Fashion chains are responsible for ensuring their workers are paid living wages, work in a safe environment and receive sufficient rest periods between work. However, fast fashion chains like Primark and H&M are notorious for sourcing their clothes from factories that provide none of the above. Dunnes Stores has a similar fast fashion model, yet unlike many other large retailers, has no information on its website regarding where it's clothes come from and how their garment workers are treated. The Clean Clothes Campaign estimates that garment workers in India and Bangladesh are paid, on average, 2-5 times less than is needed to live with dignity. Poor working conditions also endanger the lives of workers. In the case of the 2013 collapse of the Dhaka garment factory in Rana Plaza, Bangladesh, over 1,000 people died due to shockingly poor implementation of building safety standards. Some of Dunnes' clothes are made in Bangladesh yet it was one of the few retailers who failed to sign the Fire and Safety Accord in 2013 to improve factory conditions in the country. The sustainability of fast fashion retailers is also coming under increased scrutiny as the climate crisis accelerates. The fashion industry produces 10% of the world's carbon emissions. Two key factors in this are clothes waste caused by excess production and use of unsustainable fabrics. Retailers like Dunnes must take responsibility for sustainably and ethically sourcing the clothes they sell. If not, we as consumers must hold them responsible for the sake of our future.

Tolka Park is one of Ireland’s most significant sites of sporting culture and history. Since 1924, the stadium has been enmeshed in the cultural life and sporting traditions of Dublin City. As a stadium, Tolka has a proud legacy; hosting the first floodlit football match in the Republic of Ireland in 1953, being the venue for the first televised League of Ireland game in 1996/7, and becoming the first all-seater stadium in domestic football in 1999. Tolka Park is, and always has been an asset to Irish football and to the local community – acting as a home for Drumcondra FC, Home Farm FC and since 1989, Shelbourne. It has hosted games at every level, from local and junior football, right up to the top European competitions. The Save Tolka Park Campaign is a coalition of local residents, football fans and activists united in opposition to the sale of the stadium to private developers. We believe, that with the right investment and planning, Tolka Park can be rejuvenated as an asset to the community – hosting football at every level, while also acting as a community hub with additional amenities for local people. We have a proposal, launching on June 10th, that sets out how this can be achieved and we are appealing to you to help us make these plans a reality. As City councillors and the Minister responsible, we are asking you to act to protect an irreplaceable part of our sporting history, and to ensure that Tolka Park continues as a backdrop for dreams and memories for years to come.

“If there is a hell on earth it is the life of a child in Gaza” - UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. We, young people of Cork, call on everyone to sign our petition for an immediate end to the attacks on the past, present, and futures of Palestinian children. If it is "hell on earth" why have the constant attacks not stopped? Why have these children not been saved? Why has the destruction of the Palestinian people, culture, and way of life been allowed to continue? We call upon the international community to recognise the consistent breach of the Geneva Convention and the UNCRC and to take steps to ensure such breaches are not repeated. As youths, we ourselves understand the need for care, safety, and security throughout childhood. We understand the damage that a lack of such can do to those who would otherwise flourish in a safe and healthy environment. How can we stand aside while this is being denied to children like ourselves in Palestine? “That which you don’t condemn, you condone”

South William street has received an unfair treatment after being only partially pedestrianised although it received 95% public and local businesses support for full pedestrianisation during the trail last summer and 97% during the consultation in November. This decision to support partial pedestrianisation was made after Brown Thomas car park refused to compromise and redirect its traffic onto Clarendon Street, although this worked perfectly fine during the pedestrianisation trail last summer. Partial pedestrianisation doesn’t make any sense! If you have you been on South William street on a busy Saturday or Sunday afternoon, you know that it looks and feels incredible, the energy is fantastic. However the footpaths are just too narrow, the street gets congested, traffic is not moving, air pollution is trapped in between beautiful tall Georgian buildings. The survival of hundreds of small local businesses and the health and safety of our public is now at stake. It's time to make the changes! We need to act like a modern European city that is evolving and needs space to breathe. Streets are for people! Innovative change is needed for the city centre. Please sign this petition to show your support for full pedestrianisation of South William street.

A recent Ernrst and Young (EY) report for The Arts Council stated that at the end of August 2020, 58% of workers in the sector were wholly reliant on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) or the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS). The EY report also stated that in 2020 the recession in the Arts sector was expected be around -55% compared with -11% in the Irish economy on a whole. In the live performance and events sector there are 35,000 full time employees. Of 343 firms surveyed in June 2020 by Event Industry Ireland, 57% of companies have laid-off staff on a temporary basis and a further 8% have let staff go permanently. The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future contained a commitment for a Universal Basic Income (UBI), in the lifetime of the Government. This commitment was consolidated by recommendations from the Arts Recovery Task Force which stated “Pilot a universal basic income scheme for a three-year period in the arts, culture, audio-visual and live performance and events sectors”. Point 11 commits to the introduction of a Universal Basic Income pilot in the lifetime of the Government. Universal Basic Income is defined as an unconditional State payment that each citizen receives. The payment is designed to provide enough to cover the basic cost of living and provide a modicum of financial security. All other income would then be earned separately and subject to taxation. The scheme should be ‘opt in’ and other workers from these sectors who do not opt in can be used as a control group against which to measure the pilot. I am seeking your support in the delivery of these commitments by Government as a matter of urgency. I would be grateful if you would confirm your support and if you would advise of the steps you have taken to assist in the delivery of the promised pilot scheme for a UBI.

