The Ringaskiddy Tidy towns was started in the middle of lockdown in 2020 as a direct result of the huge influx of visitors to the village and surrounding area. Unfortunately, an increase in visitors also meant an increase in rubbish, and after several weeks (and even months) of local volunteers collecting rubbish, the natural desire to increase the appearance of the village as a whole led to the establishment of a Tidy Towns group and committee. Together we have collected 2.3 tonnes of rubbish in the past 12 months, over 400kgs of glass bottles and transformed the village and the surrounding backroads and beaches. Five beautiful old boats filled with plants and maintained by volunteers now adorn the village in strategic places. Huge planting and weeding projects have been undertaken successfully in the core of the village. But for every thing we “prettify” every week we encounter illegal dumping, dog fouling, people leaving their coffee cups wherever they please , and so on. This has only been exacerbated by the opening of Haulbowline Amenity Park. We understand from a post on Facebook last month by Seamus McGrath TD that the wrong bins were installed at a cost to Cobh Municipal Council, and that they have no plans to install the correct bins. It is not the fault of the residents of Ringaskiddy if unsuitable bins were installed . “Encouraging” people to take their waste home is not going to work. The idea that a public park would not have public bins in simply unworkable. Whilst we were all still being encouraged to stay within our 5kms locals stopped going to the new park due to the levels of dog fouling. We’ve provided bins of our own volition to our two local beaches, but we cannot maintain the new park by ourselves. I’ve seen in an article published today on the Examiner’s Facebook page that Cobh Municipal Council seem to still be talking about the issue, meanwhile rubbish is being thrown into the sea, the county is opening to travel tomorrow, which may lead to more visitors to the area, and the summer is coming. We cannot wait any longer.

There are a large number of young children who regularly play on the green area and roads in Griffeen Glen Boulevard. Although we have a 'Kill Your Speed, Not Our Children' sign on a lamppost as drivers enter the estate, unfortunately, we are constantly seeing drivers speeding through the entrance road and taking the left turn around the green at speed where young children are often playing. We feel that the addition of a speed ramp in the first 30-50 yards of the entrance road to Griffeen Glen Boulevard, as drivers come in off the roundabout, would greatly reduce the risk of a serious injury and improve the safety of our children and the general quality of life for residents of the road.

For towns and communities to thrive they need their local bank branches to stay open. In the middle of a pandemic when customers and businesses are under severe pressure, Bank of Ireland, which was bailed out to the tune of €4.7 billion by the Irish people, should not be closing bank branches. Keeping our local bank branches open is crucial to the economic future of communities as we seek to rebuild after this pandemic. As the largest shareholder in Bank of Ireland, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe must stand up for communities facing the closure of the 103 local bank branches listed below. Carlow: Boris, Tullow Cavan: Arva, Cootehill, Kingscourt Clare: Kilkee, Miltown Malbay, Tulla Cork: Cork Institute of Technology, Glanmire, Bantry, Cobh, Dunmanway, Kanturk, Millstreet, Michelstown, Youghal Donegal: Bunbeg, Bundoran, Dungloe, Glenties, Moville Dublin: James Street, Law Library, Phibsboro, Ballycoolin, Killester, Merrion Road, Rathmines, Ballyfermot Galway: Ballygar, Dunmore, Oughterard Kerry: Castleisland, Kilorglin, Tralee IT Kildare: Celbridge, Kilcullen, Leixlip, HP/Intel, Monasterevin Kilkenny: Callan, Graiguenamanagh, Thomastown, Urlingford Laois: Durrow, Mountrath, Rathdowney Leitrim: Drunshambo, Manorhamilton Limerick: Abbeyfeale, Askeaton, Bruff, Caherdavin, Rathkeale, Roxboro, University of Limerick Longford: Granard Louth, Dunleer Mayo: Ballyhaunis, Charlestown, Kiltimagh Meath: Athboy, Enfield, Ratoath Monaghan: Castleblayney, Clones Offaly: Banagher, Clara, Edenderry Roscommon: Elphin, Strokestown Sligo: Ballymote, Tubbercurry Tipperary: Cahir, Cashel, Templemore Waterford: Ardkeen, Kilmacthomas, Lismore Westmeath: Athlone IT, Castlepollard, Kinnegad, Moate Wexford: Rosslare, Taghmon Wicklow: Carnew, Rathdrum, Tinahely North: Ballymena, Banbridge, Belfast (Lisburn Rd), Belfast (Ormeau Rd), Belfast (University Rd), Crossmaglen, Derry (Strand Rd), Downpatrick, Dungannon, Keady, Limavaddy, Lisburn, Lisnakea, Portadown, Strabane

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.

