Mr Hayes [...]]]> Thurles Chamber President Mr. Pat Hayes has welcomed the recent news that Irish Rail have given their final consent to the construction of a bridge to traverse the main Dublin – Cork railway line, which will facilitate the proposed link road between the Nenagh and Templemore roads out of Thurles town.

Mr Hayes stated:

President of Thurles Chamber Mr Pat Hayes

“This bridge when joined with the proposed new link road, the route of which is in the later phase of being finalised, would greatly help to alleviate the traffic problems currently affecting businesses in Thurles and which has driven shoppers on the outskirts of Thurles to other towns to transact their daily business.”

Mr Hayes stated that he had been given to understand that contractors had now been appointed to this bridge building project and work is expected to begin before the end of the current year.

Mr Hayes stated however that the link road project was expected to take until mid 2011 before being completed and he called on all public representatives from all political parties and the NRA to expedite progress on this project and on the long promised Thurles bypass.

Details of the finalised plans for the link road route is expected to go on public display within the coming weeks.

This coming bank holiday there is every chance you will possibly be responsible for all of the above, because you have refused [...]]]> Another week gone bye, another unacceptable number of road death, another number of family and close friends in shock and mourning loved ones, another local community speechless and brought to tears.

This coming bank holiday there is every chance you will possibly be responsible for all of the above, because you have refused to embrace life and all it has to offer, because you wanted to impress friends, because you believe your vehicle is a Ferrari and you are Fernando Alonso taking part in the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The video hereunder is one of the most moving commercials I have ever seen, yet not a word is spoken and it says just about everything needed to be said, to those out motoring this coming weekend.

This video does not attempt to scare, there is no blood or mashed metal, but hopefully it will make you think and be inspired with regard to your motoring behaviour.

A total of 28 people have died, 50 have been seriously injured and an average of 1500 close relatives and friend’s lives have been ruined, in bank holiday crashes since 2005.

“Heed the speed- Arrive Alive.”

Gardai and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) are warning the public of scheduled events planned this weekend that may cause traffic delays. These include the National Hurling Finals at Semple Stadium, Thurles on Sunday

Further traffic warnings will be posted on www.garda.ie from this [...]]]>

This could be you.

Gardai and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) are warning the public of scheduled events planned this weekend that may cause traffic delays. These include the National Hurling Finals at Semple Stadium, Thurles on Sunday

Further traffic warnings will be posted on www.garda.ie from this afternoon.

The RSA  yesterday warned motorists to slow down over the bank holiday weekend, which is traditionally one of the busiest for travellers during the year.

A total of 28 people have died and 50 have been seriously injured in bank holiday crashes since 2005 so “Heed the speed- Arrive Alive.”

A 16KM section of the M7 motorway, South of the Nenagh bypass, scheduled to open in May of last year, 2009, opened yesterday in advance of the anticipated extra Easter bank holiday traffic.

This move extends the motorway from Nenagh to Birdhill in Co [...]]]>

Construction at Annaholty Bog

A 16KM section of the M7 motorway, South of the Nenagh bypass, scheduled to open in May of last year, 2009, opened yesterday in advance of the anticipated extra Easter bank holiday traffic.

This move extends the motorway from Nenagh to Birdhill in Co Tipperary, and is expected to removes about 10,000 vehicles a day from a high collision location around the area locally known as Yellow Bridge.

The original completion date was put back, due to unexpected difficulties experienced during its construction.

This continuing  project, which is part of the link between Dublin and Limerick, involves delivering, on completion, a new 28 km motorway standard cross-section on a greenfield site, with various interchanges, under-bridges and link roads. However, problems surfaced when it attempted to traverse two bogs, at Annaholty and Drominboy, to connects to a 10-kilometer section of the Nenagh Bypass and thus the unforeseen delays.

The major difficulties encountered by the construction company, Bothar Hibernian, has been the building of this road through nearly five miles of  bog land between Ballyhane, Birdhill and Annacotty,  the worst of which transpired to be an exceptionally deep and wet section, at Drominboy and forewarned locally by farmers as ” bottomless”.

As efforts continue to find a solution to the problem, the National Roads Authority made a surprise announcement that it was opening the completed 16km of the road yesterday afternoon.

While problems are understood to continue to exist with pylons still sinking, the authorities said it expects the problem at Annaholty Bog would not delay the opening of the entire M7 by the end of this current year.

