The issue of employment status has become particularly pressing with the recent launch of PWO's report, 'Workers in All, but Name, Pay, and Conditions' (find at: https://pwo.ie/our-policies/); and imminent publications the Irish Universities Association (IUA) and the final draft of the government's 'National Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers.' PhD researchers have none of the standard entitlements of employees such as PRSI, sick leave, maternity leave, the minimum wage, or the right to join a trade union. They earn less than subsistence wages in conditions of insecurity. The call for employee status has been made as a solution to these problems, bringing us in line with European best practice. Recently organisations such as IFUT, SIPTU, and the USI have all endorsed employee status. But the IUA and university administrators have voiced their opposition. We believe an issue as important as this should be debated openly and across the entire college community. The discussion should not be confined to boardrooms, and all should have the opportunity to hear both sides and express their opinion. That is why we call on the Provost to commit to organising a public debate on the issue that will be open to all students and staff.

The new bye-laws concerning the harbour of Skerries are being brought into effect of March 1st 2024 which effect the town of skerries and the use of the harbour and the surrounding "inner harbour" use by all persons and vessels. Local government and representatives have done nothing to support the concerned people of Skerries and stop the Fingal County Council from making new sets of rules which will introduce fines and call for people to be guilty of an offence by continuing their boating/vessel activities in the harbour and surround bay / "inner harbour" of Skerries. Your support to object to the county council heavy handed and authoritarian methods is required. Not only to cause resistance to the new bye-laws but to bring a stop to local authority and elected representatives to doing "whatever they want" when it comes to our town of Skerries with little to no consideration for the people of the town. The people who have voted for such representatives yet receiving no representation once the votes have been counted. When done to others for other issues that do not directly affect YOU, it is no big deal right? Until the day it does effect YOU. Then you will understand why a town must pull together and support each other. The bye-laws proposed do not follow any law of the land of Ireland and are being introduced by the county council to undermine the use of the harbour as we have all known it for generations to date. Your support in signing this petition is to take a stand and have your say or voice heard. It is one thing to join a protest or a march and it is another to know what is going on in your own local back yard and see how changes may not always be for the better of the majority. Again if the local "reps" wish to receive continued support for their careers then it is YOU and all of us together that can demand of them TRUE & PROPER representation. Do not allow local reps and Fingal county council to sweep things under the carpet or make swift changes to the town you have grown to love without having YOUR say. You will note that some of the bye-laws are supported by acts of law or Irish statute, while other new bye-laws are creating / being invented without the support of any established Irish law or statute. It is important to sign the petition for so many more reasons than can be typed into this box. The bye-laws below have been voted on in favour of by council members and approved to come in to effect March 1st 2024. Sign below to support the towns of Skerries, Balbriggan, Loughshinny & Rush. A copy of Harbour bye-laws can be found online

Student nurses in Ireland are working 12 hour shifts 3 days a week and aren’t paid a cent. They’re paying for their transport to and from placement and their meals whilst working. They deserve to be compensated for the money they’re spending. They play an important role in our healthcare system and are the future of our care.

Out of a potential electorate of 500,000+, only short of 113,000 are registered to vote, and of that number only just short of 39,000 used their votes in the 2020 election. We don’t believe that this can possibly represent a true reflection of the NUI Constituency electorate’s needs and views in Seanad Éireann. Furthermore, a vast graduate body is excluded from voting and has no representation at all, including, among others all former and existing IT colleges, DCU and teacher colleges to name but a few. We ask eligible voters to download, print and post the form register to vote, available here: https://www.nui.ie/elections/seanad-register.asp To share our campaign material through their channels and to contact and encourage their Colleges and Public Representatives to pledge their support and raise awareness. We are calling on the relevant Colleges and Public Representatives to pledge their support by signing this pledge, by using their platform to raise awareness and increase voter engagement. We ask that by pledging your support you also pledge commitment to ongoing reform and enfranchisement , specifically through calling for voter registration to be moved online, and to move to include all third level institution graduates are extended the entitlement to vote for candidates and representation in Seanad Éireann.

On February 8th 2024, the UK government blocked a British Phonographic Industry (BIP) funding award that would help Belfast rap trio Kneecap to expand their music in global markets. Their application was approved and signed off by an independent selection board, but he UK government overruled this decision. A spokesperson for Kemi Badenoch cited that the UK government "didn't want to hand out UK tax money to people that oppose the United Kingdom itself." The British government blocking arts funding for a group because they aren't pro-union goes against the very essence of the Good Friday Agreement, artistic freedom and free speech. No government should be removing funding due to an artist’s position on constitutional the future of the north.

All children can learn. All children have a right to an education and we need to stand up for some of the most vulnerable children in our community who are being denied an education.

The exclusion of Russia from Eurovision in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine was hugely significant and demonstrated Eurovision's capacity to take an ethical stance on human rights. Martin Österdahl, Eurovision’s executive supervisor, previously spoke about this decision regarding Russia, stating, "When we say we are not political, what we always should stand up for are the basic and ultimate values of democracy."

