Crime - Thurles Information

Gardaí Offer Safety Tips To Communities For Christmas.

1 – Numerous online Shopping Frauds are reported annually to An Garda Síochána. These frauds increase in number every year.

2 – If you are out this Christmas, take care when carrying your handbag, wallet or smart phone. Keep them in a safe location.

3 – If you are out this Christmas, also take care about where you store coats and handbags.

4 – At ATM’s, only take out as much money as you need. Cover your pin number and call the Gardaí if you believe the machine has been compromised.

5 – Park vehicles in well lit & secure areas. Take care of your Christmas shopping and never leave it unattended, especially if visible in your car.

6 – Secure all car doors and windows. Set the car alarm. Report all thefts, or suspicious activity to Gardaí & Security staff.

7 – Avoid burglaries at Christmas by securing all doors and windows and do use your home alarm system.

8 – Don’t leave Christmas presents in view from the outside of your home.

9 – If you’re expecting deliveries, always make sure someone is there to collect it or arrange for a trusted neighbour to take it in.

10 – Avoid alerting criminals to valuable goods inside your home. Recycle packaging carefully so they cannot see what has been delivered.

11 – If you are visiting family or friends this Christmas, make your own home look occupied; leave some lights on.

12 – Drink alcohol responsibly. Never, ever drink and drive.

Special Note of Warning to the Business Community: The business community are frequently targeted by fraudsters using stolen or compromised credit cards, bank accounts or payments, in what is called Card Not Present Fraud. Businesses who are victims of this fraud will suffer losses under the ‘charge back’ process.

Minister For Justice Helen McEntee Welcomes Attestation Of New 151 Gardaí.

151 Gardaí – 38 women and 113 men – will be placed in Divisions throughout the country for immediate deployment.
115 Gardaí from this intake to be deployed in the Dublin Region.
New recruitment campaign to be launched on 15th January to help build stronger, safer communities.
Next intake of recruits will enter Templemore College on 27th December.

The Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee TD, has welcomed the attestation of 151 members of An Garda Síochána at the Garda College, Templemore, today.

The attestation of the new Gardaí was brought forward by one month to allow for improved Garda visibility over the Christmas period.

Of the 151 attesting today, 113 are men and 38 are women. 11 of the new recruits were born outside of the State. 115 of the new Garda Members will be deployed in the Dublin Region.

Minister McEntee said: “I want to congratulate the recruits attesting in Templemore today, and I want to thank this group particularly for the commitment and flexibility they have shown in being deployed a month earlier than they had expected. It is a shining example of the dedication to public service that makes An Garda Síochána the envy of many police services around the world.
Their commitment to building stronger, safer communities is something to be commended and which we are all grateful for.
Garda recruitment is well and truly back up and running and I am delighted to be able to announce that a new Garda recruitment campaign will launch on 15 January 2023.
This will be the first recruitment campaign since we increased the age limit from 35 to 50 and Budget 2024 also provides for a 66% increase in the weekly training allowance for Garda trainees.”

The 151 newly-attested Gardaí will be assigned to Garda Divisions throughout the country for immediate deployment. 115 are being deployed to the Dublin Region. They will return to Templemore to complete their exams in due course.

Budget 2024 reflects the commitment of Government to building stronger, safer communities and that An Garda Síochána has the resources required to operate effectively.

The budget provided by Government to the Garda Commissioner continues to increase to unprecedented levels, with an allocation of €2.3 billion for 2024.

The ongoing financial support provides for better technology, better wellbeing supports, and importantly it will fund the ongoing recruitment of between 800 and 1,000 new Gardaí throughout next year. It also provides for a 66% increase in the weekly Garda training allowance, rising to €305 per week.

Garda recruitment is building momentum and there was a very strong interest in the 2022 and 2023 Garda recruitment campaigns.

A new recruitment campaign for the Garda Reserve will also take place in early 2024 – the first such recruitment campaign since 2017.

Irish Cabinet Approval Received For Draft Facial Recognition Technology Bill.

Retrospective use of FRT to be permitted to assist Gardaí when they are searching CCTV footage and help build stronger, safer communities.
Cabinet approves riot and violent disorder in list of offences for which Facial Recognition Technology can be used.
Oireachtas Justice Committee asked to examine if FRT can be used for further offences.

