Finance - Thurles Information

Thurles Walking & Cycling Scheme.

Tipperary County Council intends to develop the Thurles Walking and Cycling Scheme, which is expected to deliver a pedestrian and cyclist shared path between Thurles Train Station and Bohernamona Road that will provide connectivity to schools and collages along the route, with a designated bridge crossing over the River Suir, north of the existing bridge.

**Envisaged Pedestrian and Cyclist Shared Path**

This scheme consists of the development of a walking and cycling route across the northern boundary of the schools in Thurles, which will naturally change the mode of travel to and from local schools.
As readers are aware, the majority of the schools are located on the northern side of Thurles and are in close proximity to each other, however linkages are constrained by the River Suir.

Tipperary County Council is now inviting members of the public to have their say on the route options presented.
These route options are now available for inspection:
• On the Tipperary County Council’s website, (somewhat vaguely) HERE.
• At Thurles/Templemore Municipal District Office, Civic Offices, Castle Avenue, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Documents may be inspected during normal office hours, 9.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday from tomorrow Friday August 5th 2022, to Monday September 12th, 2022 inclusive, (excluding Bank Holidays).

Submissions.

Submissions can be made using the online feedback form available on the Virtual Project Exhibition website accessible at www.tipperarycoco.ie
or by email to thurleswcs@csea.ie, or by post addressed to: F.A.O. Thurles Walking & Cycling Scheme Team, Clifton Scannell Emerson Associates Consulting Engineers, 3rd Floor, The Highline, Bakers Point, Pottery Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, A96 KW29.

Closing date for receipt of submissions: 4:30pm on Monday 12th September 2022.

First Ever Large Seizure Of Counterfeit Coins In Ireland.

The public are being warned to be aware of the possible circulation of fake €2 coins, following a seizure by Gardai of counterfeit currency with an apparent face value of €2,920.

Gardaí confirm that the seizure is the first large seizure of counterfeit coins here in Ireland.

During the seizure last July, one person was arrested/charged and has already appeared before the court last month.

We also understand that bank assets to the value €73,986.62, have also been frozen.

While it is difficult to identify suspect coins the following is advised:-

Use a magnifying glass, to compare suspected coins with known genuine coins.
Suspected coins offer poor quality image detail. Suspected coins offer a different coloured ring or core and are missing edge lettering.
Coins are a different size, thickness, diameter and weight, or are found to have incorrect spelling and font.
Some counterfeit coins will bend.
Genuine €2 coins are slightly magnetic and by using a magnet you should be able to lift the coin up, before shaking the coin off the magnet with relative ease.

Four AIB Branches To Go Cashless In Tipperary This Year.

More than one in three of current AIB branches, in the country, to go cashless
It has been announced that 70 Allied Irish Bank (AIB) branches will no longer offer cash and cheque services at the counter, or through their infernal, internal machines within the bank, from the 30th of September and the 21st of October next.

The AIB banks marked to make these cashless changes within Co. Tipperary by October 21st are: –

Roscrea, Co. Tipperary.
Carrick-On-Suir, Co. Tipperary.
Cashel, Co. Tipperary.
Cahir, Co. Tipperary.

The AIB branch in Thurles is expected to remain as it is currently, due to the Ulster Bank at Liberty Square, slowly receding from public view.

These moves at above named branches will see: no notes, coins, cheques, foreign exchange transactions, bank drafts and the removal of drop safes and night safes.

AIB, laughingly, maintain that it is making these changes as part of a €40m investment programme and as it deepens its intimate relationship with An Post.

Where ATM’s exist outside of branches; where the threatened services are to be withdrawn, same will now be totally eradicated.

It would appear that AIB is failing to understand the importance of economic rural functions and social inclusion.

Time now for rural communities, in particular, to raise their voices.
Where does County Tipperary Chamber now stand, regarding this announcement?
Time now to take a closer look at how Credit Unions do business.

€10.1m Paid Out To Staff In Irish Water Performance Related Bonus Payments.

Irish Water line management, over the past two years, have handed over to staff, more than €10.1m in performance related bonus payments.

Last year, Irish Water paid almost €5.2m in bonus payments to some 789 workers.

Same figure was increased from the €4.96m, that had been determined as eligible in 2020, to some 765 employees.

The average performance related award amongst the top 20 staff during last year, stood at a colossal €19,171 per person. The names of the individuals receiving these performance related awards, has been withheld from the public.

The 20 staff in receipt of the highest bonuses, during the previous year, (2020), are understood to have shared €385,460, or €19,273 per person.

Same bonuses are understood to be taxable, but are not counted for calculation in future retirement pensions.

From 1:00pm Each Day Ulster Bank Branches Will Now Close Their Counter Service From Today.

“There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold……”.

A two line extract from “The Cremation of Sam McGee” – By Scottish poet Robert W. Service.

I went into the Thurles Branch of Ulster Bank today. It was my regular once a month visit, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Before I continue, may I confirm that I found the counter personnel at the Thurles Ulster Bank branch have always been and continue to be, appropriately qualified, extremely competent and very professional in their everyday dealings.

Regrettably, I cannot say the same for the Ulster Bank Group’s top management, latter who announced today, on Twitter, (at 11:47am) that counter services at their branches would close today, as of 1:00pm, and into the future.
Note: I as a customer was never directly notified.

Arriving in at approximately 1.15pm today, Friday, July 1st; with ESB and Internet accounts due, I was informed that I was not now entitled to remove money from my bank account, due to this new 1:00pm closure ruling.

I left the bank branch in Liberty Square, before returning a short time later following reflection, to seek a meeting with the branch manager. A short few minutes later I was served at the counter and my lodgement was accepted.

The next time, An Taoiseach, Mr Micheál Martin (leader of Fianna Fáil) and An Tánaiste, Mr Leo Varadker (Fine Gael TD – Dublin West), start to tell us how competition in the market place, here in Ireland, has been good for consumers; ask them ‘how come’.
How come our enlarged collection of banks were allowed to destroy this country; why numerous Internet Service providers and Electricity/Gas/ Petrol/Diesel suppliers, were all allowed to enter the market place and have metamorphosed into the most expensive distributers in Europe.