We want an investigation to be implemented into the mass stranding of at least 16 offshore deep diving cetaceans, beaked whales which occurred from August 3rd to August 25th 2018, along the north-west coast of Ireland from Co. Mayo, Donegal and Co. Antrim. Simultaneously, 13 beaked whales stranded off the Scottish coasts and 2 more were reported stranded in Iceland. These are minimum estimates of mortality as they do not account for animals which may have sunk to the seabed or animals stranded in remote places and remain unreported. Previous studies on cetacean carcass drift have suggested that strandings represent a minimum of at sea mortality; depending on drift conditions carcasses may not always wash ashore, thus, the actual number of dead animals may be much higher (Peltier et al., 2014). Other mass stranding events of beaked whales around the world indicate beaked whales are susceptible to death or injury directly (temporary/permanent hearing damage) or indirectly (gas embolism, ( also known as the 'bends' ) due to extremely loud man-made oceanographic noise such as that produced by low and mid frequency naval sonar and certain types of acoustic survey used to examine the sea floor and below. Mass strandings of beaked whales associated with naval exercises have been recorded in Greece, the Canaries and the Bahamas. With no certain cause of these beaked whale mortalities on Irish shores having yet been established, this needs to be recognised as an unusual mass stranding event (UME) in an effort to identify the potential cause(s) and perhaps prevent future stranding events. Beaked whales are among the most diverse yet least understood groups of marine mammals.owing to their deep-water oceanic existence and typically inconspicuous surface behavior. Feeding in depths often exceeding 1000 m, most species are rarely seen; some have never been identified alive at sea and are known only from beach-stranded carcasses. According to the IUCN Red List, approximately 40% of marine mammal species are considered Data Deficient, whereas for the Ziphiidae, 90% are Data Deficient. Population trends for all beaked whale species are listed as unknown on the IUCN Red List. Ziphius and Mesoplodon are the two beaked whale genera known to suffer impacts from naval sonar activities. They exhibit strong behavioral responses to certain types of active sonar, resulting in altered movements and space use for prolonged periods after exposure (e.g., several days). In more extreme cases there can be physiological consequences leading to death or stranding. Mass strandings of beaked whales throughout the Northern Hemisphere have been associated with offshore military activity (Moore & Barlow, 2013). It is important that we aim to mitigate these stranding events and reduce human impacts on beaked whales in Irish waters. Thank you for taking the time to address our concern, Kind Regards, Emer Keaveney, Executive Director, ORCA Ireland.

We are asking Fingal County Council to implement new child safety measures for the Seabury Estate in Malahide. Child Safety Measures Needed: 1. New ramp between Seabury Place and Seabury Crescent 2. New signage to say 'Slow Down - Children at play' along Seabury Lane and Seabury Crescent 3. Speed limit to be reduced (currently it's 50km/hr) 4. Business Work Vans are parked out on the road (we kindly request that they park in their driveways or elsewhere) ________________________________________________ Why are we requesting these safety measures? - In recent years, many of the local, younger children have been playing outside on the road. - They usually play here in the cul-de-sac or just beyond the dangerous junction where Seabury Lane meets Seabury Crescent. - Signs to indicate appropriate driving speeds / children at play are not clearly visible. - It has been noted that some cars drive from Seabury Place onto Seabury Lane at high speeds and with little regard for the children at play. - Many cars also turn from Estuary Road onto Seabury Lane and drive at high speeds, despite the small ramp which is about half way down the road. - There are cars parked along Seabury Lane, including 2 or sometimes 3 large white work vans parked along Seabury Lane which make it more difficult for drivers to see children playing up ahead.

Blessington and the surrounding areas have a growing young population. Presently the residents must travel outside of our community to Naas or Tallaght to access swimming facilities. The nearest community swimming pool to West Wicklow, provided by Wicklow County Council, is in Bray, an hour drive away from Blessington by car. According to the 2016 Census the municipal district population of West Wicklow is over 26,000 people. A community swimming pool would be of great benefit to the local communities and would help promote physical exercise, water safety and provide local employment. We believe that a community swimming pool needs to be provided for the growing population of West Wicklow.

Major breakthroughs are being made in the hydrogen technology sector in transport, energy production and storage. The production of hydrogen is getting greener month on month. Worldwide, countries are running trials with hydrogen as it's main source of it's green transport needs for the future. If the Irish government fails to include Hydrogen in future plans then we will be left behind yet again. We have the capacity as a nation both in our technology and chemistry sectors, to drive this forward and to lead the way on green technology.

Ireland is facing a child obesity crisis with huge long term implications. Part of the reason for this is the marketing of high sugar and high fat foods specifically targeting children. Fast food chains are particularly guilty of this. Granting permission to a fast food chain restaurant beside a primary school and Montessori school will have negative consequences for the health of the 100s of children that currently pass this site on a daily basis and the 1000s that will do so in the long term if permission is granted. Let’s protect our children and set an example to other Councils around the country

Savita was by all accounts a bright, vibrant, kind young woman who was failed by the state- her kindness and life as an immigrant who came to Ireland to provide care to people should be recognised and celebrated. Savita’s unnecessary death and cost to her family should be acknowledged and the role of this unnecessary death and her family’s efforts played in gaining bodily autonomy for women, (and also trans men and anyone with a womb). She deserves to be remembered, acknowledged, and her courageous family, who have been put through so much pain and hurt, deserve our thanks. Savita’s place in Ireland’s history (though a shameful chapter) is important and should be acknowledged. I would like Galway to install a memorial in her honour to remind us of her contribution to Ireland as an immigrant and to always remember her tragic death and place this as part of Ireland’s history, setting us toward the latest referendum. After this vote we need to remember Savita, and allow Irish people a place to go to pay their respects to her and her family.

