The 72 hour mandatory wait for abortion in the South of Ireland is patronising and dangerous.  It does not recognise the amount of thought someone gives to this decision before picking up the phone to make an appointment. In reality, it introduces additional barriers. Requesting time off work, having to travel if there is not a provider in your area, requiring assistance if you are disabled or chronically ill, under-resourced medical facilities – all of this makes accessing an abortion harder, and the 3 day wait ultimately forces women to go much later. If you are in an abusive relationship, homeless or generally vulnerable, it is even more dangerous.  There have been cases when women discover they are pregnant and all of these factors coupled with the 3 day wait means they pass the 12 week deadline and are forced to travel to Britain for an abortion, or to go through with a pregnancy that they don’t want. The last-minute introduction of the 3-day wait was a political decision by the Irish government to assuage the anti-choice lobby. There is no medical requirement for this, as stated by the WHO, and it brings added pressure on GP services.  Today, the government is even more right-wing and voted down Bríd Smith’s bill from the previous Dáil term to remove a host of barriers to abortion care, including the 3 day wait – this was despite it being debated at second stage previously. Far-right and reactionary forces have their eyes on abortion and bodily autonomy and we believe that building a campaign to remove this clause and expand abortion rights in Ireland can push them back. Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger is bringing forward a bill (Amendment to the Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy Act 2026)) to remove the 3-day wait.  Please sign this petition to indicate your support for removing the 3-day wait and get involved in the campaign. Ruth Coppinger's bill will be opposed by Aontú, Independent Ireland, right wing Independents and some government TDs -- to what extent we don't yet know, but for this reason it is even more vital to show that the vast majority of Irish society does not want this sexist and harmful clause in our law.

Because every child deserves Magic at Christmas, even children who are employed in slave labour in the cocoa industry who supply Cadbury's. " Mondelēz International — the food giant behind Oreos, Cadbury, and Toblerone — has spent years cultivating an image as a sustainability leader, earning high environmental scores and pledging to eliminate deforestation and human rights abuses from its supply chains. Investigative reporting, however, reveals a starkly different reality: of a company that appears more focused on protecting its reputation than preventing harm to vulnerable people and the planet. For decades, Mondelēz has faced scrutiny over its cocoa sourcing in West Africa, where child and forced labor are widely documented and an estimated 1.56 million children work on cocoa farms. In 2022, a Channel 4 investigation reported that children as young as ten were using machetes to harvest cocoa pods on a Ghanaian farm allegedly linked to Mondelēz. Mondelēz has emphasized that such practices violate its policies and has pointed to its child labor monitoring system. But that system does not cover all the farms in its supply chain, and the company lacks full traceability for its cocoa — meaning it cannot determine whether child labor is involved in some of the cocoa it uses." Source: https://www.ran.org/the-understory/mondelez-has-built-a-reputation-on-sustainability-we-call-it-deception/

WHY THIS IS AN ATTACK ON ALL OF US 🔍 Targeting Whistleblowers Lorna and Brenda raised serious, documented concerns about the misuse of union funds and a lack of financial transparency. Their suspensions constitute penalisation under the Protected Disclosures Act — plain and simple. 📱 Suspended for a Facebook Like Helen, and Mark were suspended for engaging with social media posts that asked difficult questions. If members can be disciplined for liking a post, no member is safe from arbitrary action. 🗳️ Election Interference These suspensions were timed specifically to prevent the five from standing in the upcoming BDC and NEC elections — a direct violation of Rule 25.2, which guarantees every member a fair right to contest elections. 📜 Procedural Lawlessness The NEC has ignored its own Rule Book. Rule 13.1 does not permit the NEC to issue indefinite standalone suspensions to NEC members without formal referral to the BDC. The process also ignored mandatory notice periods required under Rule 26.3 — what can only be described as a procedural ambush. ⚖️ Conflict of Interest The complaints were brought by industrial staff who threatened industrial action if action wasn’t taken against the members. Some complainants were allowed to present to the NEC to influence the process, whereas the suspended members weren’t. Allowing conflicted individuals to drive this process undermines any pretence of fairness. OUR DEMANDS 1. IMMEDIATE REINSTATEMENT — Lift the suspensions of all five members without delay. 2. RESPECT THE RULE BOOK — End all ultra vires actions that bypass the authority of the BDC. 3. STOP THE PENALISATION — No member should face discipline for making protected disclosures about financial oversight and governance. 4. PROTECT DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS — Guarantee that all five candidates have a fair and unhindered right to contest the upcoming elections under Rule 25.2. By signing this petition, you are sending a clear message to Mandate leadership: this union belongs to its members. Not to unaccountable structures. Not to those who wish to avoid scrutiny. And not to those who would silence the very people trying to protect our money and our rights. Stand with Lorna. Stand with Brenda, Sarah, Helen, and Mark. Stand with the Suspended Five. Stand for a Transparent Mandate.