The Irish Government has given approval to publish the General Scheme of the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2023, which will allow An Garda Síochána to use Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) in specific circumstances.
FRT is expected to save thousands of Garda working hours, by allowing the use of biometric identification to retrospectively search CCTV, thus building stronger and safer communities.
In light of the riots in Dublin City Centre on the 23rd November last, Cabinet approval for the offences of riot and violent disorder is now to be included in the proposed scope of FRT.

The maximum penalty for each of these offences is an unlimited fine, a prison sentence of up to 10 years, or both. In addition to asking the Oireachtas Justice Committee to conduct pre-legislative scrutiny, the Committee will now be asked to consider an additional list of serious offences for possible inclusion in the schedule of offences in the Bill.

The publication of the draft FRT Bill follows shortly after the passage through the Oireachtas, on November 29th 2023, of the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023, which was signed into law on the December 5th last.

This Act will allow An Garda Síochána to rollout bodycams from next spring, beginning in Dublin city centre. It will also provide for a robust and modern statutory framework for the use by An Garda Síochána of recording devices and the processing of video and audio data, to support their functions in investigating, detecting, preventing, prosecuting criminal offences, safeguarding against and preventing threats to public safety, public order, and in matters relating to the overall security of the State.

The draft FRT Bill will amend the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023 in order to give effect to the Government decision to provide that biometric identification may be used by An Garda Síochána.
Under the present Data Protection Act 2018, it is not possible for An Garda Síochána to process biometric data without a clear statutory basis being put in place.
The power to utilise biometric identification using facial images (often referred to as facial recognition technology) needs to be explicitly provided for and is set out in this General Scheme.

There has been an explosion in the use of digital data in criminal investigations, and that without adequate data analysis tools, the length of criminal investigations will increase.
Already Gardaí have to trawl through thousands of hours of CCTV, (12,000 hours in the case of the Dublin riot. The introduction of Facial Recognition Technology will dramatically save time, speed up investigations and free up Garda resources.
Reducing the amount of time it takes Gardaí to go through video footage will be of particular help where time is of the essence, following a very serious crime having been committed. It is regarded, in the interests of all parties, not least victims of crime, to have criminal investigations pursued as effectively and rapidly as is possible.

The General Scheme is intended to provide for the use of biometric identification, using facial images, by An Garda Síochána for an exhaustive list of the most serious of offences. It will only provide for a limited form of retrospective use of biometric identification which can assist An Garda Síochána when they are searching CCTV footage and data.

This draft Bill will provide for retrospective searching of images which are legally in the possession of An Garda Síochána, through the safe and ethical use of biometric identification in the following circumstances only:

Where a serious offence is suspected, as listed in the Schedule of the General Scheme.
The use of biometric identification is necessary and proportionate in that specific case.
Each particular use of biometric identification is authorised in writing in advance by a Chief Superintendent and a record of that authorisation maintained.

The Government decision today has expanded this to include riot and public disorder. Such use can only be in the context of the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of one or more of the criminal offences listed in the Schedule or for the protection of the security of the State.
It is also important to note that there are numerous provisions included in the General Scheme which provide safeguards and oversight of the powers granted to An Garda Síochána.

While allowing An Garda Síochána access to technology to assist them in performing their function, the power provided must be subject to sufficient safeguards and oversight to ensure the use of this technology is necessary and proportionate at all times.
This draft Bill ensures that there is a requirement for a statutory code of practice, including requirements to conduct data protection and human rights impact assessments.
Not only does it ensure that the requirements for a code of practice covers the use of this type of biometric identification, it also ensures that any code created under these provisions, will have to be approved by the Houses of the Oireachtas.
We understand that there will also be judicial oversight. The designated judge of the High Court will have to report to the Taoiseach annually and this report will be laid before the Oireachtas.

The General Scheme will now be submitted to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice for pre-legislative scrutiny and to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel for drafting.
The Oireachtas Justice Committee will consider an additional list of serious offences which FRT could be used to investigate. While they are not subject to a penalty on conviction of up to life imprisonment, however many carry very significant sentences (e.g. some have max sentences of 14 years).
They comprise additional sexual and child exploitation offences and other serious violent offences for which biometric identification is likely to be effective and are subject to extremely serious penalties.

A full list of the offences being referred to the Committee include: Abduction/False Imprisonment; Aggravated Sexual Assault; Rape; Child Sexual Abuse; Aggravated Burglary; Causing serious harm; Homicide; Riot and Violent Disorder and Robbery.

