The population of Lusk and also it's surrounding area's is growing at a rapid pace and therefore it is imperative to facilitate this growth. A swimming pool would not only bring some much needed investment and also ease the pressure of unemployment but also facilitate the area for our children to enjoy. The Lusk Sports Hub 2020 is a fantastic new project that will bring a multiple of new sporting facilities to the area with the exception of a hugely required swimming pool. In addition, the erection of the Lusk Sports Hub, Lusk will become the epicentre of sporting facilities for the surrounding areas and therefore a swimming pool is a necessity and not just a requirement. Swimming is not only a life saving technique that everyone should be taught from a young age, but it is also an incredibly fun and enjoyable experience for the old and young, whether it’s for ones mental health, fitness, leisure or play everyone can enjoy the benefits of a swimming pool. Kind regards, LSP.

Too many of our children and teenagers are self-harming and dying by suicide, many of whom have reached out to their peers, many of whom are being bullied by others. Irish Millie Tuomey aged 11 killed herself after announcing to friends that she wanted to die, Darren Hughes 17 from Balbriggan and Gabriella Green aged 12 died also killed themselves after they were cyberbullied. Our children and teenagers often find it easier to talk to friends instead of their parents but these friends are often unequipped to help. Some kids want to tell an adult that they are worried about someone but they don't want their friend knowing they betrayed their trust and often are just afraid to get involved in case they get bullied too so they stay quiet and say nothing. Often kids themselves want to tell a teacher that they are dealing with bullying, suicide thoughts, self-harm or abuse but they find it too hard to reach out and are often afraid that it will get worse if the bullies find out they told. By introducing "Speak-up" boxes, it allows the children and teenagers to anonymously tip off the teachers that one of their classmates are in harm's way and may need support. This allows the teachers and parents to put in the necessary supports. The person themselves that is being bullied can make an anonymous report about themselves without fear that the bullies will know they went to a teacher as anybody could have reported it. These "Speak up" boxes should be in all schools, in bathrooms, common areas and easily accessed. There should also be a way to "speak up" online also anonymously without fear of repercussion. Enough of our children and teens have suffered long-lasting damage because they were dealing with these issues alone. We need the Minister of Education and the Schools to be pro-active instead of reactive in reaching out to make it easier for their classmates to speak up without fear of consequence. We are thankfully getting to an age where "whistleblowing" and "speaking up" is seen as brave and right and no-longer tell-tattling or troublemaking. We need to pass this message onto our children and teens to protect them from harm's way.

We want the people's voice to be heard respecting water and sanitation services in Ireland, and a referendum be held. Across the globe ordinary people have undergone tremendous hardship and suffering when water services are privatised. Water is a human right and must never be under the control of 'for profit' companies. Publicly owned, funded and managed water and sanitation services, free at the point of use, is the only way to guarantee access for all.

An Taoiseach is our representative abroad. When he accepts prejudice, racism and bigotry, it shames the people of our country. We feel that such an alliance is not good for our country's reputation and undermines our relationship with other countries. Trump is a despicable human being. A point must be reached where falling at the foot of a powerful man, at the expense of our values and morals and international reputation is not acceptable! "'Shame'rock for Trump: Not in our Name"

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 current National Youth StrAtegy 'Brighter Futures -Better Outcomes' does not include any intercultural focus. This therefore neglects hundreds of youth in Ireland. Groups affected Intercultural youth groups, international students, migrant youth, children born from migrant parents, mixed ethnicity youth, ethnic minorities excluding Traveller &Roma communities.

I’ve been working for Dunnes Stores for 8 years now, and I still don’t know what my wages will be from week-to-week. On any payday, a Dunnes workers' wages can be slashed by up to 60% (more than €200). This makes it impossible for my family and I to plan our lives, and we’re not alone. There are almost 10,000 workers in Dunnes Stores who have the same worries I do. Most of us are low paid. Most of us are women. And most of us are on 15 hour contracts. So some weeks we will work 40 hours, but when a local manager takes a dislike to us, they can slash our hours to 15. And there are hundreds of thousands of workers across the country in a similar position. We don’t know from week-to-week whether we will be able to pay our bills. We can’t get loans or mortgages because the banks look at the lowest hours on our contracts and see how insecure our wages are. It’s impossible to have peace of mind. That’s why in April 2015, two and a half years ago, 6,000 of us went on strike to win secure hour contracts. After the strike, management targeted us. They sacked some of us, slashed the hours of others, changed our working patterns and generally made our lives hell. They use the allocation of hours as a control mechanism over us. So we now have to rely on politicians to legislate in order to make sure every worker in Ireland is protected from zero hour and “If and When” contracts. There have been several opportunities to pass legislation in recent years, which would have ended zero hours and ‘If and When’ contracts, but the government has delayed and postponed and are now preparing their own legislation which we believe will not benefit low hour workers. Our Union, Mandate, believes the government are going to leave loopholes open so that employers can still exploit workers like me. But if all TD’s commit to support the Secure Hours – Better Future charter, we can make sure no worker is exploited and workers like us can plan our day-to-day lives, provide for our families and pay our bills. Please sign this petition and call on your local representatives to support the Secure Hours – Better Future charter today.

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.

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.

We have to end the inconceivable injustices and degrading treatment of disabled people here in Ireland. Too many disabled children and adults are living in forced institutions, separated from our families and communities, with no control over our lives, bodily integrity, often afraid, abused and unheard. Ireland is the last country in the European Union to ratify the convention. Ratifying the Convention will mean formal recognition of our rights and enable independent living and freedom from discrimination. 11 years after the UN adopted the Convention, Ireland is the only county in the EU that has failed to ratify it. We are asking all of you, to help us to shine a spotlight on our government’s inaction. It is NOT okay that disabled people have no control over our lives. We, disabled people, need your support and cannot do it alone. We need everyone to please support the legal protection of Disabled people's rights. By signing this important petition to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People, your support will help to positively change our country and the lives of many for the better. Thank you very much!

Our lives depend on it. Our physical and mental health depends on it. Our bodily autonomy depends on it.