Phibsborough Post Office is a major branch office of An Post, employing seven people directly and providing vital social and postal services to the communities of East Cabra and Phibsborough with a population of c. 15,000 people. The closure of the Post Office would result in the loss of a vital public service, particularly for the elderly.

I’ve been working for Dunnes Stores for 8 years now, and I still don’t know what my wages will be from week-to-week. On any payday, a Dunnes workers' wages can be slashed by up to 60% (more than €200). This makes it impossible for my family and I to plan our lives, and we’re not alone. There are almost 10,000 workers in Dunnes Stores who have the same worries I do. Most of us are low paid. Most of us are women. And most of us are on 15 hour contracts. So some weeks we will work 40 hours, but when a local manager takes a dislike to us, they can slash our hours to 15. And there are hundreds of thousands of workers across the country in a similar position. We don’t know from week-to-week whether we will be able to pay our bills. We can’t get loans or mortgages because the banks look at the lowest hours on our contracts and see how insecure our wages are. It’s impossible to have peace of mind. That’s why in April 2015, two and a half years ago, 6,000 of us went on strike to win secure hour contracts. After the strike, management targeted us. They sacked some of us, slashed the hours of others, changed our working patterns and generally made our lives hell. They use the allocation of hours as a control mechanism over us. So we now have to rely on politicians to legislate in order to make sure every worker in Ireland is protected from zero hour and “If and When” contracts. There have been several opportunities to pass legislation in recent years, which would have ended zero hours and ‘If and When’ contracts, but the government has delayed and postponed and are now preparing their own legislation which we believe will not benefit low hour workers. Our Union, Mandate, believes the government are going to leave loopholes open so that employers can still exploit workers like me. But if all TD’s commit to support the Secure Hours – Better Future charter, we can make sure no worker is exploited and workers like us can plan our day-to-day lives, provide for our families and pay our bills. Please sign this petition and call on your local representatives to support the Secure Hours – Better Future charter today.

The current system, in which local authorities are responsible for the inspection of properties in the private rented sector, is not fit for purpose. The present system relies on landlords being caught. But the prospect of being caught is slim. There is no fear of the consequences, in the absence of regulations and proper inspections. The current reliance on the fire service to enforce fire safety standards is too much of a demand on overstretched frontline services. A certification system needs to be put in place NOW, where the onus is on landlords to prove their compliance with minimum standards. If a certificate does not exist, the penalty for renting should be severe, so that there is no excuse for being outside the system. Inspections would then focus solely on whether the landlord held a certificate of compliance.

In the light of the recent RTE Prime Time Program "Nightmare to Rent". It is now obvious to all of us that the inspection regime who the County Councils are responsible for is not working. Tenants are being forced to live in unsafe and sub-standard accommodation in Co Meath and all over the country. Meath County Council and all its councillors have a duty of care to all tenants especially those in emergency accommodation to ensure their safety and that their accommodation is not sub-standard.

Homelessness is increasing in Cork with no sign of reducing. The social housing waiting list has people on it for over 10 years. Rents are increasing year on year. People are being evicted from their homes. House prices are soaring as the housing market is being speculated on. The private sector will not resolve this crisis. Public housing is desperately needed. Unfortunately, central government has no political will to provide this. Public housing cannot be provided by local government if they are not given the resources for this. We are asking our local councillors to make a statement to central government. Local government needs to be provided with resourcing for building public housing. If they are not provided with resourcing then the council needs to take a stand against the consistent defunding of local government and housing provision. We are asking our councillors to not pass the budget. On November 9th we will be marching from Patrick's hill to Cork City Hall. Assembling at 4.30. Join us here: https://www.facebook.com/events/702754979929537/

Women diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes were previously granted temporary LTI numbers to allow them access free drugs and testing strips to monitor their condition (as people with Type 1 and 2 can). This right was removed in 2013, causing untold stress to any pregnant woman diagnosed with GD. Because of how dangerous the condition is in pregnancy, many women have to test their blood multiple times a day. The strips for the testing machines can cost anywhere up to 59 euro a box, meaning that many women are spending 144 euro a month (max you pay on DPS scheme) buying strips, which were previously free. People with other types of diabetes are given an automatic right to free strips, for life, while pregnant women are once again punished by a government that does not care about them or their well being. There are few among us who could cope with suddenly needing to shell out 144 euro a month, especially low paid workers with no medical card entitlements - and when you're saving for a new baby it's even more stressful. Pregnancy is universal, people from all walks of life want to have families, but the working poor are once more being punished by a government that does not care. Give women back their rights, treat pregnant women equally and fairly.

Because the banks acted criminally and all those involved should be charged for the crimes they have committed which have led to suicide, marriage breakup, nervous breakdowns, homelessness and insolvency.

