The review of this legislation is accepting submissions until September 11th 2020. The Criminal Justice Act 2017 Part 4 was put in place after lobbying by individuals and groups, some of whom were founded by and still have members of religious orders who ran Magdalene Laundries in their organisations, who believe all sex work is exploitation. This is not the case. This stance means ALL sex workers are being classified as exploited which in turn is distracting efforts from identifying real human trafficking victims. Human trafficking victims exist in many industries in Ireland including agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing and many more. Child trafficking is also a problem in Ireland. Yet, we are targeting consenting sex workers. The belief was that the criminalisation of the purchase of sexual services would end the demand for sexual services. This has not come into fruition. Ireland has been downgraded to Tier Two Watch List in the latest Trafficking in Persons Report and there have been NO PROSECUTIONS for human trafficking in Ireland EVER. Consensual sex workers exist in Ireland and will always exist in Ireland. This legislation has unfairly targeted their earnings, their safety and their autonomy rather than tackling human traffickers. These people and organisations have had very little communication with sex workers or experience in investigating cases of sex trafficking or other forms of human trafficking. This means there are victims of trafficking who are not even being looked for. This law has cut the flow of information to Gardaí from sex workers about real trafficking victims and children being requested for exploitation. Not only that but violence against sex workers has increased to dangerous levels because clients are afraid to get caught and sex workers are stigmatised to the point where abuse is deemed a natural part of their work - which should never be the case. Nicer clients have been scared away by the illegality of purchasing of sexual services and many who are still buying sex are the ones who take risks, putting sex workers in Ireland in serious danger. Sex workers report more issues with clients regarding safe sex. Sex workers in Ireland are not legally allowed to work together for safety under Ireland ‘Brothel Keeping’ legislation so they do not even have that comfort. To make buying sex illegal On top of the Brothel Keeping legislation, without first ensuring sex workers have access to social services and housing and all the other things they need to survive is horrific. For these reasons we are demanding an end to the Criminal Justice Act Section 27 part 4! TACKLE HUMAN TRAFFICKERS NOT WORKING PEOPLE!

