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THE PITS: Why is sewage being allowed to pollute one of the Aran Islands?
Galway
The Aran Islands are billed as having a “desolate beauty that draws countless day trippers” by Lonely Planet but in one of its main villages locals are kicking up a stink.
2 Backers raised €40 of €1250
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BEHIND THE CELL DOOR: Exposing the reality of the Irish prison system
Ireland
With almost 4,000 people in custody in Ireland, Noteworthy want to take a look inside the prison system and conduct an in-depth investigation to reveal the reality of incarceration.
1 Backer raised €20 of €2950
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NET LOSS: Is Ireland killing its own fishing industry... by overfishing?
Ireland
Declining fish stock is one the major challenges to the Irish fishing industry. One of Ireland’s most important fisheries, Celtic Sea herring, was closed last year just 48 hours after the seasonal fishery opened due to the small size of fish caught. Reduced levels of these fish also have an impact on animals who depend on them such as whales and dolphins.
0 Backers raised €0 of €1950
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PARKING PRESSURE: Why are patients and families still paying high rates to park at hospitals?
Ireland
Patients, visitors, and staff of Irish hospitals are forking out over €60,000 every day to park at hospitals around the country. In 2017, €22.4 million was raised by hospitals from parking, making it an important source of funding for them.
1 Backer raised €10 of €1400
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Open
SELLING OUR GENES: Should the Government be funding a private company to collect 400,000 Irish people’s DNA?
Ireland
Personal data is big business - and nothing is more personal than our genetic blueprint.
3 Backers raised €25 of €2300
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Open
SPRUCED UP: Are coniferous trees killing our native ecosystem?
Ireland
A Government plan to plant almost 400 million trees by 2046 was announced as part of the Climate Action Plan in the past few months. There is a target of 70% conifers and 30% broadleaf for these new plantations which has led to some biodiversity advocates being concerned about the continued afforestation of Ireland by non-native conifers.
1 Backer raised €5 of €1950
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Open
HIRE POWER: Has the required recruitment process been ignored within a high-profile State agency?
Ireland
State agencies employ over 12,000 people in Ireland. These employees are not part of the civil service but there is a well-defined recruitment process which candidates must satisfy to secure a job with a State body.
0 Backers raised €0 of €1350
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Open
GOLDEN CARRIAGEWAY: Is a €10-million-a-kilometre road in Co Mayo the best use of public funds?
Mayo
It will cost more than €10 million per kilometre as it links the towns of Castlebar and Westport in Co Mayo.
3 Backers raised €50 of €950
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Open
RISK TO BABY: Why were Irish women not told for decades about an epilepsy drug that causes birth defects?
Ireland
Sodium valproate is an epilepsy medicine commonly sold under the name Epilim. It was known since its availability in the 1970s that it may cause birth defects if used in pregnancy yet for decades many women across the world were prescribed this drug without being warned of this risk by their doctors.
1 Backer raised €30 of €1500
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Open
COST OF CARBON: Are companies paying their fair share on emissions?
Ireland
Ireland is exceeding its greenhouse gas emissions by millions of tonnes per year. It has been warned that it is not doing enough, quickly enough, to reduce that excess.
4 Backers raised €290 of €2050
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Open
TESTING THE WATERS: Where in Ireland has the most polluted tap water?
Ireland
A water treatment fault in the Dublin region that left 600,000 people with a boil notice drew attention yet again to just how fragile the country’s water network is.
0 Backers raised €0 of €1400
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Open
LIFT OUT: When is public transport going to be fully accessible to people with disabilities?
Ireland
It was reported recently that at several DART and commuter stations the lifts were out of service for more than 20 consecutive days. One Dublin station had a lift out of service for over 70 days in total over an almost two-year period. On one of the instances a lift was out of service for 26 consecutive days at this station.
7 Backers raised €125 of €1200
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Open
PATH OF UNCERTAINTY: How has JobPath impacted the mental health of Ireland’s unemployed?
Ireland
Minister Regina Doherty has called it “the most successful [jobs] activation programme” in the history of the state.
3 Backers raised €20 of €750
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Open
SPILLING OVER: Will a €7 million flood defence scheme really save Dublin from the River Poddle?
Dublin
The River Poddle, which follows a winding route through the southwest of Dublin before joining the Liffey in the city centre, has a long history of flooding.
1 Backer raised €50 of €950
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Open
WILD HORSES: Is the number of loose urban horses - and potential neglect - on the rise?
Dublin
Urban horses have been a feature of some parts of Dublin and other Irish cities for decades. There have been attempts in the past to use initiatives and deterrents to reduce the numbers left to roam particular areas, and improve conditions for those remaining.
3 Backers raised €60 of €1850
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Open
WASTE MOUNTAIN: Why is it taking so long to clean up one of the country’s most notorious illegal dumps?
