The Homeless and Needy of our country are abandoned by the state. It is up to us, the general public, to look after their welfare, with food, clothing, sleeping bags, tents and very often just to lend an ear. We can not simply be ignored, just as our service users can't be abandoned either.

Parks should be public amenities that serve the physical and mental wellbeing of city residents. Even before the pandemic, many people living in cities are confined to cramped indoor living conditions during the summer, with parks providing an important refuge from this reality. Four Masters Park in the heart of inner city Dublin has the potential to be one of those thriving community spaces. However, at present it is closed off to the public despite Dublin City Council paying for its upkeep. Local residents and politicians have all repeatedly called for the park to be opened up but the Sisters of Mercy won't budge. The days of religious orders controlling our parks, our bodies, our hospitals and our schools are numbered. It is incomprehensible that public funds are being used on a space that can't be enjoyed by the people. Renewed media attention and the wider issue of church control in Ireland has brought this issue to the fore. Now is the time to put pressure on the Sister of Mercy nuns to release their hold on the park.

The plans to introduce a statute of limitations on killings in the conflict in Northern Ireland, ending investigations, inquests, and civil actions are in flagrant breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, and the rule of law. They show contempt towards thousands of families here who will never receive the truth of what happened to their loved ones. Families of those who died whether at the hands of paramilitaries, the Army or police, deserve truth and justice.

All of us will know someone, or may even become someone, who requires residential care at some stage. As RTE Investigates and our ongoing campaign shows, current policies and services fail to support residents' rights and fails to adequately protect them when harm occurs. Nothing will change until the law changes. It is clear fifteen years after Leas Cross & seven years after Aras Attracta, that political action will only be forthcoming with sustained public demands for legislative reform. Residents and family members cannot do this alone, please support, sign and share this petition.

THE IRISH ECONOMY IS A HUMAN ECONOMY Our love affair with GDP has come to an end because growth that leaves our people and our planet behind is failure. We measure our economy’s success based on the equality we achieve, and the physical and mental health of our people and environment. We value inclusive and sustainable job creation. The social and solidarity economy, and especially social enterprises, play an important role in this agenda, restoring heart and hope to new economic thinking. IRELAND LEADS THE GREEN TRANSITION IN EUROPE We are achieving our ambitious targets for a just and green transition. The private, public and civil society sectors work together to achieve these targets, as we all adapt how we live, work, travel and consume. The transition is just and fair, and leaves no one behind. Ideas that help us embrace the transition are pioneered in Ireland and exported worldwide. A RADICAL EQUALITY AGENDA HAS EMERGED Everybody in Ireland believes equality benefits us all. The Government and society actively protects the rights of Ireland’s most marginalised communities. Minority communities are equipped to speak for themselves and enter powerful decision making positions. Led by next generation leaders, philanthropy, alongside taxation, plays a key role in redistributing wealth to support a more equal society. OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES ARE THRIVING Regional towns and rural communities are re-energised and sustainable. The rise of remote work has given many the freedom to choose where and how we want to live. We can work at homes or regional hubs and offices and people in rural communities no longer have to say, ‘there are no jobs here’. Fewer commuters mean fewer emissions and housing pressures are alleviated for our cities. A BOLD GENERATION TAKES CHARGE Collaboration is the new competition. Creative, energetic, and solution-focused, this new generation takes care of our people and planet. They ask questions of themselves, their families, their employers, and they start or invest in organisations that provide solutions to these questions. Wait for change to happen? No way. They make it happen. They work together to build an equal, sustainable and just future.

Having recently lost my partner of near twenty years and being left to be the sole provider of our three children I have discovered that I am not entitled to the same supports as my married counterparts. Unmarried families are not recognized under our constitution and are therefore not offered the same protection from the state. The state treats cohabiting couples as a family unit for taxation and means testing purposes yet it will not accept cohabitation when there is a bereavement. Modern society does not allow for people to live the way they did when the constitution was written due to the challenges people have to face both financially and personally. I am calling on the Government to address the definition of the Family where marriage is concerned and also to address the families that have been left out of the widow/widower pension due to there status not being accepted by the state.

In the first known charge of its kind under Covid health regulations, members of ROSA, Socialist Feminist Movement, have been fined up to 500 euro and face prosecution over safe, outdoor protests highlighting gender violence during the pandemic. A recent report found Gardai failed to respond to thousands of domestic violence 999 calls — yet advocates and activists are being taken to court. A Limerick woman is the first to face court for being an “organiser” of a small socially distant standout calling for emergency action against rising levels of violence against women, known as the ‘shadow pandemic.’ Aislinn O’Keeffe, a Limerick ROSA member, is being charged with being an “Event Organiser” on Thomas Street under the Public Health Act. The ‘Event’ was in fact a stationary protest involving 10 people, mainly women, following the murder of Sarah Everard, which highlighted the restrictions women must self impose to avoid violence and the stark increases in the incidence of gender based violence worldwide. The standout was the smallest of five called by ROSA in a number of cities. Aislinn O’Keeffe explained : “ROSA fully supports public health measures — but the shocking rise in violence against women is in itself a public health emergency. “Since the ROSA protests at least three women on this island have been victims of femicide. During the pandemic, gender violence soared worldwide and in Ireland calls to Gardai increased by 25% in one quarter and to Women’s Aid by 43% . It was already extremely difficult for women to leave abusive relationships due to lack of supports and a housing crisis, but they had no escape in lockdown. “Services nationally are at breaking point. Refuges such as ADAPT in Limerick are at full capacity and must fundraise to maintain services. We protested that day for the 19 women SAFE Ireland says sought help for the first time, for the seven women turned away from refuges that day. What about their safety in the pandemic? Speaking on behalf of ROSA, former TD Ruth Coppinger, said it was incredible that of all the gatherings that caused public outrage during Covid, the state is choosing to use the Public Health Act to prosecute ROSA for highlighting a public health and safety issue for women. “No prosecutions were taken by Gardai under this law for Golfgate, an indoor event attended by the well-connected in society. Nor was any taken against far right covid deniers who marched without any health precautions. Dublin footballers who gathered for training have also been told there’ll be no prosecutions. Instead, the state is prosecuting women and young people who took part in stationary and socially distant standouts that were fully Covid19 compliant and on an essential issue of the huge spike in gender based violence. “When this legislation was introduced, it would clearly have been seen as designed to target dangerous, indoor or crowded events where public health was being flagrantly ignored, not a symbolic standout on gender violence. . “Two young people are also being fined for attending the standout at the Spire in Dublin under the non essential travel grounds. Ironically, they were two young men acting as covid safety stewards on the day. No other ‘event organiser’ charges have thus far been received for the larger protests in Dublin, Cork and Galway. “ROSA will mount a full challenge to these prosecutions. We will seek support, including financially, from the public. We call on the state to withdraw these charges. We also want answers from the political establishment as to why legislation designed to protect public health is being completely misapplied when clearly no threat to public health existed. “The government is maintaining this legislation til November. There has to be a constitutional right to protest, as long as it’s done safely. Are we stay hidden and silent on important issues throughout the pandemic?

