Every minute, the Irish government is making a huge amount of money by charging people different taxes, including VAT. Currently, the VAT threshold for big companies and small businesses is €75,000 on selling products and €37,500 on providing services. When a sole trader who provides services reaches €37,500 annual turnover, they are obliged to register for VAT and start charging their clients that tax. This means the business owner has no choice but to: 1. Increase their prices by 23% and more than likely lose a number of existing and future clients. 2. Or include VAT in their current prices and substantially reduce their hard-earned income. 3. Or increase their prices slightly (by 10-12%) and still encounter the above. In the current situation, where the VAT threshold is €37,500, it is so very unfair for the hard-working small businesses in Ireland to give away their hard-earned money to the government. But it's equally unfair for their customers to pay that VAT if they can't claim it back! The VAT threshold on services must be increased to the same or at least a close value of €75,000 so that goods suppliers and service providers have an equal chance of thriving. It’s so much easier to include the whole (or almost whole) amount of VAT in the service fees when your annual turnover is €75,000 or more. Isn’t that right? The Irish government should give all companies in Ireland, including sole traders, an equal chance to get well established. In the United Kingdom, the VAT threshold is £85,000 for both goods suppliers and service providers. If this works in the UK, it will work in Ireland. So, if you agree with me, my friend, simply sign this petition and feel free to share it on social media and via email with your friends. Together, we can make it happen!

Retail workers are frontline workers, serving both the customers and supporting the various retail businesses across the sector. As we emerge from the pandemic, retail workers are demanding decency and a fair deal for retail. Join the many thousands of people who shop in Liffey Valley by demanding that your local Shop Worker in the centre doesn't have to pay these unreasonable expenses, as they continue to serve on the frontline.

Insufficient Childcare in Ireland for babies under 1 year Some mums have to switch to formula feeding after breastfeeding for 6 months as they go back to work Ireland is one of the worst countries in the EU for Maternity Leave entitlements.

A Aire Harris, a chara, We are writing as representatives from the PhDs’ Collective Action Union (PCAU) to express deep concern with the current PhD stipend scheme in light of the cost of living crisis and coming inflation, as well as to address the grave inequality created by proposing €28k PhD stipends without increasing the pay for existing PhD researchers. The PCAU officially formed 8 July 2022 after approximately 350 PhD researchers from across Ireland came together to address the increasing challenges facing PhD researchers in the current economy. We democratically selected our Union’s stance, and now are reaching out in accordance with the demands of those in our group. We maintain that the current PhD stipend is insufficient on several accounts. All of Ireland, especially Dublin, has a cost of living crisis driven by increasing rents and rising inflation. The costs are even higher for non-EU researchers, who have to pay for health insurance and residence permits each year. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) reported an approximate 9.1% inflation of prices1 in the last year, which means that the current (average) stipend of €18.5k has the same purchasing power as a €17k stipend pre-inflation, when current first-year PhD researchers accepted their roles. A recent survey conducted by leadership in SFI funded research groups2, shows that the financial burden impacting current researchers is having a real and consequential negative effect on researchers’ physical and mental health and ultimately their ability to perform research. researchers feel they are not valued, and some have expressed doubts as to the point of continuing when they could get much better-paid jobs in industry. On top of that, Ireland recently announced a plan for a new PhD programme with a stipend of €28k per year3. In addition to the current €18.5k stipend being below both living and minimum wage, it is now creating a vast inequality where current PhD researchers will be performing equal work for only 66% of the pay of new researchers. This is not acceptable. It is in the opinion of the PCAU that all PhD stipends must be increased to €28k in order to address inflation, the housing and cost of living crisis, and the new government valuation on PhD-level research as seen in their most recent PhD funding initiative. We understand that this requires a lot of change, planning, and work. Therefore, we would like to request a meeting between you and our Acting President to discuss how PhD stipends can be brought to a livable and equitable value. Please contact us so that we can arrange a date for a meeting. Is muidne, le meas, An PCAU agus a lucht tacaíochta The PCAU and its supporters Sources 1. https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/cpi/consumerpriceindexjune2022/ 2. Please refer to the letter addressed to Dr Maysoun Mustafa, Scientific Programme Manager at SFI, on June 2nd, 2022. 3. https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/1b902-taoiseach-and-minister-harris-announce-innovate-for-ireland-a-new-initiative-to-recruit-and-retain-talent/

