- Featured
- Animal Rights
- Anti-racism
- Arts & Culture
- Children
- Climate
- Corporate accountability
- Crime
- Disability rights
- Economic
- Education
- Environment
- Food and Sustainable Production
- Gender Equality
- Governance and Transparency
- Health
- Housing
- LGBT Rights
- Mental health
- Northern Ireland
- Planning
- Privacy and Data Protection
- Rural Inequality
- Social Justice
- Trade
- Transport and Infrastructure
- Workers' Rights
- More
-
Make Saint Johns Hospital A&E 24 HoursThis is important as the University Hospital Limerick formerly Limerick Regional Hospital is the most overcrowded hospital in Ireland, we need Saint Johns A&E reopened to help alleviate the pressure on University of Hospital Limericks A&E2,185 of 3,000 SignaturesCreated by JASON MCCUTCHEON
-
Reverse Decision to Replace St Joseph's Hospital Beds (Long Stay-Dementia-Med Asses) made Jan 2016This is because the Finn Valley has a growing elderly population and a reducing number of potential family carers. Also parts of the area have little access to public transport and are quite isolated i.e the border and gaeltacht areas. For over three years the People of the Finn Valley and wider Donegal area have been asking the question about what is the future of St Josephs Community Hospital in Stranorlar, Co. Donegal. The government and HSE representatives have never given a clear answer on the future of the Hospital and have even provided conflicting information. The people of the area have twice held well attended public demonstraions where they marched from the Hospital in Stranorlar to Jacksons Hotel in Ballybofey a distance of 2.6km. Many who marched were over 60 and feel abandoned by the way they are being treated. We wish to know the answer of how many and what types of beds that are planned to be serviced at the hospital. What staffing levels will be retained in future at St Josephs in terms of Doctors, Nurses, Nursing Assistants, Administration and Ancillary staff. We want to know now what Capital Budget and other Budgets will be allocated and the plans that will be transformed into buildings i.e. refurbushements, extensions etc so as to meet HIQA standards.239 of 300 SignaturesCreated by Paul Anderson
-
Keep Clare Bus in Clare!Clare-TCU is the office where local dispatchers take calls for bookings, who know where all our regular passengers are based. We have 16 years’ experience of delivering a flexible and fully accessible bus service to the people of Clare and South Galway. Dispatchers work closely with drivers to make sure the bus diverts to where the people are, facilitating bookings up to an hour before departure. The dispatchers are the life force, that direct the bus service, look after drivers and, above all, look after the passengers. They are part of your community. The TCU is the driving force behind Clare Bus, taken away from our community the service will be a shadow of its former self. Impact on passengers: loss of the highly responsive service that has become a life line to many people. Impact on Clare Bus: loss of dispatchers, taking out local control of service provision and development threatens the viability of the whole service and potentially puts 25 Clare jobs at risk.11,067 of 15,000 SignaturesCreated by Clare Bus Feakle
-
Equal Rights For Same Sex Parents in Ireland****UPDATE**** So much has happened since I launched this petition in 2019. As it stands today I am still seen as a single parent to our two daughters. Following on from lengthly legal proceedings, we hope to soon have our personal situation resolved. The intended legislation, detailed below was commenced in May 2020, and many LGBTQ+ families are now benefitting from it. However so many children of LGBTQ+ families in Ireland are suffering as a result of the governments inaction to ensure that ALL family types are protected. Those still left out of any legislation are all Gay dads, and those who conceive via non clinical methods or through clinics abroad. We won't stop fighting til every child is equal. Follow me on www.instagram.com/ranaevonmeding and I'll continue posting updates on the situation as it evolves. ***Original Post*** My wife Audrey and I have two beautiful daughters. Ava is 2 and her sister Arya is 3 months old. We did Reciprocal IVF which means we used Audrey's eggs to conceive and I carried the babies. It's also known as 'Shared Motherhood'. Audrey is their biological parent and I am their birth parent. As it currently stands, under the Irish law, because I gave birth to the girls, I am seen as their parent and Audrey is seen as a legal stranger. I am married and yet I am viewed as a single parent. We equally brought our children into the world together. We equally are raising them as a family. And yet we are not viewed as a family. If anything happened to me, it's unclear if Audrey would be 'next in line' so to speak. There is new legislation coming in