Getting an appointment is going to get a whole lot worse. Recently, the EU has banned amalgam fillings from January next year, and because of post-Brexit arrangements, that means a ban in Northern Ireland too. Amalgam fillings are a huge part of the work dentists do on the NHS here, particularly those in the poorest areas. The costs of using other materials are eye-watering, and that means only one thing. NHS dentistry in Northern Ireland will be a thing of the past. People in Northern Ireland have the worst oral health inequality in the UK and the highest proportion of filled teeth. If these amalgam fillings can’t be provided on the NHS, it will mean people in agony, going without treatment - and it’ll be the poorest who suffer most. But there is a way to change this. The ‘Stormont Brake’ gives the Assembly the power to stop EU laws like this one, that would have a detrimental impact on people here. We demand that Minister Robin Swann starts the process to make sure that dentists can continue to provide NHS dental services throughout NI.

In March 2022 former Minister for Infrastructure Nichola Mallon refused permission for the planning application for a mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility and waste incinerator at Hightown Quarry, beside North Belfast. The planning decision was made following over 5,000 objections submitted by the local community, and a wide range of political representatives from MPs to Councillors. It will increase the market for waste disposal and discourage recycling. Waste technology, waste composition and recycling policies had all moved on since the project was first conceived 15 years ago, and it should be abandoned once and for all - not blindly pursued with public money. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-60893249 The planning refusal followed a long running campaign by the No-Arc21 group who represent residents around the Mallusk, North Belfast and South Antrim areas, who are opposed to the controversial project. This planning application was refused by a previous Environment Minister Mark Durkan, and successfully challenged in the Courts by No- Arc21. There is comprehensive and widespread political opposition to the project from all political Parties in South Antrim and beyond. Alternative do exist and if this Incinerator goes ahead it will reduce recycling and result in millions of tonnes of CO2 being emitted and accelerating climate change. This challenge is a flagrant waste of public money and resources can be better targeted to increase recycling to 70% by 2030 as per the Climate Change targets on Waste Management. During the current inflationary pressures that many households and workers are facing at present, councils should not be wasting more money on a legal case which questions local Ministerial powers to make such decisions. Over £20 million has been spent on the "Waste Monster" to date, how many pot holes, hospital beds, pay rises for key workers etc. could have been sorted in the over eight years of this white elephant. Bin the Burner

Citibank, who are facilitating the supply of billions of pounds of Israeli weapons and enabling the slaughter of tens of thousands of Palestinians, [1] are also one of the main sponsors of this year's Belfast Pride Festival - the biggest LGBTQIA+ event in the city. This is pinkwashing at its very worst - using Belfast Pride and our LGBTQIA+ community to distract from their brutal business practices. Not only are they supporting weapons deals, Citibank is also funding several fossil fuel companies to drill for gas off Gaza, [3] - as thousands of innocent people are being massacred, and famine looms [4] as a result of Israel’s brutal siege. Israel has no right to grant licenses to companies to drill for oil or gas in the Palestinian territory. Fossil fuels have always been tied up with war and to extract oil and gas from a region whose population are being starved to death and brutally murdered, is a war crime. We demand that Belfast Pride Festival drops Citibank as one of its main sponsors! [1] https://www.bankingonsolidarity.org/citibank-and-palestinians-a-cruel-status-quo/ [2] https://fossilfreeciti.org/ [3] https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/3/6/israel-is-pillaging-not-just-gazas-cities-but-also-its-waters [4] https://www.politico.eu/article/famine-is-imminent-gaza-un-food-israel-hamas-hunger/

From the Causeway Coast to Newcastle, NI Water have discharged sewage into coastal bathing waters across NI for 8,993 hours in 2023. According to the new analysis from the Belfast Telegraph, those pipes are releasing untreated sewage directly into or close to bathing waters that are protected by law. Not only that, NI Water is only monitoring a fraction of the pipes. NI Water needs to first come clean on the amount of sewage it is pumping into our waters. Analysis found in bathing waters in Newcastle found a pipe near the central promenade discharging for 1,532 hours! Testers are discovering forms of bacteria found in human intestines and poo. Swimmers, kayakers, coastal walkers and everyone in society deserve clean and safe bathing water. It is time for NI Water to stop protecting polluters and start protecting our waters and livelihoods. 

