Our local businesses, environment and democracy are under threat from a trade deal currently being negotiated between the EU Commission and the USA. The deal is called TTIP and could outlaw local authorities’ support of local businesses, allow multinational corporations to sue us if councils deny fracking permits and open up services like water, health and education to privatisation. What’s up for grabs are the rules and regulations that force corporations to abide by standards that protect our health, our rights, our jobs, services and the environment. These regulations for example stop corporations releasing chemicals and products into the market before they are proven to be safe. They also make sure workers get their rights and that local communities are protected from environmental disasters. But if TTIP goes ahead corporations will get to have a say on policies that govern our daily lives - before we or even politicians get to see them. And if they don’t like the rules they will be able to sue governments when they make changes or bring in new policies that could potentially affect their profits. Right now in Canada a fracking company Lone Pine Resources Inc., is suing the government for its decision to not allow fracking in Quebec. They are able to do this because of an ISDS clause in another trade deal. In Egypt the government was sued by water company Veolia for attempting to bring in a minimum wage. Germany is being sued by Swedish energy company Vatenfall for €4.7 billion because of Germany's decision to phase out nuclear power. TTIP also removes barriers to US companies who want to sell their products in Europe. Right now the sale of US beef in Europe is very limited. Hormone injected beef is banned outright. Hundreds of councils across Europe have already said they don’t want TTIP. Because of people power politicians are waking up to the threat TTIP poses and to the fact that people aren’t going to stand aside and let our democracy and rights be sold off.

There are people, human beings in Mountjoy Prison who while serving time need to do so with this minimum amount of dignity. Ireland has been chastised by the UN as far back as 1993 for this. When Ireland had more money than it knew what to do with, during the Celtic Tiger years it still didn't care enough to install toilets for these prisoners. Does anyone out there care about this? It's the modern day Magdeline Laundry or Industrial School scenario, of people bunged into a place where no one cares o considers them. It's a complete and total disgrace.

• 733 children’s names were submitted by parents in the Drumcondra/Marino/Dublin 1 area asking for a Gaelscoil. The submission was made to the Department of Education along with other submissions from other patrons. 733 is a record number for a Gaelscoil campaign nationwide. The school was denied in favour of an English speaking primary school and awarded to Educate Together. The new school will open in All Hallows, Drumcondra in 2016. FACT 24 = Number of Primary Schools in the Drumcondra, Marino, Dublin 1 Area 21 = English Schools 3 = All Irish Schools This decision makes it 22 English Schools and 3 All Irish Schools in the area In the context of Ireland’s centenary year it is deeply regrettable the Department of Education failed to support a campaign that had the highest numbers ever received and recorded in support of a Gaelscoil in the history of the state. ACTION REQUIRED 1. A second new primary school should be immediately sanctioned by the Department in the area of Drumcondra/Marino/Dublin 1 2. An alternative to a second school is to co-locate both a Gaelscoil & Educate Together School in All-Hallows Drumcondra 3. A new ruling stating an Irish Language School (minority language) should not have to compete directly in numbers with a majority language school. 4. Pitting parents against one another for a school for their children is wrong. The system needs to be changed 5. In our centenary year we should reflect on decisions by the Department of Education to deny an Irish language School and begin the conversation as to what role the Irish language will play in the next 100 years Support our campaign to have our choice of primary education recognised and to address the unfairness in the decision-making process for new primary schools. Sign our petition and encourage others to do the same.

The Code’s stated purpose is to achieve fairness, impartiality and objectivity. However when it comes to discussion on Ireland’s abortion laws, it is having the effect of censoring the voices of those who have been most impacted by Ireland’s restrictive regime . The BAI specifically took issue with the Graham and Helen Linehan advocating for legislative and constitutional change that would spare other women, girls and couples the trauma of being denied access to termination of pregnancy in cases of fatal foetal anomalies, and their support for Amnesty International’s campaign on this. This was despite the Ray D’Arcy Show seeking in advance and then reading out the views of two anti-choice organisations on both the Linehans’ story and Amnesty International’s campaign. Fairness, objectivity and impartiality were thus achieved. People must be allowed tell their true, factual personal stories without being silenced from naming and calling for the very changes that could vindicate their human rights and spare other women, girls and couples unnecessary trauma. It is in the public interest that broadcasters aren’t shackled by an interpretation of 'balance' which is so extreme as to be absurd. Red C/Amnesty International Ireland polling recently showed that only 14% of people trust the media as a source of information when deciding their stance on abortion. Those they trust most are health professionals and women who have had abortions. The same polling found that 52% of the Irish public feel they do not have enough information about the 8th Amendment, and think the media should give better information on it. Now that the government has promised that a Citizens’ Assembly will consider the 8th Amendment, there has never been a more critical time for the public to have information about its actual impacts on the lives of real women and their families. It is critical that the brave voices of those whose lives have been impacted by the 8th amendment can participate in the public conversation about this issue without the fear of having to be confronted in an adversarial manner about the choices that they made in the best interests of themselves and their families, and without feeling censored by the State, through the BAI, from calling for the legal changes necessary to prevent the suffering they endured being inflicted on others.

