Thurles Information

International Women’s Day – “We All Have A Responsibility To Change Attitudes”.

Ministers Naomi Long MLA and Helen McEntee TD have marked International Women’s Day by emphasising the importance of working together to challenge and change public attitudes on consent and rape myths.

Minister Naomi Long said, “Whilst sexual crime can affect anyone, we recognise that women and girls are disproportionally affected. We want to use the platform of International Women’s Day to highlight these issues, but also to encourage people across our society to have the conversations that could contribute to increasing understanding and knowledge of sexual consent and to tackle the rape myths that exist in society.

I am committed to continuing to work collaboratively to share learning and research, and to ensure we do everything that we can to raise awareness of these issues. But society also has a huge role to play.

Starting to educate our children and young people at an early age about healthy relationships, boundaries and appropriate behaviour is also key to changing cultural and societal attitudes to both women and sexual violence.”

Minister Helen McEntee said, “Minister Long and I share a deep commitment to ensuring that people, particularly women and vulnerable people, feel safe and are safe in every community across the island of Ireland. As part of our work to deliver this we are committed to ensuring there is zero tolerance for violence and abuse against women.

I was pleased to update Minister Long on the development of the third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence which will be built on four pillars – Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Policy Co-Ordination. A public consultation on the draft Strategy is currently open, following which I will bring it to Government.

An important focus of the prevention pillar of this new strategy will be looking at how we continue to work across Government and across society to change attitudes so that unacceptable behaviours are rejected in all settings and a positive shared understanding of the meaning and importance of consent is promoted. I look forward to continuing working closely with our colleagues in Northern Ireland to advance this shared aim.”

Ministers Long and McEntee meet regularly to discuss cross border co-operation on criminal justice matters. Work ongoing to tackle these issues includes the implementation of recommendations arising out of the review of Sir John Gillen and Supporting a Victim’s Journey.

The findings of a recent survey on rape myths carried out by the Northern Ireland Department of Justice received 2,400 responses. Over 87% of respondents said that rape myths were either very or somewhat prevalent in Northern Ireland. The results of the survey will inform work to raise awareness in this area, as recommended in the Gillen Review.

Cocaine Valued At €8,000, Seized In Clonmel.

Last Friday, March 4th 2022, members of the Clonmel District Drugs Unit, assisted by uniformed Gardaí, conducted a search in the Fethard Road area of Clonmel.

During the course of the search Cocaine with an estimated street value of €8,000 (pending analysis) was seized.

Investigations are ongoing.

TUS LSAD To Host International “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights” Exhibition.

TUS LSAD to host Internationally Acclaimed “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights” exhibition, as part of International Women’s Day.

This exhibition, by international artists, is open to the public free of charge, and also features an interpretation of the work by TUS LSAD students.

Students from TUS Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD) are adding their voice to an International Posters Exhibition on Gender-based Inequality, Violence and Discrimination, which will open in the TUS LSAD Gallery this International Women’s Day, tomorrow Tuesday March 8th, 2022.

**Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD) Women’s Rights Expo.**

The weeklong exhibition entitled “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights” will run until Friday March 11th, as one of a number of events across the Technological University of the Shannon’s (TUS) six campuses, (Thurles, Limerick, Athlone, Clonmel and Ennis), to mark International Women’s Day.

Women’s Rights Are Humans Rights: International Posters on Gender-based Inequality, Violence and Discrimination is an exhibition of posters created by both men and women to celebrate and acknowledge the vital role that all citizens play in protecting and promoting human rights, while challenging gender inequality and stereotypes, advancing reproductive and sexual rights, protecting women and girls against brutality, and promoting women’s empowerment, education and participation in society.

TUS LSAD students have responded to the exhibition and created similarly-themed women’s rights and advocacy posters using RISO print and AR (augmented-reality) elements. This work will exhibit alongside the acclaimed international exhibition, originally organized and curated by Elizabeth Resnick, Professor Emerita, Graphic Design, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston.

TUS Vice President People Culture & EDI Marian Duggan said the poster exhibition argues for the empowerment of women, the achievement of equality between the genders and the elimination of discrimination against women and girls.

“We at TUS are particularly proud of the work of our LSAD students, of all genders, who have responded so well to the theme of Women’s Rights are Human Rights. Their work brings a local as well as global dimension to the exhibition, while also giving insight into the awareness of the challenges of gender inequality among the next generation of leaders, artists and teachers.”

Tamlyn Young, lecturer in Graphic Design Communications and Animation TUS LSAD, added, “We would encourage the public to visit the free exhibition to not only view the powerful posters created by artists from all over the world, but to come and engage with our students’ work by downloading the Artivive app to their phones which will allow them to view the student’s posters through a three-dimensional augmented reality.”

The launch of the “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights” exhibition will take place in the TUS LSAD Gallery, Clare Street Limerick at 6:00pm on March 8th, 2022 and will run until Friday March 11th, 2022.

Hospitalisations Associated With Covid-19 Increase Sharply Over Past Weekend.

The Department of Health, in the Republic of Ireland has confirmed a further 7,143 new cases of Covid-19, over the past 24 hours,

Today, 2,383 cases were confirmed by PCR test, while 4,760 positive antigen test results were uploaded to the HSE portal, with hospitalisations associated with the virus increasing sharply over the past weekend.
There are 808 patients hospitalised with the virus as of this morning, up from 670 confirmed on Friday and with 47 people in intensive care, up from 43 reported on the same date.

Figures for the number of cases logged over the weekend have also been released, with 7,918 cases logged on Saturday and 4,791 on Sunday.

The total number of Covid-19-related deaths in the Republic of Ireland, since the start of the pandemic, sadly stands at 6,531.

In Northern Ireland, another 2,053 confirmed cases of the virus were notified in the last 24-hour reporting period, up from 1,725 cases on yesterday.

On Monday morning, there were 466 Covid-19 patients in northern hospitals, with just two in intensive care units.
Sadly, 2 more people, who had previously tested positive for Covid-19, have died in the Northern Ireland region, bringing the total number of deaths linked to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic to 3,232.

Promised €200 Energy Rebate To Be Paid From April Next.

Last month, the Irish government announced a range of measures to help with the rising cost of living. One of these measures agreed was a once-off payment of €100, later doubled to €200; same to be deducted from all electricity bills, over the next billing period.

Around 2.25 million account holders will now benefit from this scheme, the decision having been officially signed into legislation by Irish President Mr Michael D Higgins.

Following this, a once-off payment of €200, now due, will be automatically deducted from all electricity bills, including Pay-As-You-Go customers, within the Irish Republic.

Households do not need to apply for the payment and account holders will see the money automatically taken off their bill. From next month consumers will see €200, (exclusive of VAT €176.22), as a credit line item on their twice monthly bill charges.

With regards to Pay-As-You-Go customers, this €200 electricity credit will be applied over the course of three separate top-ups, in the form of €90, €90 and €20; since meters have a €300 credit limit. Customers will be advised only to pay €10 on each occasion to receive their credit, and to allow one day between each payment.

Anyone with multiple electricity accounts will get the payment for each house.

You can view your supplier’s website to obtain further information if required.