In the next 13 weeks as the pandemic reaches its peak, hundreds of women and pregnant people in Northern Ireland will need an early medical abortion. The government must ensure that both patients and medical staff are not placed at unnecessary risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all being asked to stay at home for the safety of the whole country. It is unacceptable that the health of patients and healthcare workers in NI will be put at risk by enforcing unnecessary travel to clinic appointments. We know that there is the capacity to provide a telemedicine in NI immediately. Millions of women around the world have successfully used abortion pills, which the World Health Organisation states are a safe and effective means of early medical abortion. Additionally other governments have recognised the need for abortion care at home during this crisis. Failure to provide a telemedicine service will leave many women and pregnant people unable to access essential abortion care and may lead them to other unsafe means. It will also place unnecessary strain on healthcare services and put staff in danger during an already extremely difficult time. We are calling on the NI Health Minister to; (1) introduce remote consultations for abortion and no criminalisation for any nurse, midwife or doctor who provides remote abortion care during this emergency (2) allow patients to take both abortion medications in the safety of their own home (3) recognise there is no safe way to access abortion care in England during the crisis

New Look staff in Strabane, some with over twenty years service, are being forced into redundancy by a senseless Lidl relocation from Bradley Way to Strabane Retail Park. It will bring ten new jobs but will cost up to sixty job losses. Strabane is an area of high social and economic deprivation and these potential job losses will be a disaster for a town with historically high unemployment. Four retail units will close to facilitate this Lidl development and relocation (New Look, Menarys, Peacocks, Argos). Strabane Workers Together are highlighting this redundancy injustice and are calling on all four aforementioned employers to relocate within Strabane.

Birth partners are not visitors; they often are the other parent to the baby/babies and provide essential physical, mental and emotional support during pregnancy and birth. While pregnancy is not an illness, pregnant people are particularly vulnerable emotionally and mentally, and having to attend appointments without the support of a trusted partner can leave them feeling alone, scared and anxious. This can lead to mental health issues. Prior to the pandemic, one-third of women found their birth experience traumatic, which can significantly affect their lives, their relationships and their transition to parenthood; restrictions are compounding this. Birthing people and their partners should be treated in an holistic way, protecting their physical, emotional and mental health.

This is the largest adult safeguarding investigation in the UK of its kind. The PSNI has examined CCTV footage and has so far established that there have been more than 1500 criminal assaults on patients in a 6 bed ward in a time period of 6 months. Two weeks ago yet another staff member was sacked from the hospital for abuse on a patient. The abuse is continuing. There can be no tolerance of abuse and it is critical that the individuals and institutions responsible should be held to account. That includes those who were directly responsible for the abuses but crucially also, the institutions and individuals responsible for systemic failures or whose action or inaction otherwise permitted the abuse to occur. These people were in the care of the state and are amongst the most vulnerable in society.

Randox received £23 million in public funds through Invest NI in 2018, and benefited from a research partnership with our two universities QUB and UU. Now they are selling at an extortionate price (£120 per test) at a time when people are worried about food and job security and how they'll keep a roof over their heads. Meanwhile our NHS is struggling as they don't have enough tests so that key healthcare professionals can continue to do their vital work on the frontline of the fight against this global pandemic. Demand that Randox releases the Covid-19 tests free of charge to the NHS and stops profiteering from this crisis. See: https://www.randoxhealth.com/product/coronavirus-covid-19-home-testing-kit/ and: https://www.randox.com/tag/invest-ni/

Thirteen people were killed on 30 January 1972 when soldiers from the Parachute Regiment opened fire on a civil rights march. These flags have been roundly condemned by all sides of the community, and are a deliberate attempt to hurt survivors and intimidate communities. They must be taken down now.

With the impending uncertainty of Brexit and following a commitment from the Irish Government to stand up for the rights of citizens in the North, opening a passport office would improve infrastructure, service delivery, investment and confidence. 2017 saw over 82,000 passport applications come from the North alone. The call to open an office is supported by a broad range of community organisations, political parties and media outlets, and would go some way in meeting the growing demand for passport applications and renewals from the Six Counties.

All children can learn. All children have a right to an education and we need to stand up for some of the most vulnerable children in our community who are being denied an education.