I have decided to start a petition for animal welfare in Ireland as it seems that the Irish government law enforcement, both judges and Gardai, do not take it seriously. It is unbelievable the amount of animal abuse that occurs on a daily basis. I subscribe to animal rescue pages on Facebook and regularly donate to them to support their cause. Unfortunately many of their stories are sad, of pregnant cats roaming, orphaned animals, stolen beloved pets, and worse yet the reckless behaviour of some individuals that often leads to the death of animals or intentional abuse of dogs, cats and horses alike. Recently I have read and seen pictures of a horse set alight, a horse accidentally killed by a truck driver when his owner decided to cross a dual carriageway, horses left starving or with injuries, such as a broken leg with the bone protruding through the skin likely causing immense suffering until the poor animal was mercifully euthanised due to the extent of the injury. Not to mention the amount of stolen dog posts I see on a daily basis, as well as stories of teenagers kicking around a cat (and a dog in another instance) for fun. I am thankful to all who have signed thus far, as well as those who are currently contemplating it. I appreciate that maybe my initial petition may have been a bit confusing as per some comments I had received. To clarify, Ireland does have welfare laws (Control of Dogs Act 1986, (Amended 1992); Animal Health & Welfare Act 2013 & 2019; Control of Horses Act 1996, to name a few of which I was politely made aware of). Are they being implemented and prosecuted to the best of their ability? I strongly believe that they are not. As I haven't had the time to read all the laws (with an infant at home), I will generalise what I know. It is mandatory to microchip dogs and horses (but this has a 'from date' which then excludes some animals from before this date), while currently cats do not have a legal requirement. What I am proposing is that all pets have a legal requirement, including checks done by Gardai. In addition, I propose for all pets to be checked at vets for microchipping and have it done mandatorily by a certain age of the animals life. I would suggest 500€ for cats and dogs, while 2000€ for horses and larger animals (i.e. donkeys, mules). If a person has enough money to feed a pet animal, they should also have enough to pay the small fee associated with microchipping. These are only suggestions, my point is that we need more impactful fines. In regards to spaying/neutering, it is a worldwide problem and yes, most people are advised to do it but a good few still decide against. That should be mandatory as well, but provisions, in the form of Government subsidies should be set aside to assist pet owners with the financial cost. Special circumstances could be considered for those who take care of feral animals in their area and as mentioned below, rescues should be able to TNR (trap and release) these animals after spaying/neutering is done. I know certain websites don’t ‘condone’ the sale of animals, but at the same time still allow their sites to be used as a marketplace for illegal pet trade. A lot of the dogs being sold run the risk of improper breeding as well as inhumane conditions. Also, some animals are used as bait for dog fights and there should be enormous fines for those involved in contributing to a preventable death of an animal. I have been made aware that Animal Rescues do get an annual grant, but with the current situation of feral/orphaned/abandoned/injured animals out there, there is no way that amount is enough and they currently need more funds provisioned. If we worked to address the issue of microchipping with owner liability and spaying/neutering it would control the pet population better, thus easing the burden on animal rescues. Pet thieves and animal abusers should be prosecuted harsher. People found to be stealing or abusing animals should face heavier fines and/or jail sentences. We need the Gardai and other investigatory bodies to ensure people are charged, as well as judges to impart APPROPRIATE SENTENCING. It should not be allowed to just let the person off with a slap on the wrist. If people are unwilling to cooperate and pay the fines, they should face community service and/or jail time. Their animals should then be taken off them and they should be banned from acquiring further animals. A public photographic register of these individuals should be set up to allow the public be made aware of potential thieves/abusers should be considered. So to reiterate my proposals they are: 1. Mandatory microchipping of all animals considered as pets, including those used for sully racing. 2. Mandatory spaying/neutering unless a registered pet breeder with the government subsidising the cost for individuals/veterinary practices to make that attainable. 3. Additional funding for animal rescues should be provisioned. 4. Pet thieves and animal abusers should be prosecuted harsher. 5. All people found not to be complying with the new regulations should be impactfully fined and/or face jail time/community service. 6. I would like to see more thorough Investigations conducted into breaches of Animal Welfare, more enforcement of the various legislation & harsher penalties & sentences for those convicted of offences. I am an animal lover, and I have seen many other people’s comments on online posts which also lead me to believe there are others out there like me who would like to see a real change in Ireland. This would require lawmakers and judges/Gardai to actually implement these changes versus ‘letting them off’ or ignoring the issue. Please sign and share this petition and ask for our lawmakers to finally make a difference!

The dependents of PhD students would like to support their spouses who are conducting research in Irish institutions and contribute to Ireland with the skills they have possessed. It can be discouraging for other potential non-EU PhD students to come to Ireland due to dissatisfaction among their spouses, coupled with difficulty to manage living in Ireland owing to limited financial support. We are not demanding any special status or advantage for the spouses - only the RIGHT TO WORK AND PAY TAXES in Ireland. Stamp 3 holders are spouses/partners/dependents of non-EU PhD students who can contribute to flourish Irish Economy. PhD students could have thought of options, but we chose Ireland. Let us Conduct research in Irish institutions, Integrate and Contribute! We need a solution and your support to help us to integrate into Irish society and contribute through our research.

We need to let the politicians that voted for this pay rise know that this is totally unacceptable while the country is in crisis and they are accountable to us, the people.