In the past week, graphic videos and images of the violence engulfing Israel and Palestine have circulated around the world, capturing international attention as the threat of increased military action looms. The violence has already led to over 200 deaths, the vast majority of whom are Palestinians, and include children. This oppressive regime has complete control over Palestinians -- from access to land, water, aid, and even movement. The Israeli government's brutal occupation and policies have resulted in this ongoing crisis. President Biden must take action to immediately de-escalate the situation, broker a ceasefire, and call on the Israeli government to put an immediate stop to the forced evictions and displacement of Palestinian families.

Birth partners are not visitors; they often are the other parent to the baby/babies and provide essential physical, mental and emotional support during pregnancy and birth. While pregnancy is not an illness, pregnant people are particularly vulnerable emotionally and mentally, and having to attend appointments without the support of a trusted partner can leave them feeling alone, scared and anxious. This can lead to mental health issues. Prior to the pandemic, one-third of women found their birth experience traumatic, which can significantly affect their lives, their relationships and their transition to parenthood; restrictions are compounding this. Birthing people and their partners should be treated in an holistic way, protecting their physical, emotional and mental health.

A Referendum is essential:- 1. To deliver affordable homes for citizens by outlawing the artificial 37% added costs to build homes in Ireland. VAT alone is €23,000 for a 3 bed semi. 2. To stop Rack Rents preventing young people from saving for their own homes and preventing lower income groups from access to 3rd level education due to the exorbitant cost of student accommodation. 3. To prevent Evictions unless decided by the Courts. ... and ... to remove the Central Bank biased and unfair constraints on Irish citizens which are not applicable to foreign vulture funds or local councils competing for homes. - to stop Vulture funds competing with first time buyers. - to stop Local Authorities competing with first time buyers. - to stop recurring Housing crises. "The 2008 CRASH could not have happened if this Referendum had been passed when called for in 1974. It was again recommended in 2014 by the Constitutional Convention." - to reduce the cost of build - artificially inflated by 37%. - to reduce the funding requirements for small and SME builders to build houses - increasing competition. - to increase competition in the housing supply. - to deliver proportionate amount of social homes.

This is so important to reward all the underage players for their hard work and dedication, to inspire the next generation and to engage young ladies footballers

Children sharing the same campus and buildings will have different meals. Junior school children will have a cold lunch while children in the adjoining senior school, along with all other children in the parish, will have a hot lunch. Killinarden is a area of social and economic deprivation. A hot school meal is essential for the development of the child and their full engagement in education.

We want to build support behind the Debenhams Bill - we are calling on people to support the Bill, sign the petition and email your TDs and Senators and urge them to vote in favour of the Bill. Over the last year the Debenhams workers have been fighting for their owed redundancy. They have faced organised strike breaking with the use of Gardaí to aggressively break pickets, and a government that has not taken real action. @ 𝟓𝐩𝐦, 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 -𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟐𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐲 the Dáil will debate and vote on The Companies (Protection of Employees' Rights in Liquidations) Bill 2021, better known as the Debenhams Bill. The Bill seeks to boost the rights of workers' in two simple ways: - The Bill would ensure that workers are treated as priority creditors so any monies generated from the sale of assets would go to paying workers first ahead of other creditors. - The Bill would ensure that collective agreements covering redundancies would be given the status of a debt owed to workers and would therefore be more likely to be paid in a liquidation. This important for the future of ALL workers who may find themselves in similar situations.

This is so important because it was released just over a month ago that there was the plan to bring Syrian refugee minors to Ireland however nothing has been done due to COVID and it is said that if they do not go with the plan within the next 3 weeks or so they are going to scrap the idea all together. WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN This is an email we sent to minister Roderic O’Gorman pressing about this issue. Dear Roderic O’Gorman  We hope this message find you well. Ours names are Sumaya, Lucas, Tia, George and Etain and we are writing to you to inquire about  the current issue of the 14 unaccompanied minors that were supposed to come to Ireland. It has come to our recent attention (from the article in the Irish times bringing the issue to light) that you announced 14 Syrian child refugees were going to be brought to Ireland. On Mar 28, 2021 it was said the Garda were due to travel to Greece the week after. You said yourself “Tusla officials will be going over to Greece in the next week to, we hope, bring over 14 identified unaccompanied minors,” It has been 28 days since you said this and yet nothing has happened. This is an absolute disgrace to the hopeful refugees and asylum seekers who thought through their struggle and trauma maybe Ireland was changing for the better and was going to happily open its arms to these children. And even more so, it is an absolute disappointment that nothing about this is being said in the news and since these dates you have not addressed it either. We are pressing you to do all you can to give these, more likely than not, terrified children who have probably been through hell and back a home in this country immediately. However we understand that due to level 5 restrictions it has affected the ability to complete this promise however we plead you to do anything possible to speed up this agenda and make it a top priority. For you cannot allow any further delays to occur. You need to fulfill your promise and resettle those children and give them the support emotionally and physically the way that they really do deserve. We kindly request that you respond to us soon with a full update on what is happening and when the plan for the young people to arrive in Ireland is. Best wishes, Sumaya, Lucas, Tia, George and Etain . . . . Here is also an article if you’d like to know more about the situation https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/further-delay-in-relocation-of-syrian-child-refugees-to-ireland-1.4530312