Last October, Derry & Strabane District Council approved planning for one data centre, with three more already having outline permission. While data centres power much of our online world, they also come with huge environmental costs. While still in the early stages, the expansion of data centres here in NI will place immense strain on both electricity and water resources. Data centres are energy-intensive and also require vast amounts of cooling, consuming either millions of litres of water or huge amounts of electricity to keep them cool. Massive corporations like Amazon, Google and Facebook are behind many of the data centres being built - dumping a vast amounts of useless data in these centres while draining local energy and water sources. What's more, as more and more data centres are built, there is a real risk that we will be unable meet to our legally-binding emissions target under the Climate Change Act 2022. Not only that, we are deeply concerned that large scale wind farms will be fast tracked and built on Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs), damaging those protected areas in order to keep up with the electricity demands of these centres. We demand an immediate review of the planning and approval processes for data centre developments in Northern Ireland and a comprehensive public consultation before they expand further. https://www.savethemoat.com/blog-post

Dear Belfast Pride,  In 1991, Northern Ireland was a vastly different place—far less safe for our community. But you stood up. Despite immense political opposition and social backlash, you took to the streets and demonstrated that we exist, that we matter, and that we would not be silenced. Your bravery helped transform our country, creating a more inclusive society and saving countless lives through visibility and representation.  We recognise and appreciate the impact Belfast Pride has had in shaping our community’s progress. It is because of your courage that grassroots movements like Causeway Pride exist today. However, we now find ourselves facing a new crisis—one that requires decisive action.  The recent decision by the NI Executive to ban puberty blockers is an attack on the trans community, an act of political negligence that directly endangers young lives. Our community has been exploited and betrayed by politicians time and time again, and we refuse to accept it any longer. That is why we urge Belfast Pride to stand with us in rejecting participation from political parties complicit in this decision.  Stormont has consistently failed to deliver for LGBTQ+ people in Northern Ireland, with a long history of neglect, broken promises, and a lack of concrete action on equality. Despite repeated commitments, no minister with responsibility for equality has allocated specific funding to LGBTQ+ issues since 2005. This lack of financial support has left vital services, advocacy groups, and community initiatives struggling to survive, relying instead on limited charity funding or UK-wide grants rather than dedicated local investment.  Beyond funding, there has been a persistent failure to develop a comprehensive strategy to address LGBTQ+ inequality. Since 2007, the Northern Ireland Executive has promised to introduce an LGBTQ+ strategy, but nearly two decades later, no such strategy has been implemented. This has left gaps in crucial areas such as healthcare, education, housing, and protection from discrimination. While other parts of the UK have made significant strides in advancing LGBTQ+ rights, Northern Ireland has lagged behind, with its government failing to take meaningful action.  The absence of a strategy means there is no coordinated approach to tackling homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, nor is there a clear commitment to improving LGBTQ+ mental health services, addressing homelessness within the community, or ensuring inclusive education in schools. The continued inaction from Stormont highlights a pattern of neglect that has left LGBTQ+ people in Northern Ireland without the support and protections they deserve.  Pride has always been a protest. It is not a platform for those who legislate against us, who refuse to protect our most vulnerable, or who remain silent in the face of oppression. Other Pride organisations, such as Foyle Pride, have already taken a firm stance—banning parties involved in the puberty blocker ban from their festival. We ask Belfast Pride to do the same.  Rather than holding a consultation, we believe that now is the time for decisive leadership. This is not an issue that requires deliberation; it is a fundamental question of whether Belfast Pride will allow those who harm our community to march beneath its banner. We ask you to cancel the consultation and take a clear, principled stand: political parties involved in the puberty blocker ban should not have a place at Pride.  Pride belongs to the people—not to politicians who betray us. We urge you to make your decision reflect this. Stand with us. Speak out. Fight back. 

This year - 2024 - marked 26 years since the signing of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement - which ended the conflict in Northern Ireland which took over 3720 lives, and injured 47,541 people.  Most of the deaths were of civilian people. Despite people here voting overwhelmingly for peace, illegal loyalist paramilitary groups remain present and active in many communities, causing misery and harm to people and preying on those impacted by economic hardship. It is widely acknowledged that elements of loyalist paramilitaries were involved in the racist riots that swept Belfast in August this year. This can no longer stand. We call on the NI Executive to do all in it's power to ensure that the commitment set out in New Decade, New Approach to ending the harm done by paramilitarism is acted on with urgency.  We reject the suggestion made by Gordon Lyons that those seeking to call the DUP to account for their meetings with the Loyalist Communities Council are displaying 'faux outrage'.  We are not the problem.  Seeking to normalise paramilitary groups having influence over our elected politicians is.

