European Citizens’ Initiative seeks end to aviation fuel tax exemption
8250 signatures required from Ireland within one year of May 15, 2019
Leaked EU Report shows benefits of ending airlines tax breaks.

A group of students from across the EU are seeking one million signatures supporting an end to the kerosene tax exemption for aviation within the EU. The supporters are invoking an EU Instrument that allows citizens to suggest concrete legal changes in any field where the European Commission has power to legislate. read full story / add a comment

This short interview from the Socialist Party of the National Ambulance Service Representative Assocation branch secretary is about the background to the ambulance strike and what the issues are about and gives the Union a chance to present their case.
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Irish Cement Factory’s burning Aughinish red mud ‘not fully assessed’
Details of green house gas reductions not justified in burning waste

The assessment of the use of toxic waste including red mud from Aughinish Aluminum as a fuel for the Irish Cement factory in Limerick has not been properly assessed, according to the environmental charity Friends of the Irish Environment. read full story / add a comment

Coveney appeal rejected over Cork’s toxic Haulbowline Site
TD to challenge Táiniste over his knowledge of 2017 Report detailing ongoing environmental pollution

As Táiniste Simon Coveney appeals to environmental campaigners not ‘to turn what is a hugely positive story in Cork harbour into something negative’, Clare Daly, Independent TD, has tabled a Parliamentary Question asking him ‘When he was made aware of the Report ‘‘Former Haulbowline Factory, Haulbowline Island, Cork’’ commissioned by his Agents for the clean-up of the abandoned steel works on Haulbowline Island, Cork County Council, and dated March 2017’. read full story / add a comment

State must notify public of Haulbowline contamination or face High Court

The State must erect signage at the entrance to Haulbowline Island and the new East Tip park notifying the public of the health risk from toxic airborne dust, fibres, and gases within 28 days or face the High Court for failing to fulfil its obligations under the Access to Information on the Environment Regulations. read full story / add a comment

Irish Parliament (Dáil) votes 36-60 to reject a Sinn Féin bill which aimed to insert a constitutional right to housing. This time last year we learnt that one in every five TDs (public representatives in the Irish Dáil [parliament]) – are actually landlords (“30 of Ireland’s 158 TDs are landlords. That includes at least four out of 15 of the current Cabinet.” Global Rights, May, 2018) “The question, of course that follows, in a country that seems to have an enormous problem with either controlling the housing (or any other) market (or property developers themselves, or the banks or other “powerful” groups within society): is there a conflict of interest? read full story / add a comment

These local elections on Fri 24th May are more important than ever. The reason is that up and down the country Fine Gael with help from Fianna Fail have allowed corporate vulture funds through various government breaks to them to buy up valuable tracts of land and to buy up thousands and thousands of apartments and homes. And the result is they are screwing people for rent. read full story / add a comment

The European elections are this Friday on May 24th and there are good reasons to consider your vote very carefully because it does make a difference because practically every bit of law passed in the EU has to be adopted by Ireland at some point. It is a great way for politicans here to say the "EU forced us to..."
They said that one about the attempt to privatise water during that campaign.

It can be safely assumed that most people are for internet freedom, protection of the environment and in particular to live in places with unpolluted water, clean air and safe from exposure to toxic chemicals. These are all no brainers. In the area of military we have seen how years of bringing democracy to the Middle East by bombing them has resulted in devastation and huge waves of human refugees and immigration and time and time again the nefarious activities of the intellegence agencies of the big powers like USA, UK, France and NATO show them to be heavily linked to the various terrorist groups, via training, funding and weapons supply through third party countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar in order to disrupt and overthrown regimes they don't like. So do people really want Ireland to drop it's neutrality and get aboard these very costly military adventures and volunteer it's soldiers for basically ordained mass murder? At a guess, the answer is probably no. read full story / add a comment

