Secure bicycle lockers for cyclists...

Everyone no matter what their circumstance or chance of birth deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. Education is a powerful tool against poverty and inequality for both the individual who can access it and the generations after them. The current Covid19 pandemic poses an unique opportunity to change the entry process to 3rd level education in Ireland and let everyone who wants to be in education in. This petition is inspired by RTE broadcaster Joe Duffy using his platform to promote the importance of equal access to education throughout his life such as his campaign 'Let Them In' 40 years ago. If not now then when? LET THEM IN

Many students opt to register for and sit Leaving Certificate subjects which are either not offered in their schools curriculum, or were studied for due to other reasons such as timetable clashes or a home-schooled approach. Failure to recognise and confer appropriate grades for subjects students are registered to sit for their Leaving Certificate could disenfranchise Leaving Certificate students 2020 from access to third level places in 2020. For this reason we urge the Minister for Education and State Examinations Commission to ensure an equitable approach in the recognition of these subject choices.

People including small children are living in overcrowded rooms, with no privacy or space for self-isolation. The spread of Covid19 is very high in congregated settings and the treatment of people seeking asylum is inhumane. This is a public health and human rights issue and urgent action is needed. People seeking asylum need to be in self-contained accommodation where families can live together and people do not have to share with non-family members.

The taxi regulator is not interested in the safety of drivers.It will be drivers who will implement safety screens in their cars.Even though we were allowed work during this epidemic,PPE had to be sourced by drivers

"Bewley’s is the heart and the hearth of Dublin" Brendan Kennelly The Beautiful Harry Clarke and Jim Fitzpatrick stainglass windows, The decorative facade at grafton streets midpoint, Attending plays or events in the cafe theatre, the grafton st balcony on a warm afternoon,a place for a special treat to catch up with family+friends or simply read by the warm fires escaping the weather outside. For close to 100 years Bewleys Grafton street cafe as a special place in the hearts of Dubliners and visitors alike. Regularly it is compared to some of the great tea rooms of continental Europe. It has played such an important part in the citys history and cultural life. Over the years many Irish cultural icons such as James Joyce frequented Bewleys cafes The Dublin city development plan recognizes that Bewleys "contributes significantly to the special and unique character of grafton street" and protects the building for use as a cafe. Losing Bewleys would not just be be a big lost for those that love but for Dublin as a city. We are in the midst of a global pandemic with big health and economic issues but it still be a shame to lose this Dublin landmark forever to become a big brand store. A solution can be found to save it. The developer who owns the building(refuses to address rental issues), was himself bailed out with largre sums by the Irish people after behaving recklessly.

These smaller branches are a key part of the local economy in towns like Monasterevin and Kilcullen. They are particularly important to older people who are not equipped to follow the trend that the banks are pushing towards online banking. The presence of a bank in small towns is a key reason why small businesses choose to locate there. They are also an important consideration when people choose to move to rural areas.

The owners of Bewleys Cafe on Grafton Street are closing because of out of control rent (landlord Johnny Ronan who we bailed out).

This is of critical importance right now due to the declining number of insect species in this country as a result of poor practices by many people who simply are unaware of the adverse effects of their behaviour. Healthy biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. In Ireland biodiversity is essential for many reasons including the below: • Soils formation and protection • Nutrient storage and recycling • Pollution breakdown and absorption • Contribution to climate stability • Maintenance of ecosystems • Food • Medicinal resources • Wood products • Ornamental plants • Diversity in genes and species • Social benefits, such as research, education, recreation, cultural values and tourism

These recent weeks of the COVID-19 period have shown us what life could be like. Cars no longer dominate our streets and roads. Children and adults alike are cycling and walking - without fearing for their personal safety. Young boys and girls are venturing onto roads where they have never cycled before. This will not continue unless something changes. Streets are for people. Properly designed segregated cycle ways, and adequate footpaths all will allow space for social distancing. But one day COVID-19 will be gone. The cars will remain - we must make space for people. We want Wexford County Council to revisit their 2013 draft Cycling Network Plan, and we want Wexford County Council to reallocate road space to walking and cycling in Wexford. Research published by Sports Ireland on the 30th April 2020 shows an additional 500,000 regular walkers, 450,000 runners and 220,000 cyclists. These numbers show a huge increase in people using public space to move around and exercise. See links to WexBUG for more info

Covid 19 made abundantly clear that our existing health services needed radical transformation to cope with the pandemic. Insufficient hospital bed capacity, too few intensive care beds, too few hospital nurses and staff, glaring structural defects accumulated over decades, as well as two separate health services on an island of 6.6 million inhabitants, were shown up as markedly inadequate. The lack of PPE and other public health resources for testing, contact tracing and protecting older people in nursing homes or health and social care workers arose from the absence of a coordinated, efficient national health service. The situation required the enactment of measures which would have been unthinkable pre-Covid 19. The budget of the Health Service Executive was expanded by €1 billion and the recruitment embargo on nurses and other key staff lifted. North and South, agreements were secured with private hospitals that they would temporarily operate as public hospitals, open to both Covid 19 and non-Covid 19 patients. In the South, patients with Covid-19 are being treated as public patients in what the caretaker Fine Gael government itself has lauded as a single national hospital service with no private-public distinction. If the extension of public healthcare can happen in a pandemic, why not also in ‘normal’ health crisis times? Why can it not be used to address the waiting lists of at least 700,000 in the South, 300,000 in the North? To address the totally inadequate step- down facilities or the lack of home care support? Or to enable everyone to have free access to GPs? The measures taken have shown that a comprehensive public health service is both possible and indispensable for providing healthcare to all when they need it. However, the Dublin government’s deal with the private hospitals, while a welcome step of making private hospitals public, is also costing the public purse €115 million a month. This continues the policy of shoring up the private sector with public money, a policy which has been shown in the North to undermine the ability of the NHS to provide timely cradle to grave treatment, free at the point of use.

Limerick Cycling Campaign, the Limerick Cycle Bus and the Irish Pedestrian Network are launching the #WeNeedSpace campaign calling on Limerick Council to provide safe, usable space across the city for people to shop, exercise and commute by walking and cycling during the current crisis. Research published by Sports Ireland on the 30th April shows an additional 500,000 regular walkers, 450,000 runners and 220,000 cyclists. These numbers show a huge increase in people using public space to move around and exercise. This positive cultural change in how we use our streets should be further encouraged by making more space for people to get out and stay healthy during these difficult times. It’s very difficult for young families in the city to get fresh air and exercise while trips to parks and beaches are off-limits. We need to facilitate safe segregated cycle routes in the city to encourage family and more cautious cyclists to come out and get some exercise. A circular segregated cycle would open up the city to young people to get their exercise in a safe way. These temporary actions in response to the current emergency, would be strategic in creating a positive cultural change to make our towns and cities more liveable and contributing to a much needed boost in footfall required to aid the economic recovery when we move beyond the current crisis. Please support this campaign by signing and sharing on social media using the hashtag #WeNeedSpace and read our letter to the Council on the Limerick Cycling website.