This petition is set up to show support for the Kevin family who are residing in 22 Woodview Close, Nenagh. We are pleading with the Council to be compassionate with this case. We are hoping that the family will not be evicted or forcibly removed from the home the family has lived in for over 25 years. The tragedies that the Kevin family has endured over the last 11 years are unimaginable. The untimely death of their beloved son and brother, Alan, in 2013, left the family buried in grief. Tommy Kevin (their father) was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer in July 2017 and underwent gruelling treatments which left him very sick and frail. Catherine Kevin (their mother) was also very sick with cancer, as yet undiagnosed, at that time. Paul moved back home early in 2020 to help his brothers care for both parents who were weak and unable to manage their day-to-day needs. Tommy sadly passed away in August 2021, having suffered in terrible pain at the end of his life. Paul gave up his full-time job completely in November 2021 to care for his mother as she was not coping well after her beloved Tommy’s death. Unfortunately, Catherine passed away only eight months after Tommy in April 2022, also in painful and difficult circumstances, leaving Paul and the entire family completely distraught. The last thought in his mind throughout all of this was the tenancy on the house. His sole mission was to care for his parents, and the death of his mother, in particular, was highly traumatic and unexpected. The entire family was again plunged into grief and all sense of normalcy was destroyed. Paul’s brother, Brian, was officially a Council occupant in the house and had lived in the house since he was a child with his parents and siblings. Brian tried to secure full tenancy via a succession application but found the process difficult and stressful. Having been refused succession by the Council, Brian sadly gave up the tenancy early in 2023. Throughout all of this, Paul and Shauna continued to faithfully pay rent to the council while they tried to work on a solution. They had given up their HAP accommodation at this point due to the financial stress of paying rent on two properties. Shauna had also given birth to a beautiful baby boy, named Tom for his grandfather, in November 2022. Brian, and Paul and Shauna, have returned all the documentation that was asked of them by the Council. They have tried hard to navigate a complex and difficult process to retain the family home. Paul and Shauna have even accepted that they may need to find alternative accommodation and have been searching for a rental property since July 2023 but cannot find one. There are almost no properties to be found, and anything that is available is far out of their budget, even with financial assistance from HAP. They have now accepted that they may have to part with their family pet in order to be accepted for a private tenancy. A number of properties have passed them by due to poor coordination from the Council, which is essential for a HAP tenancy. All the while, the Council has applied pressure on the family to leave the property, with a Court Order to appear in Nenagh District Court on 11th April for the purpose of seeking an eviction order. Shauna is originally from Charleville and her family mostly live in the UK now; while Paul’s parents are deceased. They do not have anywhere to go and face the prospect of going into homelessness. The couple’s second baby, a little girl, was due to arrive on 14th March and will surely be here by the time the court date comes around. Shauna faces the prospect of going to court with a newborn to be evicted with nowhere to go. It is a harrowing prospect for this young family who have tried to do the right thing by Paul’s parents in their hour of need. To make all of the above worse, each of Paul and Shauna have diagnosed medical conditions that place them under significant strain. For privacy reasons they are not detailed in this petition, however the Council is aware of the severity of their illnesses, and the effect they have on their day to day lives. The sole property that the Council showed the family as an alternative was in an old building, poorly maintained and with significant mould and damp. The apartment the family were shown was up three flights of stairs. Shauna simply would not be able to manage this physically and it would put her health at risk. Even worse, young Tom has asthma and requires an inhaler. The damp and mould would likely make him very sick, and the couple were concerned for their imminent new arrival. They regretfully declined this property. Tipperary County Council has not shown them any other properties. We, concerned neighbours of the Kevin family, would like to ask you to sign your name and address at the bottom of this petition to plead the family’s case with the Council. We will then deliver this petition to the Council and ask that it be placed on file for the Kevin Family’s housing application, and that consideration is given to giving the family a tenancy at the house their family has been paying rent, never without a delay or issue, to the Council for over 25 years (38 years when we consider the tenancy Tommy and Catherine first held before their family grew too big and they moved to Woodview Close). Surely this family deserves some consideration to be allowed to stay in the family home.

This rule serves no purpose other than to exclude, reject, and leave a disproportionate number of former residents, along with the representatives of sadly deceased residents, feeling that after so many years they yet again don't matter in the eyes of the state and are rated second class in the country in which they were born. It is not about mere financial compensation. No amount of money can repair the feelings of loss, separation and damage that was deliberately and purposefully inflicted upon innocent mothers and their children by state and church. It goes far beyond monetary considerations. The hurt and emotional damage caused by the introduction of this arbitrary rule is immeasurable. It must be addressed and remedied with urgency.

A Chairde, As a "blow-in" to the Rhode area in Co Offaly I have been shocked at the state of the local roads within the area. At the beginning of this year, after spending more money on suspension issues on my car I did a small audit of section B04 (local roads) of the Offaly county council budget. The main findings so far: Variance of over €445K in the 2022 budget compared to Prior year figure in 2023 file. No additional funding provided with the exception of €150K additional funding in 2024. No Data or information relating to how much of the budget has actually been spent. No Data provided on where the money is actually being spent. After speaking with other locals, it appears that due to a lack of representation within the Rhode/Edenderry area, Other areas in Offaly are looked after at a higher rate than we are. I have sent on a Freedom of Information request to Offaly County Council asking for the following: "Would it be possible to ask for a breakdown of Section B04 for budget's 2020/21/22 and an explanation for the variance in 2022 figures. Is there an "Actual V Budget" Breakdown available anywhere? Can you provide expenditure data on B0402 Local Rd Surface Rest/Road Reconstruction/Overlay? Is there data available for what road's/areas resurfacing works were carried out for 2020/2021/2022/2023 and the associated spends? Same as above for B0405 Local Roads General Maintenance Works. It is clear that B0402 Local Rd Surface Rest/Road Reconstruction/Overlay has seen no increase in budget for over 3 years, can you provide an explanation as to why? Is there a forecast for the additional 150K that has been budgeted in B0405 Local Roads General Maintenance Works in 2024? Is there currently any National or EU schemes available for the reconstruction of local roads in rural/farming communities?" My Request has been refused by the council and I am in contact with the Office of Information Commission in order to appeal the decision. I am asking that you sign this petition in support of transparency within our local council and would ask that you contact your local councilors and ask them to release the Data that has been requested: https://www.offaly.ie/c/councillilors/ Go raibh maith agat! Ross

