Mobuoy dump is beside the River Faughan, which supplies 60% of Derry's drinking water. Experts say the Mobuoy site may contain 1.6m tonnes of waste. If the dump is not properly cleaned up soon, then the river could be contaminated, making our water undrinkable. Even though the site closed in 2013, people are still illegally dumping at the site! The minister responsible for waste in NI, Andrew Muir has yet to come up with a recovery plan for the site. The only suggestion his department has provided is to give local residents bottled water if the river becomes impacted. It is time for the Minister to get a grip of the situation: secure the site, clean up Mobouy and ensure clean and safe drinking water for the people of Derry.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland that does not have an official childcare strategy in place. Childcare in Northern Ireland is increasingly unaffordable, and is on a par with London, where salaries are much higher. We need urgent interventions while we wait for a long-term reform, including removal of the cap on the tax-free allowance, and extension of the government contribution to families’ childcare accounts from 20% to 30%. Parents must be included in all government discussions about redesigning the childcare system, and a sustainable childcare system must be a political priority.

A baby that dies after 24 weeks is officially recorded as a stillbirth, however, there is no such formal recognition for babies lost earlier. Since February, bereaved parents in England who lose a baby before 24 weeks can now receive a certificate in recognition of their loss. Wales and Scotland have similar schemes in place. The same must be made available for people in Northern Ireland.

Books and other media with LGBTQ+ themes are extremely important for young people who may be struggling to understand their own identity, as it gives them role models to look up to and allows them an opportunity to see people like them in the stories they enjoy! Book bans, like the one being pushed by prominent Unionist politicians including MP Carla Lockhart are also incredibly discriminatory and hypocritical [1] - representation of non- heterosexual relationships should no more be banned from Libraries than heterosexual/cis gender relationships. A child will not become gay or be "transed" by reading a book with a gay or trans character included. We must not allow bigoted bad actors to import American culture war nonsense to Northern Ireland. [1] https://www.newsletter.co.uk/education/dup-mp-carla-lockhart-calls-for-the-immediate-re[…]ildrens-books-from-northern-irish-public-libraries-4562485

Education Minister Paul Givan has confirmed that without additional funding, his department will struggle to find additional school places for over 1,000 children with SEN. The Education Authority has reported that it is "extremely challenging" to find new places in schools and "urgent investment" is needed. No child with SEN should be left in limbo before the start of the new school term. The NI Executive needs to provide more capital investment to solve this crisis!

Getting an appointment is going to get a whole lot worse. Recently, the EU has banned amalgam fillings from January next year, and because of post-Brexit arrangements, that means a ban in Northern Ireland too. Amalgam fillings are a huge part of the work dentists do on the NHS here, particularly those in the poorest areas. The costs of using other materials are eye-watering, and that means only one thing. NHS dentistry in Northern Ireland will be a thing of the past. People in Northern Ireland have the worst oral health inequality in the UK and the highest proportion of filled teeth. If these amalgam fillings can’t be provided on the NHS, it will mean people in agony, going without treatment - and it’ll be the poorest who suffer most. But there is a way to change this. The ‘Stormont Brake’ gives the Assembly the power to stop EU laws like this one, that would have a detrimental impact on people here. We demand that Minister Robin Swann starts the process to make sure that dentists can continue to provide NHS dental services throughout NI.

Generations of students who went to Integrated schools grew up getting their education in drafty, leaky portakabins. This must end. First & Deputy First Minister - Restore the funding. You made a promise. Keep it.

RAJAR, the official body in charge of measuring radio audiences in the UK, has found that, on average, from 9am to 10:30am, Cool FM reaches 286,000 adults compared to BBC Radio Ulster's 272,000. It's time for Stephen Nolan and his producers to remove "the biggest show in the country" tagline from the show's title sequence.

The hospice is a local charity that provides specialist palliative care for more than 350 babies, children, and their families each year. It's the only facility of it's kind in Northern Ireland. Extremely sick children and their families depend on the Hospice. This funding must be restored immediately. Dáithí uses the hospice four or times a year and we would be lost without it. The Northern Ireland Children's Hospice is such a magical place and I like to say to people that 'the hospice and the people who work there make the impossible possible'."

All children can learn. All children have a right to an education and we need to stand up for some of the most vulnerable children in our community who are being denied an education.

Melted Parents have 4 campaign demands. 1) Immediate financial support for families to support for childcare costs - preventing skilled workers leaving the workforce, supporting families living in poverty, and boosting the economy. 2) Parent representation through decision-making process on policies made on childcare. 3) Long term childcare sector reform with children at the centre that works for families and providers.

Citibank is one of the dirtiest banks in the world. Israel is one of its most important markets. Citibank has facilitated the purchase of weapons by the Israeli military and we are seeing the devastating results of this. Already the second largest funder of fossil fuels in the world, it is giving more money to fossil fuel companies such as BP who are exploiting the war on Gaza to drill for gas off Gaza's coast. Over 25,000 people have been killed over 100 days of Israel's onslaught in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands are at risk of disease and starvation as Israel refuses to allow aid to enter. Despite this mass suffering, Israel is planning to extract the natural resources off the coast of Gaza through licensing, drilling and extraction. This is all underpinned by funding from Citibank. We know that only outside pressure can stop Israel. Citibank has its main European offices in Belfast and Dublin, and has received over £40 million in public money from Invest NI. We need to take a strong stand across this island against Citi profiting from Israel's brutal attack on the people of Palestine.