Bottled water is an invented consumer need.Thirty years ago the Irish public laughed at the idea of being sold a product that you could get from the tap for next to no cost. Today we feel as though bottled water is just a normal, or even essential, item to be included in our shopping baskets. In 2016, Irish consumers spent around €76.5 million on bottled water. We are sending about 800 million plastic bottles to be processed every year and are spending about €38 million annually on disposing of plastic bottles alone. This money could be used for investment in public drinking fountains, or for improving our public water infrastructure. By choosing to not consume bottled water, you will not only reduce the environmental impacts of plastics, but you will also eliminate a senseless daily expense. Plastic bottles pollute our oceans. About 80 percent of plastics found in our oceans come from land-based sources. In 2016, the United Nations World Oceans Assessment reported that as plastics entre the oceans they breakdown into microplastics. Plastics ingested by animals, such as fish, seabirds and marine mammals, can harm the intestines, and results in infection or death. Plastics also leach an assortment of dangerous chemicals into the water, and also act as a carrier for invasive species which can contaminate remote areas of the globe. The production and distribution of bottled water is a waste of resources. Research carried out by the Pacific Institute on the "energy implications of bottled water" in the United States worked out that bottled water is estimated to cost 2,000 times more than tap water to produce. The bottled water industry in the United States required an energy input equivalent to 54 million barrels of oil and roughly three times this amount is required to satisfy global bottled water demand. This adds around 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide to our atmosphere every year. The high energy cost of bottling water is not the only way in which this industry is needlessly wasteful. One litre of bottled water takes three litres of water to be produced. Fresh safe drinking water is a valuable, and over exploited resource that every living organism on this planet depends upon. It is not an overstatement to argue that the continued use of single-use plastic water bottles should be considered nonsensical, wasteful and extraordinarily expensive. By eliminating bottled water from your shopping bag you are helping us move towards meeting four Sustainable Development Goals. Often the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are thought of as only being relevant for protecting the most vulnerable ecosystems, and supporting the most disempowered communities, on our planet. People often forget that to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, social, economic and environmental problems that are endemic within western consumer-lead countries must be considered as integral to the project. Our seemingly inconsequential habits have direct effects on the health of the planet, and the livelihoods of some of the world's most vulnerable communities in the world. We need to become aware of the consequences of our actions, but we also need to be responsive, and take brave steps towards a truly sustainable future. Let's reduce our use of plastic bottles in Ireland, and all place pressure on the Irish government to stop selling, or providing, bottled water in public institutions. Don't Bottle It! Be Brave we can make this change.

People are losing contact with people leading to poorer mental health. Libraries are ideal places to have a chat with someone. Also working there is a lovely satisfying job.

Irish people are supportive of the idea of sponsoring refugee families. Let's start the ball rolling by offering Moussa and his family safety and urgent medical treatment to save his sight. They have already lost their home and live in horrific conditions in Lebanon where medical services are completely stretched. They are approved for resettlement but have not been offered a safe haven so far. This little boy needs urgent medical care which Ireland can provide, and he does not have time to waste. We have the capacity to sponsor this family and many of us are willing to do what we can financially, socially, emotionally to support this boy's family to get to Ireland. Let's make this happen for Moussa and start the important conversation about refugee family sponsorship in Ireland. https://www.facebook.com/Channel4News/videos/10154734027521939/

T.A.R.G.E.T is a vital community service that provides literacy skills, counselling, community employment, extensive training and affordable childcare to the local community in Donaghmede. But, we have just been told that they need to be out of their premises by June - leaving the future of the project - and all the people it supports - hanging in the balance. Can you sign the petition to ask Dublin City Council to make sure a suitable home for our project is found before the June deadline.

There is overwhelming support for making medicinal cannabis accessible in Ireland, and there are many successful legal frameworks to follow throughout the world. There is no excuse to continue denying those who are suffering access to a natural and affordable treatment that has been proven to help.

The Mother and Baby Homes Commission has found that there is a 'culture of “institutionalisation and human trafficking” has existed amongst various religious orders and State-funded institutions.' In light of the horrific news of the mass grave in Tuam, all other Mother and Baby Homes now need to be investigated. Only 14 Mother and Baby Homes and 4 County Homes are included within the Commission's Terms of Reference, but numerous people and organisations, including the United Nations and women who spent time in these homes, believe that the scope of the Commission's investigations should be widened.