Havelock House is one of Northern Ireland’s best-known cultural landmarks. It is also one of our most threatened buildings – developers Olympian Homes plan to tear it down to make for an eight-storey apartment block. Time is running out: Belfast City Council will decide on Olympian’s planning application in September. Its decision may end the remarkable story of the Victorian linen factory which became a television icon. As the home of Ulster Television (UTV) for almost sixty years, Havelock House had an integral role in the birth of Northern Ireland’s television industry. It was the place where iconic local series such as Teatime with Tommy, Romper Room and Good Evening Ulster were made. The building is also nationally important: it is the last surviving small station from the pioneering days of UK television. Features such as the original UTV studio are our last built record of the birth of regional television on these islands. TV history was made there. UTV was the first small regional ITV station and Havelock House pioneered a new low-cost TV production model. Its success allowed other less populous parts of the UK to have their own local stations. It was also the site of the first adult education shows on UK television, a pioneering ‘rooftop’ studio and the first satellite link-up between a UK regional station and the US. There’s more to Havelock House than television though – the building has been a familiar presence on Belfast’s Ormeau Road since 1871. After its stint as a linen factory, it became the headquarters of the All-British Trading Stamp Company, an early loyalty scheme where customers received stamps with their shopping which could be trade in for free items. The building then saw service during World War II as accommodation for soldiers who were protecting the city’s bridges from German attack. After the war, it became an engineering works and a dressmakers. Its exterior also hides a secret – beneath the plaster render applied by UTV in 1959, there is attractive polychromic brickwork and stone cut dressings similar to buildings such as the Riddell warehouse, which unlike Havelock House, have listed status. Havelock House is a versatile and historic building which stands ready for a new chapter in its remarkable story. It should the showpiece of any redevelopment of the area rather than torn down for yet another faceless apartment block. As guardians of our city’s heritage, Belfast City Council must reject any proposal for the building’s demolition and put in place an appropriate strategy for its protection.

This is important because no such issue is being considered with regard to Scotland, England or Welsh borders within UK, or with UK, Welsh or Scottish travel to the South of Ireland. NI is being penalised on our own Island, to travel within our island, on the back of a BREXIT that the majority of NI Citizens voted against in the first place. This is our chance to stand and take our place today in the fight for tomorrow and demand Boris Johnson, Taoiseach and the NI Assembly Ministers listen to and seriously reconsider this decision.

Please support the permanent pedestrianisation of New Street, Malahide. At the moment a 10 week trial is in progress to guage the pros and cons of this measure. Some businesses have mounted an energetic campaign to return New Street to it's former position as a car dominated hostile space for human beings. Don't let them win! If this is reversed, it will be a major setback to efforts to provide livable and walkable communities for all of us.

There're already soccer, GAA and running facilities, cycling lanes and children playgrounds in the park, but nothing for growing amount of people interested in basketball. The OPW says they have no plans to install basketball court there, but we want the park to be enjoyable for everyone. This is not a huge investment and many will benefit, as well as public health.

This is the largest adult safeguarding investigation in the UK of its kind. The PSNI has examined CCTV footage and has so far established that there have been more than 1500 criminal assaults on patients in a 6 bed ward in a time period of 6 months. Two weeks ago yet another staff member was sacked from the hospital for abuse on a patient. The abuse is continuing. There can be no tolerance of abuse and it is critical that the individuals and institutions responsible should be held to account. That includes those who were directly responsible for the abuses but crucially also, the institutions and individuals responsible for systemic failures or whose action or inaction otherwise permitted the abuse to occur. These people were in the care of the state and are amongst the most vulnerable in society.

Double decker buses would allow for social distancing and could be provided immediately by Bus Eireann, to reinstate this essential route to the city for the people of Dunmore who have been let down now for months.

It is important that we teach all children equally, as the education system as it stands is particularly ableist. As Sign Language and Braille are both universally used, this would aid the global communication of all children and teenagers throughout the course of their lives. It is just as important as English within our education system.

NHS services will be impossible to provide under the new Coronavirus Regulations, and those already in poverty will be hit hardest. New regulations requiring dentists to vacate surgeries for one hour after carrying out ‘aerosol generating procedures’ such as drilling, fillings and root canals, will drastically reduce the number of patients they can see, and make it financially impossible for surgeries to offer treatment under the NHS. Those in poverty often delay treatment due to the cost of dental charges. Without a good NHS system their oral health, including diagnoses of serious conditions like mouth cancer is going to suffer and their general health will follow suit.