Why is the man credited with the first colonial voyage to the present day Americas, and the subsequent genocide of the Indigenous people celebrated in this city and on this island?  It is time that this monument is removed and replaced with a piece of art that reflects a meaningful historic connection that the people of Galway have with the Americas.  This statue sits on public land in the centre of the city, and so it must represent a part of our story or cultural heritage. The statue seemingly commemorates a voyage that Columbus may have taken to Galway in 1477, though the evidence of when (and if) this trip took place is limited.  The sculpture was commissioned by Columbus's hometown of Genoa in 1992 to commemorate the 500 years since Columbus set sail across the Atlantic, initiating the genocidal conquest of the Americas and the attempted erasure of ancient cultures that were at home there for thousands of years when Columbus seemingly 'discovered' it.  Furthermore, Galway stands with the Indigenous people of the Americas, as we stand with the people of Palestine who are today experiencing the same settler colonial ethnic cleansing by Israel and supported by their Western allies.  It is time that this sculpture which sits on public land is removed and replaced with something that has historic meaning for the people of Galway.

Action 17 of the Green Party’s energy security policy reads: " To create a Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve to protect Ireland in the event of a gas supply disruption as Ireland makes a secure transition to majority renewable energy" under a timeline of "accelerated implementation". This Action was signed off by Minister Eamon Ryan of the Green Party, Action 17 and is a Greenwashed statement that translates as Minister supporting the building of new fossil fuel infrastructure. Put simply, Action 17 has created an opening for a fracked gas import terminal to be built In Ireland. Shannon LNG’s application for a terminal on the Kerry coast has recently been remitted to An Bord Pleanála on the basis that there was no clear policy against LNG, according to High Court Judge Humphreys. The proceedings of the court, specifically in Point 117 refers to Action 17.   The Green Party on entry to the current coalition government, promised policy against LNG  and again in 2021 - but the party didn't deliver on its promises so far. Now time is running out and Action 17, along with the application for Shannon LNG being remitted to Bord Pleanála and the lack of policy against LNG terminals spells just one thing, and that is: "Fracked Gas Imports". Thousands of people came out on the streets against fracking in Ireland for public health reasons. We can't ban fracking in Ireland and then import fracked gas from the US that has poisoned men, women and children across the waters - can we?  To prevent an LNG terminal that imports fracked gas from the US, Green Party members, including its leader Roderic O'Gorman, must URGENTLY put pressure on Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan to revoke Action 17 and implement clear policy against LNG terminals before the government dissolves. 

A.) Good dog behaviour starts with aware owners. Behaviour classes teach owners how to teach their dogs, making owners much more conscious of the issues around picking-up dog poo, lead protocol, socialisation, muzzling, chipping, exercise, nutrition, observing the bye-laws.  B.) Good dog behaviour depends on skilled owners. Agility Courses again teach owners skills that are both mentally and physically stimulating for their dogs, enhancing the bond between owner and dog and making for obedient, well exercised and contented dogs. C.) Good dog behaviour relies on knowledgeable owners. A dedicated Dog Park permits dogs to run free in a safe environment, socialise with both people and other dogs, make friend, learn from other dogs, while owner have the chance to exchange experiences and know-how with other owners, an invaluable resource.  Good Owners = Good Dogs and this benefits everyone in the community.   

Our children are expected to concentrate and reach their full potential learning in freezing cold conditions, in prefabs that are not fit for purpose! They are missing out on other basic facilities other schools have such as a school hall and a canteen! The school has to turn down opportunities of extracurricular activities, such as drama and sports because they don’t have the facilities to accommodate it! They have to walk 15 minutes to a nearby hall to do PE, and if the weather is bad they have to cancel! This simply is not good enough and there is no excuse for it to be going on for 24 years!!! Despite the amazing work done by teachers in Gaelcholáiste Reachrann, there is only so much they can do in these deplorable conditions. It’s a wonder they can get anyone to work in the school at all! These conditions are having a huge negative impact on both teachers and students and something needs to be done about it urgently!

To stop the shocking and ongoing pollution caused by the current inadequate and obsolete septic tank.

It is imperative that appropriate measures be put in place to support Teachers and  SNAs who have been assaulted in the classroom. Anyone who suffers an assault in the workplace their sole focus should be on their recovery. I believe these amendments are crucial for the wellbeing of our educators and to ensure a safe and supportive working environment. 

