Environment - Thurles Information

Ireland Winning Economic Pentathlon.

According to ‘The Economist’, latter a British weekly newspaper printed in magazine format and published digitally; Ireland is winning the EU ‘economic pentathlon’.
The publication which focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology and culture.
considers Ireland the best prepared country to face an economic downturn and best situated to drive long-term growth.

**Image courtesy ‘The Economist’** **newspaper**.

They state that European economies are in for a future troubling few years, while Germany is probably already in recession.

The European Commission is forecasting growth of just 0.8% for the EU as a whole, this year, and possibly a little more next year, 2024.
Inflation is declining very slowly, which prompted the European Central Bank (ECB) to raise its rates yet again at its last September meeting.
‘The Economist’ newspaper claims that overall business confidence continues to worsen, resulting in the European Commission asking the ECB’s former boss, Mr Mario Draghi, to now come up with a plan to strengthen Europe’s economy.

Thurles Lidl Setting Environmental Standards.

Lidl the German international discount retail chain, headquartered in Neckarsulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, which operates over 12,000 stores worldwide, one of which is here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary; will shortly unveil a welcome return to what was once an old habit in Thurles Town.

The multinational shopping chain is expected to shortly unveil the introduction of reverse vending machines. Here in Thurles, following completion of work currently in progress; bottles and cans regularly dumped in hedges, ditches, along road sides or thrown over garden walls will soon become valuable commodities.

**Cans, dumped by careless individuals in Thurles, soon to be worth money.**

Customers may deposit their empty plastic bottles and drink cans and receive voucher credits to spend in-store, with each bottle or can deposited, earning its owner, between 10 and 15 cent per item deposited.

So the wheel, once again, comes full circle, with this situation returning to what it was in the past; returning empties for cash deposits, thus helping to tidy up our town and country landscapes.

Our congratulations to Lidl on this major initiative, which requires huge investment to introduce.

However, one wonders are we now so wealthy as adult individuals; so as to bother with garnering loose change in the form of our island’s abundant, discarded matter?
Perhaps, as before, children will grab hold and take advantage of this initiative to increase their personal sweet purchasing power.

Drainage & Road Resurfacing On Kickham Street, Thurles, Postponed Until January.

As the remnants of storm Agnes rages here over Thurles Town presently, as was stated on August 8th, 2023 last “By failing to plan, you plan to fail”. Same is a message we have been preaching since February 20th 2022, with regards the cleaning of Thurles road drains.

It is therefore not surprising that we watched Tipperary Co. Council ground staff, out in the middle of the storm, running sewage rods up a blocked road drainpipe, in Kickham Street, undertaking work which should have been completed during the previous summer month.

**Work today *(September 27th, 2023)* being undertaken by Tipperary Co. Council ground staff, unblocking drains which should have been completed during the previous summer month.**

It has become quite obvious to our readers that Thurles has no person taking responsibility for the overall administration of our town, over recent years, with weeds currently allowed to grow up through our footpaths, through blocked drain, with no flowerbeds and tubs planted and no potholes filled.

**Nine inch high grass growing from a blocked drain on Kickham Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.**

Yet again, we learn this morning that the promised upgrading of the necessary new drainage system and road surface on Kickham Street, east of Thurles, which was due for upgrading this month (September), has once again been postponed.

It is unlikely that Mr Joe MacGrath (Chief Executive at Tipperary County Council) who visited Thurles yesterday afternoon; drove his high powered Mercedes up to Thurles Barry’s Bridge, to view what he promised would be repaired by end of May last; a project which once again was an unattainable or fanciful hope aimed at fobbing off residents, in what is now the most neglected and mismanaged Town in Co. Tipperary.
Indeed, had Mr MacGrath driven up Kickham Street, he could have viewed at firsthand the loose tarmac gravel, being ricocheted from the wheels of heavy vehicles onto the ankles of otherwise absorbed, oblivious pedestrians.

**Loose tarmac gravel ricocheted from the wheels of heavy vehicle on Kickham Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary**.

In answer to a query by Thurles.Info, sent to local elected Fianna Fáil Councillor Mr Sean Ryan, quote, “When can the residents of Kickham Street (N75) expect the road surface and drainage to be upgraded? You already stated September, but this is now unlikely. What is the delay?”

Mr Ryan quickly replied, quote: “I asked this question at the last (Council) meeting. I’m told the upgrade works for the N75 will take place in January. When I get a start date George, I’ll let you know. As you know these works will be done by the TII, (Transport Infrastructure Ireland).” Signed Sean.

