Employment « Thurles Information

Government Welcomes Commencement Of The International Protection Act 2026.

Most significant reform of Irish asylum laws in the history of the State.
Gives effect to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, which commences today across Member States.
Co-ordination across the EU, shorter processing times for applications, and reduced time spent in IPAS accommodation.

The Irish Government welcomes the commencement of the International Protection Act 2026 today, 12th June 2026.

The legislation represents the most significant reform of Irish asylum laws in the history of the State and gives effect to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.
The objective of the Act is to provide a fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure that is consistent with how asylum laws operate across the EU.

Under the Act, upon arrival in the State, applicants will be required to go through screening, which will involve enhanced security and identity checks and the taking of biometric data.
The Act also provides for faster processing, including an accelerated Border Procedure for some applicants, where all decisions and appeals will be concluded within three months.

The Border Procedure will apply to applicants from countries where the proportion of decisions granting international protection is 20% or lower. It can also be used for applicants who are known to have misled authorities or to have destroyed or disposed of an identity or travel document.
A new State body, the Tribunal for Asylum and Returns Appeals, TARA, will have responsibility for appeals, while the removal and deportations process will be faster and less bureaucratic.

The Government has stated: “Ireland must have a rules-based immigration system. Today, the commencement of the International Protection Act 2026 marks an important milestone in ensuring the integrity and efficiency of the asylum process, and further building public confidence in the system.
This historic reform recognises that migration is a challenge not just at a national level but at a European level. Agreeing migration and asylum policy at an EU level means coordinated actions including sharing of information, reducing the number of people applying for protection in numerous EU countries and reviving the return of applicants to the first country they applied in.

The Government sincerely thanks the officials across the Department and across government for their committed work in delivering this Programme for Government commitment.”
Decision-making under the Act will be faster, meaning successful applicants will be granted international protection sooner, and those whose applications are refused can be returned to their country of origin sooner.
Faster processing will result in increased savings to the Exchequer, with applicants spending less time in the international protection process and in accommodation.
Government has also today appointed Her Honour Judge Karen Fergus as Interim Chief Inspector of Border Procedures to monitor compliance with fundamental human rights in the asylum Border Procedure. Her Honour Judge Fergus is a retired Judge of the Circuit Court.“

On the commencement of the International Protection Act, Government said: “The International Protection Act is a much needed, radical reform of international protection in this country and will vastly improve efficiencies in the system. The faster processing under these new rules will mean that accommodation requirements and costs will reduce in the years ahead.”

Government has also today announced the introduction of an accommodation requirement for those seeking to have their family join them in the State. These changes will take effect from today, June 12th.
General Employment Permit holders and other Category C sponsors will be required to provide supporting documentation to demonstrate that they are in a position to accommodate their joining family members, while all sponsors will be ineligible if they are in certain supported accommodation.

The financial thresholds for Irish citizens applying to be joined by spouses and children are also increasing from today. A sponsor must now show a gross income over three years of €75,000, or €25,000 per year. This is an increase from €40,000, or €13,333 per year. Other financial thresholds will increase in line with indexation.

People granted international protection status will also now be required to wait two years from the date they were granted protection before becoming eligible to apply for family reunification under the new Act. Applicants must also meet a number of additional requirements, including demonstrating that the sponsor has sufficient financial resources to support family members without placing an undue burden on the State.

There are certain exceptions where the sponsor is a minor. In addition, the sponsor must not be in receipt of certain social protection payments or housing supports and must not owe a debt to the State for a defined period prior to submitting an application.

Commenting on these new measures, Government stated: “Family reunification remains an important part of our immigration system, and these changes are intended to ensure that the policy continues to operate in a fair, transparent and sustainable manner. The revised policy strengthens accommodation and financial requirements for sponsors, providing greater clarity for applicants, while ensuring that those seeking family reunification are able to support those joining them.”

From Soot To Ceremony: How Wedding Chimney Sweeps Could Bring Luck.

