It will help in the fight against self serving associates robbing money donated by well meaning people. The latest scandal involves Console. Draft sections of the audit revealed that former Console boss Paul Kelly and his wife and son spent almost €500,000 on designer clothes, foreign trips, groceries, and other expenses between 2012 and 2014. All three benefited by almost €500,000 in salaries and cars in the same period. This is not good enough. The legislation exists but it's not being implemented. This must change. PART 4 of the Charities Act first action: Protection of Charitable Organisations Investigation of affairs of charitable organisation. 64.— The Authority may appoint a person (in this Act referred to as an “inspector”) or more than one such person to investigate the affairs of a charitable organisation and to prepare a report thereon in such manner as the Authority shall direct.

Because fluoride is a nasty chemical which should not be in the people's water supply The Republic of Ireland (not Northern Ireland) is now one of the last places in Europe that still poison the people's water supply and pay for the privilege. Europe Out of a population of about three-quarters of a billion, under 14 million people (approximately a mere 2%) in Europe receive artificially fluoridated water. Those people are in the UK (5,797,000), Republic of Ireland (3,250,000), Spain (4,250,000), and Serbia (300,000).[9] The first water fluoridation in Europe was in West Germany and Sweden in 1952, bringing fluoridated water to about 42,000 people. By mid-1962, about 1 million Europeans in 18 communities in 11 countries were receiving fluoridated water.[44] Many European countries have rejected water fluoridation in general. This including Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland,[45] Scotland,[46] Iceland, and Italy. A 2003 survey of over 500 Europeans from 16 countries concluded that "the vast majority of people are opposed water fluoridation". IRELAND The majority of drinking water is fluoridated. Around 2012, 3.25 million people received artificially-fluoridated water.[9] 71% of the population in 2002 resided in fluoridated communities.[60] The fluoridation agent used is hydro fluorosilicic acid (HFSA; H2SiF6).[61] In a 2002 public survey, 45% of respondents expressed some concern about fluoridation.[62] In 1957, the Department of Health established a Fluorine Consultative Council which recommended fluoridation at 1.0 ppm of public water supplies, then accessed by ~50% of the population.[63] This was felt to be a much cheaper way of improving the quality of children's teeth than employing more dentists.[64] This led to the Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) Act 1960, which mandated compulsory fluoridation by local authorities.[64][65] The statutory instruments made in 1962–65 under the 1960 Act were separate for each local authority, setting the level of fluoride in drinking water to 0.8–1.0 ppm.[66][67] The current regulations date from 2007 and set the level to 0.6–0.8 ppm, with a target value of 0.7 ppm.[68] Implementation of fluoridation was held up by preliminary dental surveying and water testing,[69] and a court case, Ryan v. Attorney General.[70] In 1965, the Supreme Court rejected Gladys Ryan's claim that the Act violated the Constitution of Ireland's guarantee of the right to bodily integrity.[70][71] By 1965, Greater Dublin's water was fluoridated; by 1973, other urban centres were.[72] Studies from the late 1970s to mid-1990s showed a higher decrease in (and lower incidence of) dental decay in school children living in areas where water was fluoridated than in areas where water was not fluoridated.[73] A private member's bill to end fluoridation was defeated in the Dáil on 12 November 2013.[74][75] It was supported by Sinn Féin and some of the technical group and opposed by the Fine Gael-Labour government and Fianna Fáil.[75][76][77] Recently there is much local opposition to the national fluoridation mandate. Early in 2014, Cork County Council and Laois County Council passed motions for the cessation of water fluoridation. In Autumn 2014, Cork City Council, Dublin City Council,[58][59] and Kerry County Council passed similar motions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoridation_by_country There is no evidence that it really improves or is good for your teeth but there is REAL evidence that it damages your brain and causes thyroid problems in women