It’s that time of year again, when politicians come knocking on doors looking for your vote. This May there will be European and Local elections in Ireland north and south. While domestic issues are, as always, likely to dominate the discussions, we believe it is vitally important that the issue of Palestine is kept firmly in the minds and mouths of all our politicians. The very essence of the Palestine solidarity movement is to ‘think globally, act locally’ – and we have seen impressive local support for Palestinian freedom by many local councils over the past decade. We need to make sure that Palestine is and remains an election issue! read full story / add a comment

Sunday, June 23, 21019. Assemble 2.30pm at Sallins Village. read full story / add a comment

Concern for rural Ireland described as fake as state gives huge bonanza to private tech and finance firms

Bríd Smith TD has called the Broadband announcement by Government the “most expensive press release and piece of media spin in the state’s history.”

She said the scale of the costs and the entire project would be one of the main things this Government is remembered for along with the housing crisis. read full story / add a comment

At a time of growing climate chaos and biodiversity loss, a public event in Castlebar, Co. Mayo on May 17th will look at the importance of food sovereignty. This issue centres on how communities will secure their food supply in a time of ecological peril. read full story / add a comment

People Before Profit launched their candidates for the upcoming European Elections at a press conference in Dublin today.

The candidates who have been selected by People Before Profit are Gillian Brien- Dublin (www.gillianbrien.ie), Adrienne Wallace- Ireland South (www.adriennewallace.ie) and Cyril Brennan- Midlands-North West (www.cyrilbrennan.ie). read full story / add a comment

Earlier this week, the two Veterans for Peace activists Tarak Kauff and Ken Mayers unfurled their banner on the carriageway approaching Shannon Airport. read full story / add a comment

The decision to revoke the licence of the Norwegian multi-national Marine Harvest to grow salmon at their site in Deenish on the Kerry coast has been welcomed by the environmental group Friends of the Irish Environment [FIE], who first published the Department’s recommendation to revoke the licences for overstocking on their website in September 2017. read full story / add a comment

Research published in the journal Science of the Total Environment has discovered that Ireland’s water supplies contain hazardous levels of pesticides. Irish Water has also acknowledged the danger. read full story / add a comment

What do Fine Gael politicians do when they retire? Join the corporate elite naturally.

The Dublin, MEP, Brian Hayes has become a well-paid lobbyist for bankers. Now their former leader, Enda Kenny is joining the global advisory council for a vulture fund. read full story / add a comment

IMF report shows government facilitating unsustainable property and house price bubble which Is fuelling the housing crisis

Government must stop facilitating unaffordable housing and shift all resources and focus to providing public and affordable housing

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett has said that the IMF report ‘Global Financial Stability Report’ has shown once again that the government’s housing policy is a total failure.
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Public Meeting
Ireland Institute
27 Pearse Street
Dublin, Ireland

Tuesday 16th April 2019 at 7.30pm
All welcome - Admission Free

Programme:-
* Robert Navan has a great understanding of Latin America, will chair this debate on
evolving imperialist strategy today -

*Presentation by Eva and Markus Heizmann - Their long experience supporting Syrians
devastated by war has influenced their study into the anatomy of imperialism -

*Presentation by June Kelly and Tom Crilly - From their recent Solidarity Tour to Serbia
(Former Yugoslavia) remembering 'NATO Aggression 20 Years On' -

For further details contact Tom Crilly PANA ..Tel: 0872937558

i
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Workers’ Party councillor and Euro candidate Éilis Ryan has said the government’s new rent regulations leave plenty loopholes for landlords to exploit.

Commenting following Minister Eoghan Murphy’s announcement of the new regulations this evening, Cllr. Ryan said:

“Landlords will breathe a sigh of relief that Minister Murphy continues to allow plenty loopholes for a landlord who wishes to get rid of a tenant. They can still use the excuse of giving a property to a relative, of selling up, or of refurbishing, and be confident that, by the time they could be found out, the tenant will have had to move on to new accommodation read full story / add a comment