Our roadsides are a shame . Litter is a serous disrespect to our country and communities

Planning permission has been given to build Irelands tallest building and monster hotel on top of The Port Of Cork Buildings. They plan to build this skyscraper will cover up and destroy the Port buildings, which are the most historical, prominent, visually beautiful buildings in Cork City. The Port of Cork Buildings are listed buildings, they are supposed to be protected. They were constructed during the Napoleonic Wars by the prisoners of Spike Island more than 200 years ago. They are in such an important piece of strategic land in the centre of the city and on the historic waterfront. These are the first buildings we see when we arrive in Cork. They have the possibility to make this city very special. These are a unique set of buildings and part of our cultural and historical maritime heritage - of international interest. If this huge development goes ahead the character of Cork will be lost forever. Cork City Council has been allowing many historical buildings in Cork City to be demolished. Their idea of preserving buildings is to keep the front wall, (Some examples Navagation House and Camden Quay buildings demolished leaving only the front walls, the O Callaghan Properties development on Lavits Quay. Opera Lane didn’t even bother keeping the front and now Patrick’s Street has started losing its character and historic buildings).

Taoiseach Enda Kenny announced the restructuring of ministerial departments to better reflect the new government’s priorities and then promptly abolished the Department of the Environment. This does not bode well for this government’s future plans for Ireland’s environment. In fact it indicates a blatant disregard for a healthy environment and its importance to a healthy economy and society. Not only have the words ‘environment’ ‘heritage’ and ‘community’ been culled from the titles of all departments, but the programme for government doesn’t even include a section on the environment and nowhere does it mention nature or water protection. This flies in the face of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, which the Taoiseach signed up to just six months ago and which clearly state that environment, society, and economy are equal and interdependent. Environmental functions traditionally housed under a single department have also been split, spreading waste, water and wildlife across three Departments. This fragmentation further weakens the impact of environmental considerations on government decision-making and hampers a cohesive approach to environmental protection. By reintegrating environmental functions under one minister the Government would be recognizing both the innate value of the Irish environment and our moral and legal obligations to protect, restore and enhance our environment for current and future generations. Otherwise Ireland will be the only EU Member State with no Minister of the Environment, a matter of considerable international embarrassment.

Cycling already accounts for 27% of all traffic on Dame Street, making it the most popular cycling area in Dublin, in spite of the current hostile conditions. With an expanding population and national policy to increase the share of walking and cycling trips across the city to 25% in the coming years, this area needs to be equipped to handle a proportionate increase. We’re calling on the City Council to guarantee the delivery of a new College Green that meets the needs for current cycling and walking volumes and is future-proofed for projected demand. The area needs to deliver for all users of the space, no matter where they’re coming from or going to, whether they’re walking through or lingering; whether cycling with children or cycling to work. The needs of visually impaired people, deaf people, children and the elderly need to be catered for at the proposed plaza in particular. The tried and tested Dutch model for cycling, employing high quality segregated routes and widespread permeability, is the only proven way to realise truly inclusive levels of cycling. Cycle flows must have the same attention to detail as public transport to unlock the true potential of cycling in Dublin. We’re concerned that the latest drawings do not convey this. Specifically, we’re calling for: A detailed design that takes advantage of the principles of sustainable safety and does not use shared walking and cycling areas, in accordance with section 1.9.3 of the National Cycling Manual (NCM). We view this as central to the success or failure of the plaza; Use of self-enforcing separated cycle tracks which are well-defined visually and spatially, using angled kerbs, grade-separation and colouring to create new bike permeability for Trinity, Dame Street, Grafton Street Quarter, O’Connell Street and other destinations in the area; Use of bus stop bypasses at all stops on Dame Street and all other possible measures to separate busses and cycles in the area, including bidirectional paths in accordance with the NCM/Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets requirements. 660 Dubliners have already backed our calls for improved walking and cycling commitments in this year’s City Development Plan, joining almost 8000 overwhelmingly positive submissions on the 2015 Dublin City Centre Transport Study. The leading business groups have also backed the College Green proposals, which will make the city even more attractive to the world’s leading companies and their workers. The council has already shown what quality cycling routes can achieve in Dublin with the Grand Canal Cycleway. It’s now time to build on that success.