Books and other media with LGBTQ+ themes are extremely important for young people who may be struggling to understand their own identity, as it gives them role models to look up to and allows them an opportunity to see people like them in the stories they enjoy! Book bans, like the one being pushed by prominent Unionist politicians including MP Carla Lockhart are also incredibly discriminatory and hypocritical [1] - representation of non- heterosexual relationships should no more be banned from Libraries than heterosexual/cis gender relationships. A child will not become gay or be "transed" by reading a book with a gay or trans character included. We must not allow bigoted bad actors to import American culture war nonsense to Northern Ireland. [1] https://www.newsletter.co.uk/education/dup-mp-carla-lockhart-calls-for-the-immediate-re[…]ildrens-books-from-northern-irish-public-libraries-4562485

Education Minister Paul Givan has confirmed that without additional funding, his department will struggle to find additional school places for over 1,000 children with SEN. The Education Authority has reported that it is "extremely challenging" to find new places in schools and "urgent investment" is needed. No child with SEN should be left in limbo before the start of the new school term. The NI Executive needs to provide more capital investment to solve this crisis!

Although standardisation of ESG reporting is difficult, we believe that it can provide greater transparency and reduce issuers' discretion of reporting which we believe may provide leeway for ignorance of important topics. This will lead to a fairer more transparent reporting of ESG topics and in turn, will enforce companies to reduce their unsustainable practices.

Israel is withholding food, water and medical aid from Gaza. Babies and children are starving and dehydrating to death. Aid is being seized or turned away by Israeli forces at the border. They are using starvation and deprivation of medical aid as a weapon and children are paying the price.

Self-builders are saving between €7k and €30k+ thanks to the development contribution waiver. It's been extended until the end of 2024, which is great news for those who are at the planning stage or looking for a builder to hire. With construction costs high and builders hard to get, we need the waiver permanently instated those building a new family home.

We don't have enough pools in our area so when a new pool is planned it needs to be a modern and flexible design to accommodate as many groups as possible.

There is a planning application in for a Battery Energy Storage System on the belleek road. It's quite a large industrial operation that would potentially be the equvilant of up to 2 football pitches in size(not including the extra 2 proposed buildings one of which is upto 40ft high) It's proposed to house lithium ion batteries to store energy for the grid from the wind turbines. Seems like a great idea to some but with the potential to be a fire hazard and possibility of releasing toxic fumes/gases if an incident were to occur. In close proximity to houses and the town it is a cause to concern for others. There is quite alot of information on the planning application including proposed views of this "Energy Park" from different areas. We would be grateful if you could take a look if interested and sign your support in objection to this project. The deadline for personal submissions to the planning authority is 27th March. Plans and photos will be available to view at Kilbarron house on Saturday 16th March and Saturday 23rd March 4-7.30. Feel free to drop in and have a look share your views etc

Getting an appointment is going to get a whole lot worse. Recently, the EU has banned amalgam fillings from January next year, and because of post-Brexit arrangements, that means a ban in Northern Ireland too. Amalgam fillings are a huge part of the work dentists do on the NHS here, particularly those in the poorest areas. The costs of using other materials are eye-watering, and that means only one thing. NHS dentistry in Northern Ireland will be a thing of the past. People in Northern Ireland have the worst oral health inequality in the UK and the highest proportion of filled teeth. If these amalgam fillings can’t be provided on the NHS, it will mean people in agony, going without treatment - and it’ll be the poorest who suffer most. But there is a way to change this. The ‘Stormont Brake’ gives the Assembly the power to stop EU laws like this one, that would have a detrimental impact on people here. We demand that Minister Robin Swann starts the process to make sure that dentists can continue to provide NHS dental services throughout NI.

Norma Foley's assistance is crucial because she is responsible for education in Ireland. Here's why her help is important: 1. Promised Improvement: The school has been promised a new building for 17 years. As the current Minister of Education, Ms Foley can fulfill this promise, ensuring that the school finally gets the improvements it desperately needs. 2. Safety and Health: The current conditions pose safety and health hazards to students and staff. Minister Foley can allocate resources to address these issues, ensuring that the school environment is safe and conducive to learning. She can issue the letter the school needs for the new building to start. 3. Financial Support: Ms Foley can provide financial support to address the costly heating bills associated with the poorly insulated buildings. By investing in energy-efficient upgrades, she can help reduce expenses for both the school and the community. 4. Educational Environment: A safe and healthy environment is essential for effective learning. Minister Foley's assistance in upgrading the school facilities will create a better educational environment for students, enabling them to thrive academically and socially. 5. Community Well-being: Improving the school facilities will benefit the entire community. Foley's support will demonstrate a commitment to the well-being of disadvantaged communities and provide them with access to quality education resources. Overall, Norma Foley's help is vital in ensuring that the school receives the necessary support and resources to address its longstanding issues and provide a better future for its pupils and the community.