Noteworthy

NIL BY MOUTH: Why are patients still eating poor quality hospital food?

New

Ireland

Poor quality hospital food has been highlighted by patient advocates as an issue for decades but Covid-19 isolation measures and a lack of visitors have made this problem even more stark.

6 Backers raised €180 of €1540

WHAT’S THE BEEF? The Covid-19 price crash exposing the beef sector’s soft underbelly

Open

Ireland

The closure of restaurants, fast food outlets and other large beef buyers across Europe during the coronavirus crisis has led to a sharp drop in demand for Irish beef and a price collapse to a ten-year low in a struggling sector already hit hard by years of poor prices.

0 Backers raised €0 of €850

PANDEMIC UNPLANNED: Will the Irish health system be better prepared for the next emergency?

Open

Ireland

Covid-19 caught most countries off guard with lack of PPE, ventilators and testing capabilities reported all over the world. So how do we ensure this doesn’t happen in the event of another crisis?

0 Backers raised €0 of €1940

COURT IN E-SESSION: Will Covid-19 force the judicial system into the digital age?

Open

Ireland

From hearings over Zoom in Singapore to the US supreme court hearing arguments by phone, courtrooms all across the world are going into virtual session as Covid-19 restrictions force the legal sector to modernise.

4 Backers raised €140 of €850

REAPING THE HARVEST: Have years of neglect left horticulture at a pandemic-provoked tipping point?

Open

Ireland

In March, at the height of the coronavirus crisis, the European Commission issued guidelines that seasonal agricultural workers be treated as frontline workers in order to save fruit and veg harvests.

16 Backers raised €345 of €1700

CHILDCARE CROSSROADS: How do we construct a childcare system in post-pandemic Ireland that works for everyone?

Open

Ireland

Childcare provision was one of the sectors almost immediately thrown into crisis by the outbreak of Covid-19 this year - but its challenges have been apparent for some years now.

3 Backers raised €70 of €1180

COVID CONSCIOUSNESS: Can we prevent a pandemic-induced mental health crisis in Ireland?

Open

Ireland

Irish society is set to come out the other side of this pandemic as an altogether changed nation. Never before in our recent history has a health crisis dealt us such a heightened level of anxiety, separation and grief in such a short timespan.

3 Backers raised €60 of €847

SUSPENDED ANIMATION: How can we help artists recover after the coronavirus crisis?

Open

Ireland

The coronavirus crisis has brought home the importance of art to our lives and to society. As we become increasingly cocooned indoors, people are turning to books, films and music for comfort, inspiration and to boost their mental health.

6 Backers raised €120 of €910

TRAPPED WITH TORMENTORS: How can we protect people from abuse and violence during the pandemic?

Completed

Ireland

During this pandemic, home is a place of refuge and safety for most of us. But for thousands of women, men and children, home feels like the most dangerous place they could be.

16 Backers raised €720 of €700

CARING FOR CARERS: What’s life like for care workers in the coronavirus crisis?

Funded

Ireland

As Ireland grapples with the fallout from Covid-19, we want to see how one group of frontline workers - home carers - are faring, particularly when it comes to their pay and conditions.

20 Backers raised €1375 of €1375

FUELLING RETIREMENT: Are Irish pensions contributing to the climate crisis?

Open

Ireland

Ireland last year became one of the first countries in the world to remove companies which obtain more than a fifth of their revenues from fossil fuels from the State’s investment fund.

6 Backers raised €120 of €1240

SHIRT OFF YOUR BACK: What are bogus ‘charity’ clothes collectors doing with your cast-offs?

Open

Ireland

'No Junkmail' signs posted on household letterboxes aren’t stemming the flow of stickers and bags from charity clothes collectors. Every day, these appear on doormats across Ireland asking for donations of clothes we no longer want.

1 Backer raised €30 of €2200

LIVING IN THE SHADOW: What is the impact of wind farms on local communities?

