Long-distance journeys cause unnecessary suffering to animals. They can become exhausted, sick and injured, hungry, dehydrated and stressed, having to cope with high temperatures and humidity and extensive periods in cramped, filthy conditions, sometimes with little or no food and water. Every year thousands of young bulls are exported to countries outside the EU including Turkey, Libya, Lebanon and Morocco. As if that wasn’t bad enough this year new markets have been sought and shipments have gone to Jordan and Egypt. A trade deal with Israel has also been ageed for cattle and sheep. THIS IS GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION! These are all countries with no or minimal animal welfare regulations in place and appalling standards, particularly at slaughter. These bulls are subjected to unimaginable suffering, crammed into hot, filthy vessels for up to two weeks, usually just to be slaughtered in a brutal manner shortly after arrival at their destination. Slaughter methods in these destination countries include slashing tendons, stabbing in the eyes, being strung up by a rear leg, multiple slashes at the throat, being hit over the head with poles, all whilst fulling conscious and in front of other animals. The slaughterhouse workers have a lack of education, and training, lack of facilities, there is no vet present and there is little in the way of legislation. Street slaughter is common. We are calling for the Minister to ban export to all countries outside the EU that do not share our welfare standards, both in documented legislation and in practice. You can find out more about the industry here: https://www.ethicalfarmingireland.com/live-export/

New Look staff in Strabane, some with over twenty years service, are being forced into redundancy by a senseless Lidl relocation from Bradley Way to Strabane Retail Park. It will bring ten new jobs but will cost up to sixty job losses. Strabane is an area of high social and economic deprivation and these potential job losses will be a disaster for a town with historically high unemployment. Four retail units will close to facilitate this Lidl development and relocation (New Look, Menarys, Peacocks, Argos). Strabane Workers Together are highlighting this redundancy injustice and are calling on all four aforementioned employers to relocate within Strabane.

Family Carers save the government thousands of Euro per year and should be recognised more for their 24 hour work

We are in the midst of a cost of living crisis and the pressure on the health waiting lists is unparallelled. Article 47 of the Northern Ireland Act confers on the Secretary of State powers to cap or reduce salaries if the Executive isn’t functioning. We need a government in Northern Ireland. In signing on the roll, but refusing to nominate a Speaker, the DUP has ensured that they will be paid their salaries, while they refuse to do their jobs. This can't stand.

The new NMH will be our new maternity hospital. We need all uncertainty removed (all documents published) and questions answered such as: - Publishing all correspondence between the Sisters of Charity & the Vatican to demonstrate what, if any, conditions apply to the transfer of land to SV Holdings CLG - What conditions, if any, are applied to the Indemnity provided by SVHG to the Sisters of Charity? - What happens to operation of new NMH if a claim against the Sisters of Charity significantly impacts SVHG finances? Will the State be expected to vail out the hospital group? - Given a new hospital lifespan is 50-70 years, does this 299 year lease sign the taxpayer up to building successive new maternity hospitals in order to not breach 10 euro yearly discounted rent? - What requirements are detailed in contracts to require SVHG to provide all required adult services (as detailed in 2008 KPMG report) for the life of the new National Maternity Hospital (and potential subsequent replacement hospitals)? - Why not adopt Slaintecare patient rights based values as opposed to the Sisters of Charity values in the constitutions of SV Holdings CLG and SVHG (which new National Maternity Hospital will be a subsidiary of)? - Will a definition of "clinically appropriate" be added to the contracts? Or removed? - Under what conditions can the HSE/State break the lease with the landlord, SVHG? - Why do SV Holdings CLG refuse to sell or gift the land at Elm Park to the State given single ownership is not required at the James' site to facilitate and support co-location? - If a patient at the new National Maternity Hospital requires the Minister of Health to enact their golden share, what is the procedure for this to happen? - In the published documents, SVHG has the power to set healthcare policy in the new National Maternity Hospital. As such it is possible to impede the access of healthcare that is prohibited by Catholic ethos. How will the Minister ensure that accessibility of elective/on-demand healthcare is not overly onerous on a patient? - In the published documents, SVHG has the power to hire staff. As such it is possible for SVHG to hire predominantly anti-choice staff. How will the Minister ensure that this will not happen? - Specific adult services (as identified in the 2008 KPMG report) are required to support the new National Maternity Hospital and is the purpose of co-location. Where in the contracts is SVHG required to ensure adequate staffing at all times, night and at the weekend for example, to ensure that all services required are accessible to new NMH patients? Similarly, what legal guarantee is there that patients of the new NMH will be prioritised as they compete for resources at St. Vincent's University Hospital?

There are many young families here and the creche was part of the deal when buying the houses.

Ukraine's national debt is €120 billion, that's almost 80% of their GDP. They are spending €6bn a year just servicing this debt, and have had years of austerity measures pushed as a result. This is illegitimate debt, built up due to the oligarchisation of society, the failure to tax the rich and currently increasing rapidly due to the brutal Russian invasion. Now a growing international movement is demanding this debt be cancelled. Given our own history, Irish people should be at the forefront in demanding the the cancellation of this odious debt.

Please help the residents and friends of the Dingle Peninsula secure the future of Dingle’s landmark Phoenix Cinema, which is up for sale. The Friends of the Phoenix Cinema are working to secure the future of the building for use as not only a cinema but community theatre, arts centre and festival venue. Dingle town is currently lacking any of these community amenities. Please help us to create a vibrant beating heart to bring life to the arts and cinema in Dingle. We are requesting support in our fundraising from Minister Heather Humphreys TD and the Department of Justice, Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, to allocate funding to provide investment to support rural renewal and assist in the regeneration of rural communities, including enhancement of heritage and/or other community assets including the provision/enhancement of recreational or leisure facilities, on the Dingle Peninsula. Please sign our petition and help us #SaveThePhoenixDingle

Emo Park is a wonderful free amenity for the Irish people. It was gifted to the state for this purpose. New and worrying developments are now taking place which include fencing and padlocks. This is sealing off beautiful open areas which were previously free for all to access and enjoy. The natural beauty of Emo Park is being destroyed by these developments which appear to have the ultimate aim of charging for entry.

If our Speech and Language Therapy teacher is withdrawn it means that out of 55 children receiving Speech and Language Therapy in the school only 5 will continue to receive it in St Mary's. Parents of special needs children have to fight tooth and nail for any services for their children and to think a service that is having a positive effect on all these children's progression is going to be withdrawn is absolutely disgraceful and unforgivable. We are calling on all our local Councillors and TD's particularly those in Government for support and to use their influence to have this decision reversed.

Northern Ireland's waiting lists are the worst in the UK - with almost one in four of the population waiting for admission or a first outpatient appointment. And no matter who we are or where we come from, getting medical attention when we need it most is vital to us all. The waiting list crisis has been years in the making, and it won’t be solved overnight. But a Department of Health plan has been published, and solutions from organisations like the Nuffield Trust and the Royal College of Surgeons are being put forward. Now we need political will to make it happen.

Northern Ireland's waiting lists are the worst in the UK - with almost one in four of the population waiting for admission or a first outpatient appointment. And no matter who we are or where we come from, getting medical attention when we need it most is vital to us all. The waiting list crisis has been years in the making, and it won’t be solved overnight. But a Department of Health plan has been published, and solutions from organisations like the Nuffield Trust and the Royal College of Surgeons are being put forward. Now we need political will to make it happen.