Wicklow
It is Ireland’s most notorious illegal dump, a vast site containing what some believe is up to 1.4 million tonnes of waste.
0 Backers raised €0 of €2400
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Open
ADDICTION BY PRESCRIPTION: Why are so many anti-anxiety medications prescribed in Ireland?
Ireland
In September, the Irish Medical Council warned doctors about over-prescribing of a range of highly addictive drugs.
1 Backer raised €40 of €1450
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Open
LAST RESORT: Why can't Irish hospitals get the most dangerous superbug under control?
Ireland
A public health emergency was declared by the Health Minister Simon Harris over years ago to control the spread of a superbug, CPE, resistant to the most powerful last-resort antibiotics. In spite of this, the number of patients with the bug has continuously increased.
0 Backers raised €0 of €1050
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Open
BICYCLE BLACKSPOTS: Which roads and junctions are the most dangerous for cyclists in Ireland?
Ireland
The number of people cycling in Ireland has risen dramatically in recent years with a near doubling of the number of bikes coming into Dublin city centre over the past eight years.
12 Backers raised €375 of €700
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Open
SOLVING SOLAR: Why are we not putting solar panels on the roof of every home in Ireland?
Ireland
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels use energy from the sun to create electricity. The price of these panels has dropped significantly over the past number of decades, so what is stopping households from installing them?
2 Backers raised €155 of €750
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Open
PRIVATE SUBSIDIES: Why is the taxpayer helping to fund the private school system?
Ireland
The list of advantages from private schooling is extensive: smaller class sizes, better facilities, and access to a social network that can bring lifelong benefits.
0 Backers raised €0 of €1800
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Open
VAPING NATION: Are teenagers being targeted by the vaping industry in Ireland?
Ireland
Although a relatively new phenomenon, almost 200,000 Irish people regularly vape with another 600,000 having tried an e-cigarette at some stage. Globally, the number of adults who vape is expected to reach almost 55 million by 2021.
0 Backers raised €0 of €2250
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Open
AT A STANDSTILL: How do you solve a problem like the College Green gridlock?
Dublin
Ever since the Luas first ventured across O’Connell Bridge, there have been constant complaints about the traffic chaos around College Green.
2 Backers raised €25 of €550
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Open
SCALES OF JUSTICE: How are the finances of vulnerable people being managed by the Courts Service?
Ireland
When a person is deemed incapable of making decisions for themselves, they can be made a ‘ward of court’.
2 Backers raised €150 of €1150
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Open
POSTCODE LOTTERY: Does where you live in Ireland determine what kind of healthcare you receive?
Ireland
Access to healthcare in Ireland can vary depending on where in the country you live. Local HSE and hospital budgets often determine whether people have access to medical treatment, equipment and other specialist services.
1 Backer raised €100 of €1900
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Open
DERELICTION OF DUTY: How successful has the new vacant sites levy been in freeing up land for housing development around Ireland?
Ireland
It is one of the key planks of a government strategy to free up land for much-needed housing development. The vacant sites levy allows local authorities create a register of disused or derelict lands in their area. The owners of those lands would be charged an annual levy of 7% of the value of the land.
2 Backers raised €215 of €1500
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Open
DEAD END: Will Galway’s long promised ring road make a significant difference to traffic congestion in the city?
Galway
It was 1999 when a bypass was first proposed for the city of Galway. Since then, traffic congestion has grown ever worse and long delays have become a feature of daily life for those who live and work there. For a relatively compact city, congestion is far worse than might be expected, not least because public transport options are so limited.
12 Backers raised €430 of €1200
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Open
FUNDING FERTILITY: Why are people still paying for fertility treatment despite the promise of state support?
Ireland
Around one in four couples in Ireland experience difficulty when trying to have children and will face thousands of euro in costs if they seek fertility treatment.
4 Backers raised €160 of €950
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Open
ACADEMIC UNCERTAINTY: How are universities and institutes of technology allowed to employ so many researchers and lecturers on precarious contracts?
Ireland
In Ireland, we hold academics in high esteem but are they being treated properly by their employers and the Government?
21 Backers raised €650 of €1300
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Open
A BITTER PILL: Why are medicines so expensive in Ireland and how much are we paying for them compared to our EU neighbours?
Ireland
The Government spends almost €3 billion on medicines every year which makes up 13% of the entire health budget.
2 Backers raised €40 of €1350
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Open
LOSING FAITH: Why is it taking so long to provide non-denominational school options to parents around the country?
Ireland
With one in ten Irish people declaring they have no religion in the latest census, the provision of suitable education options is becoming ever more pressing.
3 Backers raised €40 of €1450
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Open
TOWER OF UNCERTAINTY: Unravelling the endless delays in redeveloping one of Dublin’s least-loved buildings
Dublin
It often features in lists of Ireland’s ugliest buildings … but Phibsboro Tower in Dublin is one of the city’s great survivors.
