The government plans to continue with direct provision in existence until the end of 2024. The government has not committed to ending the delays in the international protection process, that greatly exacerbate the impacts of the direct provision system. This failure has severe impacts on people's mental health and ability to integrate in the community. In order to address this ongoing harm, the government must identify suitable alternative modes of accommodation immediately and introduce new modes of accommodation in 2021. Further priorities that government needs to act on right now are identified in the Catherine Day Report (page 83). These actions can and should be done immediately. 1. Carry out vulnerability assessments for all people in the international protection process to identify and accommodate their special reception needs. A pilot program has commenced, but this will need to be heavily resourced to ensure that all people can be assessed, as Ireland has been obliged to do since 2018. 2. The allowances currently paid to people in direct provision should be increased from January 2021 and regularly reviewed in line with the cost of living. (4.12) – This has not been done. 3. The right to work should be made available after 3 months. (5.1) – This has been reduced to 6 months, not 3 months. It should be reduced to 3 months or 0 months without delay. 4. Applicants should be entitled to apply for driving tests and licenses as soon as they have made an application for protection. (5.2) - This has not been done yet. Government has committed to implementing this by summer 2021 in the White Paper. 5. Applicants should have the right to access higher education on the same basis and at the same fees as Irish people, once they meet the qualifying criteria (5.5). Access to education has been expanded but not to this extent; education is a human right, delay is not acceptable. 6. To clear the backlog of current cases a one-off case-processing approach should be introduced for all applications which have been more than two years in the system (6.7). This has not been done and there has been no commitment by the Department of Justice to do so. This priority – the case processing system – is a crucial action that needs immediate implementation by the Department of Justice. The delays in the international protection process have worsened due to the impact of Covid-19, because international protection interviews and Tribunals were paused for many months. People have been left waiting sometimes for over one year for a decision even after their interview. This has a negative effect on people's mental health, ability to integrate in the community and delays the possibility of their family members joining them. As well as the once-off case processing approach for all applications which have been more than two years in the system, the government must act to ensure that interviews take place and decisions issue within specific lengths of time. The Minister for Justice must ensure that the International Protection Office has the resources, staff IT equipment to deliver this even in challenging situations such as Covid-19. Minister Roderic O’ Gorman has called the timeline of the end of 2024 ambitious. Calling this ambitious is a disgrace. We know that our government can act quickly in the common interest when it has needed to since the start of COVID-19. We’ve had 21 years of people in Ireland living in direct provision and the harm that this does to people and to our communities. The government must act now identify suitable alternative modes of accommodation immediately, while also taking immediate actions to fully implement the priorities identified in the Catherine Day Report, and introduce new modes of accommodation in 2021.

The aim of this petition is to highlight that there is a need for more support for at home carers. These are people who have been caring around the clock to support a loved one who may be ill, have additional needs or are elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although they do receive carers allowance which can range from €219 - €385.50 and additional monies depending on how may dependable children there is. This petition would be used to highlight not only do they need financial support but they also need a form of relief from the general day to day strenuous tasks they encounter not only physically but also emotionally. Since the start of the pandemic last March the supports they heavily relied on for relief were reduced or simply taken away. They had and still have very little relief as many of the people they are caring for would be very high risk if they contracted COVID-19. With the help of these signatures it will highlight that more support needs to be given to carers and will hopefully facilitate in implementing a change that will ultimately support these people more effectively and efficiently.

Natural justice will not be served if the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby homes is allowed to close down with so many unanswered questions, not least about its own functioning and some of the conclusions in its report. A legal enquiry that publishes conclusions and testimonies that are disputed by those who gave them and then destroys evidence cannot provide closure. There are so many unanswered questions about the manner in which this commission was run and the way it reached its conclusions that it must be held to account. This commission must not be added to the list of inquiries that have added insult to the injuries of survivors and helped mask the truth. Theatening that an extension will delay compensation for survivors is not germane. Survivors want the truth. We ALL want the truth.

