This Bill provides the Irish government with an opportunity to uphold international law and ban the import of goods and services from any illegal settlements. This would establish a framework to hold offending governments accountable for human rights violations, which is currently not the case. It is imperative that this legislation is passed, to promote trade justice for any marginalised people suffering the oppressive impacts of illegal settlements.

Most students and families often struggle to put together college fees, with some skipping classes to work. Given the current situation, a partial refund for the period where classes were/are no longer conducted in the college is only reasonable and fair as this can help students to get through these tough times and pay for the upcoming academic year.

Following the 2017 Dáil committee, on the future on Health in Ireland, it was agreed by all parties that a single-tiered healthcare system, called Sláintecare, was the best way forward. (2) Fine Gael agreed to implement this but dragged their feet, lacking the commitment to fully fund the programme and not making it a priority. (3) Now, in the face of a global pandemic it is evident that Sláintecare is necessary to protect and care for the people of Ireland. 1) (https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/election-2020-exit-poll-confirms-health-housing-homelessness-of-most-concern-to-voters-1.4167030) 2) (https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/committees/32/future-of-healthcare/) 3) (https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/social-democrats-implementing-sl%C3%A1intecare-health-plan-a-red-line-for-coalition-1.4142849)

The overcrowding on halting sites is widely recorded along with the stark health inequalities for Travellers in Ireland. The Traveller community and the grave statistics which reflect the reality of life and health for Travellers must be taken into consideration in government planning for the most vulnerable groups. If this is not done there is no way to prevent the spread of covid 19 and unnecessary deaths will occur. Deaths can be prevented the local authority have the responsibility and the powers to enable this and MUST act immediately. HSE staff are been redeployed across the country to focus on areas of priority and rightly so. However, this redeployment and investment in resources must also include the Traveller community. In areas where there are numbers of Traveller families living without access to supports such as primary health care programmes additional HSE resources must be allocated to provide basic information, support and assistance. One such area is Labre Park in Dublin. The oldest and one of the largest halting sites in the country. Home to almost 50 families and a population of 200 men, women and children with no primary health care programme and no supports provided by the local authority to address this escalating crisis. There is a disaster waiting to happen in overcrowded halting sites, prevent unnecessary deaths, provide the space and the basic human rights of water and sanitation NOW # Traveller Lives Matter

While the emissions of conventional cars are terrible for the environment and human health, electric vehicles are anything but clean – their production requires an enormous input of energy and raw materials. About 1,800 kilograms of metals and other materials are used in a mid-range electric car such as the Chevrolet Bolt, which marketed in Europe as the Vauxhall/Opel Ampera-e. The European automotive industry imports almost 100% of these materials – and a significant share of them come from mines in tropical countries and rainforest areas. Lithium-ion batteries, the heart of electric vehicles, are no exception here. The Chevrolet Volt battery pack, for example, weighs 440 kg, which is 10,000 times the weight of a smartphone battery (44 gr). Besides lithium, manganese and graphite, they contain about 10 kg of cobalt and 30 kg of nickel. In the case of nickel mining, Indonesia and the Philippines are at the forefront of global production. Two-thirds of the world's cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cobalt, copper and nickel are mined along an 800-kilometer belt in the rainforest in the south of the country – under catastrophic working conditions, at starvation wages, and by tens of thousands of child laborers. In the case of iron for steelmaking, Brazil is a leading supplier of the automotive industry. The country is also in first place for copper, followed by Peru and Chile. The mines of international corporations are thus eating into the rainforests to satisfy the resource hunger of the manufacturers of “clean” electric vehicles. Simply clogging the roads with millions of EVs is not the answer to our present problems. Tell the EU that we need a fundamental rethink of policies related to raw materials and transport to put them on an environmentally friendly foundation.

Nobody should be forced into poverty because of COVID-19. But, right now, employers will be penalised for topping up the poverty payment of €203 per week that temporarily laid of staff are entitled to during the pandemic. If they give their employers extra money, the company won't be entitiled to any refunds. That's why we're calling on Regina Doherty to allow employers to pay their staff their full wages - and reimburse them for the full cost.

The country is in the midst of the worst public health crisis in living memory. Student nurses and midwives are taking huge risks to provide the care we badly need at this time. They are stepping up to do extra work and placement practice while learning and training to be healthcare professionals. Their status as students needs to be protected and recognised - they should not be exploited as unpaid workers helping to hold up a struggling healthcare system.

