There is a small number of Syrians living and working in Ireland who are desperately worried about their family members living under siege and relentless bombardment in Syria. Those who are not refugees cannot apply to bring these family members to Ireland. Even for refugees the current system is slow and the rules are restrictive as to which family members can be brought here. We are appealing to the Minister for Justice to urgently bring forward a scheme which will allow for a speedy, wider and more flexible process of family reunification for foreign nationals whose close family members are in imminent danger through war. .

The salmon farming industry is detrimental to wild salmon, peoples health and the ecology of the bays where the cages are. Sea lice from the salmon cages easily infest little salmon making their journey to sea, and many don't return to breed. This massively effects angling tourism, coupled with escaped salmon who spread disease. The antibiotics and food used to farm these "organic" salmon is far from healthy. The E.U definition of "organic" is shocking, and I have never in my life heard of antibiotics growing in a field! Mussels and other native life is effected by the salmon farms, they must be stopped! For more information or to help the campaign further contact Tom Moran via the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pbpcastlebar Thank you!

Glyphosate the main ingredient in Roundup is poisonous to humans, wildlife and the environment. According to the WHO it is 'probably carcinogenic'. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/widely-used-herbicide-linked-to-cancer/ It is being sprayed on roadsides, paths, in housing estates close to where people live. Ireland has the second highest levels of glyphosate in surface water in the EU. Page 83 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4302/epdf

It will help in the fight against self serving associates robbing money donated by well meaning people. The latest scandal involves Console. Draft sections of the audit revealed that former Console boss Paul Kelly and his wife and son spent almost €500,000 on designer clothes, foreign trips, groceries, and other expenses between 2012 and 2014. All three benefited by almost €500,000 in salaries and cars in the same period. This is not good enough. The legislation exists but it's not being implemented. This must change. PART 4 of the Charities Act first action: Protection of Charitable Organisations Investigation of affairs of charitable organisation. 64.— The Authority may appoint a person (in this Act referred to as an “inspector”) or more than one such person to investigate the affairs of a charitable organisation and to prepare a report thereon in such manner as the Authority shall direct.

Its important because it will encourage dumping. The bin system is fine. Taxes are being put on ordinary people who are already doing their best to help with the rubbish by putting them into bins already as well as recycling their products. Its not right to impose such charges. We are being forced to pay a polluters charge how dare they. Its the shops have to reduce this packaging on products sold in their shops as we are paying for it now.

Since January 2016, 200,000 people have arrived and more than 2,800 have died in an attempt to reach Europe by sea. Numbers are expected to increase as climate change and conflict drive refugees out of their home countries seeking safety on the European continent. Following the tragic death of a Syrian boy on a Turkish beach in September 2015, Taoiseach Enda Kenny called the migrant crisis a "human catastrophe" and pledged to increase the number of refugees that Ireland accepted to 4,000 people. Almost a year after that promise, only a dozen have arrived and our government has made no plans to uphold that promise. Sign this petition to demand that Enda Kenny stop ignoring this crisis and uphold Ireland's promise to save 4,000 people from this catastrophe.

This is important because football is one of the most important sport in Ireland. Too many clubs that were in the league have gone bankrupt due to the incompetence of the FAI. Currently, teams such as Waterford United are on the brink of bankruptcy. This has to change. By signing this petition, you're showing the FAI you care about the League of Ireland's future

This is important as it appears that the Dublin Port Company failed to adhere to licence conditions in previous dumping carried out under the same licence and these failures to comply were not acted upon by the regulatory authority (EPA). These conditions were imposed to protect the Bay. As the cultural status of the site has since been raised to an SAC its protection has been recognised under both Irish and EU legislation as now being even more important. The Irish Underwater Council (IUC) believe that dumping at the designated dump site of the Burford Bank, will cause long term damage to an environment already only gradually recovering from previous significant historical dumping. While the IUC recognises the necessity of the dredging being carried out, we believe alternative dump sites must be considered. If the use of the current dumpsite is to continue, then this activity must undergo the proper appropriate assessment required for EU protected sites.