Johns Lane West and Brú Aimsir hostels give shelter to almost 150 people who are former rough sleepers in Dublin. They are both set to close in the coming weeks. This will result in the loss of 150 beds for those sleeping rough. Focus Ireland and Peter McVerry Trust who currently run the hostels have not revealed how they plan to accommodate these people who will be forced back onto the streets with the closure of these hostels. The residents have been told they must ring the freephone in Parkgate St to find alternative accommodation. With an already critical shortage of beds, this will only put added strain on a flawed system which puts people in direct competition with each other, having to spend all day trying to get through to the freephone phoneline, often to simply be told there are no beds available. The Irish Housing Network demands: Dublin City Council, Peter McVerry Trust and Focus Ireland put a transparent plan in place with the residents of the hostels in providing suitable accommodation for those affected by the hostels’ closure. Long term social housing stock is immediately turned over for homeless people and families through the building of housing and opening and refurbishment of empty homes. Tenant’s rights for those in emergency accommodation so they cannot be evicted without notice and are protected under tenancy legislation. Rights for Travellers and Roma people in the ability to practice their culture and have well maintained and provisioned sites available throughout the country, including the restoration of traditional roadside stopping places.

The housing shortage in Co. Mayo is serious. Many families are living with extended families in stressful overcrowded situations. The shortage in the rental market makes it very difficult to find suitable housing. Boarded up council houses should be renovated to house those in need. Emergency accommodation being used should be fit for purpose. To encourage the council to make progress on this, we are want people to sign this campaign to ask Local Councilors and TD's to make it there business to put housing at the top of their list. To ensure emergency accommodation being provided is fit for purpose, and to make renovating boarded up council houses a priority. Also to make finding funding for renovations a priority in the Dail. 145 council house empty as of September 2014.

Jigsaw Roscommon provides a free and confidential support service for young people aged 15 to 25 living in County Roscommon. The Jigsaw hub, opened in 2012, is located in Roscommon Town in the Primary Care Centre on the Golf Links Road. There has also been a huge outreach programme, to areas where young people found it difficult to access the hub, such as Boyle, Monksland, Castlerea to name a few. Jigsaw Roscommon is part of the national Jigsaw network supported by Headstrong, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health. Jigsaw Roscommon has always aimed to make sure that young people’s voices are heard, that they get the right support, where and when they need it. Unfortunately, due to the unsuccessful recruitment of a Clinical Co-ordinator, the service is temporarily suspended with it's future uncertain. We need to find a Clinical Co-ordinator so the 5 other posts (Project Manager, 2X Clinical Support Workers, Youth Engagement Officer and an Administrator) can be filled with the Jigsaw Roscommon Service restored and the mental health of the young people of Roscommon cared for. According to the reports, over the 3 year period, a total of 409 young people were supported by Jigsaw Roscommon aged between 12 and 26 years. The age of highest need presenting to the service is 17 years of age. This is the typical age that falls between child and adult service provision. The numbers of referrals seen in the first year of Jigsaw Roscommon in 2012 was 39 with one staff member. When there were two members of staff in 2013 the number of young people coming to the service multiplied four times to 184. We have no doubt that had efforts been put into raising awareness of the service in schools and at a community level that the Jigsaw service in Roscommon would have had the potential and scope to be of benefit to many other young people in County Roscommon.

Twelve percent of the population of Ireland are migrants, of whom so many have the right to vote. Migrants bring enterprise and initiative, and in order to actively participate in Irish society, migrants must be visible in all spheres of Irish life and be represented proportionally to our number in the Irish population in all decision making processes. Irish political actors have done little or nothing to reach out to immigrants during elections. Integration has dropped off the radar and from the programmes of all political parties. A diverse republic needs inclusive politics and institutions that reflect the composition of a diverse society. Government bodies and local authorities need to do much more to engage with immigrant communities. We, the Migrant-Led Coalition, are calling on all politicians and candidates to sign up to our election manifesto and pledge to represent the needs of their migrant constituents.

-Education is a right not a privilege-The United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child states the following:States Parties recognize the right of the child to education....States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to the development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential(Articles 28,29) -Without the education setting of the Cork Life Centre the young people accessing it would have no suitable alternative educational placement. -Alternative models of education such as our centre need to be recognised and funded. At present in Ireland up to 10% of young people on average do not complete secondary level education. It is more than obvious that one size does not fit all. -Funding is an ongoing struggle for the Cork Life Centre-at present we are in receipt of just €47,500 in direct funding from the Department of Education and Skills. When one considers that it costs €9,000 per child per annum in the mainstream system and our setting offers a range of additional supports and is asking for just €5,000 per student the lack of response of the government does not make financial sense. -Education by its very definition should be holistic and meet not just the learning needs of young people but also their social and personal needs. At the Cork Life Centre our first priority is to create a warm and welcoming community where young people can build relationships with trusted and supportive adults as well as their peers.