Heightened levels of loneliness, anxiety and stress levels are affecting our mental well being. It is inevitable that some people will really struggle and need professional support as the pandemic continues. These supports need to be put in place urgently. Mental health professionals should help operate an online video chat counselling service. Current service users should be able to continue with their sessions online, but there’s no reason why extra staff, including psychologists and psychiatrists couldn’t facilitate an online service for anyone needing support. They could have an initial online meeting, and then be referred to the most suitable mental health professional. We would not be advocating this ordinarily, but these are extraordinary times and we need to think outside the box. This action alone could stop worse problems down the line for both young and old alike. Covid-19 shouldn’t mean people suffering with their mental health should suffer more by staying indoors. Isolation is detrimental to anyone that suffers. An online service needs to be provided to people as it will be the only thing to keep them going through this horrible period. Please sign the petition to help us get an online counselling service for anyone that needs it. This will be a lifesaver to some.

Both the Abortion Rights Campaign and the Government want to keep people safe during this emergency. It is in all of our interest to minimise the strain on our healthcare system and to prevent people who are not sick from coming into contact with those who are. Remote consultation is already in use in Ireland by, for example, VideoDoc and Spectrum Health, and more recently, by individual GPs as they adapt to the current crisis. Providing abortion consultations remotely has proven safe, effective, and acceptable in other jurisdictions. We urge the Minister for Health to clarify that an in-person visit is not required in order to satisfy the Act and put appropriate protocols in place. We urge the Minister for Justice to assure doctors they will not be prosecuted if they offer medical abortion remotely at this time. Sign the petition and let the Government know you support those who need to access abortion services, healthcare workers and all those working in the health sector.

Randox received £23 million in public funds through Invest NI in 2018, and benefited from a research partnership with our two universities QUB and UU. Now they are selling at an extortionate price (£120 per test) at a time when people are worried about food and job security and how they'll keep a roof over their heads. Meanwhile our NHS is struggling as they don't have enough tests so that key healthcare professionals can continue to do their vital work on the frontline of the fight against this global pandemic. Demand that Randox releases the Covid-19 tests free of charge to the NHS and stops profiteering from this crisis. See: https://www.randoxhealth.com/product/coronavirus-covid-19-home-testing-kit/ and: https://www.randox.com/tag/invest-ni/

Universal Basic Income will reach all members of society and will fill the many gaps in current provisions. It will fund basic living costs, help everyone to spend money in the real everyday economy and facilitate people to do essential caring and voluntary work. [1] The payment will promote stability in the crisis. It will also serve as an investment that will help society and the economy to recover and flourish when the immediate crisis has passed. This petition calls for a Universal Basic Income of *at least* €203 per week, because this is the current maximum rate of Jobseeker’s Benefit and other core social welfare benefits. Basic Income Ireland has always maintained that current benefit levels are inadequate and that the level of UBI should be based on the real cost of living. Although some people will receive higher payments during the current emergency, these are temporary. Universal Basic Income is universal, unconditional, and permanent, and so provides basic financial security to everyone. In introducing Universal Basic Income, the Irish government will lead the way in valuing all members of society as active participants in working through the Covid-19 crisis and beyond. For more details, please visit https://basicincome.ie/covid19 NOTES: [1] David McWilliams, ‘This is the time for economics with a human face’, Irish Times 21/3/20. https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/david-mcwilliams-this-is-the-time-for-economics-with-a-human-face-1.4207017 Daniel Susskind, ‘Universal Basic Income is an affordable and feasible response to coronavirus’, Financial Times 18/3/20. https://www.ft.com/content/927d28e0-6847-11ea-a6ac-9122541af204?fbclid=IwAR0NAlBBfia_KzFrId6BZykOR5GHKgUv4Ari4y1G4SRvf8DdnPDKAAvscrc House of Commons Early Day Motion #302: Temporary universal basic income. https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/56765/temporary-universal-basic-income ‘Calls for UK basic income payment to cushion coronavirus impact’, The Guardian 19/3/20 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/19/calls-for-uk-basic-income-payment-to-cushion-coronavirus-impact ‘Why more than 500 political figures and academics globally have called for universal basic income in the fight against coronavirus’, Independent 18/3/20. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/letters/coronavirus-universal-basic-income-ubi-poverty-economy-business-migrants-a9408846.html

To save as many souls as is possible