Information taken from Facebook polls , January 2023, from local residents. Footpaths urgently needed: -Bettystown to Donacarney 700m (Whitefield Manor to Scoil Naisiunta Réalt Na Mara) -Mornington to Donacarney 1.4km (Garra Road, from Bramble Wood to Castle Glen) -Donacarney to Gaelscoil an Bhradáin Feasa 1.4km (Dun Cairn to Colpe Road / new roundabout) -Bettystown Cross to St Colmcilles Pilltown ground ROAD SAFETY ISSUES: -Massive safety concerns from may residents on Pilltown road: need footpaths and lighting. -New roundabout at Colpe road= badly planned/ designed: 2 lanes on arrival but more narrow on roundabout -Reminder to residents of Grangerath that they don’t have priority as they exit estate. Reports of near-accidents every day on social media -footpath at narroways road, bettystown, at the bend going towards Tesco's = too narrow = very dangerous. Reported near accidents every day. -Speed bumps around Mornington court= cars/buses at high speed , not safe - The roundabout at Whitefield Manor/Hall is dangerous, you can't see oncoming traffic properly, bushes need to be removed.= lots of comments on this -Speed restrictions on Church road -Uninterrupted Footpaths all the way from Colpe new roundabout to Centra Mornington. STREET LIGHTS NEEDED : -All around Whitefield Manor/ Eastham area -Garra road , all around Mornington ENVIRONMENTAL : -More bins on main roads. Many residents complain about lack of bins or overflowing bins. My local bus stop on Garra rd has overflowing bins every week, littering by teenagers every day: education about littering and the environment would be much needed in local schools. CHILDREN PLAYGROUND/ YOUTH CLUB 1 . A playground in Donacarney or Mornington would be very welcome. Local residents could enjoy it without having to drive to the small playgrounds of Bettystown or the one in Laytown. Benefits: -reduction of traffic / congestion If families can walk more = reduction of carbon emissions -improved quality of life and opportunities to socialise for children 2. Teenagers need a youth club, or maybe a skate park to keep busy and off the streets. Huge rise in anti social behaviour around Bettystown from teenagers who are clearly bored after school/ weekends. Residents have pointed out that there is nothing to do for teenagers locally which is true No youth club with activities / No skate park Co Meath council needs to invest in young people. Maybe the new BT library could have a room specifically for teenagers offering appropriate activities and classes ( Art, music, martial arts etc) The council needs to take action NOW and work appropriately with local residents, farmers, companies, schools and other stakeholders in order to create a better community. The majority of people here are hard working tax-payers who deserve better infrastructure. The general view from residents is that Meath council is extremely slow and ineffective. the Proof is some foothpaths were planned/ funded in 2018 and nothing has happened. This is unacceptable not to have basic road/walking infrastructure in a rich country in Europe in 2023