later this year which will allow for some same sex couples to both be registered as parents. The only couples it will apply to are female couples who have conceived in an Irish Fertility clinic using an identifiable donor. Everyone else is left out. So those who have gone abroad, those who have used an anonymous or a known to them donor, those who have done an at home insemination and like us those who have done Reciprocal IVF. Simon Harris, the Irish Minister for Health has knowingly allowed and supported legislation to come in which will split an already marginalised community into two. To put it very simply, this new law is going to cover about half of the LGBT+ community who have families. And for the other half- we won't meet the criteria to be recognised as a family. All families need to be protected. Regardless of our sex. Regardless of where and how we conceived. Whether a family was created through Adoption, Surrogacy or Fertility Treatments, they deserve protection and recognition.35,559 of 40,000 SignaturesCreated by Ranae von Meding
-
Reopen the closed beds in University Hospital Limerick!University Hospital Limerick is overcrowded and understaffed. This is bad for patients, nurses, and all hospital staff. Limerick needs more hospital beds, not fewer. That is why we are calling on management to re-open a much-needed 17-bed ward, closed in the last week in March. Closing beds will only worsen Limerick’s overcrowding crisis. Limerick’s overcrowding is the highest in the country. We regularly see over 60 patients a day forced to wait without a proper bed. It simply does not make sense to close further beds when faced with such a problem. We’re standing united and strong for a safer hospital and service. Stand with us. - Petition started by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.2,089 of 3,000 SignaturesCreated by INMO - Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation
-
Free Travel for People With Epilepsy in Ireland- The costs of public transport poses hardship to many people with epilepsy who are not eligible for Disability Allowance or any other payment which Free Travel is attached to. - The Free Travel Pass would enable people who have been told they cannot drive for a minimum period to stay economically active and compensate them for the added costs of public transport. - This would make a huge difference to supporting people with epilepsy in travelling to work, retaining employment and improving overall quality of life. - Travel concessions for people with epilepsy are available in other countries and there should be similar provisions here. - Successive governments have not delivered on the issue of free travel despite intense lobbying from organisations - we need public support on this issue!2,112 of 3,000 SignaturesCreated by Free Travel for Epilepsy Campaign
-
Save Samia and Fatima From DeportationBoth sisters are profoundly deaf and entirely dependent on Cochlear implants and the essential support services they have been receiving, in their home here in Cavan. Their speech development has been significantly delayed due to late implants. Deportation would have detrimental impact on their education, health, security and language development. If they get deported back they will have to transfer to a non-English speaking environment, where they will be unable to speak the language. This will majorly disrupt the progress they have been achieving here in Ireland. Their current struggles with their education and development will only be made worse. Their school principal at St. Clair N S Ballyjamesduff fully support this petition ) as does TD Niamh Smith Support.7,569 of 8,000 SignaturesCreated by Mohammad Basharat
-
Teach Our Teens About Their Mental HealthLimerick City is nationally recognised as a priority area in the mental health crisis. We know the interventions that need to be taken, and are not willing to stand by anymore and listen to empty promises from politicians. Depression is the largest cause of disability among those aged 10-24, and suicide is now one of the leading causes of death among young people in Europe. Depression is an important predisposing factor for suicide among adolescents, and this age group have high rates of suicide in Ireland. • There were 425 deaths by suicide recorded in Ireland in 2015 (latest figures) • Limerick has twice the national average rate of suicide. • Limerick City also has high rates of self-harm among adolescents. A particular period of life which can see depression emerge is adolescence. The fact that there are huge changes, both socially and mentally taking place leaves young people more vulnerable and susceptible to mental illness. Mental health issues which begin during adolescense can persist into adulthood. Over half of adults report their mental health illnesses stemming from the ages of 12-18 years. Schools are in a unique position to promote mental health