Israeli military action in Gaza and the ongoing conflict in the Occupied West Bank have led to appalling suffering and loss of life for Palestinians and to a deteriorating humanitarian situation, which is unprecedented.  Israel has disregarded all calls for a ceasefire and for allowing adequate delivery of humanitarian aid. Israeli military have caused the death of over 35,000 people, the destruction of 80% of civilian building and infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, water, sanitation and energy infrastructure.  Senior politicians in the Israeli government have openly declared their intention to continue their military action, which is a breach of international law and which has been recognised as amounting to genocide by many international experts.  In addition to the unspeakable level of suffering in Gaza, the oppression and illegal treatment of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories is well documented. In the world of sport, it is undeniable that Palestinian athletes may at this time not be in a position to participate in any sporting events: the killing, injuries, and maiming of people, the destruction of houses, displacement of the vast majority of the Gazan population, lack of nutrition, water and sanitation, the appalling state of healthcare facilities, would make it next to impossible to even consider participation in sport at any level. For this reason, we believe that there are grounds to act on Israel’s disregard for human rights of Palestinians, by urgently implementing measures in respect of Israel’s participation in international sporting events. 1) We call on Sport Ireland to condemn the invasion and ongoing military action in Gaza, which is a blatant violation of international law, as well as of the Olympic Charter; 2) We call on Sport Ireland to request that the International Olympic Committee take action in relation to Israeli’s actions in Gaza, and implement the following measures:  - Athletes with an Israeli passport may not be considered for participation in the Olympic Games Paris 2024;  - IOC to issue recommendations to all Sporting Federations in relation to Israel’s participation in international sporting events, including the following: a) That no international sports events be organised in Israel; b) That no Israeli flag, anthems or other national symbols whatsoever should be displayed at any international sports events; c) That no Israeli government or state officials should be accredited for or invited to any international sports events; d) That the Olympic Committee of Israel is no longer entitled to operate as a National Olympic Committee, as defined in the Olympic Charter, and cannot receive any funding from the Olympic Movement. As individuals involved in Irish sport, we have a moral obligation to take action in relation to the ongoing violation of human rights of the Palestinian people. We therefore call on Sport Ireland to act in line with its values and to use its role within the international sporting community to try and put a stop to this destruction and restore humanity.

These actions would: Bring an end to Ireland's trade with and investment in the illegal Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestine (in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention) Would end the Irish State's support for the gross violation of human rights being perpetrated by Israel; and would support the Palestinian people's right to self-determination https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2023/28/ (Occupied Territories) https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2018/6/ (Illegal Settlements) https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/atrocity-crimes/Doc.33_GC-IV-EN.pdf https://www.nad.ps/en/publication-resources/faqs/recognition-palestine

Although Israel has tried to suppress and discredit information leaving Gaza, including by murdering at least 170 journalists, thanks to the courage and determination of those men and women we can see the scale of brutality and destruction being wrought in Gaza through social media. It is the duty of RTÉ as Ireland's national broadcaster to tell the truth about what is happening in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria. By suppressing information, by playing into official Israeli and US narratives and ignoring credible reports of war crimes, RTÉ becomes complicit. The Irish people have a right to know about those crimes, because they are being funded and supported by countries with which we enjoy the closest of cultural and economic relations. Moreover, Israel itself is one of Ireland's largest trading partners (in 2022 alone, Ireland imported goods valued at €5 billion from Israel).

We need your help to apply pressure on the Irish Government to take action, and make them aware that there is a strong public demand for legal action against the genocidal actions of the Israeli state.

Young people across the UK and Ireland currently live in an electoral postcode lottery. 16 and 17 year olds in Scotland and Wales are allowed to vote in local and Parliamentary elections, while their peers in Northern Ireland cannot.  Scotland and Wales join a host of other nations across the world which have chosen to extend voting rights to their young citizens, including: • Austria • Brazil • Cuba • Ecuador • Parts of Germany • Greece • Malta • Nicaragua, and more! Young people living in Northern Ireland feel disenfranchised and unsupported by our political system. Lowering the voting age to 16 will give our young people a democratic voice, ensuring that their voices can be heard on the issues that matter to them.  Why now? Recent comments by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in support of votes at 16 have sparked some heated public debate on the issue. Many of the arguments put forward have been based on assumptions about young people's behaviour, maturity and competence. But we no longer need to rely on assumptions - we can look at the international evidence!  1. Young people are capable and engaged  - when faced with situations that require unhurried, deliberate consideration - 'cold cognition' - 16 year olds demonstrate judgement as mature as that of adults. In the weeks and months before an election, young people have time to use their cold cognition skills, gathering evidence and talking to their friends, family and peers before making an informed decision. 2.  Many young people are political activists and campaigners - globally and locally, 16 and 17 year olds have campaigned for climate action, better mental health services, RSE and much more. 3. Young people have minds of their own - it's true that in most European countries, young people tend to support left-leaning parties in higher numbers than adults. But just like adults, young people hold a range of views and opinions from across the political spectrum (see trends in Austria, Germany and Scotland) 4. Younger voters are lifelong voters - at age 18, many young people are in a transitional phase of life - leaving school, starting uni or work, moving out of the family home or their hometown. They might not be familiar with local issues and candidates, or with voting registration systems and requirements. These conditions can dampen rates of voter turnout. But at the ages of 16 and 17, young people are more likely to in environments with strong socialisation influences, like the family home and school. Evidence from Scotland shows that when they are given the right to vote, 16 and 17 year olds turn out in greater numbers than those aged 18 - 24! 5. Respect for fairness and equality - young people aren't just citizens of the future - they're full and equal citizens now! At the age of 16, young people in NI can work, pay taxes, provide care for loved ones, get married and serve in the Armed Forces. They're an active and valuable part of society - why shouldn't they have a say in how things are governed? The importance of education When 16 and 17 year olds are granted the right to vote in Northern Ireland, it is vital that this is accompanied by plans to develop high-quality civic education. Deliberative political literacy education can help to mitigate inequalities in political knowledge, confidence and participation from the earliest possible stages. Schools and youth organisations have a crucial role to play in empowering, supporting and encouraging young people to engage meaningfully with politics.  Credit for Image: Bulat Silvia