Jigsaw Roscommon provides a free and confidential support service for young people aged 15 to 25 living in County Roscommon. The Jigsaw hub, opened in 2012, is located in Roscommon Town in the Primary Care Centre on the Golf Links Road. There has also been a huge outreach programme, to areas where young people found it difficult to access the hub, such as Boyle, Monksland, Castlerea to name a few. Jigsaw Roscommon is part of the national Jigsaw network supported by Headstrong, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health. Jigsaw Roscommon has always aimed to make sure that young people’s voices are heard, that they get the right support, where and when they need it. Unfortunately, due to the unsuccessful recruitment of a Clinical Co-ordinator, the service is temporarily suspended with it's future uncertain. We need to find a Clinical Co-ordinator so the 5 other posts (Project Manager, 2X Clinical Support Workers, Youth Engagement Officer and an Administrator) can be filled with the Jigsaw Roscommon Service restored and the mental health of the young people of Roscommon cared for. According to the reports, over the 3 year period, a total of 409 young people were supported by Jigsaw Roscommon aged between 12 and 26 years. The age of highest need presenting to the service is 17 years of age. This is the typical age that falls between child and adult service provision. The numbers of referrals seen in the first year of Jigsaw Roscommon in 2012 was 39 with one staff member. When there were two members of staff in 2013 the number of young people coming to the service multiplied four times to 184. We have no doubt that had efforts been put into raising awareness of the service in schools and at a community level that the Jigsaw service in Roscommon would have had the potential and scope to be of benefit to many other young people in County Roscommon.

Are you a graduate of UCD, Trinity, NUIM, UCC, NUIG, RCSI, or NCAD? Did you know that you are eligible to vote in the upcoming Seanad election (set to take place on April 26th)? Emigrants who are graduates are also eligible to vote. But you must be registered to vote. However, due to lack of awareness and publicity, there are tens of thousands of graduates who have not registered. For the General election it is possible for a voter to be added to the Supplementary Register up until 15 working days before polling day. But in the Seanad Elections this is not currently the case. In fact, you needed to register before February 2015 to be eligible to vote in this year’s Seanad Election. The current Seanad register is not representative of people who have graduated in recent decades. For example, less than 10% of NUI college graduates since 2000 are registered to vote. That is why the Minister for Environment should set up a supplementary register for the 2016 Seanad Election. This would allow graduates to register up to Monday 18th April (which is reasonable as it is the same date for acceptance of change of address notification). This is also important for Irish emigrants because it is the only election where emigrants have the right to vote. The Minister should add to this supplementary register anyone who has registered since February 2015 and he should then promote the extended deadline for Seanad registration and the requirement for NUI & Trinity graduates to register in order to have their vote. The Seanad is in need of significant reform such as giving all citizens the entitlement to vote in Seanad Elections. Extending the registration deadline would at least, in the interim, extend the opportunity to vote to tens of thousands of Irish citizens in Ireland and abroad.

Twelve percent of the population of Ireland are migrants, of whom so many have the right to vote. Migrants bring enterprise and initiative, and in order to actively participate in Irish society, migrants must be visible in all spheres of Irish life and be represented proportionally to our number in the Irish population in all decision making processes. Irish political actors have done little or nothing to reach out to immigrants during elections. Integration has dropped off the radar and from the programmes of all political parties. A diverse republic needs inclusive politics and institutions that reflect the composition of a diverse society. Government bodies and local authorities need to do much more to engage with immigrant communities. We, the Migrant-Led Coalition, are calling on all politicians and candidates to sign up to our election manifesto and pledge to represent the needs of their migrant constituents.

Since pre-industrial times, our world has warmed by a global average of almost 1 degree celsius, due primarily to greenhouse gas pollution from human activities. This has already triggered serious planetary-scale climate disruption, and is having devastating humanitarian impacts on vulnerable communities in diverse geographical regions. But we are not powerless. We can still act: both to limit the speed and ultimate severity of global climate impacts, and to brace our own society for the potentially drastic shocks ahead due to the climate disruptions we have already initiated. This will require urgent and radical societal transformation. That can only happen with the willing engagement and support of the people. We need a genuine, sustained process that allows every single citizen and community in Ireland to fully consider the range and nature of the changes we face, and to advance policies and actions that are commensurate with them. Only in this way can we hope to create the unity and solidarity that is essential to create a strong, resilent, and genuinely sustainable society. We need a Citizens' Convention for a Post-Carbon Ireland.

