Direct Provision also known as asylum seekers is a term used to describe the money, food, accommodation and medical services an individual receives while their international protection application is being processed (Citizensinformation.ie, 2021). As of 2019 there were a total of 4,781 applicants for the protection status in Ireland (‘Statistics’, 2020). There were 7,330 still pending at the end of 2019 and a total of 585 people living in Ireland with the refugee status. Due to the large numbers of asylum seekers and the growing increase over the years, facilities are exhaust leading to poor treatment of the basic human rights and needs of an individual living in direct provision. Asylum seekers are given a weekly payment of €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child, as a result of this they are unable to afford education, healthcare or sufficient food (Citizensinformation.ie, 2021). Not only their physical health is being damaged, but also their mental health. People in direct provision are five times more likely to have issues in relation to their mental health (‘Direct Provision – Doras’, 2021). The total funding for the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) is €770,000 (Justice, 2020). This is to be spread across seven different areas around Ireland, allowing only €110,000 for each geographical area. This is not enough funding to provide adequate accommodation, food, education and healthcare for all. The White Paper was released in February 2021 which contains a description of the current plans in relation to abolishing Direct Provision. This is in fact great news however, change needs to be made now and cannot wait three or so more years. There are people currently living in Direct Provision and their voices and concerns need to be heard and their needs must be met. Immediate action must be taken to help those currently living in Direct Provision. The following are links to more detailed sources in relation to this issue: Information on Direct Provision: https://www.irishrefugeecouncil.ie/listing/category/direct-provision Information on the food provided: https://nascireland.org/sites/default/files/WhatsFoodFINAL.pdf Information on the White Paper: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/affd6-minister-ogorman-publishes-the-white-paper-on-ending-direct-provision/ References: Citizensinformation.ie (2021) Direct provision system. Citizensinformation.ie. Available at: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/asylum_seekers_and_refugees/services_for_asylum_seekers_in_ireland/direct_provision.html ‘Direct Provision – Doras’ (2021). Available at: http://doras.org/direct-provision/ Justice, T. D. of (2020) Irish Refugee Protection Programme, The Department of Justice. The Department of Justice. Available at: http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Irish_Refugee_Protection_Programme_(IRPP) ‘Statistics’ (2020) Asylum Information Database | European Council on Refugees and Exiles. Available at: https://asylumineurope.org/reports/country/republic-ireland/statistics/

Direct Provision also known as asylum seekers is a term used to describe the money, food, accommodation and medical services an individual receives while their international protection application is being processed (Citizensinformation.ie, 2021). As of 2019 there were a total of 4,781 applicants for the protection status in Ireland (‘Statistics’, 2020). There were 7,330 still pending at the end of 2019 and a total of 585 people living in Ireland with the refugee status. Due to the large numbers of asylum seekers and the growing increase over the years, facilities are exhaust leading to poor treatment of the basic human rights and needs of an individual living in direct provision. Asylum seekers are given a weekly payment of €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child, as a result of this they are unable to afford education, healthcare or sufficient food (Citizensinformation.ie, 2021). Not only their physical health is being damaged, but also their mental health. People in direct provision are five times more likely to have issues in relation to their mental health (‘Direct Provision – Doras’, 2021). The total funding for the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) is €770,000 (Justice, 2020). This is to be spread across seven different areas around Ireland, allowing only €110,000 for each geographical area. This is not enough funding to provide adequate accommodation, food, education and healthcare for all. The White Paper was released in February 2021 which contains a description of the current plans in relation to abolishing Direct Provision. This is in fact great news however, change needs to be made now and cannot wait three or so more years. There are people currently living in Direct Provision and their voices and concerns need to be heard and their needs must be met. Immediate action must be taken to help those currently living in Direct Provision. The following are links to more detailed sources in relation to this issue: Information on Direct Provision: https://www.irishrefugeecouncil.ie/listing/category/direct-provision Information on the food provided: https://nascireland.org/sites/default/files/WhatsFoodFINAL.pdf Information on the White Paper: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/affd6-minister-ogorman-publishes-the-white-paper-on-ending-direct-provision/ References: Citizensinformation.ie (2021) Direct provision system. Citizensinformation.ie. Available at: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/asylum_seekers_and_refugees/services_for_asylum_seekers_in_ireland/direct_provision.html ‘Direct Provision – Doras’ (2021). Available at: http://doras.org/direct-provision/ Justice, T. D. of (2020) Irish Refugee Protection Programme, The Department of Justice. The Department of Justice. Available at: http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Irish_Refugee_Protection_Programme_(IRPP) ‘Statistics’ (2020) Asylum Information Database | European Council on Refugees and Exiles. Available at: https://asylumineurope.org/reports/country/republic-ireland/statistics/

The rate of infant mortality in the Traveller community is 3 times higher than the settled population. For a first world country, there should not be such a large gap in these rates between a minority group and the rest of the population. The government has known about this issue for more than 13 years and yet has not done anything in order to reduce the rate. Please sign this petition so that we can bring around change.

Violence is happening everywhere and all women are at risk. It's happening on the street, in homes, in workplaces, in entertainment, and in intimate relationships.

