In 2022, former DAERA Minister, Edwin Poots, capped penalties for repeated agricultural pollution breaches at 15% in 2022. Before then, farmers who repeatedly polluted faced losing between 15%-100% of their farm payments depending on the severity of the pollution.  It should not be cheaper to pollute than to manage waste in a safe and effective way. We have a freshwater crisis in NI because of vast amounts of pollution that is going into loughs and rivers. Excess run-off from industrial agricultural processes has deteriorated the overall water quality of Lough Neagh which provides over half of Belfast's drinking water.  We have a right to safe and secure drinking water and duty to ensure that Lough Neagh and other freshwater bodies in NI are protected.  We call on Minister Andrew Muir to reinstate higher fines and properly enforce them today!

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 and Minister John O'Dowd to start protecting our waters and livelihoods. 

A baby that dies after 24 weeks is officially recorded as a stillbirth, however, there is no such formal recognition for babies lost earlier. Since February, bereaved parents in England who lose a baby before 24 weeks can now receive a certificate in recognition of their loss. Wales and Scotland have similar schemes in place. The same must be made available for people in Northern Ireland.

Gold-mining is one of the most destructive industries in the world. It pollutes our water and land with chemicals, endangering the health of people and destroying our beautiful countryside. Almost 20 tonnes of waste is produced to make one gold wedding ring, and the majority of gold produced is either for jewellery or sits in the vaults of banks.

Citi, based right at the centre of the iconic Titanic Quarter in Belfast, is bankrolling the destruction of the Amazon, drilling in the Arctic. It’s even funding the company behind the proposed LNG plant in the Shannon estuary, importing filthy gas–much of it fracked–and locking us into fossil fuels for decades to come. [2] Here in Northern Ireland they’ve been given tens of millions of pounds of public money by Invest NI to operate, meaning that the climate destruction they wreak is being made possible by our own money. [3] For too long, fossil fuel CEOs have divided and distracted us with lies hoping to hide the origins and impact of the crisis they created, while they pollute our air, poison our water, and dump toxins into communities. [4] We are acting together to make sure our children are still able to enjoy beautiful landscapes and healthy nature -such as those represented by W5’s ‘In our Nature’ exhibition, in real life, for generations to come. According to your own sustainability pledge you are ’committed to reducing our environmental impact wherever possible. Placing sustainability at the heart of what we do, we pride ourselves on our forward-thinking approach.’ [5] Taking sponsorship money from the second largest funder of fossil fuel companies world-wide makes a mockery of the sustainability pledge and allows Citibank to present an image as an environmentally conscious company while they pour billions of pounds into coal, oil, and gas. It’s time to fight back on Citi’s greenwashing, and stop it funding climate chaos. We, the undersigned, are calling on W5 to end its sponsorship arrangement with Citi until it stops funding fossil fuel companies. [1] https://bank.green/banks/citi [2] https://www.bankingonclimatechaos.org/ [3] https://www.irishnews.com/business/2022/09/07/news/citi_to_create_another_400_jobs_for_fast-growing_belfast_operation-2819832/ [4] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/30/climate-crimes-oil-and-gas-environment [5] https://w5online.co.uk/sustainability-pledge

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

Many puppies involved in the illegal trade are malnourished and diseased, with an estimated one-third dying in the hands of their new families, and breeding dogs are being kept in squalid conditions, in cages, overbred and abused. Hundreds of puppies are for sale in the Belfast area, where there is not one official licensed breeder. Unscrupulous breeders are taking advantage of the gaps in law and regulation to make thousands of pounds, and causing misery to puppies and dogs. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/20/the-new-drugs-northern-ireland-gateway-for-150m-puppy-trade https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-northern-ireland-58964948

At the start of the pandemic, student nurses were being paid to staff wards and make up the staffing shortfall in the NHS. Since September these payments stopped, despite the current wave of Covid19 putting Northern Ireland's hospitals under pressure like never before. Students Nurses work 37.5hrs per week on clinical placement at the rate of £2.86 per hour under the current bursary of £430 per month. This does not meet basic cost of living standards. Paid less than the national minimum wage. Northern Ireland bursary has not been increased whereas Scotland's bursary is increased year to year. The majority of students still have to work part time on top of placement to be able to live month to month. Due to covid placement areas students are restricted to where they can work if at all Students are working in Covid wards and are at the same risk of as a paid member of staff. Students do not receive sick pay. Many students have incurred costs from covid-19 pandemic from moving out of home due to vulnerable family members at risk. No support available. These student nurses are the future of our NHS. They deserve to be paid for the risks they are taking at the frontline of this pandemic.

We, the patients and public are demanding better care from our NHS and better care for our NHS staff. While government ministers line up to criticise your decision to go on strike, we understand your decision - and we’ve got your backs! Thank you for all that you do.

Liz Truss is promising to act quickly on energy prices, but because the energy market in Northern Ireland is so different it’s far from certain what that will mean for us. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research has predicted that Northern Ireland could experience a 67% increase in extreme poverty, the highest in the UK by far. And with 66% of homes here using home-heating oil as their fuel source, as opposed to 5% in England, Scotland and Wales, we’re going to need a solution tailored to our needs.

The news is full of reports on illegal gatherings. However it’s clear that the only group being punished through the hastily approved enforcement powers under Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 are those standing up for racial justice. Eight race hate crimes are reported every day in Northern Ireland. Black Lives Matter protesters last month took a huge stand against racism, and now the PSNI is punishing them for it.

We believe it is inappropriate for a vulnerable young person (16-18) needing temporary or emergency accommodation to be placed in a B&B where adults are also placed. However, if the trust need to use these centres we want them to ensure that all employees have been previously accessNI checked prior to placing a young person within. Lisa Arthurs states, "My daughter Gabrielle was only 17 when she was placed in a B&B where she was sexually assaulted. No prior police checks were carried out on those working in the B&B. The sexual assault impacted Gabby massively and when Gabby sought counselling she was told she would have to wait months. Within this time period things began to spiral out of control for Gabby and she was subsequently placed in a number of centres which were miles away from the support of her family and friends. Tragically Gabby is no longer with us to fight for this change, however I have started this campaign #JusticeForGabby to ensure change happens within the care system. Firstly, we want to ensure that the Health and Social Care Trust carry out police checks on all staff working within these B&B's. I want to ensure that no other young person suffers the same fate as Gabby. Gabby was a loving, kind, warm hearted soul who was always looking out for her friends and family. We miss and love her so much everyday. Please support our campaign - change will happen!" FOI - Freedom Of Information Request (from the Belfast Trust) - 13th November 2020; Can you confirm that all staff/percentage of staff (not only owners/managers) working within the B&B or hotel have been access NI checked prior to placing a young person there? The Trust cannot confirm that all staff working in a B&B/ Hotel are access NI checked prior to a young person being placed there and this is outside the Trust’s remit Gabby recorded her story a few months before her death where she highlights the failings within the system. Please see video attached (www.vimeo.com/480947678). Please support our campaign by signing and sharing this petition. This is only the start of #JusticeForGabby.