Fully Restored Statue Of Archbishop Leahy To Be Blessed On Sunday Next.

The decapitated statue of Archbishop Patrick Leahy D.D., latter Archbishop of Cashel from 1857-1875, and which was wilfully vandalised, has now been fully restored.

Most Rev. Patrick Leahy, D.D.
Archbishop of Cashel 1857-1875

The statue, which depicts his right hand holding a breviary, stands 8ft (2.4384m) in height, on a limestone pedestal 7ft (2.1336m) high; attired in his episcopal soutane, rochet and mozetta, with his head uncovered, stood in the front yard of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Thurles.

Alas, the statue first erected 112 years ago, in 1911, was wilfully and shamefully decapitated in a gross act of vandalism, in late June 2019.

The statue harmonised well with its surroundings until the night of June 28th, 2019 when it was decapitated; latter occurring in the same month, 140 years exactly, after the Cathedral was solemnly consecrated.

The statue’s limestone pedestal was initially fashioned in Cashel, Co. Tipperary, by one, Mr Best and consists of four great blocks, chiselled, moulded and panelled, in accordance with the designs of one Mr J.C. Ashlin* of Dublin. The pedestal and statue, is long regarded as a work of fine art, and was erected by Messrs. Leahy Brothers of Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

[*Note: The architect for the building was J.J. McCarthy, while B. McMullen was the main builder, while the aforementioned J.C. Ashlin was responsible for the enclosing walls, railings and much of the other finished work.]

The statue was highly regarded at the time of being erected by those who knew and remembered Dr. Leahy; latter who stated that it was “an admirable and a remarkable likeness of him portraying his fine commanding presence and his handsome features”.
An inscription on the limestone pedestal declares, “In commemoration of the Most Rev. Patrick Leahy, D.D., Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, 1857-1875, by whom this Cathedral Church of the Assumption was erected”.

A lengthy Garda investigation was initiated in the weeks which followed, however despite a €1,000 reward, the head of the statue was never recovered and those responsible were never brought to justice.

The restoration work has been carried out by sculptor Mr Stephen Burke, fashioned using photographs of the original statue and a portrait of Archbishop Leahy.
The now restored statue will officially be blessed on Sunday next and this blessing will be followed by the annual Cathedral Carol Service.

Interesting to note that, being free from debt, Thurles Cathedral which replaced the ‘Big Chapel’, was eventually solemnly consecrated on Saturday, June 21st 1879. It was Archbishop Thomas William Croke whose statue stands on west Liberty Square, Thurles, who performed the ceremony himself including the consecration of the High Altar.

Bishop William Fitzgerald, Roman Catholic Bishop of Ross who consecrated Thurles Cathedral’s Sacred Heart Altar.

Bishop Francis McCormack, then Bishop of Achonry, (1871 to 1887) (latter consisting of twenty-three parishes in Counties Roscommon, Sligo, and Mayo), and later Bishop of Tuam, Co. Galway, who consecrated Thurles Cathedral’s Altar of the Blessed Virgin.
[Note: History notes that Bishop Francis McCormack’s nephew was Captain Patrick McCormack, one of the Cairo Gang assassinated on Bloody Sunday (1920) on the instructions of Michael Collins, then Director of Intelligence of the Irish Republican Army].
Bishop Francis McCormack, died in 1909 and is buried in Galway Cathedral crypt, [His papers are stored in the Diocesan archive].

Male Arrested Following €100,000 Drugs Seizure In North Tipperary.

A young man has been arrested following the seizure in Nenagh, Co Tipperary of approximately €100,000 worth of cocaine.

The search was undertaken as part of ‘Operation Thor’ by Gardaí from the Divisional Task Force, who were assisted by the Divisional Drugs Unit, the Garda Dog Unit and Gardaí from within the Nenagh District.
Operation Thor actively targets organised crime gangs and repeat offenders through co-ordinated crime prevention and enforcement activity, based on intelligence and the latest burglary trends.

The man arrested in connection with the search is understood to be aged in his 20s, and remains currently detained at a Garda station in the Tipperary area; held under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996.

The drugs will now be forwarded for analysis t be undertaken by Forensic Science Ireland.

Garda investigations surrounding the drugs seizure are continuing.