Why Ireland Must Ensure Safe Passage — and Deploy the Irish Navy to Accompany the Global Sumud Flotilla 1. Protection of Irish Citizens If any Irish nationals are aboard, Ireland has a non-negotiable duty to protect them through all possible means.  2. Upholding International Law The flotilla is a civilian humanitarian mission, protected under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Geneva Conventions, and customary humanitarian law.  3. Ireland’s Human Rights Leadership Ireland’s voice carries moral weight; standing up now reinforces our reputation as a defender of civilian protection, justice, and human dignity.  4. Preventing Escalation & Loss of Life Harassment, drone attacks, communications jamming—all these precede more serious violations. Preemptive diplomatic and protective action can prevent large-scale tragedy.  5. Solidarity with Gaza’s Civilians In a region devastated by blockade and conflict, the flotilla is a rare mechanism to deliver food, medicine, and hope. Irish support would align with global humanitarian solidarity.  6. Multilateral Opportunity & Moral Identity With countries like Spain already warning against attacks, Ireland can join a unified front. There is also deep resonance domestically: many Irish see echoes between our history and the present plight of Palestinians.  Why the New Attacks Demand Naval Escort Escalation to 11 Attacked Vessels Recent reports confirm that 11 aid vessels have been attacked . This is not a distant threat — it is happening now, mid-sea, with serious risk to life. Deterrence through Presence The presence of the Irish Navy alongside Spanish and Italian ships would raise the political, legal, and practical cost of any further aggression. It transforms passive declarations into concrete protection. Accountability & Transparency Naval accompaniment allows independent documentation of incidents, real-time reporting, and stronger evidence in any investigations or legal proceedings. Diplomatic Leverage Deploying naval vessels is a strong signal: Ireland is ready to invest state resources to safeguard humanitarian missions. That gives Ireland credibility when demanding that other states abide by international law. Life over Politics At the core, this is about protecting civilians — unarmed individuals who have chosen nonviolent means to bring relief. Inaction now risks mass casualties, an ignominious legacy, and betrayal of Ireland’s moral commitments.

• Currently, the gates are locked at the weekends, the most important time for the majority of families to visit their loved ones.  • Despite there being a large car park inside, people have to park on the very busy N2 road and then have to try to cross this extremely busy road, which is really dangerous.  • A lot of the people visiting are elderly and are unable to walk from the road into the graveyard, so cannot go at the weekends. This really is an unacceptable situation. • So as everyone, especially the elderly, have a basic human right to visit departed loved ones, SAFELY!

There is currently no leave for Miscarriage Leave in Ireland, only for past a certain gestation. Loss is loss and should be treated as so.  It should not come out of normal sick leave.  It should be Compassionate Leave, of Bereavement Leave.  Women should not have to look at their Sick Leave after undergoing such trauma. Covid leave was brought in straight away, which shows the lack of women’s rights in our country. 

Grandparents are working longer, yet we have no legal right to take time off when grandchildren are born or during their early years. Too many of us are forced to use annual leave, miss once-in-a-lifetime milestones, or even call in sick just to be there for our families. I am a grandmother of three, including a newborn in Australia. Without any statutory leave, I had to juggle work just to visit and support my family. Many grandparents across Ireland face the same struggle. This campaign matters because: • Families need support: Grandparents are often the extra pair of hands that help parents cope, especially in the early years. • Health & wellbeing: Research shows grandparent involvement reduces stress and helps prevent postnatal depression in parents. • Fairness: With the State Pension age rising, many grandparents are still employed when grandchildren arrive — yet they have no legal protections. • Common sense for employers: Clear entitlements avoid unplanned absences and allow for workforce planning. By joining this campaign, you are standing up for families, for grandparents, and for children — ensuring that Irish law recognises the vital role we play across generations.

The Green Schools Committee held a survey last year that found not one student currently walks or cycles to school from off-campus. Not because they don’t want to, but because they can’t do it safely. This needs to change. Footpaths from one or both directions would create healthier and safer route to school, as well as meaning less traffic on the roads. If you agree it’s time for change, please sign the petition. For safety, choice and a more sustainable school community. Image - https://www.droghedagrammarschool.ie/Welcome/How-our-school-is-run/

Boro Park is much more than just a green space it's the heart and soul of our community. From the young children who gather at the local primary school for outdoor activites, to the elderly who find solace and exercise amidst its tranquil paths, this park is integral to our daily lives. Here, residents connect, share stories, and forge bonds that transcend generations. In the Boro Park, trees stand as living memorials, paid for and planted by the community to honor loved ones who have passed. These trees are not only significant environmentally but also emotionally, representing cherished memories of those we hold dear. The threat of transforming this beautiful space into a site for smart homes not only jeopardizes the environment but also the very fabric of our community. Constructing smart homes would erase the recreational space our community has relied on for decades, displacing the countless activities that foster community spirit and well-being. Economic development is essential, but it must be balanced with preserving the community and environmental values. Alternatives such as developing smart homes in different locations with less community use should be explored. Join us in protecting Boro Park's heritage and maintaining its role as an essential communal haven. Sign this petition to show your support and urge the Mayor to halt the development of smart homes in Boro Park.