Is é an Gaeilge ár teanga náisiúnta, agus le Aire sinsear Gaeltachta, is féidir leis an Stát an Stráitéas 20 Bliain don teanga a neartú. Ba chóir go mbeadh gach Roinn den Rialtás áiseanna as Gaeilge a chur ar fáil, agus le béim níos fearr ón córas polaitiúil, beadh seans níos fearr do athbheocháin na teanga.

Ireland has one of the lowest levels of public funding and support for arts and culture in all of Europe. Successive Irish governments claim to honour and take pride in our rich cultural heritage, celebrated artists and world-class artistic achievements but consistently fail to nurture and support the creative community. The Arts, Culture and Heritage communities have suffered disproportionately under the last government. The impact in the sector, on jobs, community and education as well as on our international reputation has not been assessed in any credible way by the incoming government. We demand a) an independent adequately resourced Department is created b) a commitment to raising funding the arts, cultural and heritage sector to European average of 0.6% c) publication of a national cultural policy that has the endorsement of the community. CÉN FÁTH A BHFUIL SÉ SEO TÁBHACHTACH? As na tíortha uile san Aontas Eorpach, cuireann Éire an méid is lú maoinithe agus tacaíochta poiblí ar fáil do na healaíona agus don chultúr.. Bíonn Rialtas i ndiaidh Rialtas sa tír ag maíomh as an mbród agus as an mórtas a bhíonn orthu as saibhreas ár n-oidhreacht cultúir, as ár n-ealaíontóirí iomráiteacha agus as ár sár-ghaiscí ealaíne ach, ag an am céanna, déanann siad faillí orthu siúd atá ag gabháil do na healaíona, gan cóir ná tacaíocht ceart a chur ar fáil dóibh. Tá na pobail atá ag gabháil do na healaíona, don chultúr agus don oidhreacht tar éis fulaingt as cuimse faoin rialtas deireanach. Níl aon mheasúnú sásúil déanta ag an rialtas atá tagtha i gcumhacht ar an tionchar a bhí aige seo ar an earnáil, ó thaobh fostaíochta de, ó thaobh an phobail agus an oideachais de ná ó thaobh ár gcáil go hidirnáisiúnta. Táimid ag éileamh a) go gcruthófar Roinn neamhspleách a mbeidh dóthain acmhainní tugtha di; b) gealltanas go n-ardófar maoiniú earnáil na n-ealaíon, an chultúir agus na hoidhreachta go dtí meán-chaiteachas na hEorpa, 0.6% den OTI; agus c) go bhfoilseofar polasaí cultúir náisiúnta a mbeidh tacaíocht an phobail aige.

CE Supervisors STILL have no pension. In July 2008, the Labour Court recommended that an agreed pension scheme should be introduced for Community Employment (CE) scheme supervisors, to be funded by FÁS, the agency responsible for CE at that time, but now with the Department of Social Protection. Yet CE Supervisors STILL have no pension.There are people who have worked 20 years or more as CE supervisors, who have supported and trained thousands of people to find good jobs, while 8 years after that Labour Court ruling, there is still no pension for them. This shocking when you consider that it is the Department of Social Protection that funds all Community Employment schemes and supervisors. It is time to take action on that Labour Court ruling. So we ask the incoming Minister of Social Protection to step up and put a pension plan in place for CE Supervisors. Don't put it off any longer....

Article 40.3.1 of our Constitution states the following:“The State guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate the personal rights of the citizen.” On 19 August 2014 the UN Human Rights Committee, in its most recent Concluding Observations on the Irish State, under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, stated: “The Committee reiterates its concern at the lack of a definition of terrorism under domestic legislation and the continuing operation of the Special Criminal Court. It expresses further concern at the expansion of the remit of the Court to include organised crime” (arts. 14 and 26). “The State party should introduce a definition of ‘terrorist acts’ in its domestic legislation, limited to offences which can justifiably be equated with terrorism and its serious consequences. It should also consider abolishing the Special Criminal Court.” We all should have the right to a fair trial. We all remember the case of Nicky Kelly who was found guilty by this arbitrary court and then subsequently given a presidential pardon. It has abused its mandate in the past and will do so again. Amnesty International and the Irish Council of Civil Liberties have both called for its abolition, neither are friends of republicans to say the least. Allegations of internment by remand have been made against the Court regarding the detainment of accused defendants who have appeared before it and are now in Prison despite not being convicted of any wrongdoing.