McCann Bros are consulting on their proposals to carry out peat extraction on the shores of Lough Neagh. This should be stopped because: - This beautiful bogland is a finite resource, vital for wildlife and as a carbon sink. Contrary to the consultation the extraction will not be 'temporary' and to say so is a gross misrepresentation of the application. You cannot temporarily dig out a bog – when its gone its gone. - The proposal flies in the face of the Strategic Planning Policy Statement which protects peatlands. - This peatland is within an Area of Constraint on Minerals and within the Lough Neagh Ramsar site which means it is a wetland of international importance – this rich nature reserve should not and cannot be mined for horticultural peat that no gardener needs. - A two week consultation that finishes on New Years Eve at a time of Christmas and Covid is a cynical abuse of the planning system.

Hundreds are unprotected from bedroom tax and over a thousand unprotected from the benefit cap due to loopholes in the current welfare mitigations. The 9 month benefit cap grace period will come to an end at Christmas, impacting 46,000 people who began claiming Universal Credit in March at the start of the pandemic. All those affected are families with children and 77% are lone parents, losing around £200 a month. The loophole can be closed but the Minister for Communities must act now.

After working for Estee Lauder in Dublin Airport for 8 years, my company decided to tear up my contract of employment and made me redundant, along with dozens of others. They also imposed pay cuts of up to €5,000 per year on staff that weren’t let go. We’ve been on strike now for 9 days and the Labour Court has ruled in our favour, but Estee Lauder management are refusing to abide by it. We have lost our jobs, lost thousands of euros in income, and yet our company is one of the largest multinationals in the world paying out massive dividends to its owners. All we are asking for is a bit of fairness and respect for the loyalty and efforts we’ve given over decades. The Labour Court said we should receive four weeks pay per year of service for our redundancy, and any loss of earnings should be compensated at 1.5 times the annual loss (for example, if you lost €3,000 per year you should receive €4,500 in compensation). This is going to be a very tough time for all of us, but particularly for workers who have lost their jobs and had pay cuts. It would help so many of us to pay our bills our rent and our mortgages if companies like Estee Lauder looked after their workers. Please Estee Lauder, do the right thing by your workers. Implement the Labour Court recommendation. Thank you for your support. Jackie Gibbons.

This is a classic example of 'White Saviourism' portraying a negative stereotype of what Africa is like, what people in Africa in like. It's racist and discriminatory and Irish people and media/radio should be aware of how problematic it can be.

Liquidation is the formal means, which companies are wound up and any proceeds distributed to creditors and shareholders. A change in legislation in favor of this petition would put the interests of workers first in the event of their jobs being lost and the employment being wound up. Its important to workers who at their most vulnerable, need and require every financial support to be implemented by their Government and for Union members to have their collectively agreed contract entitlements safeguarded by employment and company law.

Forcing a school to remain open is hugely undermining and takes the autonomy of management from those who have been legally entrusted with the safety of the school community.

Kingspan, an Irish company based in Cavan, manufactured Grenfell Tower’s combustible insulation. During the Grenfell Inquiry into the tower block fire which killed 72 people in 2017, a former executive said that the firm was involved in a “deliberate and calculated deceit”, which involved marketing the product without solid test evidence. The inquiry has also heard that Kingspan rigged tests and hired lobbyists after the disaster to try to persuade MPs that rival non-combustible products might be no less dangerous. Ulster Rugby should play no part in whitewashing Kingspan's image and must terminate it's sponsorship relationship and rename the stadium. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/nov/30/kingspan-manager-belligerent-over-fire-concerns-in-2008-grenfell-inquiry-hears

Fox hunting is a cruel, barbaric blood-sport which is a complete and utter injustice happening openly and legally in the Republic of Ireland. We as sabs directly sabotage hunts, putting ourselves between hunters and foxes. We know first hand the violent depravity in which these humans act. Please support us by signing this petition to ban fox hunting in the Republic of Ireland now. Our mission is to bring help, protection, rehabilitation and power to nonhuman animals fighting for their lives, families and communities. Hunt Saboteurs Ireland, established in September 2019, has been out in the Irish countryside directly sabotaging hunts with a variety of long-standing and proven tactics. We are at the front lines of the fight against bloodsports in the Republic of Ireland. While a petition is not directly saving lives, it is an extremely useful tactic we can use to show that when we come together we can put an end to this injustice no matter where we are in the country, that we outnumber the violent murderers who only want to see the Irish countryside painted red. We will not stop until all nonhuman animals are socially and legally respected and protected in this country. A RED C opinion poll conducted in September 2019 found that a 77 per cent majority of Irish citizens want foxhunting banned.

