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.

Finance Minister John O'Dowd exempted companies such as Coca-Cola, Moy Park and Caterpillar from paying millions of pounds 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 Minister John O'Dowd 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 to multi-million pound companies through this outdated policy. Minister John O'Dowd has powers to stop this giveaway without it affecting the small businesses who benefit from the policy.  We, the undersigned, call on Minister John O'Dowd to scrap the rates exemption for big businesses.

Belfast Pride have made the right decision to drop Citibank as a sponsor of this year's festival. Now, we are asking them to make it their policy to never take money from fossil fuel companies and banks now and in the future. We demand that Belfast Pride signs our Fossil Free Pride Pledge, and commits to: • Adopt a publicly available ethical sponsorship policy • Not to accept sponsorship from or partnership with fossil fuel companies • Not accept sponsorship from or partnership with financial institutions funding fossil fuel companies With the climate crisis disproportionately affecting LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities across the globe, committing to become a Fossil Free Pride is a vital and urgent act of queer solidarity. Climate wreckers have no place in queer spaces: If we have no Pride in fossil fuels, there can be no fossil fuels in Pride.

Every summer, flags go up on lampposts across Northern Ireland. They hang around for months becoming an eyesore, and many glorify illegal paramilitary groups. This year we've seen an increase in flags in shared areas like the Westlink motorway, at supermarkets and outside the PSNI training centre at Garnerville. No one takes responsibility to take them down. The flying of flags needs to be clearly legislated for so the issue can be tackled once and for all.

Around 66% of us in Northern Ireland use oil heating compared to 4% in the rest of the UK. But Liz Truss's government is allocating only a measly £100 to those of us who use oil heating. It won't even touch the sides. She’s saying that gas prices have increased more dramatically than oil. But the price of oil is over one and a half times what it was last year, and this is literally a drop in the ocean of what is needed to prevent people not being able to heat their homes this winter.

We, the public, patients, parents, carers and workers are standing up to support our underfunded public services and underpaid public servants. While the Secretary of State uses your pay award as political football, we support your action for better pay and services - because we all depend on them.

Holy Family is a vital cornerstone of the community, playing a central role in the lives of local families.  The current conditions jeopardise both the children's health and ability to learn. Without urgent attention, these issues will only worsen, further compromising the wellbeing of the pupils and staff.