There was once an old wedding tradition that believed it was good luck for a bride and groom to meet a chimney sweep on their wedding day. The story is often linked to a royal legend: a chimney sweep is said to have helped save a king from runaway horses, after which sweeps became known as bringers of good fortune. Whether the tale is fact or folklore, the symbolism is easy to understand. The sweep was connected with the hearth, the fire, and the warmth of the home; all powerful images for a newly married couple beginning life together.

Today, this tradition has become a charming wedding extra. A chimney sweep may appear outside the church, registry office, or wedding venue to greet the couple, shake hands with the groom, kiss the bride on the cheek, pose for photographs, and offer a few words of good luck. It is unusual, memorable, and full of character, exactly the kind of detail many couples now look for when planning a wedding.
Wedding venues and professional photographers could also adopt the idea as an added service for couples looking for something traditional, quirky, and memorable.

**“Wishing you a lifetime of love, luck, and happiness.”**

A venue might offer a “lucky chimney sweep” as part of a heritage or vintage wedding package, while photographers could suggest it as a characterful photo opportunity after the ceremony.
Some couples may worry about soot marking the bride’s white dress, but this can be easily avoided. The sweep can arrive in clean ceremonial clothing, use a display brush rather than a working one, avoid close contact with the dress, and pose carefully at the bride’s side. With a little planning, the charm of the tradition can be kept without any risk to the gown.

For modern chimney sweeps, this old custom could also offer a useful additional income stream.
The trade is changing. With cleaner heating policies, reduced reliance on fossil fuels, and the gradual move toward low-carbon homes, traditional chimney work is not the same as it once was. Gas, oil, coal, wood, and smokeless-fuel use are all under closer environmental scrutiny, and many households are moving toward heat pumps, better insulation, and electric heating. At the same time, sweeps remain important for homes with working fireplaces, wood burners, and multifuel stoves, where regular sweeping is still essential for safety.

That creates a challenge but also an opportunity.
A wedding appearance does not replace the practical work of chimney sweeping, but it can sit alongside it. It makes use of the sweep’s traditional clothing, local reputation, storytelling, and historic image. It can be offered as a weekend or seasonal service, especially during the spring and summer wedding months, when demand for chimney maintenance may be lower.

A Chimney Sweep could offer packages such as:
► A lucky sweep appearance after the ceremony.
► Photographs with the bride and groom.
► A short traditional blessing or good-luck greeting.
► A certificate or keepsake for the couple.
► Optional attendance at the reception for photos with guests.

The idea works especially well for historic venues, country weddings, church weddings, vintage-themed ceremonies, and couples who want something different from the usual wedding entertainment. It also gives younger generations a chance to see a trade that was once central to everyday life but is now becoming less visible.
In that sense, the wedding chimney sweep is more than a novelty. It is a way of keeping an old craft in public view, preserving folklore, and helping working sweeps adapt as heating habits change.

For chimney sweeps looking to diversify, the message is simple: the soot may be less common, but the story still has value. A clean chimney keeps a home safe; a lucky sweep at a wedding brings a smile, a photograph, and a tradition that couples will remember for years.

“Come on, lads — let’s bring a little imagination to wedding events.”

Licence Fees, Million-Euro Bailouts & Executive Pay – RTÉ Faces Fresh Scrutiny.

RTÉ is once again at the centre of controversy after new figures revealed that more than 200 people at the broadcaster were earning over €100,000 a year by the end of 2025, including 18 individuals paid more than €200,000 annually.

This latest revelation lands after years of scandals involving hidden payments, secret commercial deals, undisclosed barter accounts, and repeated failures in transparency from Ireland’s national broadcaster.

The public was already furious after the 2023 payments scandal exposed how RTÉ had understated presenter earnings, while continuing to demand television licence payments from ordinary households struggling through a cost-of-living crisis. Trust in the organisation collapsed, senior executives resigned, and multiple government and committee investigations followed.

Yet despite the outrage, RTÉ has continued to rely heavily on taxpayer support.

