“Arrive on Time. Take your time. Leave on time.”
This above stated proverb, is a long-standing, joke which specifically addresses staff working within the Public Service. Same captures how (and maybe why) progress remains crippled here in Ireland by obvious bureaucracy.
Those who want to get things done, cannot, because of red tape and other ridiculous and elaborate procedures which must be gone through, on the whim of those in charge, who insist that such and such must be undertaken, before any objective is achieved.
This can be clearly seen when monthly communication audits are taken to help monitor the workload and efficiency of communication processes, such as letters received, letters sent, or processed within a monthly time frame, here within our Civil Service. Indeed many a public service sewage system has been found to be heavily blocked by smiling plumbers, after public service staff members had attempted to reduce the content of their heavily stacked ‘Correspondence Inwards Trays’.
Speaking of sewage systems, this same overall attitude was confirmed last evening to a 40 person gathering on the scented, down wind side of the River Suir.
The informative meeting came as a result of an event organised, through the good auspices of Thurles Lions Club as part of Irish Heritage Week. Here representatives from varying local organisations were gathered together, to hearken to officials from our Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO).
To tell the truth LAWPRO officials did give a good account of themselves; explaining their actual remit and their progress in solving the unacceptable state of the upper river Suir region, to current date.
However, following a question and answer session, the meeting quickly revealed that the only people who really care about the river Suir were a small few well meaning civic minded locals, that give up their time weekly to wade through effluent, risking their health to pull out cans, bottles, discarded clothing item and supermarket trolleys from this waterway.
However, after last night’s meeting, even their efforts may now be paralysed. They may get LAWPRO funding for waders, but efforts to actively clean the river are to be discouraged for a number of future years and for reasons that are difficult to understand.
This was evidenced in many ways, e.g. No elected politicians were present, despite Mr Michael Lowry (Ind) and Mr Ryan O’Meara (FF), both having offices in Thurles town. Since it wasn’t an election year, Mr Alan Kelly (Lab), as expected, was also conspicuous by his absence.
No members of the local press, radio and local businesses, could be attracted either, to be in attendance. Only one local councillor, namely Fine Gael Cllr Ms Peggy Ryan, (recently elected Cathaoirleach of Thurles Municipal District), emerged into the light, anxious no doubt to demonstrate the capacity of women to succeed in politics, as she clearly states in her online internet profile.
So, what news was gleaned from ‘The Scented Side’ of the River Suir in Thurles last evening?
First, it is essential that our readers view HERE a report, received and accepted, in a press release, by journalist Mr Eoin Kelleher, published on line by the Irish Independent newspaper dated Thursday September 2024, time 15:18pm, also published by the Tipperary Star newspaper and broadcast on Local Radio.
This information, published above, was contradicted by Cllr Ms Peggy Ryan and sadly same is now confirmed, since almost one year later (Sept. 2024), no plan for this area currently exists; no discussions with local interested parties has taken place and no application for funding has ever been sought.
As a wise teacher once said to me as a pupil, “Walk your talk”, and yes, most people will agree that we can do more for the care of our local river Suir, than to dot a couple of biodiversity signs, showing a Bumble Bee stuck in the head of Knapweed flower, latter a non-existent plant to be found located anywhere along the Suir-side walk.
To be totally honest and to speak freely, when it comes to the River Suir, an outsider could be forgiven for thinking that protecting our biodiversity looks a lot like total dereliction; complete disregard for our local environment; utter negligence and deliberate carelessness.
All of the questions asked at yesterday’s meeting remained unanswered. However, based on the difficult progresses being experienced by LAWPRO as a consequence of trying to deal with Uisce Éireann (Irish Water), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Inland Fisheries Ireland, the Farming Community and Tipperary Co. Council, the area of the river Suir, situated in the centre of Thurles, is unlikely to be cleaned up within the next 5 years.
Speaking privately, to one of the LAWPRO officials in attendance last evening, I was informed that Tipperary County Council were responsible for the current state of the River Suir, however were there any work to be undertaken by volunteers, LAWPRO stated, that if alerted, they would certainly raise objections.
That said, I wonder could we find 50 able-bodied persons to assemble with wellies, spades and other equipment at the ready, for an hour or so, after work – say 6:30pm – 8:00pm, to claim back our river.
We could call ourselves “The Coalition Of The Willing”, pledged to the strengthening of our local environment. Anyone with guts and interested can contact me on Facebook, sure if we wore Covid-19 masks, we would have the job finished before Tipperary officials, not yet returned from their well deserved vacations and who would take a couple of weeks later, to realise what had actually happened.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to Thurles Lions Club, LAWPRO Officials and those who attended and expressed views at the event.
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