Ireland has become the fourth European country to ban hydraulic fracturing (after France, Bulgaria and Germany). On June 28, the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Prohibition of Onshore Hydraulic Fracturing) Bill passed the final legislative stages in the Seanad.

The session included the committee, report, and final stages that took place in the Seanad chamber, where the gallery was full of supporters of the ban. It now requires only the signature of President Michael D. Higgins to become law. This is expected in the coming days. ... read full story / add a comment

My Name Is Rachel Corrie

Jul 3rd – Jul 8th
Preview Mon July 3. Opens Tues July 4 @ 7.30pm
Tickets: €16 (€12.50 conc./groups of 8+)
See below for details on booking tickets

Based on the writings of a young American activist who was killed in Palestine in 2003, at the hands of the Israeli Defence Forces. ... read full story / add a comment

Reproduced from the editorial of “The Socialist”, newspaper of the Socialist Party in England and Wales

As more details emerge and the death toll rises, it becomes clearer and clearer what a terrible disaster this is. The fire spread with horrifying speed and witnesses describe heart-breaking scenes as people desperately tried to escape.

It is a huge tragedy for the immediate community. Children have died; three generations of the same family have died. But rather than being torn apart, the community has come together in a remarkable display of human solidarity, supporting each other, collecting donations of goods and money, organising emergency accommodation, coordinating relief.

The heroism, the courage, the self-sacrifice of the emergency services and of local residents is incredible. Who can fail to be moved by the scenes of the firefighters being applauded as they drove away from the scene?

And there has naturally been a much wider outpouring of sympathy with the residents and families affected, with overwhelming donations of money, clothes, bedding, toys, nappies, etc. The true face of humanity has been shown in this solidarity. ... read full story / add a comment

This issue of People’s News This issue of People’s News has an unusual number of articles on military matters, and regular readers will have noticed that over the past few months these types of articles have steadily increased in number. This reflects the alarmingly rapid development of an EU army and its support mechanisms. It is a development about which there is very little awareness in Ireland, and one that may have serious implications for us all. ... read full story / add a comment

Food Not Bombs recovers and shares free vegan food with the public without restriction in over 1,000 cities around the world to protest war, poverty and the destruction of the environment.
Each group is independent and invites everyone to participate in making decisions for their local chapter using the consensus process.

Food Not Bombs is dedicated to taking nonviolent direct action to change society so no one is forced to stand in line to eat at a soup kitchen expressing a commitment to the fact that food is a right and not a privilege. With over a billion people going hungry each day how can we spend money on weapons or war.

A new initiative has been started in Dublin. we appeal for volunteers.
... read full story / add a comment

Minister Dennis Naughton, TD, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, has been urged to support a United Nations Convention’s ruling requiring suspension of work on the new Hinkley Point UK nuclear reactor until a transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment [EIA] is completed.

The first new nuclear station to be constructed in the UK since 1995, Hinkley C is a 3.2GW nuclear power plant composed of two reactors. The power plant will generate 7% of UK's electricity if constructed. The UK position is that “the likely impacts determined through a thorough EIA do not extend beyond the county of Somerset and the Severn Estuary”.

The Espoo Convention, signed by Ireland in 1991, requires that the opportunity for comment provided to the public of potentially affected Parties is ‘equivalent to that provided to the public of the Party of origin’. ... read full story / add a comment

The large vote for Corbyn's Labour socialist type policies shows that moving to the Left rather than the centre resonates with the masses and shows that things like issues of health, education and jobs are core issues and perhaps shows a sign that a certain section of the population is beginning to notice that practically every political party is infested with banking and corporate favoured policies and shrills and technocrats working on their behalf while the population is being relentlessly screwed by austerity. ... read full story / add a comment

WSWS.org carries a report on the plans of the new French president - Emmanuel Macron -who was presented as an outsider but in fact was not and in cohorts with the corporate controlled media misled the French people, for now he is about to launch the greatest assault yet on workers conditions.

... read full story / add a comment

Take A Stand to Save Hellfire and Massy's Woods in Dublin Mts Sunday 28th May at 1 pm - Assemble at Hellfire Carpark There will be an overflow carpark in a nearby field if the Hellfire carpark fills up. ... read full story / add a comment

Stand with the defendants, stand with Jobstown, stand with Tallaght. Send a clear message to the establishment politicians and the Gardaí - Tallaght is united in support of the protesters and the right to protest.

