Politics - Thurles Information

Over 6,300 Persons Apply In Recent Garda Recruitment Competition.

Minister for Justice Mrs Heleen McEntee has welcomed the news that over 6,300 people have applied to join An Garda Síochána force, under the most recent recruitment campaign.

According to statistics released today, by An Garda Síochána, they received 6381 applications in their recruitment competition, which closed last Friday (February 8th, 2024).

Welcoming the news this morning, Minister McEntee stated, “The response to the latest Garda recruitment campaign has been very strong. I am delighted to see over 6,300 apply to become Gardaí – this is a significant increase on the 5,000 people who applied last year.
I am glad to see that so many people want to join An Garda Siochana and I am particularly pleased at the strong response from people aged between 35 and 50. Well over a third of the applications were in that age group.
I have always said that nothing is off the table when it comes to recruitment. We have increased the training allowance and increased the age of entry from 35 to 50. I am determined that An Garda Síochána grows to 15,000 members and beyond.
So to all those who have applied, good luck with the interviews and assessments, and all the very best on your path to a job well worth doing”.

This competition comes only ten months since the last Garda recruitment campaign, which attracted approximately 5,000 applications.

Minister McEntee is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight crime. An Garda Síochána have been allocated a budget of €2.35 billion to An Garda Síochána, a 25% increase since 2020. This funding will continue to allow for the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff this year, as well as ensuring Gardaí have the equipment, technology, facilities and fleet they need to carry out their vital work.

Approval Received To Draft Legislation Allowing Access To Digital Evidence.

Minister McEntee and Minister Browne receive Cabinet approval to draft legislation allowing Gardaí swift access to digital criminal evidence.

Proposed legislation will allow Ireland to fulfil commitments under Budapest Convention, EU E-evidence Regulation and EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation
Modernised legislative basis for Gardaí to seize potential digital evidence, subject to privacy safeguards

Minister for Justice Mrs Helen McEntee and Minister of State Mr James Browne have secured Government approval for the drafting of new legislation which will permit Gardaí to swiftly access criminal evidence in digital form.

Government have today approved the General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Protection, Preservation and Access to Data on Information Systems) Bill 2024, which will allow law enforcement authorities, like An Garda Síochána, to request the preservation and production of data being held on IT systems controlled by internet service providers, in order to investigate and tackle crime. The General Scheme will now be referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice for pre-legislative scrutiny.

Making the point that “preservation and production orders” provide a modern law enforcement tool more suitable for obtaining digital evidence than traditional search and seizure measures, Minister McEntee said: “The Criminal Justice (Protection, Preservation and Access to Data on Information Systems) Bill 2024 will mark a significant step forward in tackling crime that operates in the online space. Traditional search and seize legislation was drafted to target physical spaces and objects. It pre-dates the technological evolution seen in recent years where much of human, and in turn criminal, activity is taking place in the virtual space and with the footprints of this activity accessible often only on private cloud infrastructures.
The measures in the Bill provide comprehensive, modern tools for law enforcement agencies like An Garda Siochana to access online evidence easily and efficiently while ensuring individuals’ privacy rights are respected. The Bill will also be a key element of the Government’s vision for a modern, cohesive and well – resourced regulatory system for the digital economy”.

The proposed legislation will give effect to a range of measures contained in international agreements Ireland is party to, all relating to tackling crime with an online element. These include the Council of Europe Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, the EU E-evidence Regulation [(EU) 2023/1543] and the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation [(EU) 2021/784].

Giving reassurance that the measures proposed will be subject to the necessary privacy safeguards including judicial authorisation, Minister James Browne said: “I am very pleased that the Government has supported the general approach to the preparation of this important legislation which will ensure An Garda Síochána has the requisite tools to police in the digital age.
Ireland is uniquely positioned as the EU base of a significant number of internet service providers. This means that we have a key role in terms of our enforcement of EU measures aimed at tackling crime and terrorism that online services can facilitate. This Bill displays our commitment to implementing these measures and cooperating with authorities throughout the EU in pursuit of those aims. It will also ensure we continue to meet our international obligations and support the goal of Ireland being a centre of regulatory excellence for the digital economy, which is a key Government objective”.

