As per the Irish Times article on November 29th by Kitty Holland, homelessness among single adults is up 44% in the Midlands in the year since October 2016 and this shelter, having already cut its staffing is now facing closure (1). The assertion by the Department of Housing that "the needs of regions are kept under review on an ongoing basis" and "it will help to meet the costs faced by housing bodies." is clearly not of any value here. This shelter which also serves the needs of people in Laois, Longford and Offaly needs to be kept open and Midlands Simon has to be given concrete assurances that it will receive adequate funding as a matter of urgency. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/sole-westmeath-homeless-shelter-likely-to-close-over-funding-1.3308697

The planning committee have a duty to represent ratepayers and seek to establish if these are unlawful decisions. These decisions may be unlawful if there has been no study of the combined health impacts on the people living in the area. Downwind, and in the six miles between these two developments, lie the homes of tens of thousands of people, as well as recreational water bodies, holiday sites and the shores of Belfast Lough. The human cost of poor air quality is huge causing the deaths of more people per year, in Northern Ireland, than passive smoking or road accidents combined and costing the NHS over £20 billion per year. (1) At a time when the World Health Organisation are saying that the greater Belfast area air already exceeds safe levels by 20% we deserve a cumulative health impact study before any further work proceeds. (2) Read more on FB @Stop the Newtownabbey Pig Factory & Stop Hightown Waste Incinerator 1. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/belfast-air-pollution-levels-among-the-worst-in-uk-35636923.html 2. http://breathelife2030.org/ 3 https://ukhumanrightsblog.com/2017/11/13/air-quality-breaches-stops-development-which-threatened-to-exacerbate-them/

Dublin Region Homeless Executive should be a body that understands homelessness, that supports homeless individuals and their needs. Recent comments by Ms Gleeson show a lack of empathy and understanding of homeless individuals and families [1] stating that homelessness is a result of bad behaviour. Saying that volunteers who offer soup or tents are being unhelpful shows that Ms Gleeson is only focussed on homelessness as a problem to society rather than a symptom of society. These public comments do not reflect the person-centred approach advocated by the Homeless Executive's mission and show that Ms Gleeson is unfit to lead an organisation that so badly needs to embody a more humane approach to their cause. NOTES: [1] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/tents-and-soup-will-not-fix-homeless-emergency-1.3291978

In the light of the recent RTE Prime Time Program "Nightmare to Rent". It is now obvious to all of us that the inspection regime who the County Councils are responsible for is not working. Tenants are being forced to live in unsafe and sub-standard accommodation in Co Meath and all over the country. Meath County Council and all its councillors have a duty of care to all tenants especially those in emergency accommodation to ensure their safety and that their accommodation is not sub-standard.

Women diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes were previously granted temporary LTI numbers to allow them access free drugs and testing strips to monitor their condition (as people with Type 1 and 2 can). This right was removed in 2013, causing untold stress to any pregnant woman diagnosed with GD. Because of how dangerous the condition is in pregnancy, many women have to test their blood multiple times a day. The strips for the testing machines can cost anywhere up to 59 euro a box, meaning that many women are spending 144 euro a month (max you pay on DPS scheme) buying strips, which were previously free. People with other types of diabetes are given an automatic right to free strips, for life, while pregnant women are once again punished by a government that does not care about them or their well being. There are few among us who could cope with suddenly needing to shell out 144 euro a month, especially low paid workers with no medical card entitlements - and when you're saving for a new baby it's even more stressful. Pregnancy is universal, people from all walks of life want to have families, but the working poor are once more being punished by a government that does not care. Give women back their rights, treat pregnant women equally and fairly.

Dr. Lynn was an incredible woman, revolutionary and role model. She did so much to improve the lives of children in Ireland and she deserves to be recognised. Nothing would be more fitting than a Children's Hospital named in her honour.