Gaffs for All Petition: Support the ten key policies that can fix this crisis We call on the Government to immediately implement the following ten key policies to solve the housing crisis - which is an emergency: 1. Make housing a human right: Hold a referendum to put the right to housing in the Constitution 2. A state-guaranteed delivery of a sufficient supply of life-time-secure, affordable, decent-quality, green homes for all using public land for 100 per cent actually affordable housing. Provide 400,000 public affordable and social ‘green’ homes in the coming decade. That means 40,000 affordable homes per year (both new and using vacant/derelict buildings) on our state-owned lands (and CPO additional land as necessary) 3. Set up a state construction company – as a semi-state enterprise – to develop and build affordable homes to buy and rent, refurbish vacant and derelict property, and undertake retrofitting. 4. Give adequate state funding to guarantee new affordable and social housing (trebling state capital (new build and renovate derelict and vacant) funding from €2bn to €6bn a year for local authorities and housing associations & setting up a €5bn national housing fund at affordable rates to finance and fund building of affordable homes) 5. Make private rental real homes: Make rents affordable – implement a three-year rent freeze, rent reduction mechanisms, rent controls on new units to the market. Give renters security in their homes – immediate three-year eviction ban (of ‘no fault’ evictions); ban tenancy terminations for sale of property; remove the ability of landlords to evict tenants on sale and other ‘no fault’ evictions. Airbnb/short-stay rentals should only be allowed to be used in your primary home, for less than thirty days a year, in areas of high housing need. 6. End homelessness: Develop new plan with clear timelines to end homelessness within five years. Phase out the use of emergency accommodation. Expand Housing First 7. Stop the REITs, investor funds and property purchase as investment: Remove the Real Estate Investor Trust tax incentive, and all other investor fund tax breaks and loopholes. Levy a hefty tax on investor purchase of residential property to remove non-home buyers from the market. Divest all state funding and pension funds and public sector pensions out of REITs/residential property investment funds 8. Eliminate vacant and derelict buildings and land/sites: Put in place an annual ‘use it or lose it’ tax, set at a percentage of the market value, on vacant and derelict property, land and buildings. Local authorities to CPO 10,000 vacant and derelict homes per year, and retrofit and convert them to social and affordable homes. 9. Ensure that all marginalized groups have appropriate, adequate housing. Put in place equality- and rights-based monitoring and implementation of all housing policy. 10. Green and retrofit all homes, including renewable energy, rewilding and food production, to make our housing system zero carbon in a socially just way. Make available a 100 per cent retrofit grant to low and middle income households.

Enact a brand new system to replace the 'old' Registry of 'Solemnizers. Anyone can apply and does not have to go 'via' any religious body or any other ism/body. The State's 'end' of the marriage licencing business should avoid religion/philosophy completely.

We need to stop Cork LNG, a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal which would import fracked gas from the United States into Cork harbour and lock us into fossil fuels for 40 years.

Not to enact anti democratic planning laws that will prevent environmental NGO's and community groups challenging bad planning decisions in the courts. It will prevent us protecting our environment against damage.

Refine the testing protocol for Covid-19 to include those with only mild symptoms and no known contacts with confirmed cases.

Provide longevity to the Irish radio market by opening up Ireland to DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting)

Get Re-Gen Waste out of Warrenpoint Harbour Authority 

Waterways Ireland ,Dublin City council and The Minister for Heritage, housing committee members . The signatures on this petition are requesting consideration from the Dublin City Council development plan and Waterways Ireland for continuous mooring permits for residential and commercial barges along the Royal and Grand canal in Dublin metropolitan area . We are asking for a fair and transparent application process for permits which has not been outlined in the new byelaws . We are asking for permanent mooring permits along the navigation on the grand canal for boats who have been refused permits and are in limbo. We are asking for these moorings in Dublin on the grand canal inside the metropolitan area not in another county. By signing and remaining on this petition we absolutely object to the second draft of the canal bye laws whereby waterways Ireland are eliminating the opportunity for permanent house boat moorings outside grand canal dock in the Dublin metropolitan area. We absolutely object to the exorbitant increase in fees which could be done in a much fairer and gradual manner , especially as many areas have not been given a guarantee of the very basic facilities such as running water . We are also asking for the long overdue provision of waste water facilities for boats along the Royal and Grand canal via pump out stations and fresh water taps to be located between locks to preserve water quality . We would like to see a body/ board introduced to over see the operation of waterways Ireland, this was recommended in the past and ignored . We would like to see liveaboards treated with dignity and respect by waterways Ireland . We would like to see a copy of accounts from this public body published In a fair , transparent and timely manner . It is unacceptable that they are unavailable. We would also like to see previous recommendations for coffee docks and various other commercial moorings being made available and put to tender in a fair and transparent manner outlined in the new bye laws . This has been overlooked and not clarified . The issue of antisocial behaviour has been prevalent in Portobello Harbour in recent times. Many Portobello residents feel that a presence on the water, by way of a barge community, will help alleviate some of the unwanted gatherings which take place nightly on the canalside. This proposed mooring would breathe new life into the empty and poorly lite stretches adjacent to Portobello Harbour. Furthermore, it will add visually to the area and increase the sense of community for both land and water residence. Businesses and the local economy have faced a very difficult time over this last 3 to 4 years during Covid . This is an opportunity as a society to reflect on the use of public space and to possibly reimagine our use of, and relationship with, that space, so that we can reopen our society and city with renewed hope as we recover from the exceptional challenges posed by Covid-19. It is time for Liveaboard boats in Ireland to have recognition. Dialogue need to start about moorings , services and permits nationally , not just in Dublin . There is numerous barges moored for several years on the grand canal without permits or appropriate planning permission . They would like to remain . We would like to discuss the option of getting appropriate permits or retention permission in the near future. We are asking for your help in making this a reality for The grand canal in Dublin. To stay in touch with the campaign you can follow @theblackbarge on instagram