The priority is, as it must be, the resumption of proper schooling. The current system of remote learning is not healthy for children and we must get children back into their classrooms immediately. The Covid crisis is hard for everyone, but it is especially difficult for children who have been denied the ability to mix and play with their peers. The winter weather and dark evenings, not to mention the easy attractions of electronic devices, has made it incredibly difficult to have children come anywhere close to meeting their recommended 60 minutes of activity per day. The resumption of school, combined with a managed and safe return to collective outdoor exercise, will be transformative for children’s physical and mental wellbeing. Precedent The previous lockdown made provision for non-contact outdoor exercise in pods of 15 for children of school-going age and we appeal to you to include that in the new Living with Covid Plan Support As coaches and parents, we have all witnessed how the current lockdown has impacted on youngsters leaving them withdrawn and isolated from their peers and with little or no interest in exercising. We appeal to you to support our campaign for the resumption of juvenile training

The lockdown has caused 'Winter Blues' for many families. Many children are 'climbing the walls' with only a few run-down local facilities in Dublin 8. Dog owners need places, to take their pets out for a daily walk. Parents with young children need clean playgrounds, as somewhere to go 'out of the house'. Joggers need somewhere clean & safe to exercise. We the undersigned ask Mr Les Moore, Head of Dublin City Council Parks Dept, to clean, fix and upgrade Grattan Crescent Park in Inchicore, for community wellbeing. We ask that Dublin City Council could clean and paint the park walls. The damaged signage needs to be replaced. The playground needs to be checked for health and safety issues. A community consultation needs to be organised to come up with a park upgrade plan.

With the excellent Waterford Greenway on our doorstep, we feel that we need to see an unrivaled offering on this Greenway. The addition of such an environmentally friendly segment, capable of emitting fluorescent light for 10 hours in the dark after absorbing sunlight all day long would be the first of its type in Ireland and would be sheer pleasure to walk or cycle over. (Imagine the Fáilte Ireland drone shots or how good this would be for the ‘darkness in to light’ walk.) Poland has one! Now let’s bring one to Ireland’s sunny south East. Please sign this petition and help make this a reality. https://www.sustainability-times.com/clean-cities/a-sun-powered-bicycle-path-glows-in-the-dark-in-poland/ WATCH: https://youtu.be/jmSs7ZBnUso

Our petition is about the catastrophic effects of neglecting to fix an issue after the first death, not the seventh. Needless loss of life has a devastating effect on families and communities. Make the fix now. Please sign this petition and support us as we work to bring the urgency of this need to the officials of Edenderry, Tullamore and Ofally Thank you for signing, thank you for sharing this and stay safe on the road this year.

Education is an essential service. Sign this. Goal of this petition to show how much support there is for schools to re-open at the beginning of March for ALL children. Keeping this simple as the debates are complicated but the ASK is simple. School IRL (In Real Life) is an essential service. Open our schools at the beginning of March. Sign if you want to show our politicians that you want schools to open beginning of March. ++++++ Currently there is no clear road map for the opening of schools. "End of March" is now being used to manage parents' expectations. No clear goals, no plan in place to work towards. Nothing concrete. If we don't voice our opinion now, this could easily slide into post-Easter. NPC, National Parents Council, just sent a countrywide survey asking: From Feb 11th do you want 4 weeks of online support for your children? This shows me schools are planning to stay closed. Preparing to stay closed. This shows me we need to act now. Teachers' Unions are NOT taking Governmental advice, NPHET, The WHO, Tulsa?. Whose advice are they taking ? Dr Glynn has repeatedly stated the negative impact school closure is having on children. Opening of schools cannot be tied to covid numbers any longer. Risk is always there. Speaking at a press briefing by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) earlier, Dr Ronan Glynn said that although there were no “zero-risk” environments, the reopening of schools was in the best interests of children. POLITICIANS are asking for parents' voices to help with their debates. We need to show we care about this and want a clear plan. Agreed dates no more " hopes and maybes". Teachers Unions cannot be allowed to leave school openings in limbo. We have no road map. Currently, there is nothing to stop schools from being closed until after Easter. Sign this. The goal of this petition to show how much support there is for schools to re-open at the beginning of March for all children. I love my school. I support teachers. I am not going to simply wait until Easter to look back and wish I had voiced my opinion earlier. Give us a concrete plan to Open our schools in Early March. Don't wait until the end of February to be told you have to wait until after Easter. Schools are an essential service. Distance learning is not the same. Open our schools beginning of March. Thank you for your time. and your signature. #iloveteachers Keeping this simple as the debates are complicated but the ask is simple. School IRL (in real Life) is essential service. Open our schools at the beginning of March.