Going cashless would gravely impact our community as a whole. There are a great deal of people that hugely rely on the cash services daily. There are many people who would negatively impact from going cashless including elderly people & people who cannot travel to other banks elsewhere. I would also affect people who are not tech savy. We do not want a cashless society

AIB is moving 70 of their branches to cashless banking. [1] Not only will going cashless mean no notes, coins, cheques, foreign exchange, bank drafts - it will remove any drop safes, night safes and ATMs outside. This is going to cause huge hardship for many people - especially older and vulnerable people, local businesses, people who don’t have access to the internet. The greed and recklessness of banks, including AIB bosses, played a crucial role in bringing about the financial crash. [2] Homes were repossessed by banks, families lost their incomes, young and not-so-young people were forced to emigrate, businesses had to close. We cannot stand by while our majority state-owned bank hurts our communities again. [1] https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2022/0719/1311026-aib-to-turn-70-branches-cashless-expand-an-post-deal/ [2] https://pai.ie/bank-bailout-costs-state-nearly-e42-billion/ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32516942

Kanturk is a rural community already deprived of basic services. With below standard internet connectivity this decision by AIB, who claim that their decision is a response to digital usage, is a devastating blow to our rural community. Our rural businesses will struggle as a direct result of the withdrawal of cash services from AIB, Kanturk. The removal of cash services will mean we will no longer have access to cash or cheque services at the counter OR through the machines inside the branch. We are community already with limited garda availability and this decision by AIB raises serious security concerns for business and the public, particularly our elderly. We can not allow the erosion of an already deprived area to continue.

Hot weather can make work unbearable and with record temperatures likely to be a trend in Ireland, we should introduce a statutory maximum working temperature after which employees are sent home.

In March 2022 former Minister for Infrastructure Nichola Mallon refused permission for the planning application for a mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility and waste incinerator at Hightown Quarry, beside North Belfast. The planning decision was made following over 5,000 objections submitted by the local community, and a wide range of political representatives from MPs to Councillors. It will increase the market for waste disposal and discourage recycling. Waste technology, waste composition and recycling policies had all moved on since the project was first conceived 15 years ago, and it should be abandoned once and for all - not blindly pursued with public money. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-60893249 The planning refusal followed a long running campaign by the No-Arc21 group who represent residents around the Mallusk, North Belfast and South Antrim areas, who are opposed to the controversial project. This planning application was refused by a previous Environment Minister Mark Durkan, and successfully challenged in the Courts by No- Arc21. There is comprehensive and widespread political opposition to the project from all political Parties in South Antrim and beyond. Alternative do exist and if this Incinerator goes ahead it will reduce recycling and result in millions of tonnes of CO2 being emitted and accelerating climate change. This challenge is a flagrant waste of public money and resources can be better targeted to increase recycling to 70% by 2030 as per the Climate Change targets on Waste Management. During the current inflationary pressures that many households and workers are facing at present, councils should not be wasting more money on a legal case which questions local Ministerial powers to make such decisions. Over £20 million has been spent on the "Waste Monster" to date, how many pot holes, hospital beds, pay rises for key workers etc. could have been sorted in the over eight years of this white elephant. Bin the Burner

Using Afrikaans to verify citizenship is racist, ignorant and insulting.

Dublin Airport is the main airport in Ireland. We need to be able to rely on the service for work and pleasure.

New Look staff in Strabane, some with over twenty years service, are being forced into redundancy by a senseless Lidl relocation from Bradley Way to Strabane Retail Park. It will bring ten new jobs but will cost up to sixty job losses. Strabane is an area of high social and economic deprivation and these potential job losses will be a disaster for a town with historically high unemployment. Four retail units will close to facilitate this Lidl development and relocation (New Look, Menarys, Peacocks, Argos). Strabane Workers Together are highlighting this redundancy injustice and are calling on all four aforementioned employers to relocate within Strabane.