Employment « Thurles Information

Tipperary Population Growth According To Census 2022 Summary Results.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) at the end of May this year, 2023, published their Census 2022 Summary Results, which details the population changes at a national level since April 2016.
They have also broken down the results on a county by county level, highlighting some of the main changes, and a full list of all county press releases are available, including county Tipperary, HERE.

Summary Results for Co. Tipperary.
Census 2022 shows that the population of Tipperary grew by 5% to 167,895, which concludes that the number of people in the county rose by 8,342 between April 2016 and April 2022. Over the same period, Ireland’s population grew by 8% from 4,761,865 to 5,149,139.

Tipperary Population – Males and Females.
Of Tipperary’s population, 84,256 were female and 83,639 were male, which means there were 99 males for every 100 females. In Ireland, overall, there were 2,604,590 females and 2,544,549 males or 98 males for every 100 females.

Population by Age.
The average age of Tipperary’s population in April 2022 was 40.3 years, compared with 38.6 years in April 2016. Nationally, the average age of the population was 38.8, up from 37.4 in April 2016.

The number of people aged 65 and over continues to grow. This age group increased by 20% to 29,356 in Tipperary, and by 22% to 776,315 at a national level since 2016.

Dual Irish Citizens.
In Tipperary, the number of dual Irish citizens increased from 2,329 to 3,904, while non-Irish citizens accounted for 9% of the county’s population. Nationally, dual Irish citizenship increased by 63% from 104,784 to 170,597 people and non-Irish citizens made up 12% of the population.

Divorce and Separations
The proportion of separated and divorced people in Tipperary remained steady at 7% of the population (aged 15 and over), compared to 6% in 2016. The national comparison was 6% in both 2022 and 2016.

Health.
In 2022, 83% of people in Tipperary stated that their health was good or very good, compared with 87% in 2016. This is a similar trend to the national figures, which also showed a 4% decrease in the good/very good categories, from 87% to 83%.

Irish Speakers.
The number of people (aged three and over) who stated that they could speak Irish in Tipperary was 66,003 compared with 65,391 in 2016. Within this figure 1,258 said they spoke Irish daily while 3,540 spoke Irish weekly.
Nationally, 1,873,997 people stated they were able to speak Irish, with 71,968 speaking Irish daily and 115,065 speaking it weekly.

Employment.
There were 73,207 people (aged 15 and over) at work in Tipperary, an increase of 9,735 people (+15%) between 2016 and 2022. Nationally, there were 313,656 additional people (+16%) at work.

Working From Home.
In Tipperary, 17,665 people (aged 15 and over) worked from home at least one day a week in 2022. This represented 24% of the workforce. The national figure was 32%.

Childcare.
This was a new question for Census 2022. There were 33,286 children aged 15 and under in Tipperary in April 2022. Of these, 12,173 (37%) were in childcare, compared with 33% nationally.

Tenure.
In 2022, in Tipperary 69% of households owned their own home, with a further 24% renting. This compared with 66% of households owning their home nationally and 28% renting.

Housing Stock.

Between April 2016 and April 2022, housing stock in the county grew by 2% from 69,106 to 70,608. The number of vacant dwellings decreased by 15% from 7,493 to 6,344 and the number of holiday homes rose by 8% from 1,009 to 1,093. Nationally, the housing stock grew by more than 5% from 2,003,645 to 2,112,121. The number of vacant dwellings fell by almost 20,000 (-11%) to 163,433 and the number of holiday homes rose by 8% from 62,148 to 66,956.

It is important to note that a dwelling classified as vacant for census purposes does not necessarily imply that it is available for re-use. Census vacancy is essentially a point in time measure which may be different to other reported measures of vacancy which may focus more on longer term vacancy. For more information on the census definition of vacancy, please see Editor’s Notes below.

Housing Tenure (Owners and Renters).
In April 2022, 43,024 of homes were owner-occupied in Tipperary, compared with 42,030 in April 2016. The number of homes owned with a mortgage or loan fell by 8% from 17,616 to 16,256 since Census 2016 while the number of homes owned outright (without a loan or mortgage) increased by 10%, from 24,414 to 26,768. Homes rented from private landlords showed a 6% increase from 7,894 to 8,336. Nationally, 66% of homes were owner occupied. Some 531,207 homes were owned with a mortgage or loan, while almost 680,000 homes were owned without a mortgage or loan, which was up 11% from 2016. More than 330,000 homes were rented from a private landlord, an increase of 7% since 2016.

There was a significant increase of 83% (up to almost 17,000 households) in the number of over 65s renting from a private landlord in the State. In Tipperary, the number of homes rented in the 65 and over age group was 502 (which was a 92% increase). In the 60 to 64 age group, it was up 83% compared with 69% nationally.

Census 2022 shows that by the age of 36, more than half of householders in Tipperary owned their own home (with or without a mortgage or loan). Nationally this age was 36. This age, which marks the changeover between home ownership and renting, has been increasing over time, up from 26 years in 1991, 27 years in 2002, 28 years in 2006, 32 years in 2011, and 35 years in 2016.
Rent Increases

Renters have continued to face large increases in the amount of rent they pay. Between the 2016 and 2022 censuses, the average weekly rent paid to a private landlord in Tipperary in April 2022 was €161, which was a 30% increase on 2016. The average weekly rent paid to a private landlord (at national level) rose to €273, up €73 (37%). This was more than double the rate of increase (17%) between 2011 and 2016.