8 Backers raised €157 of €800
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Open
SOMETHING IN THE AIR: Why is the air we breathe in Ireland getting more polluted?
Ireland
In the 1980s, Dublin choked beneath a cloud of smog with pollution seven times higher than the levels considered dangerous by the World Health Organisation. As smoky fuel began to be phased out, the black pall lifted and the city’s air returned to some semblance of normality.
5 Backers raised €100 of €1350
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WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE: How much did a controversial road scheme in Kilkenny City actually cost and has it delivered what it was supposed to?
Kilkenny
It was one of the most controversial road developments of recent years in Ireland, a plan to build a new bridge across the River Nore in Kilkenny.
46 Backers raised €1371 of €1350
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Open
DATA CRUNCH: Should high energy-consuming data centres remain a key plank of Ireland’s development strategy?
Ireland
The development of data centres is a key part of the government’s strategy for attracting foreign direct investment to Ireland.
1 Backer raised €50 of €1500
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Open
TAKING A SLICE: Are ministers favouring their own constituencies when awarding grants?
National
It is one of the oldest political tricks in the book … a TD appointed as a minister and immediately using grants to take care of their own constituency.
4 Backers raised €43 of €1800
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Open
THE CONSTRUCTION NETWORK: Connecting the dots between the government and lobbyists for developers and the construction industry
Ireland
There are nearly 1,900 lobbyists registered in Ireland, all seeking to influence government policy in one way or another.
8 Backers raised €115 of €3200
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Open
THIS HOSTEL LIFE: How much are local authorities around the country paying for hostels, B&Bs, and hotels for the homeless?
Ireland
In Dublin, more than €60 million was spent in 2018 providing emergency accommodation for homeless people at hotels, B&Bs,and guesthouses.
2 Backers raised €40 of €1000
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Open
THE VANISHED: How does Ireland search for its missing people?
Ireland
Every hour of every day in Ireland, a person is reported missing to the gardaí. The vast majority are found, usually quite quickly, but some cases last much longer and some are never solved.
1 Backer raised €20 of €1000
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Open
DRIVEN OUT: Who wins in a row where local businesses claim they have to compete with subsidised charities?
Regional
What happens when a charity and local businesses clash? Who comes out the winner - or does everyone lose?
0 Backers raised €0 of €1650
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Open
LEAVING IT LATE: Does the system for appealing Leaving Cert results work and is it fit for purpose?
Ireland
For many people, the Leaving Cert will be one of the most important exams they take in their life, the results sometimes deciding the path of their entire career.
0 Backers raised €0 of €1000
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Open
LYING IDLE - PART TWO: A deeper dive into how many state properties around the country are lying vacant.
National
In Part One of this series, we looked at the near one hundred properties owned by the Office of Public Works that are currently lying idle around the country.
0 Backers raised €0 of €1200
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Open
SPEAK OR SURVIVE? Are survivors of sexual abuse properly supported when they come forward?
National
At least one in four people experience sexual abuse in childhood. About 80 per cent are abused by a person known to them; most often, a family member.
16 Backers raised €548 of €2150
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Open
CRECHE-PROOF: Are creches operating outside required standards - until told otherwise?
National
Tens of thousands of households all over the country rely on the services provided by creches to care for their young children on a daily basis.
6 Backers raised €130 of €3750
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Open
NO EXPENSES SPARED: Digging into the many ways that TDs and Senators can claim expenses from the taxpayer.
Ireland
“Policy formulation” expenses that are made up of sizable bills from some of the best restaurants in Ireland, a special secretarial allowance that allowed a government minister quietly hire the most famous PR consultant in Ireland, overnight expenses for politicians who live in the commuter suburbs of Kildare, Wicklow, and Meath.
10 Backers raised €155 of €1500
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Completed
LYING IDLE: How many state properties are lying vacant around the country.
Ireland
The Office of Public Works manages over 2,500 properties around Ireland on behalf of the state.
9 Backers raised €360 of €350
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SEPTIC SWIM: Is enough being done to keep Dublin Bay safe for swimmers this summer?
Dublin
Effluent leaks have resulted in pollution incidents along the eastern coastline at least twice so far this year - and bathing restrictions were put in place at popular Dublin beaches.
2 Backers raised €400 of €400
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Open
PARENT RIGHTS: Why are same-sex couples and other parents still in legal limbo with their own children?
Ireland
Half a decade after Ireland’s historic marriage equality vote, many same-sex couples and so-called ‘non-traditional families’ still face discrimination when it comes to their rights as parents.
12 Backers raised €430 of €750
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CUT DOWN TO SIZE: Why are Ireland's local authorities so keen to chop down trees?
Ireland
Across Ireland, locals have been dismayed to see trees and bushes chopped down by public bodies.