This is important because it provides 3rd party cover for all private roadworthy vehicles helping those who are poor and younger people to avail of road legal transport. It also ensures that drivers of larger gas guzzler vehicles and those who use our roads most pay the most. In addition it removes the ability of insurance companies to charge extortionate prices for young people and levels the playing field for those with older cars and rural dwellers, who have inadequate access to public transport.

This is important because it provides 3rd cover for all private roadworthy vehicles, helping those who are financially disadvantaged and young people, to avail of road legal transport. It also ensures that drivers of larger gas guzzler vehicles and those who use our roads most, pay the most. In addition, it removes the ability of insurance companies to charge extortionate prices for young people and levels the playing field for those with older cars, rural dwellers and those who have inadequate access to public transport.

The 300 million PLWRD around the world and their families face common challenges in all aspects of their daily lives. As a population with increasing vulnerabilities, they are disproportionally affected by stigma, discrimination and social marginalization, within their social environment and in society at large. The paucity of knowledge and expertise on rare diseases and the lack of awareness of the challenges faced by PLWRD mean that they are psychologically, socially, culturally and economically vulnerable. b) There are a number of synergies between the rare disease community’s needs and goals, and those of the UN 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals1 ,

1. We understand that Non-EU/EEA doctoral research students conducting research in Ireland can access the hosting agreement scheme but on condition that they have an employment contract as captured in the first Hosting Agreement FAQ on the Euraxess website here: https://www.euraxess.ie/ireland/fast-track-work-permit-non-eu-rd-hosting-agreement-scheme/i-wish-research-university it states: 'Can I have a Hosting Agreement if I am a PhD student in Ireland? Yes, providing you have an employment contract with your university or research-active organisation in Ireland. Contact the Hosting Agreement office of EURAXESS Ireland by emailing ***@iua.ie for more information.' 2. It is typical that many Non-EU/EEA doctoral research students are supporting Irish research projects without employment contracts because most universities do not employ doctoral Research students but hire them on scholarship contracts which disqualifies them from accessing the hosting agreement. This is an affordable way of hiring early stage researchers to conduct research while not considering the impact it has on their immigration status in Ireland and to their dependants. (Only those who get employment contracts qualify to apply for the hosting agreement) 3. Denying access to Non-EU/EEA doctoral research students on research scholarship contracts while giving those on employment contracts brings about inequality among Non-EU/EEA Early Stage Researchers in Ireland. 4. Lack of access to the hosting agreement to most Non-EU/EEA doctoral research students means that their time in Ireland is not reckonable & creates potential red tapes to access employment in the future. Those on hosting agreement can apply for stamp 4 VISA after 21 months and their time is reckonable while those who do not have are on stamp 2 VISA status throughout their doctoral research program. 5. The lack of access for many Doctoral Research students to the hosting agreement means that their spouses have no direct access to employment in Ireland despite their qualifications and experience. On the other hand those on hosting agreements have their partners access employment with no restrictions. This makes the families of doctoral research students without hosting agreements to be vulnerable and therefore it means more stress to the researcher. Treating these researchers differently brings about inequality among them. 6. It is only fair that the contributions of all Non-EU/EEA doctoral research students to research in Ireland is equally recognized, valued, and given credit without looking at their contractual terms. Those doctoral research students on hosting agreement and those not on hosting agreement are equally qualified and hold same responsibilities in Research and Development in Ireland. Treating these two groups differently based on the terms of their contracts creates inequality and is unfair. 7. The eligibility criteria for the hosting agreement scheme should be reviewed to include research scholarship contracts to allow Non-EEA doctoral research students to access the scheme. (Note: Most are disqualified due to the lack of employment contracts) References http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/inis/pages/registration-stamps https://www.euraxess.ie/ireland/fast-track-work-permit-non-eu-rd-hosting-agreement-scheme/i-wish-research-university#:~:text=Can%20I%20have%20a%20Hosting,iua.ie%20for%20more%20information. http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/inis/pages/researchers https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/migrant_workers/employment_permits/spousal_work_permit_scheme.html

The Commission of Inquiry into Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters let survivors down. It had a limited remit which only included specific homes and County Homes, not everybody affected by these past wrongs. The Commission discounted the evidence given by hundreds of survivors to the Confidential Committee. We need to do better by survivors, adoptees and birth parents. Survivors need answers.