We believe women should retain meaningful choice in how they receive care during pregnancy and birth, and that maternity care options should be enhanced, not restricted, by healthcare reforms. We fully support and strongly endorse major investment in the public maternity care system, and we want to see it developed to the highest possible standard, with meaningful choice across care pathways, including consultant-led care, midwifery-led care, and community-based care. However, this must be achieved by strengthening and expanding services, not by removing existing options, particularly where there is no adequate or appropriate alternative available to replace the current private care pathway. Thousands of pregnant women choose private maternity care for a range of personal reasons. For many, the key reason is the guarantee of continuity of care: having a chosen consultant care for them from the first antenatal appointment through to delivery and postnatal follow-up. This pathway is deeply significant because it provides: • Tailored, personalised care: Women with specific physical or emotional needs, including those with past traumatic experiences, require care that reflects and responds to their circumstances. • Trust and peace of mind: Being attended by a familiar consultant who understands a woman's history provides reassurance during what is often the most significant medical event of her life to date. Most women choose this care pathway and make financial sacrifices to do so because an equivalent level of care is not available to them within the public system. Not every woman chooses this option. But every woman should have the right to. Yet under current Sláintecare reforms, access to the private maternity care pathway is being phased out. Maternity care is disproportionately affected by Sláintecare policy, and women are the only group directly impacted in this way. Unlike other areas of healthcare, where private and public options exist side by side, maternity care in Ireland operates within the public hospital system, as there are no private maternity hospitals. Removing private care from public hospitals removes access to the private maternity care pathway entirely. This creates a clear structural inequity: choice is being reduced in a female-only area of healthcare, while private options remain available in other medical specialties. We call on the Government to maintain access to the private maternity care pathway within the maternity care system by refraining from removing private maternity care access within public maternity hospitals.

Other people should join this campaign because it is about protecting women’s right to choose how they receive maternity care. Many women value continuity of care with a known consultant throughout pregnancy, labour, and postnatal care, as it provides reassurance and consistency at a vulnerable time. Current reforms risk reducing these options without offering suitable alternatives. This campaign is about ensuring healthcare reform improves choice rather than limiting it.

The removal of the Triple Lock will almost certainly result our forces being compelled to partake in illegal wars -- wars which in the past have always resulted in the killing and maiming of innocent civilians. The gravity of this cannot be understated. The threat of a life-time boycott of the private commercial interests of TDs who become complicit in this egregious abandonment of the Triple Lock is warranted. This petition is a declaration of intent of people to boycott the private business interests - now and in the future - of any TD who ultimately acts to remove the Triple Lock. If enough signatures are obtained the declaration will be emailed to all TDs in advance of any vote on the removal of the Triple Lock. In doing so, this will clarify for all the depth and breadth of opposition to this planned removal. Even if the number of signatures is a small proportion of the population as a whole, it would serve as an indication of the strength of public opinion. A list of current business interests (directorships, significant shareholdings, contracts) of TDs who act to remove of the Triple Lock will be maintained for reference. This list can be maintained up-to-date and promoted in future. "It Is Difficult to Get a Man [sic] to Understand Something When His Salary Depends Upon His Not Understanding It." - Upton SinclairWe can help them understand more clearly

Signing this petition is a simple way to show that our community’s voice matters. By adding your name, you are sending a clear message that transparency, accountability and human dignity should come before wealth, power or profit. Every signature strengthens that message and demonstrates that people are willing to stand up for the values they believe should define our community and country.

It is important because the "Cost of Disability" is not just a financial statistic; it is a systemic barrier that restricts the fundamental rights of independence, dignity, and equal participation in society. When individuals are forced to spend significantly more to achieve the same standard of living as others, it traps many in a cycle of poverty and exclusion that is entirely preventable through policy change. A Call to Collective Justice: This is about ensuring that no citizen is left behind because of a systemic failure to recognize the true cost of living with a disability. Joining this campaign is a stand for equality, signaling that a fair society must account for the diverse needs of all its members.  The Power of Collective Voice: When you, as a representative of this struggle, are joined by others, it transforms a personal challenge into a public mandate. A large volume of signatures makes it significantly harder for decision-makers to ignore the necessity of a "Cost of Disability" payment and improved accessibility.  Creating Lasting Change: Your campaign is not just seeking a temporary fix; it is pushing for structural improvements—like mandatory accessibility in public buildings and sustainable financial support—that will improve the quality of life for the entire disability community for years to come.  Shared Responsibility: Accessibility and economic equity are community-wide benefits. By supporting this campaign, others are contributing to a more inclusive, accessible, and compassionate society that benefits everyone, not just those currently affected.