In recent years, the broadcaster has effectively received two major state financial rescue packages funded by the public:
► A €725 million annual public funding model through licence fees and state support.
► An additional government-backed financial bailout package worth hundreds of millions aimed at stabilising RTÉ after the payments scandal and declining revenues.

At the same time, licence fee inspectors continued pursuing households across Ireland for non-payment, even as questions mounted over excessive salaries, waste, governance failures, and opaque contractor arrangements inside the organisation.

In Ireland, thousands of people have been prosecuted over non-payment of TV licences, but only a relatively small number have actually been jailed.

Historically; in 2012, there were about 11,500 prosecutions for TV licence non-payment. Of those convicted, 242 people were jailed, though most were imprisoned only for a few hours and six overnight.
In 2008, 49 people were jailed over licence-related fines.
Between 1973 and 1993, at least 15 people were imprisoned during a civil disobedience campaign linked to Irish-language broadcasting activism.
More recently, prosecutions and convictions have declined sharply after the RTÉ payments scandal damaged public trust:
Irish courts dealt with 7,263 prosecutions in 2022, falling to 6,555 in 2023.
Nearly 15,000 court summonses were issued in 2022 alone for non-payment.
Convictions for non-payment reportedly fell by around 30% over recent years amid the fallout from RTÉ controversies.

People are generally not jailed directly for “not having a licence” itself, but for failing to pay court-imposed fines after conviction. Fines can reach up to €1,000 for a first offence.

The newest figures also show nearly 1,300 people received between €50,000 and €100,000 from RTÉ in 2025, while thousands more contributors were classified as contractors.

Meanwhile, viewers and taxpayers are still asking the same unanswered question:
How can RTÉ continue demanding mandatory licence fee payments from the public while repeatedly failing basic standards of transparency and accountability with public money?

Looking For A Career With Purpose, Challenge, And Real Impact ?

A career that challenges you, rewards you, and gives you the opportunity to make a real difference every single day.

An Garda Síochána has officially launched its latest recruitment campaign, with applications now open until June 3rd at 3:00pm. Whether your interests lie in community policing, roads policing, detective work, cybercrime, the dog unit, public order, or specialist support units, policing today offers a wide range of exciting and meaningful career paths.

Successful applicants will receive professional training at the Garda College, gain valuable qualifications, and join a modern organisation dedicated to protecting and supporting communities across Ireland.
The campaign also highlights the importance of diversity and encourages applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.

If you are looking for a career with purpose, teamwork, progression, and the chance to positively impact people’s lives, this could be the opportunity for you.

Apply now through Garda.ie or PublicJobs.ie before the closing date.

Irish Ambulance Staff Launch 24-Hour Strike Amid Pay & Role Dispute.

Paramedics and ambulance personnel across Ireland have begun a nationwide 24-hour strike, prompting warnings from the HSE about delays to ambulance response times for non-emergency cases.

The industrial action, which started at 8am on Tuesday and continues until 8am on Wednesday, involves National Ambulance Service staff including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, advanced paramedics, specialist paramedics and supervisors.

The dispute centres on claims by Unite and SIPTU that the HSE has failed to implement recommendations from the 2020 Roles and Responsibilities Review. Union representatives argue that ambulance workers have taken on greater clinical duties, qualifications and operational responsibilities over recent years without receiving corresponding pay increases or recognition.

They also say a recommended 5% pay rise under the Benchmarking II process remains outstanding.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said ambulance staff had been “left with no option” but to strike in pursuit of fair pay and recognition for the increasingly complex work they perform on the frontline.

Union officials said contingency measures have been agreed with the HSE to ensure emergency and life-threatening cases continue to receive priority treatment during the stoppage.

Unite regional officer Eoin Drummey said workers would rather be “saving lives than standing on picket lines”, but insisted staff felt compelled to act after years of frustration over unresolved issues.

The HSE has advised the public that ambulance response times for non-life-threatening incidents are likely to be significantly affected during the strike period and encouraged people to consider alternative healthcare services where appropriate.