We want to live with our spouse and kids

We all love the Iveagh Markets. They are part of the old Dublin we all grew up in, they mean so much to so many people and they are of such enormous cultural value that it is imperative that the Markets are brought back from the brink. Apportioning blame on who is responsible for the state the Iveagh Markets are in now detracts from concentrating on the fact that the Markets are falling into irreparable disrepair. A Fix the Iveagh Markets plan and a schedule of essential remedial works which can be costed and put to tender should be agreed by all parties. SAVE THE IVEAGH MARKETS

The last thing this country needs is a return to the bad old days of out of control pay hikes for those at the top, while everyone else struggles to make ends meet. Banks make huge profits already, paying bonuses to their bosses will accelerate inequality.

Given the increased population of Bree Village and surrounding areas and the services that the village provides such as education, child care, GAA and retail, the volume of traffic entering Bree Village has greatly increased in recent years. It is obvious to many residents and “Bree Community Tidy Towns” that this increased volume of traffic is now causing great concern with the possibility of an accident or fatality to the fore of people’s minds.

The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Initiative The burning of fossil fuels is the prime reason for the exacerbation of the climate crisis and – already today – responsible for one in five premature deaths worldwide. The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative calls for a global treaty that would govern the phasing out of fossil fuels in line with the 1.5 degrees goal agreed upon in the Paris agreement. The treaty has been endorsed by the European Parliament, the Vatican, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, the WHO, 70 cities and subnational governments, 101 Nobel laureates, and over 3000 scientists and academics.

Tolls are a further tax on people except the money goes directly to private companies instead of back into the State. Tolls are not large employers and have automated most of their staff. Roads can be maintained through government funds in the same way that every other road in the country is. Increasing tolls in the middle of a cost of living crisis when they are already posting record profits is just extortion. We don't need them and they're exploiting us. Get rid of them.

Following permission being granted by John O’ Dowd Infrastructure Minister (SF) the proposal will return to the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council for consideration on the 23rd November at 10.30am In the past the proposal of a 3-5 storey hotel on the site of the current Atlantic Lounge and Bar site received 127 objections from the public and only 18 notifications of support. Portrush has a rich history of music and bands, the Atlantic Bar and Lounge is a popular venue for locals and tourists. Culture and the arts should be promoted and encouraged. The council should the consider long term future of the Portrush community, instead of accepting all tourism development. Some of the reasons that the proposal was rejected: Appearance The Hotel frontage and Atlantic sidebar windows have so much character and add so much to Portrush that a 3-5 storey hotel will not provide. The building is currently listed but even introducing a taller building that looks similar in its place will remove that character from the main street and the Historic Environment Division objected to this proposal. The heights and scale, massing and elevational treatment and roof profile of the proposal bears no relation to the adjacent and surrounding buildings and streetscape nor the townscape character of Portrush A 5-storey development is out of scale in relation to the 2 storey residential properties on Atlantic Avenue and the 2 storey residential properties and garages on the junction of Atlantic Avenue/Mark Street Lane. Historic Buildings. It is out of scale and overbearing towards the adjoining 2.5 storey Listed Building of the Whitehouse department store, the Listed Buildings of Holy Trinity Parish Church & hall and the Northern Bank building. Parking No provision for parking for guests or staff. There is no space for an additional 130 car parking spaces. The Car Parking Statement submitted alongside the application highlights that 151no. Parking spaces would be the maximum requirement for hotel development of this size when fully occupied. The proposal has not demonstrated how it will promote the use of alternative modes of transport beyond the private car and also makes reference to the use of on-street parking on Kerr Street, Mark Street and Main Street which already operate at capacity during peak times of the year when the hotel is likely to be fully occupied. There is no vehicular access, accessible parking and/or drop-off, general drop-off or goods delivery within the curtilage of the application site. The current proposals do not address where hotel guests arriving by taxi etc. will be dropped off without impeding the flow of traffic on Main Street or blocking traffic completely on Atlantic Avenue. Logistics wise the current proposal allows for deliveries to be made via a door opening onto Mark Street Lane which is not a public highway and current owners/occupiers of properties on Mark Street and Main Street have a right of way along it to access their properties, garages, car parking etc. The proposed application outlines that the average number of goods vehicles attending the premises will increase from 1 to 5 deliveries a day. As Mark Street Lane is a narrow, single-lane carriageway deliveries will not be possible without blocking access to the lane completely. The provision of amenities such as goods in and bin stores would be on Mark Street Lane which is narrow and continuously in use giving access to apartments and businesses, frequent deliveries and the presence of large bin storage will increase noise and odour in the area. There are other sites more suitable for building a hotel and it would be better to use a derelict site, such as the old Eglinton Hotel site, or the vacant properties near the Lansdowne. The existing building should be retained and utilised and the current business is still open and providing services for the local community and those who visit Portrush. The proposed 30+ new jobs would not outweigh the number of jobs lost at the current premises: bar staff, door staff, management staff, DJ’s, musicians etc. The Atlantic Bar and Lounge has provided a space for musicians and performers alike, particularly young people interested in music who often play their first gigs there. The Atlantic also provides a venue for The Atlantic Sessions which is an annual event on the North Coast, attracting attendees from across the island, as well as they provide a space for charities to hold fundraising events. This is one of the only music venues in the area, its loss would mean that locals will have to travel to Belfast or L’Derry to find similar events which isn’t an attractive option due to many trains and buses ending their service after 11pm. Moreover, this would force many of the creative talents to move out of Portrush towards the cities. The Atlantic Bar and Lounge is a unique venue which welcomes all members of the community as it promotes equality and diversity and it is one of the only bars on the north coast to welcome drag performances. It is paramount to the social cohesion of Portrush. The suggestion that this proposal will bring growth to the community is questionable. Andras are currency hiring for housekeeping team members at £10 an hour in Ibis City Centre Belfast. The average rent in Portrush is £700 - if there is rental accommodation available. What is the likelihood of 30+ jobs in Portrush and where will these people live if we don’t have affordable housing? Hotels in the area already struggle in the winter with some even closing during the week. Recently the Premier Inn in Coleraine and the York in Portstewart have announced closures and hospitality is not attractive as even the British Government’s figures have found that 83% of hospitality businesses report difficulties with recruitment.