47 Backers raised €1100 of €1100
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Open
RAILROAD TO NOWHERE: Why has so much state funding been poured into a controversial Mayo project at risk of planning woes?
Regional
In Mayo, plans are afoot to turn a disused stretch of an old railway into a tourist attraction.
2 Backers raised €35 of €600
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BURYING THE PAST: Behind the scenes of government talks on Tuam Mother and Baby Home
National
In October of last year, Minister Katherine Zappone announced that the Bon Secours Sisters religious congregation had agreed to contribute €2.5 million towards the costs of excavating the burial site at the Tuam Mother and Baby Home.
2 Backers raised €252 of €250
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PRICE OF BEAUTY: Are people taking a risk when they opt for dermal fillers?
National
Dermal fillers have become one of the treatments of choice for people in Ireland wanting to rid themselves of wrinkles.
1 Backer raised €900 of €900
 Read Now 
Open
OFF OUR TROLLEYS: Why does Ireland seem to get such poor value for the money it spends on healthcare?
National
Ireland’s hospitals and health system are plagued by long waiting lists and poor patient outcomes, even though we are told we spend more for healthcare per person than the vast majority of countries.
9 Backers raised €151 of €1750
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FOLLOWING THE HERD: Why are Meningitis C vaccination rates so far behind target in parts of Ireland?
National
For many parents, the word meningitis is enough to send shivers down their spine.
2 Backers raised €353 of €350
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Open
ROUND THE BEND: Residents and authorities clash over a scheme blamed for creating chronic traffic jams
Dublin
In Dublin, a major row has erupted between a local council, the National Transport Authority and local residents.
2 Backers raised €30 of €500
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SHORT-TERM LET, LONG-TERM PAIN: Why do councils struggle to put a stop to properties being used exclusively on sites like Airbnb?
National
Property owners can pull in hundreds of euro per night renting out homes as round-the-year accommodation on platforms like Airbnb and hotel booking sites, making similar amounts in a week to what they could otherwise expect to receive in a month or more from a long-term tenant.
5 Backers raised €800 of €800
 Read Now 
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NOT SO FAST: Strategic Housing Development speeds up planning process for developers but is it helping increase the supply of accommodation?
Ireland
In June 2017, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy introduced a new system of fast-track planning for housing developments.
2 Backers raised €404 of €400
 Read Now 
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LATE INTERVENTION: Why does it take over two years to get early intervention appointments for some children?
Ireland
Across the country, there are thousands of young children in need of early intervention.
9 Backers raised €1100 of €1100
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PROTECTING THE PROTECTORS: The mental health crisis in the Defence Forces.
National
Almost a year ago, the only psychiatrist working in the Defence Forces retired from his post.
2 Backers raised €252 of €250
 Read Now 
Open
ANTI-SOCIAL HOUSING: Are local authorities doing enough to tackle bad behaviour in social housing?
National
One of the most common criticisms of people on social housing lists comes when they refuse to take up the offer of a home. But what happens when somebody is offered a place which they do not believe is safe for them or their family?
10 Backers raised €165 of €1500
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SINK OR SWIM: How could an historic sea baths get renovated yet remain closed to swimmers for six months each year?
Dublin
It cost €2.4 million to refurbish with local residents hoping that their long-closed sea water swimming baths would finally re-open to the public.
4 Backers raised €503 of €500
 Read Now 
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IRELAND’S ADDICTION: Why is there so little regulation of the ‘crack cocaine’ of gambling?
National
Gambling in Ireland is a gigantic industry with at least €5 billion - or €9,500 every minute - staked in bets last year.
23 Backers raised €2425 of €2400
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POLITICAL PENSIONS: How much is paid out each year in political and ministerial pensions?
National
Until last year, the Department of Finance published details of how much it paid in pensions to former ministers, taoisigh, presidents, judges, and other ex-officeholders.
2 Backers raised €110 of €100
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AWAY FROM PRYING EYES: Why do some local authorities still not webcast their meetings?
National
Almost fifteen years ago, Fingal County Council became the first local authority in Ireland to make its council meetings available live online.
13 Backers raised €1165 of €1100
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COMPO CLAIMS: Does Ireland really have a ‘compensation culture’?
National
The government minister responsible for the insurance industry has said there are 'clusters' for compensation claims in Ireland.
8 Backers raised €1260 of €1250
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SELLING THE FAMILY SILVER: Dublin City Council's plans to 'consolidate' 33 valuable depot sites.
Dublin
Across Dublin city, there are a network of 33 council depot sites – many of them located on prime development land.
4 Backers raised €100 of €100
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INFLATING GRADES: Is it getting easier to graduate with first class honours?
National
Almost every generation seems to think they had it much harder than the one that follows.
6 Backers raised €1350 of €1350
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