I, historian Jason McKevitt, am calling on Westmeath County Council to retain public ownership of the building on Church Avenue and to commit to its transformation into a dedicated museum for Mullingar. Mullingar has a rich and vibrant history that deserves to be preserved, celebrated, and made accessible to future generations. From its cultural traditions and local industries to its global cultural impact, our town’s story is both unique and deeply valuable. Mullingar is proudly associated with internationally recognised musicians such as Joe Dolan and Niall Horan, whose achievements have brought worldwide recognition to our community. Their legacy, alongside that of many other local figures, deserves a permanent and fitting home where it can inspire residents and visitors alike. There is currently no central, permanent space where this heritage can be showcased in a meaningful and engaging way. The building on Church Avenue represents a rare and ideal opportunity to address this need.  Its central location makes it perfectly suited for conversion into a museum and cultural space. Retaining this building in public ownership would ensure that it continues to serve the people of Mullingar rather than being lost to private development. A museum in this location would bring multiple benefits: it would strengthen community identity, support local education, attract visitors, and contribute to the town’s economic and cultural vitality. It would also provide a platform for local historians, artists, and community groups to share their knowledge and creativity. I urge Westmeath County Council to act in the long-term interests of the community by safeguarding this building and investing in its future as a public museum. This is an opportunity to create a lasting legacy, one that honours Mullingar’s past while enriching its future.

Families with kids in school who can be there to collect their children should be encouraged. Most households have 2 working parents. In the event that one can be there to collect and spend extra time with their child in a given day, that should be encouraged, not penalised. The amount of stress created for children waiting for parents who are desperately looking for parking spaces is completely avoidable. These kinds of actions create unnecessary stress and anger. Common sense has to prevail. 

German Shepherd dogs are known for their fantastic abilities as service dogs. They combine intelligence, trainability, physical capability and very strong bonds with their handlers. They are the most loyal dog breed. They have physical strenght to provide balance support, pulling wheelchairs, opening doors, retrieving dropped objects. German Shepherds has proved themselves as guide dogs for people with visual impairments, as medical alert and psychiatric service dogs.They are confident under pressure. Yes, they require proper training but so as any other service dog. On a personal note....Kurtin,beautiful, loyal and absolutely outstanding non official  (unfortunately and very unfairly) therapy dog has been by my special needs son's side for nearly 12 years. 

Just last year JCD Developments got extended planning permission to expand the Data Centre site in Little Island. This comes at a time of record high electricity bills, which are now some of the highest in Europe. As well as this, as of 2025, 22% of the Irish Electrical grids output goes straight to Data Centres. We need to stop prioritising the economic interests of big tech companies over the right of Irish workers to affordable electricity, clean water and a sustainable future for their children.  So join us as we take the fight to the tech oligarchic's and put an end to their profiteering in Cork.

We, the  Student nurses , call on the Irish Government to introduce payment for all mandatory clinical placement hours completed by student nurses and midwives, as the prices of apprenticeship rise and we work hard and don’t feel rewarded. Student nurses regularly work full 13-hour shifts, often three days per week, while balancing academic requirements and rising living costs. Many students must work additional jobs to pay rent, bills, transport costs and other essential expenses, as Susi don’t cover the summer times the student nurses must work in. The current system places significant financial and personal strain on nursing students and may discourage people from entering or remaining in the profession. We call on the Government to: • Introduce fair payment for all mandatory clinical placement hours. • Review financial supports available to nursing and midwifery students. • Ensure no student is forced into financial hardship while completing compulsory healthcare training. • Support recruitment and retention of future nurses by removing unnecessary financial barriers.

These benches are crucial amenities in a public park.   Older people, people with disabilities, people with chronic fatigue, parents, carers, walkers and visitors all need places to stop and rest. A bench is the difference between being able to use the park and not being able to go there at all for some people in our communities. Removing benches will not solve anti-social behaviour. It will only make South Park less accessible for the people who use it properly every day. We should not punish the whole community for the behaviour of a few. South Park should be safe, welcoming and usable for everyone. Keeping the benches is part of that. More info on current plans: https://www.connachttribune.ie/news/galway-officials-say-removing-south-park-benches-wont-stop-disorder-8668002

The Minister for Education has confirmed that there is no Department requirement for students to own a laptop and that schools should ensure no child is disadvantaged due to lack of access to technology. However, many families are being asked to spend hundreds of euro on specific devices, sometimes through single-supplier arrangements and third party financial institutions. The Department has also acknowledged concerns about the financial burden these schemes can place on families. As digital technology becomes increasingly important in education, national protections are needed to ensure affordability, choice and equal access for all students.