The proposed Bill will expand on the State’s current domestic production/preservation order regime to cover a broader range of data categories and will contain appropriate jurisdictional provisions to deal with material held in the Cloud.

It also provides measures to help facilitate the EU-wide system envisioned by the aforementioned E-evidence Regulation, whereby Irish authorities can request data controlled by internet service providers based in other EU states and authorities in other EU states can do the same with respect to data controlled by Irish-based service providers.

The scheme will designate District Court judges as the Irish issuing authority for outgoing Irish orders.

The legislation will also give Coimisiún na Meán powers to sanction service providers for non-compliance with the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation, which provides an EU wide mechanism for the rapid removal of online terrorist content.

Thomond Park, Limerick To Host Inaugural Nursing Homes Conference.

Revised funding model required for sector to cater for Ireland’s ageing population – The Alliance

Nursing home providers, health professionals and politicians will gather at Thomond Park in Limerick on February 28th next for a conference focusing on the future of nursing homes and the challenges faced by the sector.

**Pictured ahead of The Alliance “Shoulder To Shoulder” Nursing Home Expo 2024 are** *(left to right)* **Ms Karen Ronan**, *(General Manager of the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau)*, **and Shane Scanlan and Marcella Scanlan of** **The Alliance**.

Ms Mary Butler TD, (Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health and Older People), will perform the opening address at The Alliance “Shoulder To Shoulder” Nursing Home Expo 2024, which is being hosted by Ireland’s newest and second largest trade association for nursing homes with the support of The Shannon Region (latter comprising County Tipperary, County Limerick and County Clare), and Conference Bureau and Guerin Media.

The closure of 60 nursing home closures during the past five years, the dangers of a multinational operator-dominated sector and the need for a revised funding model in light of Ireland’s ageing population are amongst the key issues set to dominate the conference.

The one-day inaugural event will feature an address entitled ‘Solutions for an ageing population’ by Sinn Féin Health spokesperson Mr David Cullinane ahead of a political panel discussion chaired by Newstalk presenter, former GP and columnist Dr. Ciara Kelly and featuring Mr Michael McNamara TD (Independent), Ms Patricia Ryan TD (Sinn Féin spokesperson for Older People), Senator Mr Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fáil) and Mr Richard O’Donoghue TD (Independent).

Ms Susan Cliffe, (Deputy Chief Inspector of HIQA), and Ms Auriol Kelly, (Business Manager for PTSB), will address the key nursing home industry issues of regulation and finance, while a panel discussion centering on the importance of further education will feature contributions from Ms Niamh Condon (Dining With Dignity), Mr Jonathan Murphy (Griffith College), Ms Wendy Blakely (Strategic Thinking), and Ms Carmel Kelly and Ms Clodagh Killeen (LHP Skillnet). There will also be a few surprise guests on the day, providing insights on leadership and team building.

“Nursing homes are at a critical juncture and it’s time for change” commented Mr Shane Scanlan, (CEO of The Alliance Supporting Nursing Homes).
Mr. Scanlan, who is the Director of Nursing for a small family-owned nursing home in County Kerry, added, “A significant number of nursing homes have closed since 2018 and while the funding model afforded to Nursing Homes has served its purpose for a period since its introduction in 2009 with the establishment of the Fair Deal scheme, we have reached a tipping point for the sector where we must decide the changes required to adequately fund the care of Ireland’s increasingly ageing population.
As a group of people who actively works within the sector, The Alliance membership believes official representation of our sector must improve and should comprise of those directly working in the industry,” he continued.
“We are seeing consolidation in the nursing home market from large operators which take a huge percentage of nursing home beds presently and, most likely, into the future if the current trend persists. A blended model of independent, public, voluntary and private equity funded operators is favoured over the sector being controlled by 8 to 15 large multinational operators, which would be detrimental for an ageing population.”

Mr. Scanlan said recent reports from HIQA and the ESRI have highlighted how the current funding model is no longer fit-for-purpose and has led to regional inequalities in funding with a widening of the gap between the number of beds per capita in rural areas compared to that of Dublin and the commuter belt counties.

