Why is it important? Because none of us are safe under a mental health system that’s stuck in 2001. The Mental Health Act 2001 still allows forced treatment, restraint, and seclusion—even though these practices are now widely recognised as harmful, especially to neurodivergent people (like those with autism, ADHD, or trauma-related conditions). It treats emotional overwhelm as illness. It punishes difference as danger. This law was written before most people had smartphones. Before we had language for sensory overload, neurodivergence, or digital expression. It’s outdated, invasive, and not trauma-informed—and it puts thousands of people at risk every year. Why should others join? Because you don’t have to be in crisis to care. This campaign is about protecting our freedom, dignity, and human rights. It’s about making sure no one is silenced, secluded, or forcibly medicated for being misunderstood. If you’ve ever: • Had your feelings dismissed as “too much” • Been misdiagnosed • Been afraid to seek help because the system might punish you Then this campaign is for you. We need to audit the Mental Health Act 2001—and bring Ireland in line with modern science and EU human rights law. Join us. Share. Demand better. ACTIVATE. AGITATE. AMPLIFY!

Enough is enough. Sign this petition because the government is not treating the housing crisis as an emergency. People are not just statistics, and emergency accommodation should not be the new normal. More than 15,000 people remain homeless, and thousands more face sky-high rents and insecure tenancies. Meanwhile, corporate landlords continue to profit and exacerbate this housing crisis. The only solution now is for tenants and communities to take direct action. Stand in solidarity, sign the petition, show up, and take a stand.

Many people who use cannabis in Ireland worry about being treated like criminals, which can add stress and anxiety to their lives. The fear of getting caught or facing legal trouble can make feelings of paranoia and mental health struggles even worse for users. Legalising cannabis would mean people could seek help or talk openly about their use without fear, reducing stigma and supporting better mental health. It would also take money away from criminal gangs, making communities safer and allowing users to access safer, regulated products.

  Domestic abuse cuts across all genders, yet male victims face unique stigmas that hinder them in getting help. Men's Aid provides an invaluable service to these victims with its anonymous helpline but more resources are needed to expand their domestic violence helpline to a 24/7 service. At the moment Men's Aid only has it's hotline open Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, that leaves 128 hours where the service isn't available every week, where calls are missed and victims don't get help.  1,310 calls to Men's Aid were missed in 2023, largely due to the helpline's closing times. A study by the mankind initiative revealed that 64% of male victims would not have sought help from their helpline, if the helpline was not anonymous. This demonstrates why anonymous helplines like that of Men's Aid can be even more vital in providing help and a safe spaces for desperate male victims who face extreme social stigma that motivates them to keep quiet publicly about the abuse they're enduring. The anonymity provided by Men's Aid helpline empowers victims, breaking the barriers of the deep-seated stigmas and fear that deter men from reporting domestic abuse they suffer. Male victims are six times less likely to report domestic abuse to the Gardaí, making support services like Men's Aid even more crucial to the journey towards rectifying this inequality. I urge you to sign this petition, calling for the government to increase its funding for Men's Aid, so this organization will have the resources to expand it's helpline to 24/7 service, . Your signature could mean the difference between victim suffering in silence, being unable to reach help when they need it most or in the moment where they're strong enough to seek it. This would help to bring Men's Aid in line with Women's Aid who has a 24/7 helpline, ensuring that any victim, regardless of their gender, can seek help whenever they need it. Please sign this petition now! 