Voting in Northern Ireland is much harder than in Great Britain.  Voters in Northern Ireland must provide a Digital Registration Number (DRN) when they register online to vote by post or by proxy. But the DRN is not a requirement in any other part of the UK  Over 5,000 absentee vote applications were rejected in NI before the 2023 council elections due to issues with the Digital Registration Number (DRN).  This is up from the 3636 people whose votes were rejected in the 2022 Assembly election for the same reason. Every vote matters. In Northern Ireland election results can depend on a very small number of votes - like in Fermanagh South Tyrone when the seat was won in 2019 by 57 votes. The Digital Registration Number must be scrapped, to make sure everyone get to exercise their right to vote.

We urge the  Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Mr Andrew Muir to listen to the fears and concerns of the community of Warrenpoint / Carlingford Lough, to call for Re Gen Waste to be removed from Warrenpoint Harbour Authority and to have their licence revoked due to the foul smell/flies / loud noise to a harbour so close to homes and business in the town. We ask the Minister to move this Waste to an unpopulated site and to another harbour that has the capacity and infrastructure and away from populated areas. We as the community of Warrenpoint / Carlingford Lough are asking the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir to Get Re -Gen Waste out of Warrenpoint. We do not need political point-scoring from other parties getting in the way of the community with this petition. Mr Muir is a new minister, other parties have had their own ministers over time also, so no point-scoring to take here as have had time to help us stop this. we as the community take this petition forward to the minister. 1. Health and Wellbeing of the public/workers   The storage of large quantities of rotting waste in a mismanaged waste operation in Warrenpoint Port which has been documented as “non-compliant” on multiple occasions by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) ) has given rise to infestations of flies and a stench which has been described as “vile”, “nauseating”, “evil” “foul” and “sickening” by residents, port workers,  business owners, Independent Councillors, MLA’s and the MP for South Down. 2. A legacy of waste controversy and safety risks. Stories of the 2023 and 2024 stench follow on from a toxic waste controversy involving the same waste company (Re-Gen Waste Ltd) dating back to 2017 and the combined evidence has been reported extensively on print, broadcast (BBC and ITV), and social media. A waste fire in the Port and, in the past month alone,  two truck fires on motorways, all involving Re-Gen Waste Ltd) have led to growing concerns regarding safety management or lack thereof. 3. Invasion of public spaces and other negative impacts All of the above points have raised concerns around toxic invasion of open spaces and the negative economic impact on local festivals and tourism. As a result of the proximity of the mountains of waste storage bales to residences, the well-documented scourges of flies and bluebottles combined with the disgusting stench have forced residents off the streets and out of their gardens to take refuge indoors, often with windows now specially fitted with fly screens. Outdoor spaces have been invaded and concerns have been raised about the devaluing of property as a result of the public nuisance plague which is particularly harmful to people with long-term health issues. 4. Environmental damage The other serious concern is damage to the environment caused by leaking bales in close proximity to the protected shores and waters of Carlingford Lough. Again, NIEA officials have noted the leaks and, in September 2023, have shared their concerns in a letter to the local MLA stating that “these non-compliances are a concern to the NIEA and we are focused on ensuring that Regen addresses the odor as quickly as possible.” 5. The Remedy With the stench now prevailing for more than a year since Warrenpoint Port executives first acknowledged that it was out of control, it is now abundantly clear that despite the spraying of vast quantities of deodorants over the festering waste bales and the best efforts of Re-Gen Waste Ltd,  NIEA and Warrenpoint Port, the only solution is to remove the mismanaged operation out of Warrenpoint to an appropriate site with the facilities and required level of competence to keep the odours away from residential areas.  This move would also negate the unsustainable transport aspects which include carrying waste by road from Belfast, south to Newry and then Warrenpoint for storage close to a residential area before being exported by sea, back northwards again, past Belfast towards Scandinavian countries.  This solution was agreed by residents and the three political parties who attended the recent Hustings in Warrenpoint and we feel that to delay in delivering this solution any longer  is to cause unnecessary suffering and expense to a community and environment that has already suffered more than enough.

