Vicky Khokhar, the popular Longford ER nurse and local volunteer, is about to be needlessly deported from Ireland and needs our help. In a country starved of qualified nurses, Vicky has an offer in writing for a job with a local Nursing Home. He is awaiting English exam results and recognition of his qualifications to obtain a working visa. Vicky has spent 3 years in the notorious Irish direct provision system. During that time he has volunteered for everything going on in Longford - from the local samba band, the local church, St. Mels Cathedral, St. Mel’s Musical Society, the Attic Youth Cafe and dance projects. He even voluntarily works 5 days a week at the local nursing home, where he is valued as much for his can-do personality as for his qualifications as an ER nurse. His work was beautifully documented in this Irish Times article https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/i-love-spending-the-day-in-the-nursing-home-it-s-bringing-me-back-to-life-1.3455516 In the meantime, his original asylum application has failed (despite Irish government travel advisories on travel to Pakistan, which describe the security situation as ‘unstable and dangerous’) https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/a-z-list-of-countries/pakistan/ He is being forced to leave our country. If deported, he will be banned from returning Ireland for 10 years and may face imprisonment back in Pakistan. It’s not too late. We have until August 27th to try and help Vicky stay, or at least enable him to return voluntarily and avoid deportation - leaving him with a chance of coming back. Can you support this petition to Charlie Flanagan, the Minster for Justice asking for common sense to prevail and for Vicky to be granted permission to stay in Ireland, at least until his work permit is ready? It makes no sense to send him back and he risks getting lost in the system and never making it back to Ireland where he is valued and needed. Vicky is exactly the kind of person we want in our communities. Lets make this work for him.

Jobseekers who are aged 18-24 years and are not in education or employment receive a reduced allowance of €107.70 per week and €152.80 for those aged 25, compared to €198 for all adults over 26. Young jobseekers under 26 living independently in Ireland cannot afford a rent contribution along with the cost of bills and food. We believe that this age-discrimination is pushing vulnerable young adults who are at risk further into consistent poverty, and hampering them from finding employment and exiting poverty and often times homelessness. Crosscare work with young adult Jobseekers under 26 who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless. There are three main groups of young adult Jobseekers who are particularly at risk: • Those who are experiencing homelessness and residing in homeless services • Those leaving State Care who are excluded from the TUSLA Aftercare Allowance • Those who have received International Protection in Ireland and must move to independent living We are asking Minister Doherty to restore the full rate of Jobseekers Allowance for all young adults from 18-26 years - in particular for these 3 groups. We have worked with these young people to produce two short videos to illustrate how the current allowance has impacted their lives: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUkj0Q9rJk8&feature=youtu.be Joe's Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bexfQKulthk Najma's Story Please sign our petition to ask the Irish Government to #RestoretheYouthSafetyNet and give these Young People at risk the support that they need.

On Monday 17th July 2018 we began our picket outside the Loreto secondary school, Wexford. This action was taken as a last resort. Many sub-contractors have been left with unpaid invoices for their work and are owed significant amounts of money from Sammon Construction. This has already resulted in the loss of many jobs and has and put businesses at serious risk. We also have bills to pay and families to provide for. School children will be occupying buildings and using furniture and equipment that has not been paid for. It is essentially stolen property.

We are asking Fingal County Council to implement new child safety measures for the Seabury Estate in Malahide. Child Safety Measures Needed: 1. New ramp between Seabury Place and Seabury Crescent 2. New signage to say 'Slow Down - Children at play' along Seabury Lane and Seabury Crescent 3. Speed limit to be reduced (currently it's 50km/hr) 4. Business Work Vans are parked out on the road (we kindly request that they park in their driveways or elsewhere) ________________________________________________ Why are we requesting these safety measures? - In recent years, many of the local, younger children have been playing outside on the road. - They usually play here in the cul-de-sac or just beyond the dangerous junction where Seabury Lane meets Seabury Crescent. - Signs to indicate appropriate driving speeds / children at play are not clearly visible. - It has been noted that some cars drive from Seabury Place onto Seabury Lane at high speeds and with little regard for the children at play. - Many cars also turn from Estuary Road onto Seabury Lane and drive at high speeds, despite the small ramp which is about half way down the road. - There are cars parked along Seabury Lane, including 2 or sometimes 3 large white work vans parked along Seabury Lane which make it more difficult for drivers to see children playing up ahead.

Páirc Uí Chaoimh was built with €30m of funds from pubic money. This is a very special tribute match for the late Liam Miller - someone who represented everything thats great about sport.