Isidora has fought hard for her education, but now she risks losing everything if she cannot resolve this issue by November.

It is important to raise awareness of this issue as currently our application process for candidacy for the Dail and the office of President is wide open and vulnerable to persons of criminal history. This has proven to be a social and political disaster in the U.S. We must be better, we must take action to disallow it here. 

What needs to change now: 1. Real choice of place of birth. While we welcome “Home-from-home” rooms as a much needed option for water immersion in hospitals, these rooms are no substitute for home birth or birth centres. The National Maternity Strategy outlined that all supported pathway, or uncomplicated, pregnancies would give birth in birth centres or home birth. As such, we request: • The development of truly midwifery-led birthing centres in all 19 maternity units or catchment areas. There are currently only two, the same number as before the strategy was created.  • The restoration and expansion of public home birth. Reinstate services where they are suspended, like in Limerick, and extend access nationwide so eligible women in the supported care pathway can choose a home birth without unnecessary barriers. 2. Respect midwives’ autonomy. Make midwifery-led care the default for uncomplicated pregnancies, protect community midwifery schemes, and ensure midwives can practise within their full scope. 3. Make informed consent non-negotiable. Provide clear information on risks, benefits and alternatives — including the option of no intervention — and honour valid refusals. End routine, non-evidence-based interventions and apply national guidance consistently. 4. Prioritise water immersion and facilitating water births. 15 of the 19 maternity units have at least one birthing pool, but only three offer water birth. Every unit should have at least one birthing pool and every unit should offer water birth. Prioritise this safe option for women with staff training, nationalised protocols and auditing to ensure usage — water is effective natural analgesia and should be supported. 5. Trauma-informed care everywhere. Train staff and resource services so every woman — especially survivors of sexual violence — receives compassionate, sensitive, person-centred care. 6. Transparency & accountability: All too often Maternity Safety Statements (MSS) are incomplete and months behind. Some hospitals fail to publish all clinical incidents and cumulative year to date figures. This is unacceptable and must be resolved. We believe the MSS should also be expanded, publish unit-level data on all interventions, including: • Differentiating methods of induction used, including membrane sweeps, pessaries and oxytocin drip. • Distinguishing between elective, scheduled and emergency caesareans • water immersion  • water birth  • home birth requests and coverage 7. We need clear timelines for full NMS implementation — with service-user and midwifery oversight. This is about choice, safety, dignity, and trust. It’s 2025: mothers and babies in Ireland deserve maternity care that truly centres women and follows the evidence — not convenience or outdated protocols. Add your name to demand real choice and better care. Share this petition with your family, friends and community. Together, we can ensure every mother in Ireland has access to respectful, evidence-based, women-centred care — where informed choice is the standard, not the exception. We also invite you to stand with us at one or more of our rallies to show your support in person. Every voice and presence makes a difference, and together we can create real change. Together, women and families can show that we will no longer accept less — because women, babies, families and midwives deserve better.  Rally Information Sligo: October 11th, 11am, Queen Maeve Square, Sligo Town Limerick: October 11th, 11am, Location TBD Dublin: October 23rd 2pm, At the gates of Leinster House

End Privatisation by Stealth - End Outsourcing It is important because Abtran, despite receiving millions in taxpayer-funded government contracts, refuses to abide by a Labour Court recommendation to engage with a trade union, pays many of its staff the minimum wage, and makes use of offshore structures in the British Virgin Islands to reduce its tax liabilities. When a company entrusted with delivering public services does not have service pay, adequate Christmas bonuses or collective bargaining for its workers, it undermines both the integrity of our public procurement system and the principles of fairness that should underpin public service delivery. This is not just a workplace issue—it is a matter of accountability, transparency, and value for money for everyone who pays taxes in Ireland. Other people should join this campaign because it is about ensuring that public money is spent responsibly and ethically. If we allow companies like Abtran to continue receiving huge state contracts without scrutiny, we risk normalising low pay, weak worker protections, and aggressive tax avoidance in Ireland’s public sector supply chain. By standing together, we can push the Public Accounts Committee to act in the public interest, demand higher standards from contractors, and protect the rights of workers. Joining this campaign is not only about supporting Abtran employees—it is about demanding a fairer, more transparent Ireland where taxpayer funds are used to strengthen, not weaken, our communities.

Help keep families together through support .

It brought joy to the community and it was a tradition enjoyed by many people of all ages.