Vacancy.
Many properties classed as vacant in the census may only be vacant for a short period of time and for a wide variety of reasons including homes for sale, rent, new build or renovation, owner in a nursing home, etc. However, there were more than 2,242 dwellings classed as vacant both in the 2016 and 2022 censuses in Tipperary, which could be an indication of a longer-term vacancy status. Nationally the figure was just under 48,000.

The Census definition of a vacant dwelling is a point in time indicator taken on Census night which in these cases means that the dwellings were vacant on the census nights for both 2016 and 2022. (For more information on the census definition of vacancy, please see the Editors notes below).
Data from New Household Questions

Census 2022 included new household questions on the number of working smoke alarms and how we use renewable energy sources in our homes. Tipperary had 3,145 homes with no smoke alarms. Homes with solar panels amounted to 4,220 which was 7% of occupied dwellings in the county. Nationally, almost 72,000 homes had no smoke alarms and 119,300 or 6% of occupied homes had solar panels fitted.

Recruitment Campaign For Irish Prison Officers Due To Commence.

The Irish Prison Service are inviting applications from suitably qualified persons, who wish to be considered for inclusion on a panel from which vacancies for Recruit Prison Officer may be filled.

The Irish Prison Service is responsible for the provision of safe, secure and humane custody for those people committed to prison by the Courts.

The Public Appointments Service, on behalf of the Irish Prison Service, intends to recruit up to 250 Prison Officers in 2023, with an additional 300 in 2024.

The last recruitment competition was held in 2022 and was very successful with over 2,000 persons making applications.

Note: The 2023 ‘Recruit Prison Officer Competition’ closes at 3:00pm, on Thursday 28th September 2023.

Information can be found on the Public Service Appointments website HERE.

Tipperary & Waterford Retained Firefighters Began Two Day Strike Action Today.

Retained firefighters in counties Tipperary and Waterford Began Two Days Of Strike Action Today

Unite union members, working as retained firefighters in Co. Tipperary and Co. Waterford, began a further two days strike action today Thursday August 3rd, and will continue their action tomorrow Friday August 4th.

These two days of strike action represent a further escalation of an industrial dispute which has arisen due to the continued refusal of the Local Government Management Association (LGMA), representing local authorities, to engage with the Unite union over workforce concerns.

Retained firefighters, who form the backbone of Ireland’s firefighting service, have seen retainers and call-out fees frozen for years, while the location requirements make it difficult or impossible for workers to supplement their low earnings with other employment.
Retained firefighters are also seeking structured and predictable ‘off-call’ times, rather than as is currently the reality operating on a 24/7 basis.

Tim Lucey Appointed CEO Of Rásaíocht Con Éireann.

**Rásaíocht Con Éireann CEO Mr Tim Lucey**.

The Board of Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) / Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI) has announced the appointment of Mr Tim Lucey as the organisation’s new CEO.

Mr. Lucey has been Chief Executive of Cork County Council since 2014. During his expansive career in Local Government, he also has served as Manager of Cork City Council (2010-2014).

Tim Lucey is an experienced Chief Executive, having served the last 9 years as Chief Executive of Cork County Council, after progressing from a 4-year period in the same role at Cork City Council. He previously held the position of assistant County Manager (for North Cork) and Head Of Corporate Affairs for Cork County Council.

The native of Bandon in County Cork, who will assume his new CEO role in November 2023, has led transformational change in the Local Government sector with a focus on investment in corporate development, commercial thinking and supporting the importance of rural, community, and cultural aspects of Ireland’s fabric, while at the same time securing significant investment in infrastructure, urban and business growth.

He is a member of the Institute of Directors and a member of the Board of the Institute of Public Administration (IPA), the Local Government Management Agency and Promoting Cork Ltd, and has extensive qualifications in accountancy, company direction and business.

“I am honoured to accept the position of CEO and I am very much looking forward to working with the Board of Directors and staff of RCÉ and the vibrant greyhound community across Ireland,” commented Mr. Lucey.

Mr. Lucey continued, “I am committed to using my extensive experience in corporate leadership and management, crisis management, communications and stakeholder engagement in complex multi-sectoral environments to further develop a commercial greyhound racing industry built on a high-quality entertainment, consumer-focused product, which meets the highest international regulatory and welfare standards.”

Frank Nyhan, Chairperson of the Board of RCÉ, said, “On behalf of the staff and Board, I am pleased to announce that Tim Lucey has, following an extensive recruitment process, accepted the position as our new CEO. Tim is a tremendously experienced leader, and we are delighted to announce that he will be joining our organisation. Mr John Tuohey will remain as interim CEO until Tim takes up his new position and RCÉ would like to acknowledge and thank John for his contribution during this transition,” added Mr. Nyhan.