“The Alliance is fighting for a cost of care model to be introduced where the funding in relation to residents’ care follows the individual resident on a case-by-case basis and is centred on their care needs which, in turn, would adequately fund nursing homes for all residents under their care,” he explained.
“Community-based nursing homes are no different to other local services in terms of their socio-economic benefit to the communities in which they operate,” stated Mr. Scanlan. “They allow for people to be cared for in their communities and create substantial employment which has a positive knock-on impact for local suppliers. Community-based nursing homes provide an added incentive for government to support the sector and we are very much looking forward to hearing Minister Butler outline the Government’s plans to deal with the key issues affecting our sector“.

Visit HERE for more details on The Alliance “Shoulder To Shoulder” Nursing Home Expo 2024 at Thomond Park, Limerick, on Wednesday, February 28th.

Thurles New Street Sweeper Machine Needs Better Brushes.

Early this morning two road sweepers made an appearence on Kickham Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

The big road sweeper machine passed up and down the street at least 3 times, same gathering up the gravel it failed to suck up on Friday last.

**New street sweeper machine continues to be operated, while unable to suck up filth and dirt.** **The waste of taxpayer’s money, by Tipp. Co. Co. continues without any reduction in intensity or strength.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby 29th January 2024.*

The small road sweeper machine with the worn out left hand brush was taxed with sweeping the footpaths; in an attempt to remove the gravel flung at the fronts of homes of street residents and unsuspecting pedestrians, by the daily heavy traffic.

You will note that this editor didn’t use the word ‘cleaned’ in any of the above text, since this small machine only collected and left a ridge of dirt and filth behind it; same neatly piled in the centre of the footpaths. (See image shown above).

Something we have learned over the years here in Co. Tipperary is that politicians, councillors and their officials are chosen mainly by their ability to provide spin. Such silence is also displayed by our local newspapers and some local radio broadcasters; latter who are supposed to generate a certain power and remain important to our democracy, but no longer can be perceived as promoters of community responsibility.

In the interests of openness and transparency, Tipperary Co. Council senior officials have been notified.

Major Decline In Tipperary River Water Quality.

A Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) representative has informed Nenagh Municipal District councillors, last week, of a major decline in the water quality of Tipperary’s rivers and streams.

Ms Catherine Seale-Duggan the newly appointed Community Water Officer with LAWPRO has warned that the quality of watercourses in Co. Tipperary has dropped substantially and worryingly over the past 10 years.

**State of River Suir just 100 meters from Barry’s bridge in Thurles Town centre.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby, 2019.*

Ms Seale-Duggan confirmed that only 1/3 of rivers in Tipperary were in the category of “Good and High Status”, whereas ten years previously almost 2/3 of the counties rivers fell into that same stated category. She stated that the Nenagh River (Irish: An Ghaothach) which rises in the Silvermine Mountains in Co.Tipperary, and flows east of Nenagh into Lough Derg, north of Dromineer village, falls into the “Moderate Status” category.

**River Suir at Barry’s Bridge, Thurles town centre**.
*Pic: G. Willoughby, 2021.*

“What we are aiming for in the case of every river and stream,is the Good and High Status”, Ms Seale-Duggan stated, “We are targeting those areas where the water quality is adversely impacted, and agriculture is part of that concern and focus. Inspectors will visit farms and look at opportunities to stop pollutants getting into rivers and streams”.

This work will now be heavily subsidised through a €60 million project and advisers from Dairy Co-ops will be engaging directly with farmers. Alas, the farming community will continue in the mindset of “I have rights” and no indigenous mindset showing that “I have obligations” in serving present and future generations, not to mention the health of the very planet itself.
Water European Innovation Partnership (EIP) is also working to reduce the loss of nutrients in farms and to prevent nutrients from these same areas, gaining access to watercourses and polluting them.
According to ICBF data, accurate up to June 1, 2023 the county with the second-largest dairy herd is Co. Tipperary with 194,018 cows, which is an increase of 59,259 head, since 2013. (Largest is Co. Cork).
There is a difference of 69,544 head of cattle, between Co. Tipperary and Co Kilkenny, latter in third place on ICBP’s list.

Thurles.Info has continuously, over the past eleven years, raised this same issue (first on November 7th, 2013, in relation to the River Suir).

We hope that Ms Catherine Seale-Duggan, the newly appointed Community Water Officer with LAWPRO, has better success with Municipal District officials than we had.