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NIL BY MOUTH: Why are patients still eating poor quality hospital food?
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
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New
WHAT’S THE BEEF? The Covid-19 price crash exposing the beef sector’s soft underbelly
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
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Open
PANDEMIC UNPLANNED: Will the Irish health system be better prepared for the next emergency?
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
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Open
COURT IN E-SESSION: Will Covid-19 force the judicial system into the digital age?
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
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Open
REAPING THE HARVEST: Have years of neglect left horticulture at a pandemic-provoked tipping point?
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
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Open
CHILDCARE CROSSROADS: How do we construct a childcare system in post-pandemic Ireland that works for everyone?
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
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Open
COVID CONSCIOUSNESS: Can we prevent a pandemic-induced mental health crisis in Ireland?
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
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Open
SUSPENDED ANIMATION: How can we help artists recover after the coronavirus crisis?
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
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Completed
TRAPPED WITH TORMENTORS: How can we protect people from abuse and violence during the pandemic?
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
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Funded
CARING FOR CARERS: What’s life like for care workers in the coronavirus crisis?
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
 Funded 
Open
FUELLING RETIREMENT: Are Irish pensions contributing to the climate crisis?
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
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Open
SHIRT OFF YOUR BACK: What are bogus ‘charity’ clothes collectors doing with your cast-offs?
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
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Open
LIVING IN THE SHADOW: What is the impact of wind farms on local communities?
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
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Open
UNLUCKY FOR SOME: Is bingo causing gambling addiction?
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
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Open
PRIVATE TREATMENT: Are private wastewater works more polluting than public plants?
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
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Open
EYES RIGHT: How is the far right influencing Irish public opinion online?
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
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Open
HEALERS OR QUACKS: Are we protecting cancer patients from fake cancer cures?
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
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Open
ASSESSING AUTISM: Is a delay in getting a childhood diagnosis of ASD fuelling a private industry?
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
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Open
OUT TO TENDER: How are State contracts for major infrastructural projects awarded?
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
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Open
NOWHERE TO TURN: Have Irish people died because they can't access out-of-hours mental health care?
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
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Open
BLIND JUSTICE: Is everyone equal in the eyes of the Irish law and prison system?
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
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Open
HEAD IN THE GAME: Is the GAA doing enough to tackle concussion?
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
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Open
COERCED LIVING: Are some landlords pressuring tenants for sex?
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
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Open
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.
2 Backers raised €50 of €2950
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Open
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.
6 Backers raised €175 of €1950
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Open
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.
54 Backers raised €1588 of €2300
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Nearly Funded
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.
41 Backers raised €1535 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.
1 Backer raised €50 of €1350
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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.
38 Backers raised €1129 of €2050
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Open
TESTING THE WATERS: Where in Ireland has the most polluted tap water?
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
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Open
LIFT OUT: When is public transport going to be fully accessible to people with disabilities?
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
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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
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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Completed
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.
34 Backers raised €725 of €700
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Funded
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?
16 Backers raised €760 of €750
 Funded 
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.
5 Backers raised €70 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
SCALES OF JUSTICE: Does the justice system work for wards of court?
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
FUNDING FERTILITY: Has the delay in publicly funding IVF destroyed people’s chance to have children?
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
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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?
29 Backers raised €885 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.
3 Backers raised €50 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.
5 Backers raised €75 of €1450
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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.
8 Backers raised €140 of €1350
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Open
DATA CRUNCH: What’s the environmental cost of having energy-consuming data centres in Ireland?
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
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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.
13 Backers raised €200 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 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
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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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Funded
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.
24 Backers raised €751 of €750
 Funded 
Completed
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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Completed
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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Completed
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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Completed
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
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Completed
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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Completed
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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Completed
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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