Because they provide a vital service voluntarily to New Ross and it's surroundings

St. Patrick's Day is Ireland's most important national and cultural celebration, recognised globally.  Establishing a fixed annual long weekend would: • Enable greater participation in parades, cultural events and community celebrations • Support tourism, hospitality, and local economies across the country • Provide a consistent national holiday structure This change would preserve the cultural, historical and religious significance of the 17th of March while improving how the public holiday is observed for the benefit of society and the economy.

People should support the IWU Healthcare Assistants' strike in Ireland because these essential workers are fighting for fair pay, decent conditions, and recognition, highlighting systemic underfunding that impacts vulnerable patients; supporting them means ensuring quality care by retaining experienced staff and addressing issues like low pay, heavy workloads, and broken promises that lead to burnout and turnover, which ultimately benefits the entire community, especially the elderly and disabled who rely on their vital home support. 

Pathfinder is a collaborative HSE initiative between St Luke’s General Hospital Carlow/Kilkenny and the National Ambulance Service. It is an essential front line service that centres care around the elderly in Carlow and Kilkenny. - It supports to the most vulnerable in our communities to help them avoid a hospital stay. In 2024 they supported 300 patients and that number has been steadily increasing. They have knocked on the doors of hundreds of vulnerable people and allowed them to get the care and support they need in the comfort of their own homes. There is a wealth of data that shows hospital stays can increase the risk of catching deathly bugs or viruses. It can also increase the risk of medication errors, falls, immobility and many more instances that can increase mortality. Prevention is better than cure -  - Ultimately, where it is safe and possible to avoid a hospital stay, it can be better for a person's health, particularly someone who may already have an underlying health issue. - It also means someone does not have to go through the logistical stress of a hospital stay which makes life easier for them and often, for the people and families who care for them. Yet shockingly, over Christmas, the Management of St. Luke's decided to remove this essential lifeline and re-deploy these workers. - Despite multiple attempts they have not provided any data to suggest this move is the best use of resources or is in the best interest of vulnerable people. The management say this is a "temporary" re-deployment but the manner in which they have callously cut Pathfinders does not inspire confidence, nor have they published any data that explores the ramifications that even a "temporary" closure will have on people. To date there has been a serious lack of transparency and oversight. This petition calls on the HSE and the management of St. Luke's to reverse their decision and keep Pathfinder Workers in the community. There is no evidence to suggest that re-deploying these workers into St. Luke's will result in more early supported discharges. We need funding to enhance more essential services and ESD - Not cuts to established essential services. It is possible that the removal of this service in Carlow and Kilkenny could be the start of a Nationwide move to cut this frontline service. 

Many asylum seekers are already part of our communities. They work in essential sectors, pay taxes, support local businesses, and contribute to Irish society, yet they remain in long-term uncertainty about their future. Regularising long-term contributors would strengthen communities, help address labour shortages, increase tax compliance, and reflect Ireland’s values of fairness, dignity, and compassion. These individuals are our co-workers and neighbours, and they deserve the chance to fully integrate and build stable lives in the country they now call home.

Cost of living 

There is currently no leave for Miscarriage Leave in Ireland, only for past a certain gestation. Loss is loss and should be treated as so.  It should not come out of normal sick leave.  It should be Compassionate Leave, of Bereavement Leave.  Women should not have to look at their Sick Leave after undergoing such trauma. Covid leave was brought in straight away, which shows the lack of women’s rights in our country. 

End Privatisation by Stealth - End Outsourcing It is important because Abtran, despite receiving millions in taxpayer-funded government contracts, refuses to abide by a Labour Court recommendation to engage with a trade union, pays many of its staff the minimum wage, and makes use of offshore structures in the British Virgin Islands to reduce its tax liabilities. When a company entrusted with delivering public services does not have service pay, adequate Christmas bonuses or collective bargaining for its workers, it undermines both the integrity of our public procurement system and the principles of fairness that should underpin public service delivery. This is not just a workplace issue—it is a matter of accountability, transparency, and value for money for everyone who pays taxes in Ireland. Other people should join this campaign because it is about ensuring that public money is spent responsibly and ethically. If we allow companies like Abtran to continue receiving huge state contracts without scrutiny, we risk normalising low pay, weak worker protections, and aggressive tax avoidance in Ireland’s public sector supply chain. By standing together, we can push the Public Accounts Committee to act in the public interest, demand higher standards from contractors, and protect the rights of workers. Joining this campaign is not only about supporting Abtran employees—it is about demanding a fairer, more transparent Ireland where taxpayer funds are used to strengthen, not weaken, our communities.

This petition and email campaign is about basic human rights. Work provides purpose and independence and everyone should have the right to work.  It helps IPAs meet their basic needs. Helps IPAs out of limbo and improves their mental wellbeing.  Giving everyone equal treatment is also part of the National Plan Against Racism.