According to Mr John Tuohey, (Interim CEO of RCÉ), “RCÉ will greatly benefit from Tim’s wealth of experience in corporate and financial governance and his management of Ireland’s largest local authority by area. On behalf of staff, I want to congratulate Tim and I look forward to him taking up his new position this November.”

RCÉ is a commercial semi-state body responsible for the control and development of the greyhound industry in the Republic of Ireland. GRI has licensed a total of 14 tracks in the Republic, of which nine are owned and controlled by the organisation. The remainder are owned and operated by private enterprise. There are also a further two privately owned stadia in Northern Ireland.

Visit www.grireland.ie for more.

No Medal For Village Corrs.

The city dweller may not be aware of it, but there is a powerful personage whose influence for good or evil in rural Ireland is so great that I doubt if Dail Éireann could even stop him/her in their train. I refer to the village correspondent (‘Corrs’), who is a proud and pontificating part of Ireland’s provincial weekly newspapers and who rules his realm with courtesy, charm and cuteness.

He has come to his profession usually after many long years writing verse or worse, on all manner of people, places and objects, prior to the editor of the weekly signing him on for a remuneration of a few euro a week. But the money, such as it is, means nothing (and is indeed almost nothing), to the country ‘Corrs’. It’s being a ‘Corrs’ that matters (honour before honours), and being one is akin to having the village Mayoral chain of office.

‘Corrs’ could be a verse maker, farmer, poet, playwright and newsmonger or indeed all of these professions. He is at once, like all good honest newspaper folk who do their job without fear or favour; the most feared and loved in the parish. He is also more likely to be the recipient of verbal abuse, than a Staff Reporter on his paper. Being a great mixer, he was often nearest to the anger of him or her who received six months suspended for viciously attacking a harmless lamp post.

***“Man receives six months suspended sentence, following attack on Thurles lamp post”***.

Indeed, if a Staff Reporter wrote a court report about a character in the ‘Corr’s’ village then the ‘Corrs’ was nearest to the revenge of the defendant. And no sign at all of danger money for the job!

You see, when the village man’s private business becomes public knowledge at the local District Court, where no nonsense Justice Jailward presides, it’s a safe bet that the door of the ‘Corrs’ may be pounded upon that night. It’s no use the ‘Corrs’ telling the angry central character at that day’s District Court drama that he does not cover court cases. He will be branded as “being all the wan as that shower and of the same colour and bad breeding”. They are not pushed about such delicate details. Any scribe’s face will do when their blood is up. All that hassle for a man or woman who is not a member of the National Union of Journalists. They should strike a special NUJ medal for such unsung heroes of the Irish countryside, servants of democracy, after all “fair play is bonny play”.

In the scribe’s village on the Monday of every week you might see a fine flock of pilgrims filing along the boreen by the bog to the editorial cottage of the Scribe.
Many would come away happy after Scribe informs them that their daughter’s 21st birthday party photograph will get an airing in the following week’s paper or the wedding anniversary report or obituary or engagement will be in the week after.
Others who regularly file down that same well-trodden path, with their news bits, include the secretaries of the village community groups such as the GAA , ICA, Macra na Ferime, ICMSA, the darts club, the marbles association, the set-dancing group, the dramatic society, parish council or group water scheme.

But there is also a queue of long faced men and women, whose solemn presence lingers in the air of the Scribe’s lair, long after they have departed his abode. These are the folks who are about to be mentioned or have been already named as defendants in the court columns of the “Weekly Whatsit”.
These mercy seekers can receive no mercy from Scribe in the matter of having their names omitted from ‘the monthly honours list’, as Scribe calls it. For the ultimate arbiter is the newspaper editor, even if Scribe occasionally puts in the good word and character reference for a ‘dacent auld soul who wouldn’t harm a fly and is good to his mother‘, but in the company of good-for-nothing scamps had a pint or more too many, on the night he struck that bleddy lamp post, which is always in everybody’s way anyway.
And all this hassle for a man who is not a member of the National Union of Journalists and whose post carries no pension, holiday entitlements or bonuses, whatsoever.
The NUJ should strike a special medal for the village scribes of Ireland, who are at the coalface of the battle to preserve democracy, decency and Press Freedom in Ireland.
‘Corrs’ are beyond corruption and brown envelopes and it’s well-known such honesty and transparency puts him head and shoulders, in status above everybody else in the parish. For with him there was no hidden agenda. A fact is sacred and commentary is free.

Many years ago I attended a Drama Festival in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. I was a little nervous and just starting out in the business of journalism. But if I suffered from lack of any self-esteem, a Muintir na Tire man soon put that right. He said: “This is Tom Ryan and he is a member of the Press. No matter what, be nice to the Press.” It made sense. Pressmen and women are human and if you bite them, they’ll bite back like any newshound. Be nice and kind to them; ‘butter and jam them up and they’ll cover you in acres of flattering column inch’. It’s only human nature after all.
‘Corrs’ have a brilliant memory for the scandals, vandals, matches, and mismatches and all manner of events and people. He is omniscient. He has a good sense of humour also, as any scribe must have to survive. No harm to keep in with him.

Tom Ryan, ”Iona”, Rahealty, Thurles, County Tipperary.