Ireland needs to unlock the current suppressed potential for cycling — transport, mental and physical health, and environmental benefits, and also more wide-ranging positives of mass cycling. These wider benefits include giving teenagers and parents freedom from the parent taxi; freeing many people across the country from the restrictive options of driving or depending on infrequent public transport; and supporting “last mile” trips to high-quality public transport.

The housing crisis is now worse than at any point in the state’s history - 10,000 Homeless (1,739 Homeless Families – 3, 755 Homeless Children) - Average Rents Across Dublin = €1,614 - Government subsidies to landlords in 2017 = over €623k - 600,000 young people stuck at home, unable to access housing according to last census It was recently reported that there is enough state owned land (local authority and NAMA) zoned for residential development to build over 110,000 units https://www.irishtimes.com/…/state-owns-enough-zoned-land-t… Yet what has Dublin City Council's approach been to the development of the land it owns? In the case of the Lawrence Lands (Oscar Traynor Rd) they plan to mostly privatised the site with developers being invited to construct all 600 plus units but keep 70% for themselves (50% purely for profit and 20% for an undefined ‘affordable’ rent) with just the remaining 30% for public housing. At this rate we will never house those on the housing list as well as the hundreds of thousands who cannot even apply for public housing let alone the additional demand the arises year on year. Rather than waiting for similar bad proposals for other council owned sites the initiative should be taken by housing campaigners and public representatives to propose how best public land can be used to help resolve the crisis. Solidarity's alternative proposal for Belcamp Lane/Northern Cross Local Solidarity Councillor Michael O'Brien is proposing an alternative approach across the state where public housing (social and affordable) is built on publicly owned land. Take the Belcamp Lane site at Northern Cross which is council owned but where there are no plans on the horizon to build housing. Solidarity proposes that some 500 apartments and duplexes, similar in design to Newtown Court could be built and made available for 50% social and 50% affordable housing to local people with a housing need. This would be financed through the Social Housing Investment Fund. Accommodation meeting the needs of the local Traveller community could also be delivered on this site. Cllr O'Brien engaged the voluntary services of an architect to come up with an indicated site plan which shows what could be done. In this plan there are - the are 119 units on each floor (i.e. 4 floors = 476 units, allowing for duplexes). - the 3 beds are 100m2, the 2 beds are 81m2, the studios are 45.5m2 (a duplex would be two studios one on top of the other). - all units (except at the north of the site) are accessed from the north and have southeast or southwest facing balconies, and share south facing gardens (the public open space is mostly divided up between the units in this way). - there are pedestrian routes connecting the blocks, so that some of the ground floor plans will be different to allow for this This is not a fixed proposal set in stone but a vision of what can be done. If community support can be built up for this proposal, taking on board further suggestions and amendments this plan will be brought to Dublin City Council's North Central Area Committee and Housing Special Policy Committee with a view to securing the support from other councillors and putting the ball in the court of the Council officials to seriously engage. Check out https://www.facebook.com/PublicHousingBelcampNorthernX/ for the progress of the campaign

It would be a shame to knock this historic building which has a great social history. This building was an integral part of the Market Square with everything being weighed there corn , potatoes and even the goose or turkey at Christmas. The shelter was done up in the early nineties under an urban renewal scheme. This shelter is being used everyday by local people to sit and rest in and for people waiting for the community bus. If this development was to be replaced with it's an open air development. It would be open to all the elements. This would be better suited to a warmer climate not where it rains two hundred and fifty days a year. The shelter should be left there. Save The Shelter.

It is important for the health and well being of the children in the area. We have a substantial amount of children under the age of eighteen in Kinsealy Court especially between the age's of 2-16yrs and the park has plenty of room to facilitate one. It will also help with keeping the children from playing on the road so much as there is a large volume of kids that play on the road on a daily basis. The closest playground to the estate is Holywell which is not an option as it's too far for the children to travel to.

There is a ready made ideal site for a playground in Rockfield Park, namely the now unused square surfaced with tarmac which used to serve as an all weather five-a-side. DCC intend re-greening this when it could serve as a ready made foundation for a playground. A properly secured playground would be a great amenity and would lead to a more widespread use of the park by the community

Based on original articles in the media, the plan is to build approx. 700+ houses in Tinakilly. Wicklow County Council has approved the first round of this development, for 271 houses which will be built in the fields to the right of Tinakilly avenue (going up the avenue). The fields to the left of Tinakilly avenue are also owned by the same consortium and are zoned for residential development. There is no doubt, that in the future, this consortium will also apply to build an additional significant number of houses here. The plans for the 271 houses involve a phase 1 of the Rathnew inner relief road development, which will run from Broomhall interchange (traffic lights) to half way up Tinakilly avenue. Phase 2 development of this road will connect to Newrath (approx back of Fiat garage) which will see Tinakilly avenue cut in half. This road will be a two lane carriageway with footpaths and cycle lanes on both sides. This major road artery will simply destroy the existing avenue. For years, Tinakilly has been an area of significant beauty and has been respected and enjoyed by the people of Rathnew and surrounding areas. The primary schools have enjoyed their nature walks here and continue to do so. It was described by the late Éamon de Buitléar as an area of outstanding, natural beauty and one of the finest examples of a sylvan avenue. The ecosystem will be destroyed. Fauna and flora will be wiped out. Some things are irreplaceable. The environs of Tinakilly are also home to two protected structures (Tinakilly House and Broadlough House), however, as the lands where once owned by Captain Robert Halpin, we feel the entire area should be considered as a protected landscape. There is already an abundance of proposed and existing houses developments that can cater for the demand of our village. The current population of Rathnew is approx. 3,500 and we are approaching max capacity in our brand new schools (Dec 2016). This development is not in the interest of the people of Rathnew. If you agree, please sign the petition.