Dear Friends, I just created the petition: Ag fas le cheile! Say yes to a 100% Organic, 100% Chemical-free and 100% GMO-free Ireland. It would mean a lot to me if you took a moment to add your name because: A journey’s end matters not, for it is the journey itself that inspires, enriches and delights. As I took “the road less travelled” 18 months ago, I could not have imagined the amount of learning to be had on this road; for I am now less dependent on certain modern conveniences than I was in May 2019. Now in November 2020, I am • 100% shampoo-free • 100% clothes detergent-free • 100% washing-up liquid free • 100% dishwasher liquid free • 100% all-purpose cleaner free • 99% bin-free. In short, grey water that leaves my house is virtually chemical free with a minimal toxic load to the environment. My garden is 100% Organic, 100% Chemical-free and 100% GMO-free and has been for about 10 years. With the continued support from local Clare businesses and shops, Clare media and a waste prevention grant from Clare County Council, Operation de-Plastification with its “slim your bin or bin your bin challenge” has been able to inform, encourage, support and lead-by-example on the quest to waste reduction, particularly plastic related waste in the shape of single-use plastic bottles and plastic packaging. With the submission to Clare County Council for the Clare Local Development Plan 2022 – 2028 "100% Organic, 100% Chemical-free and 100% GMO-free", I am hoping to sow the seed for a different Clare, and by extension a different Ireland, to highlight a path that has been taken by other countries successfully and to encourage as many people of all ages and guises, including businesses and politicians, to re-think their habits and attitudes in relation to • everyday conveniences • everyday routines • everyday practices to aid the recovery of our planet, with an intact environment which in turn will support our future. The attempt to combine the Operation de-Plastification campaign and the vision for a post-pandemic County Clare, has generated the “ag fás le chéile” petition, where shoppers, sellers and consumers can voice, with their signature, their request for an enduring “green” Ireland. The petition aims to address all people living in Ireland: • Shoppers: we want to buy local, sustainable, affordable, nutritious, delicious, organic, plastic-packaging-free, chemical-free and gmo-free goods • Sellers: we want to sell local, sustainable, affordable, nutritious, delicious, organic, plastic-packaging-free, chemical-free and gmo-free goods • Consumers: we want to enjoy local, sustainable, affordable, nutritious, delicious, organic, plastic-packaging-free, chemical-free and gmo-free goods Assuring our environment’s and our survival, “the road not taken” may lead to a life and life-style where less is more, as less is more than enough in my experience. With the kindest regards, Cornelia Wahli Operation de-Plastification Campaign Slim your Bin or Bin your Bin Challenge “Ag fás le chéile” Petition ____________________________________________________________________ https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/ag-fas-le-cheile-say-yes-to-a-100-organic-chemical-free-and-gmo-free-ireland Real change happens when everyday people like you and I come together and stand up for what we believe in. Together we can reach lots of people and help create change around this important issue. After you've signed the petition, could you also take a moment to share it with others? It's really easy – all you need to do is forward this email. Thank you!

