Irish society is fractured, unfair and insecure because successive governments has been unwilling to incorporate economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights into domestic law, which would force government to deliver policies that tackle poverty, provide housing, control rents, bring healthcare to everybody and guarantee a decent income for everyone. It’s pretty obvious that Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister Frances Fitzgerald have no interest in human rights measures that would oblige government to address social injustice. So, homelessness, exploitative rents and crippling mortgages are set to continue and the likelihood that your parents or grandparents will end up on a hospital trolley after devoting their life to building this nation will endure. Almost a third of the population will still be unable to afford essential items such as heating, a warm coat or an adequate meal. Yet these abominations are infinitely solvable within our existing resources - we are after all, one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Are we going to put up with this? Are we prepared to let things that were hard fought for - healthcare, affordable housing, a decent income – slip away, so wealthy people can be even wealthier? It doesn’t have to be so. Ireland has signed and ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights but has failed to incorporate the Covenant into domestic law, claiming that economic, social and cultural matters are for government to decide. Yet governments have consistently failed to address poverty, homelessness and other situations arising from an absence of enforceable ESC rights. Thomas Pringle will introduce a Private Member’s Bill in the coming months proposing a referendum to strengthen constitutional protection of ESC rights in accordance with the recommendations of the Convention on the Constitution. With your support we can make this happen. Please indicate your support by putting your name to this demand. Be part of this human rights campaign. Together we can make it happen!

We the People of Ringsend/Irishtown and the Sandymount areas are very disappointed with the decision to remove the stop on Sean Moore Road and two stops on strand road. This has been serving us since the start of air coach, and alot of people from the area would use this service, if it a case of ceasing this service because of toll charges/traffic concerns then surely an alternative route could be found through the Irishtown area but still manages to serve the communities affected by this decision

The collective known as Home Sweet Home (‘HSH’) has written to the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, and called on him to take urgent action to tackle the homelessness crisis in the State. He needs to direct NAMA to use its property portfolio to take immediate and effective action to assist the homeless. We are asking members of the public to support HSH’s initiative by signing up to the letter on-line. The government must take action now. In summary, the letter states: 1. The building known as Apollo House, in Dublin city centre, has been occupied by HSH as a last resort to provide safe and secure accommodation for people sleeping rough on the streets. 2. The receivers acting for NAMA obtained a court injunction to force all the occupants of Apollo House to vacate it by noon on 11th January 2017. 3. Whilst the receivers contend that there are enough adequate beds for rough sleepers in Dublin, Fr. Peter McVerry states otherwise on affidavit, and the most recent government statistics (released on 30th December 2016) confirm that homelessness is increasing. 4. Under section 14 of the NAMA Act, the Minister for Finance is empowered to direct NAMA to make properties under its control available “to contribute to the social and economic development of the State”.  Ireland has obligations under European and international law to provide social housing and to work towards the elimination of homelessness. 5. NAMA has ample housing stock currently under its control which can be made available, through various mechanisms, to individuals and families who are currently homeless or under threat of being made homeless. 6. NAMA is planning to build 20,000 homes in the next three years but only 10% of these will be made available for social housing despite the worst housing crisis in the history of the State. NAMA is focused on returning a profit to the exchequer at some point in the future as a priority above tacking the homelessness crisis. 7. The Minister for Finance must act now to compel NAMA to take immediate and effective steps to combat the homelessness crisis. Please support Home Sweet Home’s initiative to force the government to end homelessness in Ireland by signing this letter. You can read the full letter here: http://tinyurl.com/h7zdsvl

We live in different parts of Ireland, in communities both urban and rural, that experience the housing crisis in lots of different ways. By organising together in our own local communities we can help grow the swell of public support to homelessness once and for all. Our politicians all have to take responsibility for the housing crisis. We can pressure them to make this their top priority for 2017. They would like to Apollo House as a one off action and to wash their hands of any responsibility that led to the occupation. Together we can show them that Apollo house is a beacon for change and this struggle is from the bottom up.

We live in different parts of Ireland, in communities both urban and rural, that experience the housing crisis in lots of different ways. By organising together in our own local communities we can help grow the swell of public support to homelessness once and for all. Our politicians all have to take responsibility for the housing crisis. We can pressure them to make this their top priority for 2017. They would like to Apollo House as a one off action and to wash their hands of any responsibility that led to the occupation. Together we can show them that Apollo house is a beacon for change and this struggle is from the bottom up.

We live in different parts of Ireland, in communities both urban and rural, that experience the housing crisis in lots of different ways. By organising together in our own local communities we can help grow the swell of public support to homelessness once and for all. Our politicians all have to take responsibility for the housing crisis. We can pressure them to make this their top priority for 2017. They would like to Apollo House as a one off action and to wash their hands of any responsibility that led to the occupation. Together we can show them that Apollo house is a beacon for change and this struggle is from the bottom up.

Civilians must be evacuated and afforded safe passage out of Aleppo. Our leaders must ensure the UN plan for evacuation is implemented.