Irish foundation specialist FK Lowry Piling, contracted for their client, Limerick County Council, is confident it will deliver the solution to this sinking pylon problem.

This work is expected to get underway [...]]]> Forgive me if I am wrong, but I think this country may be secretly headed for an imminent General Election. I base my statement on the fact that eight stretches of forgotten roadway,  in the surrounding Thurles area, have been immediately earmarked for re-surfacing by North Tipperary Co Councils engineers.

This work is expected to get underway in the near future at an estimated cost of €808,000 and a sure sign that votes may be needed.

I understand that areas to benefit from these reconstruction projects include a 2km stretch of road at Galboola, Littleton – estimated cost €112,022 and a section of the Thurles to Newport road near Ballynahow – estimated cost €231,782. This latter upgrade will, I have no doubt, greatly assist those attempting to move their loved ones, urgently in need of medical attention, the forty miles to Limerick General Hospital, without breaking a rear axle.

Other areas earmarked are Borrisoleigh – at Pallas Lower and Cooldery, and at Cassestown, Moyne, latter which is almost impassible presently.

Two-Mile Borris also gets a mention, with work soon to be carried out on the stretch from the National School to the speed limit signs, a sure sign (Pardon the Pun) that the planned Casino venture may be getting the thumbs-up in the near future.

TD’s and County Councillors of all Political Parties have already begun checking out the voters register for addresses of known local residents in these areas, so you can expect the customary official Dail Eireann letters, highlighting their personal and strenuous efforts in getting this work undertaken, and welcoming  the engineers decision on your behalf.

Suggested road sign for dogs who can't read

Meanwhile, it is definitely mid March. Traditionally, March is the month when headline grabbing local Councillor’s thoughts turn to ”Dog Poop“  in order to get media attention and is declared the number one social menace.

However if one councillor gets his way this will no longer be a problem here in Thurles, as he intends to erect signage in dog fouling black spots within the town. Personally I must admit I was totally unaware that dogs could read, however, I would be the first to acknowledge I’m a bit out of touch these days.

Thinking deeply about this  problem, as I am wont to do, I now ask the question:  ‘Could this poop be used to fill the thousands of growing potholes around the town centre or repair some of our dangerous footpaths? Mind you, this is just my own meanderings and has no basis in any known scientific trials, so far as I am aware.  Still it’s an idea worth examining.

Talking of Councils what happened the ‘Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes‘, undertaken by Mr C. Mc Carthy.  The words “Rationalise the number of local authority structures into a single tier by discontinuing town councils and regional authorities, and reduce the remaining single tier from 34 city and county councils to 22 local authorities.” still keeps ringing in my ears.

This issue may well result in those caught up in this delay, incurring [...]]]> It would appear that the failure to repair craters in our road structure is’nt the only problem haunting North Tipperary County Council presently. Serious concern have now been expressed over the two month backlog in issuing driving licences by the said same County Council.

This issue may well result in those caught up in this delay, incurring penalty points and a hefty fine as a result.

North Tipperary County Council’s Customer Action Plan 2005 – 2009 states that you may apply for a new drivers licence or to renew your licence through the post or by calling to the Motor Taxation Section in Nenagh. On receipt of the completed drivers licence application, the section aim to issue you with your licence within three working days.

While this may be the aim of the said County Council the reality of the situation is far from the stated target.

North Tipperary TD Deputy Noel Coonan stated:

“The Council is currently processing applications for mid January and is endeavouring to address the arrears as soon as possible. People deserve a more efficient service  from the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government which governs County Councils. Applicants should not to be left without a valid drivers licence through no fault of their own. Constituents are frustrated with waiting times as they try to comply with policing laws, which require persons to be in possession of a driving licence when driving.
I’ve been in contact with the Council to assess the problem, seek a solution and offer any help I can give. Officials informed me that there is currently a backlog in the motor tax section in connection with the issuing of driving licences and this has  arisen since last November.
The Head of Finance has informed me that in normal circumstances the staffing levels should be able to deal with the level of transactions in the section but due to circumstances outside of the Council’s control arrears have built up. The Council has recently allocated additional staff to address the arrears. It is also intended to re-assign additional staff to Motor Tax and Council management is seeking clarification from a Trade Union with regard to this proposal.
I welcome this response from Liam McCarthy, Head of Finance and Corporate Services in North Tipperary County Council and the steps he is taking to help the situation. Staff working in Motor Taxation are undoubtedly working as usual to the best of their ability but hindered by inefficient Government policies that continues to fail the people of North Tipperary.
I’m calling on Minister John Gormley to introduce efficiencies into local government to ensure the public gets the service it is entitled to.” Deputy Coonan concluded.