Coillte proposes to build 7 colossal wind turbines on the slopes of Mt Leinster, adjacent to a Special Area of Conservation. With a proposed height of 178m, significantly higher than any existing turbine in the region, this scale is normally placed offshore. There has been inadequate public consultation about this wind farm proposal and the majority of the local community are unaware of it. As local representatives, we urge you to safeguard this visually sensitive and ecologically valuable area and to protect our natural heritage for future generations. We appeal to you to collaborate in order to save Mt Leinster and the Blackstairs by taking the following measures: 1. Suspend the current windfarm planning application process until circumstances allow for appropriate public consultation. Coillte’s planning strategy has deprived the local and wider community of their right to engage in meaningful participation. 2. Introduce an immediate moratorium on new wind farm developments pending updating of the outdated 2006 national wind energy guidelines. 3. Strengthen County Carlow’s Wind Energy Strategy (WES) by making Mt Leinster and The Blackstairs a “No Go” area for windfarm development and industrialisation of any sort. 4. Strengthen legislation to protect our biodiversity and our Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). 5. Protect and preserve our wild places. • This proposed windfarm would destroy the Mt Leinster region and have a hugely negative impact on local tourism. Mt Leinster attracts locals and visitors from all over the country to its mountain wilderness. They engage in all sorts of activities from strolling along the beautiful country lanes in the unspoilt rural foothills of south County Carlow, to hillwalking, mountain biking, paragliding, kite flying, eco trailing, foraging and birdwatching. - The proposed turbines would be directly in front of the Nine Stones, a designated protected viewing point. The wonderful panoramic vista that currently greets visitors would be replaced by the sight, sound and flicker shadow of these massive industrial turbines, which would totally dominate the landscape. - The turbines would be seen from many scenic trails in Ireland’s Ancient East including The South Leinster Way, The Mount Leinster Heritage Drive, The Sky Road and newly launched Turas Columbanus part of the Europe-wide Columban Way. • With the exception of a small group of local landowners who were briefed in Oct 2019, there has been no public consultation by Coillte. Notwithstanding Covid 19 restrictions, there was no dissemination of information by any means for over a year. - An online information site about the proposed windfarm only went live at the end of Nov 2020 - see www.croaghaunwindfarm.ie approximately 9 days before the planning process began. - The distribution of an information brochure, only circulated in the first week of Dec 2020, was limited to houses within 2km of the proposed windfarm. • Of additional concern is the proposed access route for transport of building materials from Bunclody to Mt Leinster. This route runs through an area of outstanding natural beauty comprising narrow country roads, lined with ancient hedgerows and granite stone walls. They represent a rapidly vanishing aspect of our built and natural heritage. Once destroyed they can never be replaced. Coillte state that they will “temporarily upgrade” this road in order to facilitate transport of oversize loads, which would include 110M columns and 65M rotor blades. • The windfarm would also have a detrimental ecological impact. The Blackstairs contains a vast SAC, a designation which protects endangered habitats and biodiversity. The proposed windfarm site is just 400M from this SAC boundary. Only 13% of Ireland has SAC status. In this time of biodiversity crisis it is profoundly ecologically unsound to build an industrial wind farm so close to an SAC. - The proposed construction site is partly comprised of blanket bog. The recent catastrophic bogslide in Donegal demonstrates the devastating environmental destruction wreaked by inappropriate windfarm planning on bogland. • The new climate emergency bill has identified offshore wind energy as the most efficient solution to Ireland’s climate crisis. Our government has committed to the rapid development of this technology early next year. - It makes no sense to put gigantic and environmentally destructive wind turbines on land in one of the most scenic parts of Ireland when a much more efficient and environmentally sensitive technology will be available offshore in the near future. • Carlow’s WES describes the Mt Leinster/ Blackstairs region as unsuitable for windfarm development because of its value for tourism, the high quality of its scenery and the sensitivity of its landscape. - This same strategy states that Mt Leinster and 14 other areas across the Blackstairs are still “open for consideration” for windfarm development. - This anomaly needs to be addressed - if planning permission is granted for this windfarm it will set a precedent and create the potential for the proliferation of windfarms throughout The Blackstairs. • Currently there are very few wind turbines on the Carlow Blackstairs, but the NW corner of the Wexford Blackstairs is saturated with them. - Wexford’s WES has responded to this by making the Wexford Blackstairs a “ No Go area" for windfarms. - Can Carlow County Council collaborate with Wexford County Council and treat The Blackstairs mountain range as a single entity and protect it accordingly? • Mt Leinster and the Blackstairs have escaped the industrialisation that has blighted so many other parts of rural Ireland. Wild unspoilt places are few and far between. Once lost they are gone forever.

Every year 6,000 grey hounds in Ireland die because the fail to make qualification times or for poor performance [rte investigates].Yes these friendly lanky giants die in large numbers every year.Greyhounds being doped or shot have been reported.These graceful loving creatures deserve better.

Higher education in Ireland has been turned into a money racket by years of neoliberal government policy and negligence in Higher Education Institutions. While fees for students in the north and south of Ireland have increased dramatically over the past 15 years, the quality of education has been diminished. Most teaching staff are under-paid and overworked, and are given precarious employment contracts that offer little in the way of workers' rights and job security. Students are forced to work part-time or full-time during college to pay fees and rent, which has huge impacts on their academic performance and their health. Funding for essential services like student health and counselling have been cut, with further cuts planned in anticipation of the economic downturn. The fees paid by students are not being invested in education or support for students; they are instead being used to give salary increases and bonuses to the upper management of our colleges and universities. These issues existed before the pandemic, but the outbreak of COVID-19 has highlighted and exacerbated many of the issues we face in higher education. Students are shouldering a large portion of the burden of COVID-19. We have lost jobs, lost family members, worked on the front lines and are still being financially exploited by the higher education system. Student nurses and midwives in particular have played a vital role in the fight against COVID-19, but the state refuses to pay them for their work. On top of that, these essential workers are still forced to pay thousands in college tuition fees. It's clear that neither the government nor the upper management in our colleges care about education - they only care about our money. It's time for students to fight back against exploitation and neoliberalism in higher education in Ireland, and demand that student fees be abolished entirely. Higher education should be publicly funded, and those working in education should be properly paid for their work. The Campaigns demands are: - A public higher education system funded from general taxation - Abolish the student contribution, registration fees, and other fees paid directly by students. - Pay student nurses, midwives, and other students such as social workers for their work on placement. - Pay postgraduate teachers a living wage - Reverse the outsourcing of university staff, offer permanent contracts - Hire more admin and teaching staff to alleviate the workload in universities and ITs - Reverse cuts to student services - Increase the income threshold for the SUSI grant, and increase the grant allowance for SUSI - Cap rents for student accommodation and introduce a differential rent based on income