May 25th is five years since the Repeal referendum when the people of Ireland voted overwhelmingly for choice, compassion and care - after an historic mass movement forced the government to finally let the people decide. Now, an official review has found many serious problems with the abortion law. Instead of acting quickly to fix them, the Government wants to delay, to drag things out and avoid taking decisions until after the next election. That’s why on May 25th this year, People before Profit is introducing a Pro-Choice Bill in the Dáil to fix the problems in the law and provide for real choice. The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) (Amendment) Bill 2023 would: abolish the patronising and medically unnecessary 3 day wait to access abortion care fully decriminalise abortion to end the chilling effect for doctors - a draconian 14 year prison sentence still applies to medical professionals if they perform abortions outside the law. This is hindering access in cases of fatal foetal anomaly and for pregnant people suffering serious risks to their health or life. The number of abortions provided on life or health grounds is no larger than it was before repeal, forcing women in medically dangerous situations to travel. reform the fatal foetal anomalies law to ensure care is available here for all those who need it. Currently, half of parents in this tragic situation are still forced to travel to access abortion care. abolish the rigid 12 week limit and allow abortion on request until viability to provide real choice. The 12 week limit makes no allowance for women and girls pushed over the limit by failed procedures or inability to access medical appointments. It fails those with irregular periods who didn’t realise they were pregnant in time; women whose situations change, for instance being subjected to domestic violence, which often begins during pregnancy when they are at their most vulnerable; and many others in the myriad other difficult situations that pregnant people can face. We need your support to pressure politicians to vote for the Bill so that it becomes law.

We're calling for Dublin City Council to take part in #NoMowMay and cease mowing the grass of parks and green spaces during the month of May to support wildlife. Why DCC should take part in #NoMowMay: - Pollinators, like bees and butterflies, are the backbone of a healthy ecosystem. They rely on early flowering plants such as daisies, dandelions, and other wildflowers as a valuable source of nectar. - The longer grass provides welcome cover for foraging wildlife such as birds and hedgehogs, as well as a wide variety of insects to snack on. - A healthy lawn with long grass and wildflowers can help in the fight against climate change by absorbing pollution and locking carbon away in the soil. Dublin City Council has signed up for the All-Ireland Polinator Plan which recommends reducing mowing to 5 times a year (Once in mid April and then not again until end of May) but this clearly is not being observed. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan notes reducing mowing as the most cost effective and impactful way to provide food for pollinators and other insects. Visible improvements have been made by DCC in parks around the city to encourage biodiversity and this is welcomed and appreciated! All we ask is that DCC ease up on mowing wherever possible to give our vital pollinators the best chance at survival. Further reading: Why bees matter? Bees are the most important pollinator of crops and native plant species in Ireland. They are a key component of our wildlife and one of the busiest, least appreciated work forces we have. A study from the Department of the Environment found that bees are worth €53m a year to the economy. In Ireland crops such as apples, strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, blackcurrants, peppers, courgettes and pumpkins are reliant on bees for pollination. It is estimated that almost three quarters of our wild plants rely on insect pollinators, of which bees are most important. But bees are declining at a record level in Ireland. Due to habitat loss and the use of pesticides more than half of Ireland’s bee species have undergone substantial declines since 1980. The distribution of 42 species has declined by more than 50%. (Source: pollinators.ie) All-Ireland Polinator Plan: https://pollinators.ie/no-mow-may/ All-Ireland Polinator Plan for councils: https://pollinators.ie/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Councils_actions-to-help-pollinators-2018-WEB.pdf

Encourage & facilitate use of public transport. Currently women, girls, people in wheelchairs, with bikes & buggies are either afraid or cannot access station.

SUVs are 20% more polluting regular cars. They are bigger, more dangerous and take up more room in parking spaces and on the street. Even SUVs that are fully electric are emissions-intensive, because of their battery size and the amount of energy they require. SUV and crossover sales are growing rapidly in Ireland: 55,000 were sold in 2021 (nearly 55% of all new cars). Many people do not actually need an SUV for their daily usage. SUVs popularity is driven more by fashion and marketing than practical considerations. Most SUVs are not designed for off-road use, and their larger size and weight can make them less efficient and more difficult to manoeuvre in urban areas.

SUVs are 20% more polluting regular cars. They are bigger, more dangerous and take up more room in parking spaces and on the street. Even SUVs that are fully electric are emissions-intensive, because of their battery size and the amount of energy they require. SUV and crossover sales are growing rapidly in Ireland: 55,000 were sold in 2021 (nearly 55% of all new cars). Many people do not actually need an SUV for their daily usage. SUVs popularity is driven more by fashion and marketing than practical considerations. Most SUVs are not designed for off-road use, and their larger size and weight can make them less efficient and more difficult to manoeuvre in urban areas.