Ireland will fail to meet our climate target of a 20% emissions reduction by 2020. Even worse - Denis Naughten and our Government are trying to back out of our 2030 promise by pushing for a loophole in the EU climate agreement. [1] Hurricane Ophelia shocked us all showing how much harm a storm like this can cause in such a short space of time. Three people tragically lost their lives. 400,000 homes lost power, schools were forced to shut down, business couldn't open, homes damaged and livelihoods shattered. [2] Unless we make our Government step up on climate change, Hurricane Ophelia is just the beginning. Don't let Ireland drag the whole EU on climate action - let's make the Government stick to their word. [1] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/ireland-taking-a-shameful-approach-to-emissions-targets-1.3254299 [2] http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/hurricane-ophelia/ophelia-recovery-operation-gale-force-winds-may-disrupt-recovery-efforts-as-tens-of-thousands-still-without-electricity-and-water-36234697.html

Ireland has a gender pension gap of 37%, and women have considerably less access to State pensions than men. Changes to pension contribution bands in 2012 made it harder for women to qualify for a State pension, compounding the situation. Tens of thousands of women get smaller pensions, or sometimes no pension at all, simply because they took time out of the workforce to care for their children.

The year 2017 marked twenty years since Ireland’s first comprehensive plan to address poverty: the National Anti-Poverty Strategy 1997-2006. The year 2018 marked key anniversary for End Poverty activists and for the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights! The 30th anniversary of the death of Joseph Wresinski, the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela (who launched the Make Poverty History Campaign) and the 70 years of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The year 2019 is starting with the Centenary of the first meeting of Dáil Éireann which occurred on 21 January 1919 in the Round Room of the Dublin Mansion House. In this first and highly symbolic meeting, the proceedings of the Dáil were conducted for the only time entirely in the Irish language, except for previously drafted declarations including the proclamation of the "Democratic Programme" including the following pledge: "It shall be the first duty of the Government of the Republic to make provision for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the children, to secure that no child shall suffer hunger or cold from lack of food, clothing, or shelter, but that all shall be provided with the means and facilities requisite for their proper education and training as Citizens of a Free and Gaelic Ireland." On the day of the Centenary, the Irish Times in partnership with the Children Rights' Alliance launched the #NoChild2020 campaign! No Child 2020 is an initiative by Fintan O'Toole and other Irish Times' journalists aiming to provide a sustained focus on child welfare and children’s issues over the coming year. We believe that Ireland needs a new Integrated Framework for Social Inclusion, to tackle inequality and poverty. We know Ireland faces major challenges: - to end the Housing Crisis - to deliver the SlainteCare’s vision for a better and fairer health system - to tackle Child Poverty and the poverty faced by the children's families - to implement the 17 Global Goals set down in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including action to limit climate change with a strong concern for climate justice - to become a society with communities ready to leave no one behind, the promise of the UN 2030 Agenda If we are serious about tackling these issues, and serious about lifting people out of poverty and eliminating its causes, we must have a consistent, comprehensive plan to address poverty and social exclusion. Such a plan will only succeed if it is owned by civil society at large and also by the people experiencing poverty, not just politicians and the organisations that work to combat inequality and exclusion. Our call to action: let's walk as one to end poverty! In the follow-up of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (10 December 2018), as Ireland marks the Centenary of the Democratic Programme, strengthened by the launch of the "No Child 2020" initiative, inspired by the "End Poverty" legacies of Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, inspired also by the pledge of Joseph Wresinski: "To come together is our solemn duty," and following the call by Mary Robinson and the Elders to "Walk Together", we seek a new approach. Let's bring everyone who wants to make a difference together! All stakeholders: public bodies, teachers, trainers and researchers, corporates and services, youth groups and pensioners, and the people who fight against the poverty and stigma that they experience. Let's say: "We – citizens, workers, leaders, managers, carers, parents, activists or professionals or both – are ready to be part of the End Poverty plan. We all need to own this plan: to know the goals and own them. Together we wish to take part in a strong participatory process to make the next Anti-Poverty Plan the best ever. Those who live with poverty and social exclusion deserve it. They also should have the opportunity help develop this new plan. And when the plan is in place they should be able to play their part to ensure it is implemented. I have a role to play and I support this call to action and would like to be involve in the design, implementation and monitoring of our common plan!” Let us leave no one behind! All together in dignity!"

We seem to be allowing a continuous stripping of services from rural Ireland, this would be a start of a serious opportunity to reverse this trend and offer a genuine service to elderly people who want to remain in their homes. We could customise these hubs to suit each village or location, eg combine this service with the local community centre, a cafe a local business or a stand alone unit. This hub could be staffed by locals and would offer all the services of a post office, plus access for the elderly to a government services help desk, environmental help, grants, tourist info etc, it could also be a start of decentralisation from Dublin.

Over 3,000 children are homeless today in Ireland and the numbers are growing. These children are placed into whatever homeless accommodation is available without consideration for their schooling. Their schools are often great distances from their accommodation resulting in costly and time- consuming travel for them and their parents. There is very limited support for them to reach school. Services should be provided for all homeless children who have to travel significant distances to school.