Many parents and families in Northern Ireland are coming under unbearable financial pressure due to the arbitrary and expensive school uniform requirements. In addition to a school uniform, many schools also insist on bespoke, branded sportswear for PE lessons, particular emblems, or have contracts for branded items with specific uniform suppliers. The recent temporary 20% uplift in the school uniform grant is not enough. Many parents and children are put under stress and pushed into debt trying to meet these unnecessary costs. England and Wales have brought in legislation that ensures schools uniform requirements are affordable. The same is needed in Northern Ireland. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-57733760

Citibank has done more to support the expansion of fossil-fuel companies than most other lenders in the world, despite claiming to back net-zero emissions. From pouring money into the Trans Mountain Pipeline Project in Canada to financing the Cerrejón thermal coal mine in La Guajira, one of the world’s biggest open-pit coal export mining operations, Citi is backing some of the dirtiest, most poisonous fossil fuel projects in the world. https://bank.green/banks/citi

At least 1 in 10 women are impacted by mental health issues in the perinatal period, from pregnancy until their child is 2 years old. Specialist perinatal mental health services are desperately needed, comprising specialist clinical teams in every health trust, community support services, peer support, education and a specialist inpatient mother and baby unit. Campaigners and perinatal mental health experts have been working together for years calling for these vital services to be put in place but Northern Ireland remains far behind the rest of the UK as the only region with no mother and baby unit and extremely limited specialist service providers. The Health Minister has committed to establish new perinatal services as part of the 2020 Mental Health Action Plan but has not published any details about what will be included and states in the action plan that "[i]t is likely that creating this service will take some time." The Minister has still not agreed to meet the urgent need for a mother and baby unit so that women suffering from acute perinatal mental illness can be treated without being separated from their babies. Meanwhile, women in Northern Ireland have lost their lives and many more have suffered the consequences of being unable to access services. The devastating impact of covid-19 on women who have been allowed limited support from partners and family during their birthing experience and reduced access to health visiting services at home has made the situation even worse. We urgently need the Minister to fund these services and allow the professionals who are ready to deliver them to get on with this important work. Mums and babies cannot wait any longer.

As the inhumane Legacy Act comes into force, we note the ruling of the High Court in Belfast in February 2024 that it contravenes the European Court of Human Rights. The judge said: "There is no evidence that the granting of immunity under the act will in any way contribute to reconciliation in Northern Ireland, indeed the evidence is to the contrary." [3] Every single political party in Northern Ireland, as well as victims groups, United Nations and human rights experts agree that this Bill must be stopped. No matter who you are, or where you come from, we all deserve truth and justice from the state. The Legacy Act will mean many here will be denied that. People bereaved, injured and hurt by the conflict are integral parts of our communities. We stand with them, and against the Legacy Act and the inhumanity with which it treats all here who continue to fight for the simple dignity of justice. [1]https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/victims/docs/group/htr/day_of_reflection/htr_0607c.pdf [2] https://www.jus.uio.no/smr/english/about/id/news/2024/report-reveals-state-impunity-in-northern-ireland-.html [3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68419238

Generations of students who went to Integrated schools grew up getting their education in drafty, leaky portable classrooms. This must end.  First & Deputy First Minister - Restore the funding. You made a promise. Keep it.

I am calling on you to boycott St. Patrick's Day Celebrations at The White House this year. This would be a powerful sign of solidarity with Palestine that would reflect the feelings of Irish people & have a massive impact around the world. You are either against genocide in Gaza or you are not. I will not vote for any politician who travels to Washington & shakes the blood-soaked hands of Joe Biden.

£73 million. That’s how much Stormont exempted companies such as Coca-Cola, Moy Park and Kingspan from paying rates last year. While the rest of us fork out an average of £1,180 per year for our household rates bill, Stormont gives big businesses massive giveaways. This is incredibly unfair. Rates should be fully collected from multi-million pound companies and invested in shortening our waiting lists, cleaning up our polluted rivers and loughs, our struggling schools and many more. But it won’t happen if Stormont won't make them pay. Northern Ireland is the only place in the UK that gives away money like this. The policy was abolished in England in 1963 and Scotland in 1995. And in 2003, Stormont promised to phase out the derating policy following a public consultation. But over 20 years later, Stormont is still giving away millions through this outdated policy. We, the undersigned, call on Minister John O'Dowd to scrap the rates exemption for big businesses.