and emotional well being, to provide a health promoting environment and to identify young people experiencing emotional distress. The roll out of evidence based mental health awareness programmes in Irish schools should be undertaken as a matter of priority in order to develop mental health literacy, promote positive mental health and prevent suicide in this vulnerable group (World Health Organisation) One school based intervention, Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM), which was a brief, universal mental health programme that was delivered in the classroom over a 4 week period was associated with a significantly lower number of subsequent suicide attempts and suicidal ideation. Its aim was to improve mental health literacy and coping skills of young people, to raise awareness of risk and protective factors associated with suicide and to enhance young people’s knowledge about mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. It included role-play sessions, interactive lectures and workshops SEYLE, an extensive European study recently undertaken, found that a universal school-based public health intervention, such as YAM can prevent one suicide attempt for every 167 students targetted, along with a wide range of other benefits, and recommends such a programme in every school. (WHO) In one of its leading actions, Connecting for Life Midwest, under the national strategy for suicide prevention says it aims to ‘target approaches to reduce suicidal behaviour and improve mental well being among priority groups.’ The Limerick Local Economic and community Plan 2016-2021, under the action area, Health and well-being, states that it aims to ‘Promote population health and well-being and conditions in local communities to support positive mental and physical health.’ Our young people can't wait anymore! As a start, this preventative measure must be implemented in all Limerick City schools. Thank you for signing the petition and please share.577 of 600 SignaturesCreated by Seónaidh Ní Shíomóin
-
Period products should be free for people with periods in Direct Provision, homeless hubs & schools.Period poverty is a reality for women and girls. Sanitary products be expensive and the costs mount up every month. For many low income women its often a choice between paying essential bills and food and buying sanitary products. This is a choice that they should not have to make. A cross party group of TD's are proposing legislation that would see women and girls in direct provision, homeless hubs and in schools having access to sanitary products. https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/0228/1033577-your-politics-episode-12/4,126 of 5,000 SignaturesCreated by Siobhan O'Donoghue
-
Stop The Legalisation of Slot Machines DonegalAt a time when other countries are progressively acting to restrict the harmful effects of slot machines, we believe the adoption of this act would be a regressive step, increasing the potential for gambling addiction in Donegal. In short, this is a short-sighted money grab by a handful of business people at the expense of the wider Inishowen and Letterkenny communities. Gambling addiction is the most hidden and corrosive addiction and also the hardest to treat. Counsellors from White Oaks and Gamblers Anonymous who are at the coal face of this issue have spoken out, urging councillors to refrain from adopting this motion. It is shocking that councillors would consider adopting this act without hearing from them. At a minimum, they should have equal time to present their expertise and concerns to the Inishowen and Letterkenny Municipal Councils. The business people operating these gaming establishments HAVE been asked to address the Municipal District Councils and have lobbied them to legalise these casinos. They claim 129 jobs are at risk in Inishowen following Revenue seizing slot machines because their establishments were not compliant with the current laws. Let’s be clear here, this is a red herring. These gaming establishments currently operate as private members’ clubs which allows them to bypass the current laws, but those laws do restrict the size of the payouts these machines can make. These establishments are already very lucrative for the owners, but this attempt to allow them to increase the size of the payouts is an attempt to make them even more so. Allowing these establishments to increase the size of the payouts will give them leave to prey on the most vulnerable, with increased payouts acting as a lure to draw more & more people into further debt. Slot machine play is one of the most harmful forms of gambling in the world. Much of the focus around gambling problems is aimed at the individual gambler, but it is also important to look at ways that the games themselves contribute to gambling problems. High speed of play and features that promote false beliefs comprise some of the more