National Energy Action (NEA) NI research is showing that 80% of households here have already cut down on their central heating, and most worryingly more than 1 in 10 households have had to forego meals to meet the rising energy costs. NI householders have received significantly less help in the energy crisis than those in England Scotland and Wales. They did not benefit from the £150 council tax rebate and nor do they benefit from Household Support Fund. Furthermore, NI homes are not part of the Warm Homes discount scheme meaning vulnerable households miss out on an additional £150 every winter. There is a clear need to ensure the £400 per household support reaches people in Northern Ireland as quickly as possible, to protect vulnerable households form the worst impacts of living in a cold home, including needless deaths and morbidity along with increased pressure on our healthcare services in the months ahead. We ask that you approach this issue with the urgency it requires and commit to ensuring the emergency payments are allocated to households as quickly as possible.

(1) In places where we don't have segregated cycle lanes, cyclists already have to share their lane with buses. There have been countless incidents of taxi drivers driving and behaving dangerously - sometimes even outright aggressively - towards cyclists. Removing taxis from the bus lanes will make cyclists safer. (2) Taxis are not ecologically sound transport, they often only have a single passenger, and shouldn't be prioritised in our traffic systems. Bus lanes should be empty and free flowing so that green public transport becomes quicker and more attractive to people.

Every minute, the Irish government is making a huge amount of money by charging people different taxes, including VAT. Currently, the VAT threshold for big companies and small businesses is €75,000 on selling products and €37,500 on providing services. When a sole trader who provides services reaches €37,500 annual turnover, they are obliged to register for VAT and start charging their clients that tax. This means the business owner has no choice but to: 1. Increase their prices by 23% and more than likely lose a number of existing and future clients. 2. Or include VAT in their current prices and substantially reduce their hard-earned income. 3. Or increase their prices slightly (by 10-12%) and still encounter the above. In the current situation, where the VAT threshold is €37,500, it is so very unfair for the hard-working small businesses in Ireland to give away their hard-earned money to the government. But it's equally unfair for their customers to pay that VAT if they can't claim it back! The VAT threshold on services must be increased to the same or at least a close value of €75,000 so that goods suppliers and service providers have an equal chance of thriving. It’s so much easier to include the whole (or almost whole) amount of VAT in the service fees when your annual turnover is €75,000 or more. Isn’t that right? The Irish government should give all companies in Ireland, including sole traders, an equal chance to get well established. In the United Kingdom, the VAT threshold is £85,000 for both goods suppliers and service providers. If this works in the UK, it will work in Ireland. So, if you agree with me, my friend, simply sign this petition and feel free to share it on social media and via email with your friends. Together, we can make it happen!

Children between 0-18 years of age have a legally protected ‘right to play’. By changing the zoning from community/playground to housing - on November 1st 2022, the full council violated the public sector duty and breached children’s right to play, beside Inchicore sports centre. The zoning vote on November 1st 2022 was the culmination of the downgrading of the pitches by Dublin City Council. The pitches were declared 'unsafe' by an inspector from Dublin City Council and then they were locked, and new security company signs erected. New sirens had been installed and went off warning children to leave the pitch when they played there. The children had to cut a hole in the fence and break into the pitch to be able to play there. The children and their parents ignore these sirens and messages from the loud speaker. The council are actively driving people away from using the pitch. Decalaring the pitch a 'health hazard' is unacceptable and currently children have to trespass to access the basket ball/football playing pitches. Local people deserve better and will not stand for removal of sports facilities.

Gorse fires destroy biodiversity and cause climate damage