Eating disorders are some of the most complicated and fatal psychiatric illnesses but they are consistently neglected by the HSE. To adequately address patient needs, several years were spent devising a national plan — the Model of Care. It was approved in December 2017 but has yet to be implemented. The HSE allocated no new funding in 2020 and the funds remains unutilised. We are asking that the HSE fully implement the plan and use the funding allocated.

It's important that we listen and its important we provide the services that are needed for children as by having right resources set in place from young age can help them in their adulthood and stop children from self harming and also stop them taken their own lives

Men playing for GAA are often subject to discrimination, rumours, harassment, abuse and bullying as old-fashioned club and Gaelic values like to hyper-masculinise Gaelic sports, leaving little room for the openness and encouragement of actively “out” (or closeted) homosexual/gay GAA players, clubs should adapt morally and respectfully to the ever changing world and stop hiding in the shadows of “Old Ireland” ‘s tradition of hyper-masculine, “strong men only” in GAA and widen their eyes to the recognition and importance that sexuality does not halt talent, and that players will feel emotionally more comfortable being recognised in their club for who they are, not just what they can achieve on the field. Proof of fear of being LGBT+ in the Gaelic community are players who have came out after they retire due to stigma during their playing career, e.g. Valerie Mulcahy, possibly the most successful Cork GAA ladies player winning at least 10+ All-Irelands; didn’t come out until she retired, Donal Og Cusack, Kilkenny hurling goalkeeper, didn’t come out until he retired and many more

******* If you have another minute to spare ******* The most effective way of showing your support is to copy and paste the text below and email it to the City Council: email: [email protected] subject: Restore Salthill Tidal Pools ********************************************** Sea swimming is at an all-time high in Galway and across all of Ireland, and people are making the most out of the outdoors now more than ever. The tidal pools in Salthill have been left unused for several decades. They were once full of life, being enjoyed by Galwegians of all ages for swimming. We think they should be reopened so they can be enjoyed by the community once again. Tidal pools allow members of the public to swim in a protected area, whilst being right by the sea. We believe now is the perfect time for Salthill to reopen the tidal pools. Serving the Entire Community Tidal pools are safe, durable, inexpensive, and serve a large part of the local community including: -Recreational swimmers, including winter swimmers -Children learning to swim -Weak or nervous adult swimmers -Differently-abled swimmers -Swimming, Water Polo and Triathlon club training -Lifeguard and water safety training -GAA, Soccer and Rugby post-training recovery The tidal pools would in particular be a fantastic resource for those with disabilities, who are not currently able to swim in the sea. It would also cater to less confident swimmers who are looking for a safe, sheltered area in which to swim. Parents could bring their children to the pools for lessons and to imbue the love of swimming in the next generation, in the knowledge that they are in a safe area. There are tidal pools in seaside towns all over the world, it is quite normal to have them. And the Salthill Pools already exist - we just need to refurbish and reopen them. This petition will support our application to Galway City Council under the Galway City Development Plan 2023-2029 to reopen the pools. We really appreciate every signature. Let's hope we'll be swimming in the tidal pools in the future. Morgan, Ronan, Stephen [email protected] Visual credit: visuallab.ie