We call on Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to direct An Garda Síochána’s Organised Prostitution Investigation Unit to desist from engaging in politicking in regard to legislation around sex work, in particular by speaking at the ‘A Model for Scotland’ lobbying event on 23 February 2022. ‘A Model for Scotland’ is a lobby group calling for a new legislative framework around sex work in Scotland. Central to their campaign is seeking new laws that will further criminalise sex work (A Model for Scotland, 2022). These new laws are somewhat similar to legislation in place in Ireland, most recently updated in the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017. We note with dismay that it has been announced that the Organised Prostitution Investigation Unit of An Garda Síochána will speak at a ‘A Model for Scotland’ lobbying event on 23 February 2022. This can only be interpreted as Gardaí giving support to the ‘A Model for Scotland’ political campaign to further criminalise sex work. All members of An Garda Síochána are required to act impartially. Since the foundation of An Garda Síochána members of the force have been prohibited from getting involved in politics. An Garda Síochána should not be attempting to influence policy around sex work in Scotland. It is wholly inappropriate for An Garda Síochána to be taking part in political lobbying of the Scottish Government. Since sex work was further criminalised in Ireland through the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017, crime against people in sex work has increased by 91% and violent crime specifically has increased by 92% (Campbell et al, 2020). Just last month Amnesty International published an extensive research report showing how the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 has facilitated the targeting and abuse of sex workers, and how the state is failing to protect them from violence (Amnesty International, 2022). This research also uncovered a profound lack of trust in the Gardaí among sex workers, one consequence of which is sex workers do not feel able to report crime to Gardaí. We further note that the individual Garda officer who is scheduled to speak at this upcoming A Model for Scotland lobbying event is an officer who has been presented to sex workers as a 'sex worker liaison officer' and this has further deepened the mistrust that sex workers have in the Gardaí. An Garda Síochána has failed to address any of the serious issues around their policing of sex work in Ireland in any way. There is great concern that if sex work is further criminalised in Scotland, as A Model for Scotland are campaigning for, it will lead to huge harms. Whatever your views on sex work, it is highly inappropriate for An Garda Síochána to appear as part of a lobby group that seeks to further criminalise sex work in Scotland. An Garda Síochána is an apolitical organisation and all members are aware of this, but the Organised Prostitution Investigation Unit appears to have become so politicised that it is ignoring this and participating in political lobbying. Anyone with concern for democratic process has to be disturbed by this development. Since the foundation of An Garda Síochána in 1922 there has been a history of An Garda Síochána abusing their office, power and trust to ill-treat so perceived ‘fallen women’. For a few examples we note the role of An Garda Síochána in keeping women in Magdalene Laundries (Department of Justice and Equality, 2013), the ‘Kerry babies’ case (McCafferty, 1985), and more recently clear cases of abuse of power for sexual gain targeted at sex workers (Cusack, 2015). This latest blatant politicising around sex work by the Organised Prostitution Investigation Unit is deeply disturbing and we call on the Commissioner to act to halt it.