On Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, the Joint Committee on Water will vote on whether they recommend water charges for “excessive use.” This will be a Trojan Horse for bringing in full water charges at a later date. So far 10 members of the 20 person water committee have committed to scrapping water charges and ending the domestic metering process. If one more member abstains or votes to scrap the charges, the Dail will be instructed to end metering and end water charges for good. We’re asking people to contact two members of the Committee who may support our position. Senator Grace O’Sullivan of the Civic Engagement Group and Deputy Noel Grealish, Independent TD for Galway West. We must convince these members to vote to scrap water charges: 1. If metered charges continue, eventually allowances will be reduced and full water charges will be introduced in time – meaning Ireland would have water poverty for the first time in our history. 2. Irish people are not wasteful with their water. In fact, we use less water than almost any other country in the EU consuming 25% less water than countries like the UK where they’ve had metered charges for almost 30 years. 3. There is a real problem with leaks in the system but only 3% of leaks come from the household side of the infrastructure. Funding should be directed to the public side where 97% of water is being leaked and also to district metering which could identify leaks. 4. A metering process for ‘excessive use’ makes no economic sense. Firstly, the ‘expert commission’ on water said there is no identifiable excessive use and using their formula for charging for excessive use would mean spending up to €300 million on a metering programme for a return of €27 million. This is a waste of valuable taxpayers money and would divert money from upgrading the real infrastructural problems. 5. The real agenda behind water charges is privatization. Should the metering process continue, there is no doubt that our water would be privatized in the future. 6. Article 1.9 of the CETA international trade agreement could provide for the privatization of our water in the future and having meters in place would facilitate this. 7. Two thirds of the Irish public voted for politicians who declared opposition to water charges. This is backed up by the Irish Times MRBI poll which shows that 64% of the population want the charges scrapped while only 34% want them continued. It is time to do the democratic will of the Irish electorate. For these reasons and more water charges must be abolished. We need you to contact Senator Grace O’Sullivan and Deputy Noel Grealish and demand they abstain or vote to end water charges for good. Noel Grealish TD - [email protected] Senator Grace O’Sullivan - [email protected] As Senator Grace O’Sullivan is representing the Civic Engagement Group on the Water Committee, it is important that we tell the other members of the Committee to support our call. The full Civic Engagement Group includes: Alice Mary Higgins – [email protected] Collette Kelleher – [email protected] Frances Black – [email protected] Lynn Ruane – [email protected] John Dolan – [email protected] Please sign this petition and share with everyone you know. We only have days to protect our human right to water and prevent future water poverty.

The lives of the asylum seekers depend on this 60 page form being filled in correctly. It will determine whether or not they will allowed to stay in the state. The 20 days deadline is causing fear and despair on asylum seekers. Most of them cannot get appointments from their solicitors for help. There has been no information sessions organised in most of the centres to inform asylum seekers. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/questionnaires-cause-distress-for-people-in-direct-provision-1.2982616

A 17 year old school student has already been found guilty of false imprisonment – a verdict a barrister described as “a recipe for totalitarianism”. This related to an anti water charges protest in Jobstown, Tallaght in Dublin on 15 November 2014, where then Tánaiste Joan Burton’s car was delayed for 2 and ½ hours by a spontaneous community protest. The 18 adults now awaiting trial from April 2017 face sentences up to life imprisonment. The trials, which will be six to eight weeks long, themselves will place enormous stress and strain on the defendants. If jailed, families would be left in very difficult situations, with jobs lost and parents in prison. If TD Paul Murphy is jailed for more than six months, he will be removed as a TD, denying the democratic choice of the people of Dublin South West. The political establishment and the supportive media are desperate to tarnish the anti water charges movement as a violent, anti-democratic mob. By grossly misrepresenting and using what happened in Jobstown they want to weaken our democratic rights and so make it easier to impose economic inequality. The laws used to directly seize the Property Tax from wages or benefits as well the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) legislation used to rob the wages of pubic servants, show that this attack is real. The dirty smear campaign against Maurice McCabe by the Gardai tops, shows the lengths this rotten establishment are willing to go to shut down descent and opposition to the status quo. The definition of ‘false imprisonment’ is being changed and this affects everyone. Any temporary delay or obstruction at a protest or picket, which for example inconveniences a politician, could be deemed false imprisonment. This is about intimidating people and criminalising protest.

Stepping aside in light of the serious allegations of wrongdoing and interference with the administration of justice is important for our democracy and is in the interest of good policing. Those in positions of management and leadership in the Garda, the criminal justice system and the government need to absorb this request.

The Johnstown estate is the biggest estate in Navan with nearly 3000 houses and 10,000 people and still growing. In actual fact it is bigger than most of the small towns like Kells and Dunshaughlin surrounding it. But bigger is not always better when it comes to facilities. Johnstown is the forgotten estate when it comes to facilities in Co Meath for its young and ever growing population. Most of the smaller towns and other estates in Navan around us have much better facilities, with a state of the art Community Centre's in the likes of Dunshaughlin. For the Council to build a Community Centre from scratch in Johnstown, it would firstly take far to long for its long suffering population but would also cost to much. It makes much better financial sense for the Council to purchase the former Energy Gym for the benefit of everyone living in the community. This is only a once in a lifetime chance to turn a near derelict building and an eye sore based in the centre of the community into a badly needed Community Centre which all the residents of Johnstown can be proud of. We would ask that all Meath County Councillors from all parties and none would support this petition and urge the Council to act urgently to secure the Centre for the benefit of their constituents.

This week the EU silc data was released. It shows consistent poverty in the state is 8.7%. For 2 parent families with 3 or less children this drops to 7.7% but for children in lone parent families it is 26.2%. It is fundamentally wrong that a child is almost 3 1/2 times more likely to live in poverty based purely on their family status. We know childhood poverty has long reaching effects and we owe it to all children to ensure they have a fair chance.

It is important to try and send a strong and crystal clear message from as many people worldwide to show defiance against the tyrannical regime that seems to be infecting the United States of America.

Enda will not stand up to Trump. He will embarrass the nation. Michael D Higgins on the other hand will eloquently represent us and honor our human values.

We are not racist, dont let Trump make us look like we are.

There are a number of reasons to get this through without wasting time: - UCC reported for the period between 2011 and 2013, a total of 27 maternal deaths.Of all these deaths, there were inquests for only three. - It matters very deeply to the families who have already lost a loved one. Some had to fight for 4 years to have an inquest; and they are still fighting this campaign to have the law changed. - It will help other families who in the future may find themselves in this dreadful situation; they would not have this added suffering at a time of intense grief. - It will save women's lives because if reasons are found for a death then changes can be made to prevent the same mistake being made again. We need everyone to sign this petition to the Minister for Justice demanding a guarantee that this legislation will get over the line as quickly as possible to help give all of us greater accountability from our maternity services

Current Garda Vetting Practice is depriving communities all over Ireland of the irreplaceable leadership which can only be delivered by volunteers. It is generally accepted that the well-being of any community can be measured by the number of its volunteers.

This is very important to my family and I. My mum has Alzheimer's and her condition is progressing fast. My mum would like to stay in her home for as long as she can. I want the scheme to be allowed for Home Care. Most people want to stay in their own homes. Like the saying home is were the heart is. We need to allow the elderly their dignity and if they want to stay at home they should be allowed to.