To preserve the small businesses, environment and the history of a beautiful rural village on the Wild Atlantic Way. To prevent the scarring of rolling parkland of agriculture land and the obstruction of the views of the Slieve Mish Mountains by a raised roadway.

The fast-tracking of a bypass of Kilrane Village is crucial to the safety of the children of the area as Kilrane National School sits directly on the N25. Haulier traffic in the port increased 500% in the first week of Brexit. The increase in traffic since Brexit we believe also creates many current problems and potential future problems in the development of Kilrane Village and for the quality of life of the residents of the village and surrounding area. We believe that the issues highlighted in the attached full petition cover the concerns of the residents of Kilrane and the surrounding area. The full detailed petition can be viewed at this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ty7ADK6uwvOKAdAA79xuz_rkg7FrnTbc/view?usp=sharing

With the excellent Waterford Greenway on our doorstep, we feel that we need to see an unrivaled offering on this Greenway. The addition of such an environmentally friendly segment, capable of emitting fluorescent light for 10 hours in the dark after absorbing sunlight all day long would be the first of its type in Ireland and would be sheer pleasure to walk or cycle over. (Imagine the Fáilte Ireland drone shots or how good this would be for the ‘darkness in to light’ walk.) Poland has one! Now let’s bring one to Ireland’s sunny south East. Please sign this petition and help make this a reality. https://www.sustainability-times.com/clean-cities/a-sun-powered-bicycle-path-glows-in-the-dark-in-poland/ WATCH: https://youtu.be/jmSs7ZBnUso

Our petition is about the catastrophic effects of neglecting to fix an issue after the first death, not the seventh. Needless loss of life has a devastating effect on families and communities. Make the fix now. Please sign this petition and support us as we work to bring the urgency of this need to the officials of Edenderry, Tullamore and Ofally Thank you for signing, thank you for sharing this and stay safe on the road this year.

This is important because 13 years of incredible work from the community and its stakeholders is being torn up because a Minister and his party believe they know more than Moyross community. This party have never tried to support our community and are now actively destroying its future. This is important for all communities to show those who are publicly elected that they cannot deafen the voice of the people.

The people of Ireland have been asked not to travel outside of the country and to restrict their movements to help reduce the risk of transmission of Covid 19. All of the people are being asked to make sacrifices and out of respect for those who have lost their lives, their job and those working on the front line, it is vital that the Taoiseach of Ireland also abides by the rules and therefore does not travel to Washington DC for St Patrick's Day. People are asked to conduct their business through Zoom and other online applications, this should be sufficent on this occasion.

During the previous two lockdowns in Ireland, towns and villages across the country have taken the opportunity to support their residents by changing streetscapes to make them more business and pedestrian friendly. This has been done by the widening of footpaths, the development of public realm seating, meeting, and eating areas, by providing opportunities for local businesses to put outdoor seating areas in place, and by reducing traffic flow. These changes have enabled these towns and villages to be places where residents of all ages and abilities can meet, shop and socialise, even during a pandemic. We ask Galway County Council to use Covid-19 legislation to implement a trial one-way traffic system through Oranmore, and to make the following additional changes to help improve the quality of life in the village, and to support local businesses by enabling residents to safely navigate the streets and shopping areas by foot and by bike, as well as by car. Implementing a one-way traffic flow through the village will mean that: * Traffic jams will be reduced as there will be no need for cars to cross each other in traffic. * Footpaths can be widened throughout the village to allow for 2-metre social distancing so that residents can safely travel by foot, buggy, and wheelchair. * Outdoor seating space for cafes/restaurants and pubs can be implemented which will allow people to socialise safely outdoors (when Covid guidelines permit). * Children can be encouraged to travel to school by foot or bike, as road speeds will be slower and traffic crossing will be reduced. * Cycle tracks and bike parking can be installed where road widths permit, enabling more adults and children to safely cycle and shop/socialise. You can see from the images attached to this petition what a proposed one-way traffic system for the village might look like and how it might benefit both residents and businesses. To support this petition, please sign and share with your family and friends. If there are multiple people living in your house, please ask each individual to sign. Remember, this is a trial, and we have the opportunity now to get at least one good thing from the Covid-19 madness. Let’s seize the day! If not now…when? For more details and to see more visuals of how the changes might look, please go to https://moraction.blogspot.com/

There is currently a large backlog for both lessons and tests throughout the country. Returning residents and expats who have held overseas licences for 10+ years often have families and jobs that require the necessity to drive and the current backlog is hindering both their home and professional lives. It would also relieve some of the pressure on the current RSA backlog.