T.A.R.G.E.T is a vital community service that provides literacy skills, counselling, community employment, extensive training and affordable childcare to the local community in Donaghmede. But, we have just been told that they need to be out of their premises by June - leaving the future of the project - and all the people it supports - hanging in the balance. Can you sign the petition to ask Dublin City Council to make sure a suitable home for our project is found before the June deadline.

College access programmes provide a valuable opportunity for students and school leavers from lower socio-economic backgrounds. These students tend to face both financial and complex social barriers in accessing third level education. From my experience in completing the Trinity Access Programme some of the most frustrating barriers can come from the societal attitudes, perceived or otherwise, within the college, which in many cases can have a stigmatising effect. Requiring prospective students for DIT’s access programme to apply for Garda Vetting will in my view have the effect of further stigmatising some of the most disadvantaged students in the College. Bering in mind that the DIT access programme is aimed at those who have experienced socio-economic disadvantage in their past, the idea that they are singled out for Garda Vetting is totally dis-intuitive to that aim. At its core this is an irrational and unreasonable requirement on students applying for the DIT access programme. While some degrees do require Garda Vetting such as Social Work for example, it makes no sense to apply that requirement to students who do not intend to take those degrees. In this sense the lump approach by the access programme has a discriminatory result vis-à-vis non-access traditional students. It will not only have the effect of stigmatizing students coming through the programme, but it is likely to have a wider effect on anyone thinking of going onto further education through the access programme. Having, myself, completed the Trinity Access Programmes and gone on to complete my degree in Law and Political Science at Trinity, I can say that unreasonable requirements, like this Garda Vetting, applied discriminately to those from lower socio-economic backgrounds re-enforces certain stigmas that such student tend to face on a daily bases. Thus, the application of the Garda Vetting requirement proposed by the DIT access programme makes no real sense in its approach, it discriminates and will have a dis-insentivising effect on prospective students seeking a second chance. For these reasons, I urge you to sign this petition to have this decision reconsidered.

There is overwhelming support for making medicinal cannabis accessible in Ireland, and there are many successful legal frameworks to follow throughout the world. There is no excuse to continue denying those who are suffering access to a natural and affordable treatment that has been proven to help.

We need your signature so we can present our case to the council, we need to show the magnitutue of support for reducing speeding in Longwood. Please sign and share the petition, thank you.

URGENT: A family are to be evicted from their home on Ferrycarrig halting site tomorrow Monday the 20th of March if we don't convince Wexford County Council to withdraw their complaint from An Gardaí. The family have small children and the council have failed to provide suitable alternative accommodation. But, if enough of us sign the petition and send it to Wexford County Council before tomorrow - we could make them change their mind and withdraw their complaint.

Families may no longer be evicted from homes were mortgage was negotiated away from the business premises or by doorstep selling situation i.e. Broker arranged or when the right to cancel was not given i.e. a seven day cooling off period. S.I. No. 224/1989 - European Communities (Cancellation of Contracts Negotiated Away From Business Premises) Regulations, 1989.

Jack Nealon's pub, a traditional Dublin pub with 100 years history, is about to be closed. NAMA has sold the loans on the building to vulture fund Oaktree who have now decided to close the pub and change the function of the building. Dublin City Council should protect this piece of history by refusing planning applications to change the use of the building.

Using wild animals in travelling circuses where animals are forced to travel long distances and to perform unusual tricks and routines is cruel. A circus is no place for wild animals such as elephants, zebras, lions, camels and tigers; their needs cannot be met in a circus. Animals that are in circuses can suffer long term physical and psychological harm. Countries across Europe are banning wild animal circuses which is leading to Ireland quickly becoming one of the last places in Europe to allow this cruel practice. Call on your TD to support the bill before the Dáil from the Solidarity/People before Profit group that will see the end of this barbaric practice.

