players Wills site developments. 4. DCC are reneging on written commitments to keep the Weaver Square community garden/allotments. 5. There are alternative vacant DCC sites that could be used for development without destroying this valuable Green Space. 6. Over 300 people benefit directly from the community garden & allotments on a weekly basis. These social, health, environmental & educational benefits will stop on 31st December. The garden & allotments are used by schools, pensioners, community groups & families.

Having fresh water available publicly will help reduce the use of single use plastics. The European Parliament recently voted to ban single use plastics. Under the proposed directive, items such as plastic straws, cotton swabs, disposable plastic plates and cutlery would be banned by 2021, and 90 per cent of plastic bottle recycled by 2025. This is a clampdown on the top culprits of plastic products that most often end up in the ocean. Lightweight single-use items such as plastic bottles can easily travel long distances and damage marine flora and fauna. The 2107 Waste Reduction Bill, which proposes an Irish ban on single-use plastics, and a deposit and return scheme (DRS) on plastic bottles and aluminium cans, has passed initial stages in the Oireachtas. It takes three times the volume of water to manufacture one bottle of water than it does to fill it, and because of the chemical production of plastics that water is mostly unusable. When you pick up a water bottle at the supermarket, hold it up and imagine it filled ¼ with oil. That’s how much in fossil fuels it took just to manufacture a single bottle. In Ireland, we produce the equivalent of nearly 2,000 water bottles, or 5,550 disposal coffee cups, per person annually. Ireland is the top producer of plastic waste in Europe; generating an average of 61kgs per person every year - almost double what the UK produces. By introducing drinking fountains, we can make a conscious effort to reduce our plastic waste and protect West Cork's rich environment and food industry. Cork County Council have told me that they are considering this initiative but I want to show them that there is significant interest and support. I hope that with enough signatures we can make this goal a reality.

The Liberties, is home to the Guinness Storehouse in South Inner City Dublin. 50,000 local people have no access to playing team sports, like football. Many local boys and men go to prison from this area. 11 local primary schools have really small playgrounds so they can't play much sport. This means they might get unhealthy and overweight. John Lonergan, who used to be the boss of Mountjoy Prison has said that a lot of prisoners in Mountjoy have always come from the Liberties. He said it is because they don't have enough to do in the area, to keep them busy. This is the last plot of derelict land in The Liberties, that can fit a big grass sports pitch for team games like Football, Hurling or Rugby. The boss of Dublin City Council, Richard Shakespeare wants to build a big waste depot, but he needs to get the local Dublin City Councillors to go along with him. At the moment, the only use is for recreational, so he can't build a big waste depot without their help. The land is really close to the Guinness Enterprise Centre and the Guinness Storehouse. A local pitch would help people working there, to do sport. 10 million euro has been invested on the Guinness Enterprise Centre, so that it can get bigger by 65%, making it a business superhub. The Guinness Storehouse is one of the best tourist places to go in Ireland. In 2023 1.5 million visitors from 165 countries. Visitor numbers are down from 2017 when they were 1.7 million. <https://www.thejournal.ie/guinness-storehouse-visitor-numbers-2-3775913-Jan2018/>. The Chief Executive must give people living and working in the Liberties, the chance to play sport. He must act on the advice of Ex Mountjoy Prison Boss John Lonergan, and make the area near the Guinness Enterprise Centre and Guinness Storehouse better. The plans for the sports pitch are ready, and the land is zoned 'recreational'. We ask the Chief Executive to please build the sports pitch, not a big waste depot.