Thurles, Co. Tipperary Councillor Fails In Her Environmental Responsibility.

While we as residents of Tipperary congratulate and laud the magnificent achievements; the talent and the skills of “Ronan and The Tipperary Team”, against Cork, back on Sunday July 20th last; one person in our midst has sought to abuse their position in Thurles, in search of self-glorification.

The phrase “Ignorance of the law is no excuse” is a legal principle, also known as “ignorantia juris non excusat”, meaning a person cannot escape liability for violating a law, by simply claiming they did not know about it.
If people could avoid responsibility by claiming ignorance, same would undermine the very rule of law itself, thus making it impossible to enforce, fairly, every person’s legal obligations within the State.
The law therefore expects a reasonably prudent person, regardless of their standing in society, to understand and abide by their societal roles, duties, and responsibilities.

This stated, one specific reserved function of elected Irish County Councillors is to approve policies with regards to environmental protection, especially at this time in our history. However, it appears this rule does not apply to one elected councillor, Cllr Kay Cahill-Skehan, latter a resident of Thurles town.

Time and time again in Thurles certain people seeking either election, or self-glorification, continue to damage our trees on roads leading into our town.

Damaging public trees in Ireland is a criminal offence under the Criminal Damage Act 1991 and the Forestry Act 2014, carrying both severe penalties and fines.
The severity of such penalties depends on the nature and extent of the damage, with severe penalties for offences under the Criminal Damage Act.
Local authorities can impose compensation charges for damage to council-owned trees. These trees in question shown in the photographs above, (and one, not shown, existing on the Nenagh road) are all council-owned; paid for by the former North Tipperary Co. Council and sown by Thurles Tidy Towns Committee members, some 30 years ago, in the autumn of 1995.

The tree on the Dublin road has no fewer than 13 tech screws driven deep into its bark to hold up this egotistical and narcissistic sign.
The primary purpose of a tech screw is to fasten metal without needing to drill a pilot hole. They achieve this function by way of a specialized drill-point tip which allows it to drill, tap and secure the screw in one single motion, thus saving time and effort by eliminating the need for a separate pre-drilling process.

Relevant Legislation and Offences
Criminal Damage Act 1991: This act covers damaging property, including public trees, without lawful excuse.
Forestry Act 2014: This act addresses offences related to unlawful tree felling and damage.
Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs): Local authorities can issue TPOs to protect trees on amenity grounds, preventing their removal or damage without consent.

Penalties and Consequences.
Fines: Fines can be substantial, with the Forestry Act 2014 setting penalties up to €25,000 for certain offences.
Local Councils can levy a compensation charge to cover the cost of damage to council-owned trees.
Prosecution: An Garda Síochána can prosecute under the Criminal Damage Act 1991 for damage to council-owned trees.

How to Report Damage or Check Tree Status.
Contact Local Authority: To report damage to a council-owned tree, contact the Planning Department of your local County Council. The posters have been in place for some 8 weeks, with no effort whatsoever to remove same.

The matter has now been reported to Thurles Municipal District Council officials to take necessary action.