Hundreds of low-paid workers who run Tesco Ireland's online shopping operation have been told that their work schedules will change in May. This will result in these workers losing thousands of Euros in income and interfere with their ability to fulfil family caring roles.

Widening the Douglas Road will destroy the local environment, heritage and character of this historic Cork road forever. There are much cheaper, faster and greener ways to improve public and active transport than this proposal. It will not only reduce the quality of life for many residents in the area, but also for those who use the Douglas Road. When there is more congestion around Douglas Village and on the side roads (as the plan doesn't help parents who bring children to school in the area), we will wonder why we let it happen. There will be no going back once the mature trees and walls of architectural heritage are torn down. Destroying the road is not the solution - there are alternatives. Road reallocation, school bus services etc. Please help us in our campaign to save the Douglas Road

The Columban Way is a rural community driven project focused on connecting communities using low impact walking tourism to provide socio-economic opportunities where large ticket tourism offerings are scarce on the ground. The project is staffed through 100% volunteering with support from Carlow County Council, Carlow Tourism and Failte Ireland. With your support we will be able to continue our work towards Bangor, Co. Down and through Europe to Bobbio, Italy.

Waste management companies are profiteering from the waste management crisis. Waste bin charges are being hiked and this is making it even harder for struggling households. Instead we should have publicly owned waste services.

What can be done? Kiltalown and Jobstown Parks and playground should be beautiful public spaces which the community and surrounding areas could be free to utilise. These public spaces require investment in resources to improve the facilities to allow these parks/playgrounds to be opened to our communities all year round. We are campaigning for: - Proper lighting to be installed within the parks/playground to increase community activity. - More facilities such as park benches and exercise equipment. - Our playground for the children of our communities upgraded and re-opened - Extend the paved walkways and incorporate the stream in kiltalown park. This would allow for a section of the park to be rewilded and would be a great asset for our local schools in order to have nature walks on our doorstep. - In other parks South Dublin County Council have invested vast amounts of funding and programs while failing to invest in our parks in South Tallaght, we demand our fair share of that funding and investments. - Park rangers also to discourage any inappropriate behaviour so that the parks/playground are used in a positive way, so people have a greater sense of security and these community areas attract more users.

An equal society is a better society for everyone.

The decision to demolish these homes was made by a narrow majority of only one vote, without any community consultation. We believe that this decision is short-sighted and goes against the interests of the people of Ennis. The ongoing housing crisis in Clare makes the demolition of any sound properties unacceptable. Recent figures have shown that families in all parts of Clare are being evicted into homelessness, and there is a severe shortage of emergency accommodation available. These six cottages could be homes for people in desperate straits. We also note that this decision is at odds with the Housing for All strategy, which aims to deliver high-quality, affordable housing and end homelessness in Ireland. The proposed demolition of these cottages to make way for a temporary car park is not in line with this strategy. The current dispute over the demolition of the Francis Street cottages and the subsequent construction of a temporary car park shows remarkable parallels with a previous controversy that shook the town only a few years ago, involving the Ennis Market Building, which carried a staggering price tag of €1.75m. However, as the project has dragged on, it has become increasingly clear that the promises made by its advocates including former Mayor Ann Norton, were far from reality. There are several striking similarities between the market building scandal and the proposed development on Francis Street. One of the most obvious is the involvement of some of the same councillors who were implicated in the market building debacle. There is a need for greater accountability and transparency in local government decision-making. Residents and community groups must be given a voice in these important decisions that will shape the future of our town, and elected officials must be held accountable for their actions and decisions. We urge the Ennis Municipal District Council to halt the demolition of the cottages on Francis Street and to consider the long-term impact of this decision on Ennis' cultural heritage and the ongoing housing crisis. The proposed cost of upwards of one million euro to build a temporary car park could be much better spent on renovating these cottages for use as affordable/public housing for local families. Furthermore, we are deeply concerned about the authority given to the Ennis 2040 DAC and the possible privatisation of publicly owned assets. It is essential that the town's assets and resources are managed in the interests of the community, not for short-term financial gain. We, therefore, call on the Ennis Municipal District Council to provide affordable/public housing for the people of Clare by renovating these cottages on Francis Street. We demand transparency and community involvement in decision-making processes and call on the council to prioritise the needs and interests of the people of Clare. We also call on concerned residents and the wider county to contact the following Councillors who voted in favour of the demolition, and to express their opposition to this decision: Contact: Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy: [email protected] Councillor Paul Murphy: [email protected] Councillor Mary Howard: [email protected] Councillor Ann Norton: [email protected] Together, we can make our voices heard and ensure that Ennis' heritage and homes are protected for future generations, and that affordable/public housing is prioritized in our town's development. Sincerely, Save Francis Street Alliance