Open

Ireland

The government’s Climate Action Plan aims to increase reliance on renewables from 30% to 70%. Part of this drive would involve increasing renewable onshore wind energy capacity to a level that equates to introducing over 2,300 more wind turbines to the landscape.

0 Backers raised €0 of €2060

UNLUCKY FOR SOME: Is bingo causing gambling addiction?

Open

Ireland

Last year, the Government proposed to reduce the amount of bingo proceeds that go to bingo operators from 40% to 25%. After a protest at the Dáil by around 50 bingo players who said that the new laws could lead to the closure of bingo halls around Ireland, the proposal was abandoned. A different version of the Gaming and Lotteries Bill was ultimately passed by the Oireachtas.

0 Backers raised €0 of €1510

PRIVATE TREATMENT: Are private wastewater works more polluting than public plants?

Open

Ireland

Raw, untreated sewage is released into the environment from 77,000 people across 36 Irish towns and villages, a recent report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found. In 2018, over 20 cities and towns - producing over 50% of Ireland’s urban waste water - had wastewater treatment plants that didn’t meet European Union standards.

3 Backers raised €61 of €1210

EYES RIGHT: How is the far right influencing Irish public opinion online?

Open

Ireland

Though far right parties failed to return a single candidate in the general election, there is growing concern about the rise of the far right views and ideology in Ireland.

22 Backers raised €495 of €1910

HEALERS OR QUACKS: Are we protecting cancer patients from fake cancer cures?

Open

Ireland

Every hour in Ireland, a person dies from cancer. The disease is the biggest killer in the country, accounting for one in four of all deaths.

1 Backer raised €20 of €1890

ASSESSING AUTISM: Is a delay in getting a childhood diagnosis of ASD fuelling a private industry?

Open

Ireland

Research shows that early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) leading to early interventions and treatment can have major long-term positive effects on symptoms and later skills.

4 Backers raised €60 of €2100

OUT TO TENDER: How are State contracts for major infrastructural projects awarded?

Open

Ireland

Public infrastructure is crucial for our quality of life, but are we getting the basics right? Is Ireland’s tendering process fit for purpose?

2 Backers raised €40 of €2240

NOWHERE TO TURN: Have Irish people died because they can't access out-of-hours mental health care?

Open

Ireland

Acute mental health services are under increasing pressure across Ireland with out-of-hours care being identified as a major issue in many reports.

1 Backer raised €20 of €2200

BLIND JUSTICE: Is everyone equal in the eyes of the Irish law and prison system?

Open

Ireland

Around the world, minority groups are overrepresented in prisons. In New Zealand, indigenous Maori people make up 15% of the population but half of the prison population while, in the US, black people are over five times more likely than white people to go to prison.

8 Backers raised €270 of €1890

BANKS OF THE LEE: What is going to stop flooding in Cork city?

Funded

Cork

The Lee in Cork city has burst its banks on numerous occasions in the past and with sea levels set to rise due to climate change, concern is increasing about the need for better flood protection for its businesses and residents.

29 Backers raised €2900 of €2900

HEAD IN THE GAME: Is the GAA doing enough to tackle concussion?

Open

Ireland

Concussion was highlighted as a “big issue” by the previous director general of the GAA in 2017 when he raised concerns that no medical personnel are present at most local games.

1 Backer raised €10 of €2060

COERCED LIVING: Are some landlords pressuring tenants for sex?

Open

Ireland

TDs, housing charities and organisations working with survivors of sexual abuse have warned that some landlords are pressuring tenants for sex.

1 Backer raised €10 of €2600

THE PITS: Why is sewage being allowed to pollute one of the Aran Islands?

Open

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.

3 Backers raised €60 of €1250

BEHIND THE CELL DOOR: Exposing the reality of the Irish prison system

Open

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.

2 Backers raised €50 of €2950

NET LOSS: Is Ireland killing its own fishing industry... by overfishing?

Open

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.

6 Backers raised €175 of €1950

PARKING PRESSURE: Why are patients and families still paying high rates to park at hospitals?