Road deaths are rising year on year in Ireland, and the government's response is to disband the Road Safety Authority (RSA).  This is outrageous. They should be putting more money into preventing road deaths, not stripping vital funding from the people who are trying to make our roads safer.  Please sign this petition if you think the Road Safety Authority should remain in place. It's essential that we keep the RSA if we want to keep people safe on our roads. 

Over the last three years, areas of Dublin Mid-West, including Rathcoole, Newcastle and parts of Lucan and Clondalkin, have been without a public health nurse.  This has a real impact on the local community who are missing a vital resource. This is acutely felt by newborns and their parents, who are missing out on key developmental checks that should be performed at home by a public health nurse and vital support for new parents.  Gino Kenny TD first wrote to the Minister over two years ago regarding this issue and the minister assured us that new recruits would fill the position by July 2023. The post is still not filled. 

We kindly ask for your support in this matter. Signing this petition would greatly strengthen our case for increased safety measures, speed limit enforcement, and special speed designations on the approaches to the school gate.

The climate and biodiversity emergency (and the wider global polycrisis it represents) is entirely different from all other issues in this general election campaign. It is global in scope, raising genuine existential risk for the stability of all human civilisation within the lifetime of young people already of voting age. It transcends and dwarfs the other “conventional” political issues: there can be no enduring solution to housing, healthcare, education, emigration, economic development, peace or justice unless there is a successful response to the climate and biodiversity emergency. For Ireland to play even its minimal fair share in such a global response would now require fundamental and disruptive changes in current political priorities. It is utterly impossible to do justice to this issue without a full debate devoted exclusively to it, and driven by an audience selected explicitly to represent future generations who are entirely reliant on the decisions being made now. "We need to focus every inch of our being on climate change. Because if we fail to do so, then all of our achievements and progress will be for nothing. And all that will remain of our political leaders’ legacy will be the greatest failure of human history. And they will be remembered as the greatest villains of all time because they have chosen not to listen and not to act." - Greta Thunberg, speech to the European Economic and Social Committee, February 2019. [Note: This initiative follows on a previous petition during the #GE2020 election campaign. Image credit: sculpture by Isaac Cordal, "Follow the leaders".] 

Najwa Elsabbgh is 74 and is trapped in Northern Gaza. We demand that her name gets added to a list of adults and children who are due to be evacuated to Ireland in the coming weeks.   Najwa was granted a visa in February 2024 to come live in Ireland with her daughter Sherin Alsabbagh, an Irish citizen since 2022. Najwa has the approval from Israel to leave Gaza. To neglect to evacuate Najwa during this critical opportunity would be an abandonment of the Irish Government's obligation to protect its citizens and their immediate families.    After being displaced more than 11 times, Najwa is back hiding in her home near Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s biggest medical facility, which has been destroyed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since October 7th, 2023. The IDF besieged the hospital in March and destroyed numerous surrounding neighborhoods, leaving Najwa’s own home partly destroyed after a deliberate tank shelling. Neighbors across the street were killed and they remain buried under the rubble.   Despite Sherin's repeated pleas, Najwa is still trapped in Gaza; the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Irish government have so far failed to provide a safe exit for her. It has now become a matter of extreme urgency for the Irish Government to act, as Najwa's health is in rapid decline after enduring a year of hardship under constant bombardments, starvation, sickness and repeated displacement. Najwa’s back and knees are bad from fleeing in panic over broken roads and dead bodies. She is weak from the lack of food and water.    Every single person in Gaza means the world to their family, they are not merely numbers. Sherin fears she will not see her mother again. Time is against her, with the ramping up of the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, its intensity shows no signs of diminishing.   Najwa has already lost nearly 200 members of her close and extended family, her health is in decline. She has all her papers in order and has the legal right to be reunited with her daughter in Ireland. Put Najwa’s name on the evacuation list!  

Dublin faces a critical shortage of accessible green spaces, particularly during winter and after heavy rain, making it harder than ever for children to enjoy safe outdoor facilities. Delaying this project would set a discouraging precedent for similar initiatives across the city, stalling momentum and dampening hopes for the many other clubs—and countless boys and girls—who need these community spaces. Please sign the petition to support the creation of an enhanced space at Kenilworth that will make a real difference for children across Dublin!