If it’s not safe for kids in cinemas, it shouldn’t be safe for them online. We do our best as Parents to police our kids social media but its not always possible. If netflix has ratings, why not social media! Sign now to demand real protections for young people — and stop toxic content from shaping their future

I urge you to join this campaign because eating disorders don't discriminate but access to treatment does. Men continue to face stigma, misdiagnosis and lack of accessible care.   • Boys and men now make up about one-third of those diagnosed with an eating disorder (Mitchison, D., et al., Psychological Medicine, Vol. 50, No. 6, 2019).  • 25% of children with anorexia are male. (Broadwater, 2018).  • 50% of people with binge eating disorder are men. (Jackson & Jackson, 2024) "I want to be a minor chink in the armour of stigma, that often still portrays eating disorders as more of a female distress. I want to show how easy it is to be romanced into the trap, regardless of age, gender, sexuality or ethnicity- as eating disorders don't discriminate but infiltrate your heart and begin to destroy"(1 in 4 Men: Christopher’s Eating Disorder Story, 2023) Christopher urges men to speak out, to not suffer in silence and to challenge this gendered stereotype. 

My brother Adam Loughnane passed away last month. His body was found in the Corrib on the afternoon of Tuesday the 11th of February 2025. What has haunted my family every day since his passing is the fact that just two hours before he was found in the river, he was in the A&E waiting room of University Hospital Galway presenting as suicidal.  He'd woken up that morning feeling numb. He'd contacted his mental health support worker and they made the decision to contact UHG. He packed an overnight bag in the belief he was going to be at the hospital for a few days. He believed they'd look after him. They told him to go through A&E. He'd been a patient at the mental health unit of UHG before. This was never referenced.  On arriving at the hospital, he told staff numerous times that he wanted to enter the river. They triaged him and told him to sit and wait. A woman with her own mental health issues saw him crying and in visible distress. She hugged him and they cried together. He approached another nurse but was asked to wait again. He hugged the woman who had been sitting with him, picked up his bag, and left the hospital. He wasn't being monitored. Within half an hour he was in the water.  At 6pm that evening while out putting up posters of my missing cat, I received a call from my mother. She was hysterical, I couldn't understand her. A Guard took the phone and told me that my brother had been found in the river. I lost the ability to speak for a minute. Eventually I told the Guard I'd be over shortly. Half an hour later I was standing next to my mum and youngest brother identifying Adam, who was laid out in the same A&E he'd been in hours earlier. Only this time he was no longer breathing.  Adam did everything right. He reached out to the mental health services and told them exactly how he was feeling. But the broken healthcare system let down yet another person at their most vulnerable.  Tara Coyne. Jamie Costello. Josephine Cloonan. And now Adam Loughnane. These are just the cases where the family went public or where an action for negligence was taken against the hospital. There are undoubtedly many, many more.  How many more people have to die before a decision is made - at the top of the HSE and the Government - to fundamentally change how people who present as suicidal are treated?  This isn't any one staff member's fault. I've lost my brother to a system which is under-staffed, under-paid, and overworked.  We refuse to let his passing be in vain. No family should ever have to experience what we are currently living through. We want Adam to be the change needed to make the Irish healthcare system a safe place for those in their darkest hours. 

Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) play a vital part in the lives of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The current lack of centralised Garda Vetting makes it very hard for SNAs to work in schools, as at the minute they have to vetted for every single school they might want to work in. This means that schools can often struggle to get a substitute SNA since the SNA is not vetted for their school (even if they are vetted for the exact same role in other schools), resulting in pupils missing out on important educational supports. If other professionals can have centralised vetting, like how teachers have universal vetting through The Teaching Council, why can SNAs not have the same option? Centralised vetting would also help to reduce the amount of time and resources that school management members would have to spend preparing SNA vetting paperwork for SNA staff. Even if a nationwide organisation was set up to manage the centralised vetting of SNAs, most SNAs would appreciate being part of a group where they can connect with other likeminded SNAs and peers. The role of an SNA is often misunderstood and overly simplified by people, so it would be a nice acknowledgement of the importance of their everyday work with SEND pupils. Thank you for taking the time to read this, hopefully it will result in the introduction of centralised Garda Vetting for SNAs in the near future! Amy Reynolds *I am a qualified Special Needs Assistant (SNA), Teaching Assistant (TA) and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) teacher. I am passionate about education, particularly inclusive education, and the benefits it brings, especially for pupils with SEND. I myself have struggled to get opportunities to work as an SNA (even as a substitute) as my vetting for other settings would not cover me for that particular school. I now work in pharmacy and am completing an apprenticeship pharmacy technician style course. I would like my future work to combine education and pharmacy / healthcare*