Open

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

SELLING OUR GENES: Should the Government be funding a private company to collect 400,000 Irish people’s DNA?

Open

Ireland

Personal data is big business - and nothing is more personal than our genetic blueprint.

54 Backers raised €1588 of €2300

SPRUCED UP: Are coniferous trees killing our native ecosystem?

Nearly Funded

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.

41 Backers raised €1535 of €1950

HIRE POWER: Has the required recruitment process been ignored within a high-profile State agency?

Open

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.

1 Backer raised €50 of €1350

RISK TO BABY: Why were Irish women not told for decades about an epilepsy drug that causes birth defects?

Open

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

COST OF CARBON: Are companies paying their fair share on emissions?

Open

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.

39 Backers raised €1149 of €2050

TESTING THE WATERS: Where in Ireland has the most polluted tap water?

Open

Ireland

Decades of under-investment, crumbling infrastructure, and leaking pipes have left Ireland’s water supply on a knife edge.

0 Backers raised €0 of €1400

LIFT OUT: When is public transport going to be fully accessible to people with disabilities?

Open

Ireland

Access to public transport has been highlighted as a problem in Ireland for many years with notice needed for commuter trains, numerous bus stops inaccessible, some areas not covered by any service and accessible taxis in short supply.

19 Backers raised €390 of €1200

PATH OF UNCERTAINTY: How has JobPath impacted the mental health of Ireland’s unemployed?

Open

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

WILD HORSES: Is the number of loose urban horses - and potential neglect - on the rise?

Open

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.

4 Backers raised €80 of €1850

ADDICTION BY PRESCRIPTION: Why are so many anti-anxiety medications prescribed in Ireland?

Open

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

LAST RESORT: Why can't Irish hospitals get the most dangerous superbug under control?

Open

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

BICYCLE BLACKSPOTS: Which roads and junctions are the most dangerous for cyclists in Ireland?

Completed

Ireland

The number of people cycling in Ireland has risen dramatically in recent years.

34 Backers raised €725 of €700

SOLVING SOLAR: Why are we not putting solar panels on the roof of every home in Ireland?

Funded

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?

16 Backers raised €760 of €750

PRIVATE SUBSIDIES: Why is the taxpayer helping to fund the private school system?

Open

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.

5 Backers raised €70 of €1800

VAPING NATION: Are teenagers being targeted by the vaping industry in Ireland?

Open

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

AT A STANDSTILL: How do you solve a problem like the College Green gridlock?

Open

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

SCALES OF JUSTICE: Does the justice system work for wards of court?

Open

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

POSTCODE LOTTERY: Does where you live in Ireland determine what kind of healthcare you receive?

Open

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

DERELICTION OF DUTY: How successful has the new vacant sites levy been in freeing up land for housing development around Ireland?

Open

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

DEAD END: Will Galway’s long promised ring road make a significant difference to traffic congestion in the city?

Open

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.

20 Backers raised €575 of €1200

FUNDING FERTILITY: Has the delay in publicly funding IVF destroyed people’s chance to have children?

Open

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.

5 Backers raised €200 of €950

ACADEMIC UNCERTAINTY: How are universities and institutes of technology allowed to employ so many researchers and lecturers on precarious contracts?

Open

Ireland

In Ireland, we hold academics in high esteem but are they being treated properly by their employers and the Government?

29 Backers raised €885 of €1300

A BITTER PILL: Why are medicines so expensive in Ireland and how much are we paying for them compared to our EU neighbours?

Open

Ireland

The Government spends almost €3 billion on medicines every year which makes up 13% of the entire health budget.

3 Backers raised €50 of €1350

LOSING FAITH: Why is it taking so long to provide non-denominational school options to parents around the country?

Open

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.

5 Backers raised €75 of €1450

SOMETHING IN THE AIR: Why is the air we breathe in Ireland getting more polluted?

Open

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.

8 Backers raised €140 of €1350

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?