Ireland has just divested from fossil fuels. But at the same time, our publicly owned Electricity Supply Board is pouring money into a coal fired power station in the Philippines. We already know we're dangerously close to losing our shot at a safe climate. For us to avoid disaster, 80% of known fossil fuel reserves have to stay in the ground and never be burnt. That's why it's crazy to be building new coal fired power stations - we should be closing down the ones that already exist. What's more, this project has seen shocking abuses of the community from the start. Residents were lied to, and told the project would be a Liquid Natural Gas plant. After it was approved, it was changed to a coal fired power plant. People who live near other coal fired power plants in the Philippines have seen a huge spike in tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases, but residents are not being heard. People were forced out of their homes to build the plant, some of whom got no compensation and some who were coerced to sell for far less than market value. Even worse, local priests who have spoken out have been receiving threatening text messages. Ireland cannot back a project like this. As a developed country, our role must be to support fair, renewable, and community led energy initiatives in developing countries - not dirty coal.

Since opening in 2011 Ormston House has been the cultural heart of Limerick City. Hosting exhibitions from local and international artists, gigs, community events and more, it has provided a vital and much needed cultural space for the people of Limerick. Culture has been at the heart of Limerick City in recent years and was named City of Culture in 2014. It’s the spark that kept the city alive and bright during the bleak years of the recession. As more and more beautiful buildings became derelict, they were handed over to artists and creatives who gave what would have otherwise been an empty shell a new lease of life. But the good times are back and with that, one by one, these spaces have disappeared. Lets not let that happen to Ormston House! Since the announcement of the possible closure of Ormston House, due to the building being put up for sale by a Vulture Fund, there has been a huge outpouring of support. The Rubberbandits called on Limerick City and County Council to "Please do the right thing here" and said "Placing art and culture in a prominent position of pride, in a decent location, isn’t just good for tourism. It collectively benefits our sense of identify, self esteem and mental health." If we come together to show our support and put pressure on Limerick City and County Council and those involved in this sale, we can save Ormston House and ensure it's preserved as the amazing cultural space it currently is for years to come. Find out more about Ormston House here: http://ormstonhouse.com/

Because everyone should have a suited big name festival yet metal heads/rockers are the only people that don’t.

This is an important issue, because the Pride parade/march is still, as it has always been, a demonstration that aims to highlight the rights of marginalised people within the LGBTQ+ community. It is swiftly becoming enveloped in a wave of corporations pandering for business on the back of our community. Dublin City council should appreciate the value of our wonderfully diverse community, and the importance of the LGBTQ+ Pride parade to the city. As a symbol of a progressive modern Ireland, Dublin Pride is a magnet for LGBTQ+ tourism, as well as a great family day out for LGBTQ+ and Straight families alike. We would like to reduce corporate branding and sponsorship in the parade, and ask that Dublin City Council invest in this growing festival to give more control to the queer community. It is Our City, It is Our Pride. Its time we reduce corporate branding, and turn the spotlight back on the community that Pride represents.

Blessington and the surrounding areas have a growing young population. Presently the residents must travel outside of our community to Naas or Tallaght to access swimming facilities. The nearest community swimming pool to West Wicklow, provided by Wicklow County Council, is in Bray, an hour drive away from Blessington by car. According to the 2016 Census the municipal district population of West Wicklow is over 26,000 people. A community swimming pool would be of great benefit to the local communities and would help promote physical exercise, water safety and provide local employment. We believe that a community swimming pool needs to be provided for the growing population of West Wicklow.

A move like this is exactly what we need to turn the tide on plastic pollution. We all know how devastating plastic waste can be on marine life, and by 2050 it is predicted that there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. If enough of us pressure the local members in our area - we could create a ripple effect that will make all restaurants and café’s ditch single use plastic straws. If a town like Westport can commit to making all its pubs plastic free, why can’t others? [3] “We are a coastal town and want to preserve the wildlife and nature in Westport, so getting rid of plastic straws helps us to do that,” Chambers said. "It is very likely that all the other businesses in the town will come on board.” Notes [1] http://www.rai.ie/restaurants-association-ireland-ban-plastic-straws [2] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/more-plastic-than-fish-in-the-sea-by-2050-warns-ellen-macarthur [3] http://www.thejournal.ie/plastic-straws-ban-westport-3999771-May2018/

A move like this is exactly what we need to turn the tide on plastic pollution. We all know how devastating plastic waste can be on marine life, and by 2050 it is predicted that there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. If enough of us pressure the local members in our area - we could create a ripple effect that will make all restaurants and café’s ditch single use plastic straws. If a town like Westport can commit to making all its pubs plastic free, why can’t others? [3] “We are a coastal town and want to preserve the wildlife and nature in Westport, so getting rid of plastic straws helps us to do that,” Chambers said. "It is very likely that all the other businesses in the town will come on board.” Notes [1] http://www.rai.ie/restaurants-association-ireland-ban-plastic-straws [2] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/more-plastic-than-fish-in-the-sea-by-2050-warns-ellen-macarthur [3] http://www.thejournal.ie/plastic-straws-ban-westport-3999771-May2018/