-Education is a right not a privilege-The United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child states the following:States Parties recognize the right of the child to education....States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to the development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential(Articles 28,29) -Without the education setting of the Cork Life Centre the young people accessing it would have no suitable alternative educational placement. -Alternative models of education such as our centre need to be recognised and funded. At present in Ireland up to 10% of young people on average do not complete secondary level education. It is more than obvious that one size does not fit all. -Funding is an ongoing struggle for the Cork Life Centre-at present we are in receipt of just €47,500 in direct funding from the Department of Education and Skills. When one considers that it costs €9,000 per child per annum in the mainstream system and our setting offers a range of additional supports and is asking for just €5,000 per student the lack of response of the government does not make financial sense. -Education by its very definition should be holistic and meet not just the learning needs of young people but also their social and personal needs. At the Cork Life Centre our first priority is to create a warm and welcoming community where young people can build relationships with trusted and supportive adults as well as their peers.

As parents of children attending Lusk Community College we were dismayed when the second phase of the school building which had been promised for September 2015 did not materialise. It has since come to our attention that despite the urgent need for additional space and facilities in the school, there are further delays to the second phase of the building being completed. Correspondence sent to a parent by the Department for Education and Skills on 22nd of September 2015 (Ref: 31873/15) and 1st of October 2015 (ref: 33688/15) via local representatives indicates that all statutory approvals have been obtained and the design team were working on stage 2b. However, in the Department listing of Major Projects it is stated that the project will not proceed to construction until the year 2018. This is completely unacceptable. The first phase was intended to cater for 350 students, yet there are already 380 students accommodated in the school, and as of September 2016 there will be 530 children attending the school. This inaction by the Department is already leading to significant overcrowding and under-provision of facilities which will be further exacerbated with every new intake of students. The consequences of the delays include: • Compromising of the health and safety of the students and staff. • Increased requirement for prefabs which contribute to disruption to daily routines, increased costs in the short-term, reduced space in school grounds for sport and leisure and possible issues with disabled access. • High density of students congregating in the single communal area, with no scope for different spaces for junior and senior students and a lack of seating at lunchtime. • Insufficient classrooms to cater for specialised subjects. For example, in the Department of Education subject inspection of Science and Biology published on 14th January 2016 it states: “…given the high practical content of the Junior Certificate Science syllabus, one laboratory is insufficient to provide all seventeen science classes timetabled at the time of the evaluation.“ There will more than seventeen science classes in 2016-2017. • Inappropriate use of space due to timetabling difficulties posed by insufficient number of standard classrooms. For example 30 pupil classes are taught in rooms intended for specialised subjects with smaller groupings such as Woodwork and classes being taught in the open communal area next to the school reception area. • Lack of other school facilities including: library, ASD Unit, Sports facilities and changing facilities. • Lack of provision of subjects such as technology and metalwork. • Creating a bad impression within the community to the point where local families are again sending their children to schools elsewhere. After a wait of over 30 years for a post primary school for Lusk the opening of the first phase of the school was heralded as a new stage for the town and surrounding areas. Lusk is a growing town with a large population of young children who will be reaching secondary school age within the next few years. These children as well as current students moving through the junior cycle and embarking on transition year and Leaving Certificate courses must be catered for within Lusk in a school of the calibre that was promised. Our Constitution Article 42 1.1 states “We should cherish all the children of our nation equally”. The overcrowding and unfinished nature of Lusk Community College does not reflect this provision. We urge you to consider all of the above as a matter of urgency and to revise the proposed timelines to bring forward the completion of our school accordingly.

The Flaggy Shore is a beautiful, unspoilt piece of County Clare, enjoyed by many. Today, the people who run Failte/Discover Ireland/Wild Atlantic Way erected a hideous steel sign at the beach end of the Flaggy Shore. No one living along or near to the Flaggy Shore was consulted about this sign. We do NOT want it, nor do the many visitors to the Flaggy Shore. We ask that you TAKE IT AWAY NOW!! How about investing our money in the development of the roads along the Wild Atlantic Way??? PLEASE, remove this insulting sign at once.

Just when we thought Ibrahim was coming home, the finish line was moved again by the Egyptian courts. This time, the verdict has been delayed until September 18th. The next three weeks are crucial. The Irish Government must show that they are willing to take legal action unless Ibrahim is granted his freedom.

