Thurles Information

Gardaí are warning motorists with regards the purchasing of fake driving licences for considerable sums of money.

They warn that while the proposition of buying a fake licence may be appealing to those persons finding difficulty with passing their driving test; same is illegal and warrants a serious criminal fraud offence.

Gardaí claim that an increasing number of fake driving licences are currently being identified, particularly in counties bordering on the east side of Co. Tipperary. Gardaí are also aware of online posts across social media, which currently offer these fake licences.

Gardaí warn that same fake licenses even if they appear to be of superb quality; the driver number cannot be matched on the National Driver Licence Service, (NDLS) system. Gardaí now routinely scan all licenses on a mobility device, which immediately highlight such imitations thus leading to an arrest.

If you drive with a fake driving license, or indeed with no license; you are driving without insurance, latter in itself a serious offence, on top of the no driving licence offence.

Attestation Of New Garda Members Welcomed At Templemore Co. Tipperary Training College.

• 24 Gardaí – 6 women and 18 men – attested in Templemore today.
• Further recruitment campaign to be launched in the coming months to build stronger, safer communities.
• 1,000 new Gardaí to be recruited this year under Budget 2023.
• 200 recruits to enter Garda college every 11 weeks from next month.

The Minister for Justice, Mr Simon Harris TD, has welcomed the attestations of 24 members of An Garda Síochána at the Garda College, Templemore today, ahead of a significant acceleration of recruitment this year.

The newly attested members have now completed their training and will be placed in Garda Divisions throughout the country.

Minister Harris said: “I want to congratulate the recruits passing out in Templemore today. Their commitment to the security of the people of Ireland and to building stronger, safer communities is something which is to be commended and which we are all grateful for.
An Garda Síochána works tirelessly to ensure that people all over the country can go about their daily lives safely and securely. Much of this Trojan work goes unseen, and occasions like today’s attestation ceremony are important opportunities to recognise and acknowledge the efforts of our Gardaí.
In return, it is the role of Government to support the work of An Garda Síochána and my Department is committed to providing that support by way of unprecedented funding and strong legislation.
I particularly welcome that, from next month, we will see 200 recruits enter the college every 11 weeks to meet our target, funded in Budget 2023, of recruiting 1,000 new Gardaí in 2023.
In the coming months, we will launch a new recruitment campaign for An Garda Síochána to ensure we have a steady pipeline of recruits entering Templemore over the coming years.
I wish the new recruits every success in their careers.”

Budget 2023 reflects the commitment of Government to ensuring that our communities are safe 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 €2.14 billion for 2023.
In recent weeks, Minister Harris also announced an additional capital allocation of €21.5 million to support significant investment in a replacement helicopter and fixed wing plane for An Garda Síochána.

While recruitment was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, today’s group of new recruits is one in a steady stream of groups which will continue to join the ranks of An Garda Síochána regularly throughout this year and the years to come.
The first recruits from the 2022 recruitment campaign will begin their training in Templemore soon and a new recruitment campaign will launch in the coming months.

Of the 24 attesting today, 18 are men, 6 are women, with 4 of the new recruits born outside of the Irish State.

Far-right individuals causing fear and concern within Irish communities.

Also in attendance and speaking at the garda graduation ceremony in Templemore, Co. Tipperary was the Garda Commissioner Mr Drew Harris. Speaking on RTE News this evening and referring to a number of demonstrations which have taken place recently, against the housing of refugees and asylum seekers in Dublin; Commissioner Harris confirmed that inquiries are ongoing into what he described as “a small number of far-right individuals”, who have and are using public protests to pursue their own sinister agendas, thus through misinformation are disrupting and causing considerable fear and concern within certain communities.

Commissioner Harris said that while most protests remain peaceful, Gardaí have become strongly aware of what is actually happening on the ground and also in the background. Gardaí are continuing their inquiries into these protest groups, who are known to have alternative motives. He further stated that such motives were being driven by prejudice and have a sinister agenda, adding that Gardaí will act when there is a breach of the criminal law.
Video footage of these protests, randomly shared on social media by individuals, regrettably, fails to explain what is truely going on behind the scenes.

Tipperary Roads Policing Unit, in the last number of days, patrolling the Roscrea area, identified a motor vehicle attempting to evade Gardaí.
The vehicle was halted before being seized for no Insurance, no NCT and no Motor Tax. The driver of the vehicle was also arrested on suspicion of Drug Driving, having failed a DrugWipe test for Cannabis.

On January 7th last, Tipperary Roads Policing Unit halted a vehicle for having a densely tinted windscreen and side windows. An examination which was carried out, confirmed that the driver, as a result of the tinting, had poor visibility of the roadway, which is both illegal and constituted a danger to other road users.
The driver was also arrested on suspicion of Drug Driving, having failed a DrugWipe test for Cocaine.