1304 deceased patients of St.Lomans Hospital Mullingar, County Westmeath are buried without individual grave markings - one of these is my great gran Julia Leronard (nee Caffrey). My family and I discovered this after our application to have her remains exhumed to be re-interred in a family plot was turned down. Following this I visited the graveyard and discovered 1304 men and women including my great gran are in what has been allowed to become a mass grave. In 2011 the HSE sanctioned graveyard maintenance work resulting in - the removal of all the crosses marking each grave. I have heard these crosses are stored in a shed on the grounds of the hospital. The last person buried here was in 1970. These deceased patients were forgotten by Irish Society while interred in what was then known as the Asylum - I want to remember these people today and afford them some dignity and respect by marking their graves properly. On February 6 2016 myself and my family erected our own cross in the memory of our great -gran/grandmother Julia on the mass grave site. We felt we needed to do something to honor her memory as Government Authorities are not doing anything. We would like to see; 1.An expert Archaeologist hired to restore the graveyard 2.Restoration of the graveyard - meaning restoring the individual identity of all the graves i.e individual markers/crosses on each grave with the name of the person buried there and their date of birth and death. 3.Permanent memorial wall with all the names of the men and women buried there. 4.Exhumation of my great gran Julia - to be re-interred with the baby boy taken from her in the hospital - my grandfather. I think as it stands it shows up ongoing discrimination in the area of mental health. If this graveyard was in the general community there would be outrage at headstones being removed and a graveyard being turned into a mass grave.

I have just read a report detailing the appalling and disgusting conditions under which homeless families in Ireland have to live. Yesterday I read about the conditions in the temporary refugee camp at Calais in France, which is run under the auspices of the French and UK governments and the EU. The conditions for the homeless in Calais and the homeless in Ireland are horrifyingly similar. Yet the Irish Government is pleading that it has no funds available to intervene and is sticking rigidly to its market economy addiction. This is not good enough when our Government is willing to throw money at bankers and developers and any johnny-come-lately who has robbed the people and contributed to the enforcement of the austerity regime. The Government's inept handling of our housing crisis is a contributory factor to the increase in anti-refugee sentiment in the country. This is cowardly behaviour on the part of those who claim to lead Ireland and who boast about what they claim to have done for Ireland. Front up for the sake of the unfortunate people who are suffering and set an example in 2016.

Ireland, unlike most other EU countries, has no hate crime legislation. The YES Equality campaign was an amazing show of public support for equality in Ireland. We want our government to take the next step, and protect those among us who are perceived to be different because of our skin colour, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical, intellectual, mental abilities and so on. We need to send a clear message that racism and hate have no place in our communities and that our society should be inclusive of all. The proposed Criminal Law (Hate Crime) Bill was drafted in 2015 and provides for sentencing to be increased and for crimes to be treated as more serious if prejudice or hate can be shown to be a motive. However, now that the Bill has been drafted, the Government has yet to take action to review and introduce it, leaving minorities in Ireland without protection. We have the draft legislation, so let’s put it into action! Please sign this petition to the Minister for Justice and Equality, who has the power to enact this legislation. Let’s make sure she feels the strong pressure from thousands of us to protect our families, friends, neighbours and colleagues. Help us send out a strong message that we want to live in a truly inclusive Republic which values all of our minorities and the integrity of our communities. Let's make sure there is no space for hate in our country.

To get politicians to address bullying in our schools, workplace and community. Bullying is usually perpetrated on innocent and vulnerable people and in many cases has caused people to commit suicide. This is an indirect cause of death and highlighting this will make people have a second thoughts about their activities.

There is a long standing tradition of Urban Horsemanship in the cherry orchard area. At the moment horses are been left in fields because of no accesibility to local community based stables. This project hopes to address some of tge issues faced by the state . It will reduced pounding costs and promote investment in good quality horses through group ownership. Young People engaged in horse ownership are not as likly to be involved in anti social behaviours when the have the Responsiblity of caring for their horse. Horse Ownership can also has a positive impact on a young persons mental welbeing.