Please come to the Stand With Jobstown March - Saturday 6 May at 2pm.

Assemble: Swimming Pool (Jobstown) OR The Square Luas Stop
Both marches will come together in Jobstown ... read full story / add a comment

This is opinion & analysis piece comes from Integrity Ireland who are attempting to fight corruption in the legal system and face an uphill struggle in their task and this piece illustrates well what they are up against.
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Well, it has been an interesting few weeks again, with reports of increasingly odd and bizarre ‘developments’ – especially regarding decisions being made by Gardaí, by Courts Service Staff and by senior personnel at the DPP’s Office. ... read full story / add a comment

To help highlight the case of the Jobstown 18 we are republishing an open letter by Irish Writers.

We write as writers concerned with the impact of proposed jury restrictions in the case of the Jobstown 18 on freedom of expression in Ireland. ... read full story / add a comment

March for Justice for Jobstown Not Guilty tomorrow, ahead of the trial which starts next week. 1pm at Central Bank Dame St in Dublin. Please watch this information clip, share and join the protest tomorrow. ... read full story / add a comment

What is Latin America Week?

Latin America Week is a range of conferences, meetings, workshops and cultural events around Ireland, focusing on different issues each year in April. An annual programme of educational, cultural and campaigning events on issues relating to human, social and economic rights in Latin America. LAW began as Central America Week in 1986 in order to increase the impact of many separate campaigns and events being organised by a variety of groups. It became Latin America Week after its tenth anniversary in 1996. The overall aim of LAW is to concentrate the attention of the public on Latin America for one week, so as to highlight the justice issues at stake in the region and thus to facilitate campaigning and solidarity actions between Ireland and Latin America. ... read full story / add a comment

Still Waiting Ireland Health Campaign are holding nationwide vigils to highlight the ongoing crisis within our health service on April 14th @ 5pm

Locations: Donegal, Sligo, Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Kildare, Kilkenny, Kerry, Cork, Louth:, Waterford, Dublin, Wexford
... read full story / add a comment

We would like to make you aware of two Drop In /Open Days for members of the public hosted by South Dublin County Council and Coillte on Thursday 6th and Friday 7th April 2017 at Tallaght Stadium from 8am to 8pm where the "Project Team" will be on hand to discuss the proposed development with you.

Separate opportunities to meet the Project Team are also available for representatives of local community groups. Appointments may be made at econdev@sdublincoco.ie

Maps, Drawings and other Documents Available ... read full story / add a comment

Pub Quiz - Fundraiser in Aid of Save the Hellfire

The Save The Hellfire campaign are holding a fundraiser pub quiz in the Goat Grill & Bar next Tues Apr 11th. For details of what the campaign is about see: http://www.savethehellfire.com

Who:
All Welcome

When:
Tuesday April 11th @ 8pm ... read full story / add a comment

WATER CHARGES AREN’T GONE…YET. WE NEED ONE MORE PUSH TO END THEM

Water Charges haven’t gone away. Fine Gael are still trying to get them in through the back door.

A special Oireachtas Committee has been meeting since December. It must report to Government by April 14. Its recommendations will decide whether water charges are scrapped or retained.

Fine Gael are proposing a charge for so called wilful waste of water. This would mean water meters in every house and a billing system just like water charges. ... read full story / add a comment

We would like to bring you news of an important conference entitled ‘International Law & the State of Israel: Legitimacy, Exceptionalism and Responsibility‘ set to take place in Cork between 31st March and 2nd April. We are asking for your support to ensure that this Conference will actually take place, as it is coming under severe pressure from those who would prefer that no critical academic discussion on the nature of the Israeli state, its foundation, its legacy, and its violations of international law and human rights abuses takes place. Period.

The conference is an important event with distinguished academic experts coming from all over the world taking part. This conference was prevented from taking place at Southampton University two years ago by the same pressure groups that are now busy trying to have it shut down in Ireland. It is endorsed by many famous and well-respected individuals, among them are: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Ken Loach, Noam Chomsky, John Pilger, The Rt. Hon. Clare Short, Michael Mansfield QC, Judith Butler etc,. ... read full story / add a comment

The Strike for Repeal is a direct action that will take place on the 8th March 2017.

Our demand is that the Irish government call a referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment by the 8th of March. If not, we will strike. ... read full story / add a comment