As I am both a health care assistant and help my partner with her parents who need full time care, she only gets €109 a week which is shambolic for all she does and saves the country like all other carers who look after their children, parents, and young adults with disabilities, they need more support as medication, treatment and other outgoings are very expensive and it is unrealistic to expect these people to live on such a small allowance.

This campaign is being orchestrated by the the 1916 Societies, who are an Irish separatist movement who believe the people of Ireland have the right to determine their own future. For more information on our campaign visit our website: 1916Societies.ie

Direct Provision Centres are the accommodation provided to asylum seekers by the state (Citizensinformation.ie, 2021). A feature of the majority of these centres is that food is only available at set times, a breakfast, lunch, and evening meal (Citizensinformation.ie, 2021). This is highly problematic as the food is often inedible to the point that residents chose to skip the meal, meaning they are forced to go hungry (Barry, 2014). Similarly, any residents partaking in religious holidays such as Ramadan have no access to food at night when their fast is broken (Barry, 2014). Food is a human right, as is the availability and accessibility of it (OHCHR, 2021). By making healthy snacks constantly available to residents in Direct Provision Centres, many issues would be addressed in an easy and cost effective way. However, the emphasis is on healthy. Currently there are strict limits on access to fruit, and the food served is very high in salt, sugar, and fat (Barry, 2014). This cannot be the case for the accessible snacks as it would defeat the purpose. The White Paper was released in February and contains the government’s plan to abolish the Direct Provision system. While this is undoubtably a great step in the right direction, change is unlikely to occur before 2024 and these issues need to be addressed now. This petition is a call on Minister O’Gorman to enforce change in these centres immediately. The following links contain further, more detailed, information regarding the numerous nutritional issues faced by Asylum Seekers in Ireland: https://www.directprovision.org/copy-of-voices-in-dp https://nascireland.org/sites/default/files/WhatsFoodFINAL.pdf References: Barry, K. (2014) What’s Food Got To Do With It: Food Experiences of Asylum Seekers in Direct Provision. Nasc, the Irish Immigrant Support Centre. Citizensinformation.ie (2021) Direct provision system. Citizensinformation.ie. Available at: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/asylum_seekers_and_refugees/services_for_asylum_seekers_in_ireland/direct_provision.html OHCHR | OHCHR and the right to food (2021). Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/En/Issues/ESCR/Pages/food.aspx

Support to alleviate continuous sufferings of the Undocumented people

Anti-choice and religious groups are staging protests around Limerick maternity hospital and other health centres around the country. This is distressing for pregnant people and their families, for health care workers, and local residents. While everyone has the right to protest, they do not have the right to a captive audience. We are calling on government to bring in legislation to create safe zones around health centres in which protest of any kind in relation to abortion is forbidden

Amy Barrett`s father, Jerry O'Keeffe, was jailed for 10 years in November 2017. Jerry O Keeffe was charged with three charges of rape, five charges of indecent assault and one charge of sexual assault of his daughters on dates between January 1980 and March 1987. The trial brought the horrors of the sexual abuse rushing back to Amy and with no professional services to help her deal with the aftershocks Amy found herself in a very dark place. During the court case, the gardaí, her solicitors and the court service supported her and guided her through until her father, Jerry O’Keefe, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2017. But once the trial ended, all State support vanished. Amy is seeking your support, calling on Government to fund better support mechanisms for victims of crime. Many believe victims automatically receive care plans and psychological support post-trial. Amazingly this is not the case. The state provides more support structures for the perpetrators of abuse than to the victims of abuse. As prisoners in Irish jails perpetrators of crime have care plans and psychological support. Although this is welcome and hopefully prevents those abusers from re offending what do the abuse victims receive... nothing....where is the support for victims? Due to current COVID 19 restrictions rape and murder cases are being delayed by as much as two years due to Covid-19. Many believe these delays could be devastating to victims and may result in many victims withdrawing their statements. Ireland has a long horrendous record of abuse, sexual abuse, child abuse yet nothing has changed for the victims. Please help Amy secure what should be a fundamental right of victims

Construction began on the bridge in 1987 and built by National Toll Roads (NTR plc is a private company). They built 3.2 km of road way linking the N3 and N4 including the bridge. In return for building and maintaining the bridge NTR plc received the rights to operate It as a toll Bridge for 30 years. (1990-2020) Motorists have been charged daily for the use of this essential route for the last thirty years. In recent years and since the opening of the e-flow system, the state has allowed taxpayers to be charged 50 times the original toll fee for unpaid journeys even through a recession resulting in sherrifs being awarded court orders to break into citizens homes and hold their property to ransom. The 30 year contract was finished in 2020 sign this petition to move to abolish this extortion. The Irish people pay through the teeth in terms of taxes and recieve next to nothing for their contribution. Help us raise awareness and end this additional austerity and sign this petition.

Natural justice will not be served if the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby homes is allowed to close down with so many unanswered questions, not least about its own functioning and some of the conclusions in its report. A legal enquiry that publishes conclusions and testimonies that are disputed by those who gave them and then destroys evidence cannot provide closure. There are so many unanswered questions about the manner in which this commission was run and the way it reached its conclusions that it must be held to account. This commission must not be added to the list of inquiries that have added insult to the injuries of survivors and helped mask the truth. Theatening that an extension will delay compensation for survivors is not germane. Survivors want the truth. We ALL want the truth.