Hares are a protected species in Ireland and an national symbol. Prior to a hare coursing event the hares are collected in a cruel manner using nets and then stored in horrendous conditions most likely in small boxes until they are released into a field and chased and mauled by greyhounds. Animal rights organisations have secretly documented and evidenced the cruel methods in collection and storing of the animals. Clare Daly, a TD for Dublin North – the only Dublin constituency, she says, which still has hare coursing events – told the Dail recently that the Irish Council Against Blood Sports has a video of barbarity in Balbriggan. Daly says that the rules around hare coursing are contradictory where, on the one hand, hares are protected under the Wildlife Act but, on the other, under the Animal Health and Welfare Act all animals are protected with the exception of hares to be coursed. She said that this resulted, in 2015, in a situation where 7,000 hares were taken from the wild to be used in live coursing events. While Creed said the figures show that in 2014-15 99.3% of hares are released back into the wild, Daly said it was often to die. “Reports from the National Parks and Wildlife Service… tell us that only 17 of the 75 events held in the country last year had National Parks and Wildlife Service officials in attendance and the state of many of the hares requiring assistance, which were released back to the wild distressed, is evident in its reports, which refute the information given to the Minister by Bord na gCon.” Many hares, she said, which are released back into the wild, were very distressed and die afterwards. Creed said that under legislation ensured a prohibition on the coursing of sick or pregnant hares and a requirement that hares be released back into the wild during daylight hours. However, Daly said at a coursing event in Nenagh, some of the hares released included heavily pregnant hares. Daly said the solution is to ban coursing outright, but Creed said he has no intentions to do so. Ireland is one of only 3 countries in Europe that allow this barbaric so called sport take place. Does this have a place in a caring and compassionate modern Ireland? For the last 25 years independent TD's have attempted to and failed to have this act banned in the Dail. Supporters call it tradition, a tradition where grown men stand in a field and cheer whilst watching animals be terrorised and mauled. The word tradition is used too often to for justification for terrible acts. How can we as a nation condemn other countries for animal cruelty like bull fighting and whale hunting when we accept this in our own lands. TD's should firstly be allowed to vote with their conscious and not with the whip and the government who has given its support to the continuation of hare coursing. Its important that we send a strong message to the government that it is not acceptable in a caring and compassionate Ireland that cherishes its protected species.

Car Insurance has increased again and is really affecting vulnerable people esp older people barely surviving on their pension. Older people, especially in rural areas, depend on their cars to get to the shops, to Mass and to the Post Office. Now older people are being forced off the road by unaffordable premiums. This further isolates a people who are already isolated by lack of rural transport and the depopulation of rural areas. Car insurance hikes also affects students who need car transport to get to college. Workers on low incomes can't afford to get to work. Anyone living in rural Ireland needs a car to get to schools, shops etc. My car insurance has been increased from 450 Euro in 2015 to 731 Euro in 2016. This is an increase of 281 Euro - 3 weeks pension. I have no claims and no penalty points to warrant this increase. This is beyond my reach and many older people I have spoken to are in the same position. There is a place called 'STOP' and this is it.

University College Cork is a welcoming and inclusive place of learning. In recent years, Dr. Watson has made a number of statements that are racist, misogynistic and homophobic. As such, it is unacceptable that members of the Governing Body would choose to name a building in UCC after a person with such a viewpoint as Dr. Watson. Therefore, we encourage you to sign this petition to show that students, staff members and the wider public will not accept this decision.

Exporting racing greyhounds to Asia is condemning them to certain death in areas where no animal welfare laws exist and where no rehoming programs are in place. When shipped to Macau to race at the infamous Canidrome, they are condemned to live in miserable conditions, in barren concrete cells, raced on dangerous tracks, and killed as soon as they don't place in three of five consecutive races. All greyhounds entering the Macau Canidrome will be dead within three years. At the end of 2015, the Australian ABC aired the investigation by Animals Australia regarding Australian greyhounds being exported to Asia (http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2015/s4369266.htm). Following this report, and the understandable public reaction to it, Qantas made the following statement: "...in light of the story we have made the decision to no longer provide racing greyhound freight services to Asia." (http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/qantas-will-no-longer-carry-racing-greyhounds-on-flights-to-asia-20151212-glm08m.html). This had the effect of drying up the supply of greyhounds, especially those destined for Macau. Now racing greyhounds are being sourced from Ireland. In May, a shipment of 24 Irish greyhounds bound for Asia was spotted being transferred from the animal transport van, that took them from Ireland, into a furniture removal truck in Manchester. They were then driven in this furniture truck to Heathrow, bound for Asia, but the Animal Welfare Reception Centre refused to accept them due to their cages being unsuitable. These 24 greyhounds have since been returned to Ireland to the owner who tried to ship them to Macau. The Irish government and the IGB (Irish Greyhound Board) have been pressured by a growing international community to take action, and during a joint initiative between the DAFM, the International Greyhound Forum (represented by ISPCA and Dogs Trust), and the IGB it was stated that "All parties present agreed to actively explore all avenues to ensure the export of greyhounds takes place only to jurisdictions with high welfare standards.". This may include setting up a similar policy to that implemented in Australia in 2013 by Greyhounds Australasia (GA) to make it against industry rules to export greys to destinations where welfare standards don't meet local standards. We've already seen in Australia that a similar industry ruling didn't stop exports. 179 trainers have recently been charged by Greyhound Racing New South Wales with exporting Australian greyhounds to the prohibited jurisdiction of Macau and face fines, suspension or being banned from racing (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-09/greyhound-racing-nsw-charges-179-trainers-owners/7497738). This demonstrates that an industry ban, especially when not policed, does nothing to stop greyhounds being exported to prohibited jurisdictions. What effectively stopped exports was the decision by Qantas to refuse carriage. We ask that the Irish government take a serious stand and legislates against the exportation of its racing greyhounds to countries with inadequate welfare standards. A list of jurisdictions should be drawn up that, due to inadequate welfare standards, become prohibited destinations for the export of Irish greyhounds and the government should make it illegal to export racing greyhounds to those destinations. This list should include, at least, China, Vietnam, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Pakistan, Venezuela and Argentina. We ask that the IGB be held responsible and accountable for policing and enforcing this ban.