Here’s why you should sign: ✅ Hold Politicians Accountable – If an elected official ignores their campaign promises or fails to take action on critical issues, voters should have the power to respond before the next election. ✅ Strengthen Democracy – Other democracies like the US, Canada, and parts of Europe already allow citizens to recall politicians. Ireland should modernise its system to give people a stronger voice. ✅ Ensure Promises Are Kept – Campaigns should not be built on empty promises. If politicians know they can be recalled for inaction, they will have a stronger incentive to follow through on their commitments. ✅ Empower Citizens – Democracy doesn’t stop at the ballot box. Irish voters deserve a mechanism to ensure they are truly represented throughout a politician’s term. Signing this petition is a step toward real accountability in Irish politics. Let’s make sure our leaders work for the people—not just for re-election. Sign now to demand change!

Currently the cost of HRT is prohibitive.  In 2024 the Irish government promised free HRT for all starting on 1 January 2025.  This promise has not been fulfilled.

The Late Late Toy Show is more than just a TV program—it’s a beloved Irish tradition that brings families together to celebrate the magic of childhood. For many children, it’s the most anticipated night of the year, a chance to see toys, hear stories, and experience the joy of Christmas kicking off. However, the current 9:30 PM start time is simply too late for most young children. By then, many are too tired to fully enjoy the show or can’t stay up at all. This leaves parents torn between letting kids miss out on the excitement or allowing them to stay up and face the consequences of a late night. Moving the Toy Show to 7 PM would: • Allow children to fully participate in this iconic event without sacrificing their sleep. • Create magical family moments for parents and kids to share together. • Honor the tradition of the Toy Show as a celebration for all ages, ensuring that no one feels excluded. This is about making a small but meaningful change that aligns with the Toy Show’s mission of joy, connection, and inclusivity for all Irish families. Let’s make it happen!

We can stay on GMT time and stay in line with the other countries on our meridians and parallels.  I have asked Chat GPT to find out what he can about the adverse affects, as they have been long affecting me, myself and I am sure others. Read this:  The disruption caused by Daylight Saving Time (DST) can have various effects on people’s health, well-being, and daily routines. One of the most immediate consequences is the shift in sleep patterns. When clocks are set forward in the spring, people lose an hour of sleep, which can lead to sleep deprivation and increased fatigue. This disruption can affect cognitive performance, mood, and alertness, particularly in the days following the transition. Studies have shown that the risk of car accidents and workplace injuries increases after the time change due to reduced sleep and impaired concentration. In addition to sleep issues, DST has been linked to negative health effects. Research has shown an uptick in the incidence of heart attacks, strokes, and even mental health challenges in the days following the time change. The abrupt shift can also alter circadian rhythms, which regulate sleep-wake cycles, leading to disturbances that may take several days to recover from. This is especially challenging for people with pre-existing sleep disorders or those who have difficulty adjusting to changes in their routine. The long-term disruption caused by DST may also affect productivity, as people may struggle to adapt to the new schedule, leading to decreased efficiency at work or school. Furthermore, the societal rhythm of modern life, with its reliance on precise scheduling and 24/7 connectivity, makes the twice-yearly shift in time feel particularly jarring. In response to these concerns, some regions have moved to abolish DST altogether or are considering making DST permanent, arguing that the disruptions outweigh the benefits of extended daylight hours. However, while the debate continues, the evidence suggests that the transition, particularly in the spring, can be a significant disruption to daily life. Don't you think it would be more economically and socially viable to abolish it?  We would be more productive and healthy a society without it. And one further request: please encourage other countries to follow suit. Go raibh mile maith agat, Taim, Sarah O'Connor