As Limerick City is on an estuary, it is expected that any problems caused by excess amounts of Orthophosphate entering the Shannon from households in the city will be mitigated by the tidal movements of the estuary. This is not good environmental practice and is simply fixing one problem by creating another problem. There are two solutions that can solve the problem of lead in water. One solution is to completely remove and replace all old lead piping, lead fixtures and lead fittings in the plumbing system of the house. The other solution which may also be less costly, is to add a water filter or filtration system that will remove metals like lead and other contaminants and ensure the drinking water supply is pure and safe to drink. There are also health issues with the use of this chemical not just the fact there adding it to water already effected by fluoride. The phosphate in sodium phosphate can cause calcification of your organs, the University of Maryland Medical Centre notes. Phosphate sometimes causes your soft tissue to calcify as well. When your organs and soft tissue become calcified, your ability to utilize minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc becomes impaired. These minerals are vital to the proper function of your body. Being unable to properly utilize them will lead to further problems and complications. Sodium phosphate has been associated with severe kidney damage, sometimes requiring dialysis, according to a 2009 article in PubMed Health. Kidney damage is associated with dehydration and constipation. Dizziness and decreased urination also can indicate kidney damage, but a biopsy offers more conclusive proof of kidney damage. Consuming it more frequently than once every seven days might elevate your risk of developing kidney damage, according to MedlinePlus. Sometimes sodium phosphate causes severe allergic reactions characterized by hives or skin rashes that appear all over your body, as well as itching and breathing difficulties. Allergic reactions also can cause your chest and throat to feel tight. Blood sometimes appears in your stool. Your facial area will also swell when you experience an allergic reaction. During a severe allergic reaction, your arms and legs sometimes also swell. Confusion, arrhythmia and headaches are also symptoms associated with severe allergic reactions. Seizures and potential loss of consciousness are also typical symptoms of a severe allergic reaction. And already common in our current supply I have been sending letters, Emails etc. to this company for months regarding the Orthophosphate trials in Limerick and Clare.What we want is for them to send a spokes person to Limerick for a public consultation with the residents and citizens who will be effected by this.If they are a genuine company that have any regard for its customers and if this Phosphate is 100% safe then I don't see why they are refusing. We will welcome them and organise a venue This orthophosphate is been used as an escuse not to repair our infrastructure which is on its last legs.Once that falls apart they will sell to the higest bidder and our water will be lost.Ask Berlin about that one or veolia So please help us keep the pressure on we only have weeks left as its going in without our consent in the first quarter of 2016

The Department of Social Protection is meant to be responsible for fighting homelessness, not making conditions even more unbearable for rough sleepers in Dublin city centre. The recent installation of anti-homeless devices at the Department office building on Amiens street is an unacceptable measure, described in the following terms by the Director of Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH) Anthony Flynn: "[From] the department that is supposed to look after our vulnerable people...This the most unsympathetic way of dealing with the homeless crisis, it's a 'not in my doorstep attitude' and we certainly condemn it." Accountability, however, has been lacking in the responses of both the Department of Social Protection and the Office of Public Works, which apparently manages the building in conjunction with a private landlord. But it's time for government to stop shirking responsibility. An Tánaiste Joan Burton is also Minister for Social Protection, and TD Simon Harris is Minister of State with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works. Let's call on them to take action against this appalling measure, and to advocate immediately for the removal of all anti-homeless devices from Gandon House.

Most of us will agree that it is not in any way going to make us choose a candidate based on a picture . Big parties have big budgets and can take over an area. They are unsightly and create an untidy look wherever they are. A person's ability to run for election should not be counted by the amount of times their face is replicated.

1304 deceased patients of St.Lomans Hospital Mullingar, County Westmeath are buried without individual grave markings - one of these is my great gran Julia Leronard (nee Caffrey). My family and I discovered this after our application to have her remains exhumed to be re-interred in a family plot was turned down. Following this I visited the graveyard and discovered 1304 men and women including my great gran are in what has been allowed to become a mass grave. In 2011 the HSE sanctioned graveyard maintenance work resulting in - the removal of all the crosses marking each grave. I have heard these crosses are stored in a shed on the grounds of the hospital. The last person buried here was in 1970. These deceased patients were forgotten by Irish Society while interred in what was then known as the Asylum - I want to remember these people today and afford them some dignity and respect by marking their graves properly. On February 6 2016 myself and my family erected our own cross in the memory of our great -gran/grandmother Julia on the mass grave site. We felt we needed to do something to honor her memory as Government Authorities are not doing anything. We would like to see; 1.An expert Archaeologist hired to restore the graveyard 2.Restoration of the graveyard - meaning restoring the individual identity of all the graves i.e individual markers/crosses on each grave with the name of the person buried there and their date of birth and death. 3.Permanent memorial wall with all the names of the men and women buried there. 4.Exhumation of my great gran Julia - to be re-interred with the baby boy taken from her in the hospital - my grandfather. I think as it stands it shows up ongoing discrimination in the area of mental health. If this graveyard was in the general community there would be outrage at headstones being removed and a graveyard being turned into a mass grave.