The Shannon Estuary is one of the most important sites in Europe for bottlenose dolphins and was designated as a marine protected area in 2000, covering 684km2 from Limerick City, Kerry and Loop Head. Around 120 dolphins occur in the Shannon and have around 8 calves each year and are considered genetically different to other bottlenose dolphins in Ireland.This small but unique population has been studied for over 20 years by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG). A recent study showed that bottlenose dolphins are regularly encountered in Tralee and Brandon Bays during the summer months. Using a technique called photo-identification, where individual dolphins are recognised by unique markings on their dorsal fins recorded from photographs, researchers recorded an extremely high number of dolphins from the Shannon population present in the bays. Nearly two-thirds of the current adult dolphin population estimate of 108 were identified in the study. Results showed a high percentage of Shannon dolphins were identified and re-sighted within the bays providing strong evidence that these areas represent significant habitats for the Shannon dolphins. The IWDG therefore have recommended that the boundary of the Lower River Shannon SAC be extended to include both Brandon Bay and Tralee Bays in order to provide legal protection of these habitats. The Lower River Shannon SAC was designated in order to protect the Shannon dolphin population. Therefore, its boundaries should include areas where these dolphins are known to regularly occur. Join us and support “North Kerry to be made a Marine Protected Area for bottlenose dolphins”!

At present, the Lord Mayor of Cork is elected by councillors ever year for a one year term. There is a different Lord Mayor every year. This means there's isn't consistency or time enough for a mayor to make their mark. It means the citizens of Cork don't have the chance to vote for a mayor with a vision for the city. A vision that only a mayor can put in action. It wasn't meant to be this way. In 2001, the law was changed so that Cork and other cities would have a directly-elected mayor serving for five-year terms. The first elections were supposed to happen in 2004 - but this was reversed at the last minute and things were left hanging. Now it's time to put the Cork mayor back on the agenda! An elected mayor will provide a vision for Cork. They will have a mandate from the citizens to see that vision through. They will oversee the day-to-day implementation of a city plan in ways that part-time councillors can't. We already have a full-time Lord Mayor, so this won't cost any money. And an elected mayor won't replace the council. It will reinvigorate the city and give the running of it renewed energy and direction. Add your name now and call for a directly-elected Mayor of Cork! #MayorOfCork Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/psyberartist/

The GMIT Mayo campus is one of the foundation stones on which our community is built on. And has been since it first opened its doors in 1994. We must protect this vital resource for all the current students and the thousands of local and visiting students that could pass through its doors in the future.

Farmers markets across Cork are under threat. Skibbereen Farmers Market is a fundamental part of the food culture of West Cork. New bye laws will generally restrict and could alter the way our market is run - moving us away from being at the centre and soul of food innovation in Ireland towards a standardised heavily regulated stale industry. http://www.corkcoco.ie/co/web/Cork%20County%20Council/Departments/Planning/Casual%20Trading%20Laws A farmers market is the heart and soul of each community, village, town and local area....as unique and individual as the environment changes with each location. A farmers market is dynamic, changing and evolving with the seasons and times; we love this about Skibbereen and don't want it to change. The specific changes that these new bye laws will mean that the location will change, restrict the number of stalls and traders, force new rules on traders. All of this will mean result in the market loosing control and introduce a level of micromanaging that is unprecedented.

The WHO Constitution enshrines “…the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right of every human being.” And the right to health includes access to timely, acceptable and affordable health care of appropriate quality - yet here in County Clare our Health Services have been struck another blow with the decision by Shannondoc to scale back on the services they provide to Kilrush, Ennistymon & Killaloe - all three areas being geographically challenged in their own right. - how does the distance from Kilrush to Miltown Malbay (28km) on a bad road, Miltown to Limerick (68km) on an even worse road or the person who fall ill that lives in Kilbaha - which is 51km to Miltown or those in Ballyvaughan who have to travel 43km to Miltown - get them the highest attainable standard of Health that is their fundamental human right? We are all aware of the importance of the Golden Hour and unless these people break the speed limits there is no way on earth that the journey will be made within that Golden Hour - thereby the distance they are now required to travel has now increased thereby creating a higher risk to the patients health and well being The announcement from Shannon Doc refers to Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals - both hospitals which on the recommendation of the HIQA report just over seven years ago - were downgraded to make way for a so called ‘Centre of Excellence’ in Limerick University Hospital - and the 24hr A&E service was downgraded to a 12hr A&E service 8am-8pm - so these patients of the out of hour Shannon Doc will more than likely be referred to Limerick if needs be hence the importance of the Rapid Response Vehicles which we are also informed are under review in both Clare and Tipperary. We are now looking for what is our fundamental right per the World Health Organization - We in Clare demand that all services be restored to Kilrush, Ennistymon and Killaloe forthwith and that the re-opening of a 24hr A&E in Ennis General Hospital be put on the agenda and followed up. In this the 21st Century - every county in the country should have on its doorstep ‘a fully manned general hospital and accident and emergency department’ We are not asking for the services to be restored for just the people of Clare but for every man, woman and child who may and do visit the area throughout the year and especially during holiday times - that may have the misfortune to fall ill - that they can be rest assured that there are adequate health services in the area or not that far away - NOT in the next County. Our health is our wealth - to play Russian roulette with our health is not acceptable. We believe that solutions are available and achievable with the co-operation of both GP's, Shannondoc, HSE, The Health Minister and the Department of Health, and the public themselves - all working and consulting together to find a solution.