problematic elements associated with slot machines. Slot machine players may find it helpful to be aware of those features that may make slot machine play more risky. Irish people lose more money per head on gambling than anywhere else in Europe, with an estimated 40,000 Irish people already in the grip of this addiction. Slot machines are huge revenue generators, and many of their features are designed to keep players in their seats in order to maximise revenue for the operator. Some of the machines’ features, however, may lead people to believe they have a better chance of winning than they actually do. Most players don’t realise that the reels on slot machines are weighted so that low-paying symbols come up much more often than jackpot symbols. Unbalanced reels are created when one reel contains fewer jackpot symbols than the other reels. This makes it more likely that players will see two jackpot symbols but less likely they will see three. This creates a type of ‘near miss. When players watch the reels spinning, it looks as if all symbols have an equal chance of coming up, but this is not the case. Players would have no way of knowing that one of the reels is lacking in jackpot symbols and could believe they have a better chance of winning than they really do. Slot machines are quite simply an operation in deceit. We urge councillors not to bow to the pressure of a handful of business people at the expense of the many. Listen to the experts and ask addiction counsellors dealing with the victims of this predatory business to have equal time to give their presentations and act in the interests of the health and wellbeing of the residents of Inishowen and Letterkenny. Sinéad Stewart, Inishowen Cathal Mac Fhloinn, Letterkenny155 of 200 SignaturesCreated by Sinéad Stewart
-
RE-DEVELOP AND RE-OPEN GLENALBYN SWIMMING POOLThe community of Stillorgan have been ignored for far too long. This pool is a vital part of our community. It is important for... OUR Physical and Mental Health The health and safety and activity of our Children Teens and Adults Swimming Lessons for our local school children Teaching our Adults how to SWIM Teaching the Swimmers how to SAVE LIVES Training Olympic and Special Olympic Swimmers, Training our Championship Swimmers and world record holders. Our Deep water and Scuba Divers. Our Water Polo teams Our Fitness and Rehabilitation Non Impact exercise for those unable for high impact exercise. Long distance lane swimming. Aqua Aerobics Swimming for fitness and pleasure. Local community social gatherings Local Jobs and so much more Glenalbyn was more than just a fun space to splash about in. It provided VITAL services for our community and beyond. With the closure of the LeisurePlex complex Stillorgan has now very limited fitness or leisure facilities for young people. Glenalbyn club itself prides itself on encouraging biking to the club and leaving the car at home... so the argument for the pool infringing on limited car parking spaces it nonsensical. Ignoring the wishes of the Stillorgan has gone on for far too long. All our elected council representatives voted on MONDAY THE 11TH OF FEBRUARY 2019 to keep ring-fenced funding and put motions forward calling to rebuild our facility urgently and yet still no progress has been made despite the many promises made to the community. We are calling on DLRCOCO and all other stakeholders to honour their commitments to the people of Stillorgan and beyond, who they serve, and reinstate the funds and begin the redevelopment of our pool immediately. The community also deserve answers on progress surrounding our pool. We have ALL waited long enough.1,297 of 2,000 SignaturesCreated by Friends Of Glenalbyn
-
Reduce unwanted pregnancies- make all contraception FREE in 2020At the end of 2018 Minister for Health Simon Harris said that he wanted to do everything he could to reduce crisis pregnancies including providing greater access to free contraception. He said that it would be a legislative priority in 2019 to make female contraception more widely available.[1] The expense of accessing contraception can be prohibitive. Many women have neither medical cards nor funds for contraceptives, or emergency contraception. They also often have to pay for an initial doctor’s consultation as well as repeat appointments for prescription renewal. The proposal for “expanded access” to condoms is welcome, people need to be able to avail of the best form of contraception for their bodies and situation. We call on the new Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly to ensure that free access and free provision of all methods of contraception to the public is promptly introduced as soon as possible in 2020. [1] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/vending-machines-may-be-used-to-distribute-free-condoms-says-hse-1.3745092705 of 800 SignaturesCreated by Abortion Access Campaign West AACWest