APCP believes it is unfair and unjust to APCP members who have worked hard to meet rigorous professional requirements, for the HSE to continue with these exclusionary hiring practices. APCP promotes the belief that all clients should be treated fairly, equally, with respect and autonomy and yet, the opposite has been presented to members of APCP when it comes to recognition for posts within the HSE. We, as a representative body, who are very proud of our members achievements, high ethical practice, standards and commitment to best practice request that due consideration and fairness be extended to our members.

Sickness occurs through no fault of the employee, so why should they be punished for it? In times when inflation is soaring, interest rates on mortgages are rising, and bills at the tills are becoming bigger and bigger, an employee shouldn't have to do without 30% of their wages because they were sick.

I used to teach at The Cannabis College in Amsterdam and I have been involved in harm reduction and education around drugs for over 30 years. The fact cannabis is still illegal is reprehensible

Increasingly we seek to drink so called healthier “ diet” no sugar drinks like Diet Coke and “low or no sugar “ mineral waters and carbonated drinks and “ energy drinks”. These usually contain Aspartame which is carcinogenic. They could be replaced with drinks zero sugar drinks sweetened by the safe natural Stevia plant based sweetener.

This Out of Hours GP service based in Kanturk is vital to the Duhallow region and the communities that it serves

It has been known, since at least as far back as 1998, to Cork County Council, and their successor organisations responsible for Water Services, Irish Water, and Uisce Éireann, that untreated sewage has been escaping from a failed sewage treatment system into a public park in the village of Shannonvale, Clonakilty, County Cork. This area, which serves as the village's sole public recreation space, is situated on the north bank of the River Argideen, upstream from the point where Uisce Éireann extracts drinking water for the entire Clonakilty municipal water supply. Despite the evident threats to public health, this issue has persisted for over 25 years, since it was first reported to Cork County Council.

Access to water is a human right. We are without safe water for far too long. Too vulnerable people in our communities are not able to boil or secure a regular supply of safe water to use. Uisce Éireann need to supply us with safe water and fast track fixing the problem

This is important to remember how far we have come in providing abortion as healthcare in Ireland and to say ‘Never Again’ should religious views predominate over human rights.

Aside from being unfair to NAPCP members who have worked hard to meet rigorous professional requirements, for the HSE to continue with these exclusionary hiring practices would be gravely irresponsible and potentially damaging to members of the public - many of whom are not currently receiving the care that they need.

My name is Laura Warren, and I am from Kilkenny, Ireland. I am a multi-award-winning Nutritionist, Naturopathy Practitioner, and Yoga Teacher predominantly on Facebook & instagram as Elite Living Nutrition. I work with people online to help them improve their health and nutrition. I am also passionate about raising awareness about health and safety, particularly regarding the dangers of sunbeds. I want to share my story—one that highlights a preventable tragedy. I was diagnosed with Stage 1b Melanoma, a deadly skin cancer, after years of using sunbeds and exposing my skin to ultraviolet radiation. In my youth, I was encouraged to use sunbeds to get a “base tan” before holidays—a practice that has proven to be extremely dangerous. I also suffered from acne, and beauty therapists advised me to use sunbeds for clearer skin. I wore inadequate sun protection, believing I was safe. This reckless exposure nearly cost me my life. My melanoma was just about to invade deeper into my skin on my left breast, threatening my vital organs and lymph nodes. I underwent two surgeries to remove the cancer, and I was lucky to survive. But my battle didn’t end there. Over the next two years, I faced multiple tumours, including a 3.3cm suspected follicular cancer in my throat which had to be removed by Dr. Paul Lennon (Dublin) who specialises in Throat & Neck Cancers, he had to remove half my Thyroid in the process to ensure he got all the tumour.   Some months later I discovered a 3cm tumour in my left forearm which was suspected as a rare soft tissue tumour called liposarcoma. Thanks to the skill of Ireland’s top surgeons, I am now cancer-free and in very good health. My story is a stark warning: Melanoma is one of the deadliest cancers, and its incidence is rising rapidly in Ireland. Yet, despite the clear links between sunbed use and skin cancer, Ireland remains one of the few European countries still allowing the indoor tanning industry to operate freely. Countries like Australia and Brazil have already banned sunbeds—so why is Ireland still lagging behind? The evidence is irrefutable. Sunbeds increase the risk of melanoma and other skin cancers. They are a public health hazard, yet they continue to be promoted and accessible. It’s time for Ireland’s government to take decisive action. We need a comprehensive ban on sunbeds to protect our citizens—especially our children and teenagers—from preventable cancer. Every day we delay, more lives are at risk. Melanoma can spread rapidly and is often deadly if not caught early. We owe it to ourselves, our families, and future generations to act now. Banning sunbeds would save thousands of lives and prevent millions in healthcare costs.  The fact is there are new sunbed salons popping up every week in Ireland and anybody can walk in off the side of the street and use them for as long as they want, because they are not policing them.  There are mothers taking their young kids into the salons to wait for them in the waiting areas while they tan themselves exposing their babies and young kids to the deadly UVA & UVB that travels from sunbeds. Our government must prioritise public health over industry profits.  Ireland was able to bring in legislation to be the first country in Europe to bring in the smoking ban, our government can legislate when they want to so why are they hiding behind Europe now and waiting for them to make a move?  Australia and Canada made the right decision years ago—what is Ireland waiting for? We demand answers and immediate action for a full ban on the use of commerical sunbeds in Ireland or at the very least stronger policing and rules and regulations with them. I am calling on every Irish citizen to stand with me. Sign the petition. Demand a ban on sunbeds. Let’s make Ireland a safer place—free from the preventable dangers of indoor tanning. Together, we can save lives. It’s time for change. It’s time for Ireland to ban sunbeds.