There are any number of reasons to support this action. Recent confirmation that human remains of babies and young infants, discovered in a sewage tank on the grounds of a former Mother and Baby home in Tuam is the latest in a long line of stories that have appalled and shocked Ireland and indeed the rest of the world. The clerical child sex abuse cases, the Church's view on contraception, divorce, equal marriage, the role of women in society and in the church, abortion. It is time that people who were brought up as Roman Catholic, should now have the facility to exercise their free will and be able to declare officially that they are no longer of that religion. This facility was taken away from us in 2009 by a change in Canon law. We ask that lawmakers put pressure on the Catholic Church to allow that right. We demand that the Catholic Church allows those of us who wish to leave, the facility to do so on the record. #letusleave

These are some of the worst incidents of abuse in the history of the Irish State. Many children died through neglect and ill-health and possibly physical abuse. All suffered. The State at the time knew this was taking place, but rather than shut them down, they paid these organisations to house those they deemed undesirable. Places like Westbank in Greystones were used as an illegal adoption agency and profited very handsomely out of it. Whilst victims of similar Catholic-run organisations have been recognised under the Redress Act 2002, no such move was made for those in Protestants homes, even though Bethany Home falls under every category for redress. Despite meeting members of the Bethany Home Survivors Group, Minister Zappone is still refusing to fast-track redress for these long-suffering people. Not many are left now and time is running out. https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/bethany-home-survivors-disappointed-over-governments-refusal-to-extend-fast-track-redress-scheme-927837.html

The Mother and Baby Homes Commission has found that there is a 'culture of “institutionalisation and human trafficking” has existed amongst various religious orders and State-funded institutions.' In light of the horrific news of the mass grave in Tuam, all other Mother and Baby Homes now need to be investigated. Only 14 Mother and Baby Homes and 4 County Homes are included within the Commission's Terms of Reference, but numerous people and organisations, including the United Nations and women who spent time in these homes, believe that the scope of the Commission's investigations should be widened.

On Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, the Joint Committee on Water will vote on whether they recommend water charges for “excessive use.” This will be a Trojan Horse for bringing in full water charges at a later date. So far 10 members of the 20 person water committee have committed to scrapping water charges and ending the domestic metering process. If one more member abstains or votes to scrap the charges, the Dail will be instructed to end metering and end water charges for good. We’re asking people to contact two members of the Committee who may support our position. Senator Grace O’Sullivan of the Civic Engagement Group and Deputy Noel Grealish, Independent TD for Galway West. We must convince these members to vote to scrap water charges: 1. If metered charges continue, eventually allowances will be reduced and full water charges will be introduced in time – meaning Ireland would have water poverty for the first time in our history. 2. Irish people are not wasteful with their water. In fact, we use less water than almost any other country in the EU consuming 25% less water than countries like the UK where they’ve had metered charges for almost 30 years. 3. There is a real problem with leaks in the system but only 3% of leaks come from the household side of the infrastructure. Funding should be directed to the public side where 97% of water is being leaked and also to district metering which could identify leaks. 4. A metering process for ‘excessive use’ makes no economic sense. Firstly, the ‘expert commission’ on water said there is no identifiable excessive use and using their formula for charging for excessive use would mean spending up to €300 million on a metering programme for a return of €27 million. This is a waste of valuable taxpayers money and would divert money from upgrading the real infrastructural problems. 5. The real agenda behind water charges is privatization. Should the metering process continue, there is no doubt that our water would be privatized in the future. 6. Article 1.9 of the CETA international trade agreement could provide for the privatization of our water in the future and having meters in place would facilitate this. 7. Two thirds of the Irish public voted for politicians who declared opposition to water charges. This is backed up by the Irish Times MRBI poll which shows that 64% of the population want the charges scrapped while only 34% want them continued. It is time to do the democratic will of the Irish electorate. For these reasons and more water charges must be abolished. We need you to contact Senator Grace O’Sullivan and Deputy Noel Grealish and demand they abstain or vote to end water charges for good. Noel Grealish TD - [email protected] Senator Grace O’Sullivan - [email protected] As Senator Grace O’Sullivan is representing the Civic Engagement Group on the Water Committee, it is important that we tell the other members of the Committee to support our call. The full Civic Engagement Group includes: Alice Mary Higgins – [email protected] Collette Kelleher – [email protected] Frances Black – [email protected] Lynn Ruane – [email protected] John Dolan – [email protected] Please sign this petition and share with everyone you know. We only have days to protect our human right to water and prevent future water poverty.