Kickham Street remains the busiest main road carrying all of the heavy traffic leading west into Thurles Town and also exiting the town on to the motorway running east of Thurles. It is travelled constantly by our two inactive resident TD’s, namely Mr Michael Lowry & Mr Jackie Cahill, and was used yesterday by Minister for Education Ms Norma Foley, who arrived into Thurles to launch “Much Ado About Nothing”.

Breaking News: Serious Motorway Collision 1km From Urlingford Exit.

At approximately 7:00 am this morning, following very heavy rainfall, an accident has occurred on the motorway, roughly 1km from the Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny exit on the M8.

A large number of emergency service personnel, including Gardaí, Fire & Ambulance services have promptly arrived at the scene.

Motorists travelling from Thurles in the direction of Dublin are advised to divert via Two-Mile-Borris unto the old R639 road, before rejoining the motorway outside of Urlingford.

Motorists are also advised to drive with extreme caution today given forecasted heavy rainfall and poor visibility and otherwise poor driving conditions.

Traffic flow is only now beginning to move slowly forward.

Move Towards Health-Based WHO Air Quality Will Have Positive Impact On Health.

Ireland’s ambition to move towards the health-based World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines will be challenging, but will have a significantly positive impact on health.

Air quality in Ireland is generally good, however, there are concerning localised issues.
Ireland met all of its EU legal requirements in 2022, but it did not meet the more stringent health-based World Health Organisation (WHO) Air Quality guidelines.
It is estimated that there are approximately 1,300 premature deaths annually in Ireland due to poor air quality from fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
The choices we make in how we heat our homes and how we travel directly impact the quality of the air we breathe.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today published its annual air quality report ‘Air Quality in Ireland 2022’. The report shows that, while air quality in Ireland is generally good and compares favourably with many of our European neighbours, there are concerning localised issues which lead to poor air quality.

Ireland met EU legal air quality limits in 2022, however it did not meet the more stringent health-based World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines for a number of pollutants including: particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (N02), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3), due mainly to the burning of solid fuel in our towns and villages and traffic in our cities.

Poor air quality has a proven negative impact on people’s health. There are an estimated 1,300 premature deaths in Ireland per year due to particulate matter in our air.

In 2022 air monitoring results from EPA stations across Ireland show that fine particulate matter (PM2.5), mainly from burning solid fuel in our homes, and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) mainly from road traffic, remain the main threats to good air quality. High levels of these pollutants are often associated with cold, still weather from late autumn through to early spring, when generally short-term incidents of poor air quality occur.

Launching the report, Dr Micheál Lehane, Director of the EPA’s Office of Radiation Protection & Environmental Monitoring, said: “The EPA’s air quality monitoring has shown that Ireland met all of its EU legal requirements in 2022. However, we did not meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines for health. This highlights the immediate challenge to move towards the WHO air quality guidelines in the Clean Air Strategy. While undoubtably challenging, the significantly positive impacts of clean air on health are clear and the report identifies some of the actions that are necessary to achieve the health-based air quality guidelines.”

The report identifies that using less solid fuel and cleaner fuels to heat our homes, and reducing our use of cars to go to school, work and play; are actions that will contribute towards achieving the WHO guidelines.

The report further identifies the critical role for local authorities in enforcement, implementation of existing plans and investment in infrastructure to encourage cleaner and healthier air quality choices:

Local authorities must provide more resources to increase air enforcement activities and implement the new solid fuel regulations.

Dublin local authorities must fully implement the Dublin Region Air Quality Plan 2021, to improve Nitrogen Dioxide levels in Dublin Region.

Investment in clean public transport infrastructure across the country must be maintained and increased.

More safe footpaths and cycle lanes must be created to continue to increase active travel as a viable and safe alternative to car use and associated nitrogen dioxide emissions.

Mr Pat Byrne, EPA Programme Manager, said: “The localized issues that we see in the 2022 monitoring results impact negatively on air quality and health. Monitoring stations across Ireland recorded high levels of particulate matter associated with burning solid fuels in our towns and villages and high levels of nitrogen dioxide in our larger cities associated with road traffic. We can have immediate impacts on our local air quality by making changes in how we heat our homes and finding alternative ways to travel. These actions which also have positive climate impacts”.

To find out more about how we can improve air quality, read the EPA’s How we can improve the air we breathe infographic or check out the ‘ABC for Cleaner Air’ campaign@ The ABC for Cleaner Air , from the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, which highlights some simple steps we can all make and help reduce pollution from solid fuels.

The Air Quality in Ireland 2022 report is available on the EPA website.

The EPA continually monitors air quality across Ireland and provides the air quality index for health and real-time results online HERE.
Results are updated hourly on the website, and people can log on at any time to check whether the current air quality is good, fair or poor.