Disposable Vapes are a product that have surged in popularity in recent years. These products are a threat to: 1. Public Health - With disposable vapes nicotine is delivered through an aerosol vapor which has been shown to have inflammatory effects on the respiratory system. As well, experts have warned of the potential of disposable vapes to act a gateway for smoking, especially for young people and adolescents. 2. The Environment - Disposable vapes are single-use items that contain plastic, electronics, and lithium-ion batteries. Disposable vapes are more frequently becoming a source of litter on our streets. This can result in harmful waste materials, such as mercury and cadmium, being leached into our environment, negatively impacting human health and biodiversity. These risks are simply not worth the convenience of a single use product! 3. Waste of Valuable Resources - The opportunity cost of global disposable vape production for the green economy is massive. The very materials such as lithium and copper are the precious materials needed for greener technology. It is estimated 90 tons of lithium and 1,600 tons of copper were used for the global production of disposable vapes in 2022. To put this into perspective, this amount of lithium is equivalent to the amount needed to produce 11,000 electric vehicles and is enough copper for 1.6 million electric vehicle charger units So let's put an end to the madness that is disposable vapes. Let's protect our health, our young people and our environment. Sign the Petition! Interested in reading more, check out the following source: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/minister-defends-plan-to-ban-disposable-vapes-theyre-making-the-world-worse/42071990.html https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/new-laws-to-ban-sale-of-vaping-products-to-under-18s/42141930.html https://web.archive.org/web/20220718111558id_/https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/378/bmj-2021-065997.full.pdf https://www.ft.com/content/6d5ed980-8b91-4372-9e7e-14eda5419325

May 25th is five years since the Repeal referendum when the people of Ireland voted overwhelmingly for choice, compassion and care - after an historic mass movement forced the government to finally let the people decide. Now, an official review has found many serious problems with the abortion law. Instead of acting quickly to fix them, the Government wants to delay, to drag things out and avoid taking decisions until after the next election. That’s why on May 25th this year, People before Profit is introducing a Pro-Choice Bill in the Dáil to fix the problems in the law and provide for real choice. The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) (Amendment) Bill 2023 would: abolish the patronising and medically unnecessary 3 day wait to access abortion care fully decriminalise abortion to end the chilling effect for doctors - a draconian 14 year prison sentence still applies to medical professionals if they perform abortions outside the law. This is hindering access in cases of fatal foetal anomaly and for pregnant people suffering serious risks to their health or life. The number of abortions provided on life or health grounds is no larger than it was before repeal, forcing women in medically dangerous situations to travel. reform the fatal foetal anomalies law to ensure care is available here for all those who need it. Currently, half of parents in this tragic situation are still forced to travel to access abortion care. abolish the rigid 12 week limit and allow abortion on request until viability to provide real choice. The 12 week limit makes no allowance for women and girls pushed over the limit by failed procedures or inability to access medical appointments. It fails those with irregular periods who didn’t realise they were pregnant in time; women whose situations change, for instance being subjected to domestic violence, which often begins during pregnancy when they are at their most vulnerable; and many others in the myriad other difficult situations that pregnant people can face. We need your support to pressure politicians to vote for the Bill so that it becomes law.