RTE is the single most popular media source on this island. We even fund them via a licence fee mandatory for every household. They influence society as a whole & their lagging behind on climate change is beyond unacceptable, it's dangerous. When we are paying up to a billion euro in fines annually because we couldn't meet emissions targets set decades ago, will RTE have Fitzmaurice or Healy Rae on to tell us it's God that controls the weather? Here is a great opinion piece from 2014 on this very issue - http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/columnists/victoria-white/prime-time-and-rte-are-in-denial-of-the-truth-about-climate-change-264064.html Coverage of the horrifically outdated debate RTE held only this year where the topic was basically "is climate change real?" - https://greennews.ie/shocking-climate-change-denial-aired-rte-claire-byrne-live/

We are calling for the full #55million for the mental health budget so our most vulnerable in our society can access 24/7 mental health services this must implemented accross Ireland, and no doubt will help save life's we need to break down the barriers and stigma that surrounds this lets send a clear message to this Government #endstigma #makementalhealthapriority #lifesmatter #Hope #WalkofHOPETeam

It would be an altogether too powerful body and they would have a complete monopoly on pesticides, fertilizers, seeds etc. Monsanto is a producer of genetically modified crops. A merger between these too would spell disaster for farming and farming produce in Ireland.

The year 2017 marked twenty years since Ireland’s first comprehensive plan to address poverty: the National Anti-Poverty Strategy 1997-2006. The year 2018 marked key anniversary for End Poverty activists and for the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights! The 30th anniversary of the death of Joseph Wresinski, the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela (who launched the Make Poverty History Campaign) and the 70 years of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The year 2019 is starting with the Centenary of the first meeting of Dáil Éireann which occurred on 21 January 1919 in the Round Room of the Dublin Mansion House. In this first and highly symbolic meeting, the proceedings of the Dáil were conducted for the only time entirely in the Irish language, except for previously drafted declarations including the proclamation of the "Democratic Programme" including the following pledge: "It shall be the first duty of the Government of the Republic to make provision for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the children, to secure that no child shall suffer hunger or cold from lack of food, clothing, or shelter, but that all shall be provided with the means and facilities requisite for their proper education and training as Citizens of a Free and Gaelic Ireland." On the day of the Centenary, the Irish Times in partnership with the Children Rights' Alliance launched the #NoChild2020 campaign! No Child 2020 is an initiative by Fintan O'Toole and other Irish Times' journalists aiming to provide a sustained focus on child welfare and children’s issues over the coming year. We believe that Ireland needs a new Integrated Framework for Social Inclusion, to tackle inequality and poverty. We know Ireland faces major challenges: - to end the Housing Crisis - to deliver the SlainteCare’s vision for a better and fairer health system - to tackle Child Poverty and the poverty faced by the children's families - to implement the 17 Global Goals set down in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including action to limit climate change with a strong concern for climate justice - to become a society with communities ready to leave no one behind, the promise of the UN 2030 Agenda If we are serious about tackling these issues, and serious about lifting people out of poverty and eliminating its causes, we must have a consistent, comprehensive plan to address poverty and social exclusion. Such a plan will only succeed if it is owned by civil society at large and also by the people experiencing poverty, not just politicians and the organisations that work to combat inequality and exclusion. Our call to action: let's walk as one to end poverty! In the follow-up of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (10 December 2018), as Ireland marks the Centenary of the Democratic Programme, strengthened by the launch of the "No Child 2020" initiative, inspired by the "End Poverty" legacies of Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, inspired also by the pledge of Joseph Wresinski: "To come together is our solemn duty," and following the call by Mary Robinson and the Elders to "Walk Together", we seek a new approach. Let's bring everyone who wants to make a difference together! All stakeholders: public bodies, teachers, trainers and researchers, corporates and services, youth groups and pensioners, and the people who fight against the poverty and stigma that they experience. Let's say: "We – citizens, workers, leaders, managers, carers, parents, activists or professionals or both – are ready to be part of the End Poverty plan. We all need to own this plan: to know the goals and own them. Together we wish to take part in a strong participatory process to make the next Anti-Poverty Plan the best ever. Those who live with poverty and social exclusion deserve it. They also should have the opportunity help develop this new plan. And when the plan is in place they should be able to play their part to ensure it is implemented. I have a role to play and I support this call to action and would like to be involve in the design, implementation and monitoring of our common plan!” Let us leave no one behind! All together in dignity!"

We seem to be allowing a continuous stripping of services from rural Ireland, this would be a start of a serious opportunity to reverse this trend and offer a genuine service to elderly people who want to remain in their homes. We could customise these hubs to suit each village or location, eg combine this service with the local community centre, a cafe a local business or a stand alone unit. This hub could be staffed by locals and would offer all the services of a post office, plus access for the elderly to a government services help desk, environmental help, grants, tourist info etc, it could also be a start of decentralisation from Dublin.

To ensure pain relief is accessible to those on a low income and to keep the usage of tablets to a minimum. United we can help my healthcare accessible to all.