North Tipperary County Council’s Customer Action Plan 2005 – 2009 further states: We strive to continually improve the services we provide to the public and would welcome any comments or observations from our customers which can be submitted via e-mail to countysecretary@northtippcoco.ie or in writing to Corporate Services Section, North Tipperary County Council, Civic Offices, Limerick Road, Nenagh.

We are told that these Government Ministers are using St Patrick’s Day as an opportunity to [...]]]> Although some senior Government Ministers are staying at home, this coming St. Patrick’s Day, 23 key Government figures are flying to locations around the world to meet with key business and political figures to sell our wares.

We are told that these Government Ministers are using St Patrick’s Day as an opportunity to promote Ireland to locations around the world.

We understand that the Minister for Transport Mr Noel Dempsey will be in Toronto, Canada this St Patrick’s Day, to attend the Ireland Fund’s St Patrick’s day lunch with 1,000 business and political decision makers, meeting clients and their customers at an Enterprise Ireland business breakfast.  It would appear, however, that Mr Dempsey’s “Ministerial Mercedes”, not to mention the vehicles of local TD’s, Local and County Councillors have not driven on the road from Templetuohy to Johnstown in the past three years.

The video hereunder demonstrates the current state of the road presently tolerated and shared by residents and those trying to transact their everyday business in and around Thurles, Templetuohy and the Moyne areas of Co.Tipperary.

We now ask a simple question “Minister, with the greatest respect, how do you promote a country with a secondary road structure familiar, only, to a fourth world State”

While in daylight this road surface is visible, some night soon some unfamiliar stranger to this area is going to loose their life.

Minister Dempsey said in allocating the money his priority had been “to address the most urgently required repairs resulting from the extensive damage caused [...]]]> Transport Minister Noel Dempsey recently announced the investment of some €411.408m in the regional and local roads network for 2010 with priority being given to repairing roads damaged by floods and freezing conditions.

Minister Dempsey said in allocating the money his priority had been “to address the most urgently required repairs resulting from the extensive damage caused by the recent severe weather,” estimated by County Councils to total €180m.

The minister said he had also simplified the grants structure and given more flexibility to local authorities to decide how the funds are spent.

Deputy Noel Coonan

North Tipperary Deputy Noel Coonan said this year’s road grant allocation is almost €5 million less than North Tipperary received in 2009 and falls very short of what is needed to repair the ‘Beirut Blitz’ on our roads throughout the constituency. Deputy Coonan said we have two North Tipperary Government Deputies patting themselves on the back yet again over a job, badly done.

The Regional and Local Road Grant Allocations to Tipperary North (County and Town councils) for 2010 are €11,807,118. The figure for last year was €16,239,338. This is a decrease in funding of almost €5million for the coming year.

Deputy Coonan said:

“While this funding is welcome it is not remotely adequate and we have Government Deputies Lowry andHoctor patting themselves on the back for this allocation which is nowhere near enough to repair the extensive damage from flooding before Christmas and frost after Christmas.

North Tipperary County Council has been operating with its hands tied behind its back waiting for this response, especially following the very bad weather we received. The roads are in an outrageous state in some areas which is a clear example of a totally indecisive Government that has failed to take rapid and immediate action. It lacks the confidence and ability to do so. People are suffering damage to their cars on a daily basis. The €139,000 allocated to Templemore Town Councils is a meager amount in comparison to the €204,000 it received last year for regional and local road maintenance.

Both Nenagh Town Council and Thurles Town Council received €287,000 in 2009 but this has fallen sharply to €195,000 for this year. The Department of Transport should be providing extra funding to rehabilitate the dire state of our roads at the moment but instead has provided an even lesser amount this year. Minister Noel Dempsey said these grants represent a significant investment at a time when public finances are under pressure but it is this Government that has created such pressure and I fear this slashing in funding will impact on safety levels on our local network of roads.”