Completed

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

DATA CRUNCH: What’s the environmental cost of having energy-consuming data centres in Ireland?

Open

Ireland

The development of data centres is a key part of the government’s strategy for attracting foreign direct investment to Ireland.

5 Backers raised €150 of €1500

TAKING A SLICE: Are ministers favouring their own constituencies when awarding grants?

Open

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.

5 Backers raised €53 of €1800

THE CONSTRUCTION NETWORK: Connecting the dots between the government and lobbyists for developers and the construction industry

Open

Ireland

There are nearly 1,900 lobbyists registered in Ireland, all seeking to influence government policy in one way or another.

13 Backers raised €200 of €3200

THIS HOSTEL LIFE: How much are local authorities around the country paying for hostels, B&Bs, and hotels for the homeless?

Open

Ireland

In March 2020, Dublin recorded the lowest number of families in emergency accommodation in three years. Yet, the numbers are still staggering with over 1,100 parents and children in B&Bs, hubs, and hotels.

3 Backers raised €60 of €1000

SPEAK OR SURVIVE? Are survivors of sexual abuse properly supported when they come forward?

Funded

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.

48 Backers raised €1440 of €1410

CRECHE-PROOF: Are creches operating outside required standards - until told otherwise?

Open

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

LYING IDLE: How many state properties are lying vacant around the country.

Completed

Ireland

The Office of Public Works manages over 2,500 properties around Ireland on behalf of the state.

9 Backers raised €360 of €350

SEPTIC SWIM: Is enough being done to keep Dublin Bay safe for swimmers this summer?

Completed

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

PARENT RIGHTS: Why are same-sex couples and other parents still in legal limbo with their own children?

Funded

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.

24 Backers raised €751 of €750

CUT DOWN TO SIZE: Why are Ireland's local authorities so keen to chop down trees?

Completed

Ireland

Across Ireland, locals have been dismayed to see trees and bushes chopped down by public bodies.

47 Backers raised €1100 of €1100

BURYING THE PAST: Behind the scenes of government talks on Tuam Mother and Baby Home

Completed

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

PRICE OF BEAUTY: Are people taking a risk when they opt for dermal fillers?

Completed

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

FOLLOWING THE HERD: Why are Meningitis C vaccination rates so far behind target in parts of Ireland?

Completed

National

For many parents, the word meningitis is enough to send shivers down their spine.

2 Backers raised €353 of €350

SHORT-TERM LET, LONG-TERM PAIN: Why do councils struggle to put a stop to properties being used exclusively on sites like Airbnb?

Completed

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

NOT SO FAST: Strategic Housing Development speeds up planning process for developers but is it helping increase the supply of accommodation?

Completed

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

LATE INTERVENTION: Why does it take over two years to get early intervention appointments for some children?

Completed

Ireland

Across the country, there are thousands of young children in need of early intervention.

9 Backers raised €1100 of €1100

PROTECTING THE PROTECTORS: The mental health crisis in the Defence Forces.

Completed

National

Almost a year ago, the only psychiatrist working in the Defence Forces retired from his post.

2 Backers raised €252 of €250

SINK OR SWIM: How could an historic sea baths get renovated yet remain closed to swimmers for six months each year?

Completed

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

IRELAND’S ADDICTION: Why is there so little regulation of the ‘crack cocaine’ of gambling?

Completed

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

POLITICAL PENSIONS: How much is paid out each year in political and ministerial pensions?

Completed

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

AWAY FROM PRYING EYES: Why do some local authorities still not webcast their meetings?

Completed

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

COMPO CLAIMS: Does Ireland really have a ‘compensation culture’?

Completed

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

SELLING THE FAMILY SILVER: Dublin City Council's plans to 'consolidate' 33 valuable depot sites.

Completed

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

INFLATING GRADES: Is it getting easier to graduate with first class honours?

Completed

National

Almost every generation seems to think they had it much harder than the one that follows.

6 Backers raised €1350 of €1350