Cycling offers a wide range of benefits to our society including reducing carbon emissions, relieving congestion, improving health and making our towns safer, more pleasant places to live and move about. Unfortunately, the resources allocated to cycling at present are nowhere near sufficient to make it a safe and normal activity for people of all ages and abilities. Therefore, we are calling on Minister Ross to: 1.) Allocate at least 10% of the Transport Budget to cycling. 2.) Implement the National Cycle Policy Framework in full. 3.) Take action to reduce transport emissions so that Ireland fulfils its obligations under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Around 300 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year, yet just 12 per cent is recyclable [1]. There are natural biodegradable alternatives to plastics available today so their ever increasing use can no longer be justified. The Feb. 2016 'New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the future of plastics' report analysis indicates (i) that 95% of the value of plastic packaging material, worth $80-120 billion annually, is lost to the economy, and (ii) that, on the current track, there could be more plastics than fish in the ocean (by weight) by 2050. The most important voice of reason that a supermarket can hear is that of the customer. By signing this petition you are helping to get the message across to key decision makers in the grocery sector that you no longer want to be part of the planetary plastic problem. That you want alternatives so this massive problem can finally start to be addressed, so future generations have a cleaner world to live in free from the dangers that a plastic filled ocean represents. There is a large demand for plastic free options so retailers should benefit if facilitating this for customers. Retailers who take a lead on this should see increased brand value, positive word of mouth and greater customer loyalty. The need for innovation in this area will spur job creation and new inventions that will be good for the economy too. It is clear to see now that proper disposal of plastic is a burden on all parties involved, particularly for the natural environment that is already starting to break under the burden. The situation with plastics has gotten way out of hand and it is up to all parties involved to act now. [1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/02/10/supermarkets-urged-create-plastic-free-aisle-every-store/

GP's are an essential service within all communities accross Northern Ireland but this is under threat. GP's services have had and are having many GP's resigning and retiring yet we do not have enough people in training to replace those doctors. This is exasperated by underfunding of NHS creating a situation of too few beds then which ultimately puts far more pressure on GP's as people's only other source of ongoing treatment in the community.

We are looking for government funding to keep this vital. immediate counselling and support service. We support children and adults that have lost someone to suicide or those that struggle with mental health issues

There are a number of reasons to get this through without wasting time: - UCC reported for the period between 2011 and 2013, a total of 27 maternal deaths.Of all these deaths, there were inquests for only three. - It matters very deeply to the families who have already lost a loved one. Some had to fight for 4 years to have an inquest; and they are still fighting this campaign to have the law changed. - It will help other families who in the future may find themselves in this dreadful situation; they would not have this added suffering at a time of intense grief. - It will save women's lives because if reasons are found for a death then changes can be made to prevent the same mistake being made again. We need everyone to sign this petition to the Minister for Justice demanding a guarantee that this legislation will get over the line as quickly as possible to help give all of us greater accountability from our maternity services

In planning since 2012, the Clontarf to City Centre Cycle Route was supposed to provide a fully segregated two-way cycle path between the existing coastal path at Clontarf and the city centre, via Fairview and North Strand. But instead the council has opted for a non-continuous cycle route which mixes cycling with buses, heavy traffic and pedestrians. The solution is to return to a design with a continuous two-way cycle path on the east side of the road along the route. This is the safest, most space efficient, and most attractive option for most people who cycle now and those who will cycle when conditions are improved. Here's the reasoning for a two-way cycle path: (1) Cycling for all ages and abilities Mixing cycling with buses and other motorists on a busy route does not fit with the idea of cycling for “all ages and abilities”: The route must be fully segregated. The City Development Plan states: “With regard to the city centre, in particular, ease of access to persons of all ages and abilities is a significant indicator as to how inclusive Dublin is as a city,” and the National Cycle Policy states: “The bicycle will be the transport mode of choice for all ages” -- we need to stop these from becoming hollow words. (2) Arguments against it don’t make sense The council and their consultants have outlined a number of “issues” as to why the two-way path should not be chosen -- from safety of “cyclists taking chances” crossing away from official crossings to the idea that commuters won’t use the route. These, however, don’t make sense. Similar routes recently built in London prove that the “issues” can be fixed by good design. The council’s arguments on safety are nonsensical -- they rate having a two-way cycle path across the entrances to low-volume side streets as more dangerous than their plan of mixing cyclists with buses at bus stops and with trucks and heavy traffic turning from one major road to another. (3) Connection to the S2S North Even if other connections can be made between the Docklands and the coastal section S2S Dublin Bay route on the northside, the Clontarf to City Centre Cycle Route will be the most direct link between the coastal route and the city centre. It is of the utmost importance that a segregated route is provided to allow people to cycle from the costal section to the city centre and vice versa. (4) Connection to the Liffey Cycle Route and southside The council’s plan is to end the Clontarf to City Centre Cycle Route outside Connolly Station -- this means people cycling to/from the southside and planned Liffey Cycle Route will have to brave the many lanes of traffic around the Customs House and Busáras. A fully segregated two-way path could easily be extended between Connolly Station and the quays, allowing for a safe and attractive connection. Please sign and share A two-way cycle path is the option which will get the best outcomes for safety, transport, health, climate change, and tourism -- please sign and share.