Environment « Thurles Information

Planning Application Objections By Fianna Fáil Elected Reps. In 2020 – We Ask Questions.

Thurles Fianna Fáil councillor Mr Sean Ryan, (Thurles, Municipal District Council) together with Fianna Fáil T.D. Mr Jackie Cahill, both regrettably failed to raise objections in relation to the destruction of the 176 year old piece of Great Famine heritage, now destroyed in its entirety, at Mill Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Despite both being advised as to its historical importance, both elected public representatives through their deliberate silence, joined their fellow colleagues, (Fianna Fáil Cllr. Mr Seamus Hanafin, and Independent Councillor Mr Jim Ryan), to ensure the total eradication of this Mass path; Right-Of Way; and Great Famine artifact.

However, in the past, Councillor Mr Sean Ryan and Mr Jackie Cahill T.D., it would appear, have perhaps colluded to object to one other planning application in the past, which had been initially submitted by Starrus Eco Holdings.
[Note: latter company set up on Wednesday May, 15th 2013, with registered offices at Panda Waste Management’s Solution, Ballymount Road Upper, Dublin].

We do not wish to comment on the merits or otherwise of Starrus Eco Holdings actual planning application.

However, we are mystified by the objection submissions made by both Cllr Mr Sean Ryan [sent on June 30th, 2020] and Deputy Jackie Cahill T.D. [sent three days later on July 3rd, 2020].

All Planning Application details ref: 20550 Tipperary County Council, can be viewed HERE.

See both planning objections which were submitted, hereunder.

**Above** **objection lodged by Cllr. Mr Sean Ryan**.

**Above objection lodged by Mr Jackie Cahill T.D.**, **three days later.**

We sent a query to Cllr. Sean Ryan initially on Saturday, October 2nd 2021, @ 3:22pm, regarding this matter. As expected, Cllr. Mr Sean Ryan chose to once again, remain silent.

Before reading further, note first, the 2020 Irish general election took place on Saturday, February 8th, to elect the 33rd Dáil Éireann T.D. membership. This election was called following the dissolution of the 32nd Dáil by the Irish President, Mr M.D. Higgins, at the request of the then Taoiseach, Mr Leo Varadkar, on January 14th 2020.

Both planning objections were lodged with Tipperary Co. Council after the General election of Saturday, February 8th.

With this knowledge shown above, in the interests of openness and transparency, a series of questions must now be publicly asked and more importantly answered, in writing.

(1) Why are T.D’s and Councillors, on high salaries exempt from paying planning fees, when persons earning minimum wages and those unemployed, must pay fees to their Local Authority, in the event of a planning appeal?

(2) When and where did Mr Jackie Cahill T.D. reside in Littleton, in July 2020?

(3) Why does Mr Jackie Cahill, T.D. call himself a “Councillor”, when in fact he was a “T.D.” on July 2nd 2020?

(4) Has Mr Jackie Cahill T.D completed the annual register of interests, which must be completed by all Oireachtas members, [Latter was introduced under the 1995 Ethics in Public Office Act, and include directorships in private sector companies; rental income from property and farming ], in relation to property owned or rented by him in Littleton, Thurles, Co. Tipperary?

(5) Ten other persons objected to this planning submission, but only two public elected representatives, (both Fianna Fáil), namely Cllr. Mr Sean Ryan and T.D Mr Jackie Cahill, raised objections.,
Did Cllr. Mr Sean Ryan collude by giving / sending a copy of his objection to be copied / scanned by T.D Mr Jackie Cahill, same which was then forwarded (pasted & copied) to the County Tipperary planning office, without the necessary due care and attention to detail, by his staff?

(6) With this information contained in T.D. Mr Jackie Cahill’s planning objection incorrect, and sent by Mr Jackie Cahill T.D’s. office, why was same accepted, stamped and acknowledged by Tipperary Co. Council’s planning officials, knowing it to be incorrect?

(7) Was any other Waste Recycling plant within the Tipperary region, with known connections to the Fianna Fáil party, involved in this collusion / objection to this requested planning permission?

Perhaps one or both named elected representatives might like to answer our queries raised herewith, so that same can be published for the benefit of the local electorate.

New 20 Cent Levy On Disposable Cups, If EU Agreeable.

A 20 cent levy on disposable coffee cups is expected to come in to effect later this year according to Junior Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communication, Mr Ossian Smyth.

Mr Smyth confirmed this morning that the Circular Economy Bill 2021, will lay out the necessary legislative basis for the levy, aimed at reducing and eventually eliminating an estimated 200 million cups that are thrown into landfill each year.

Mr Smyth has stated that the aim is not to raise money from the levy, but to change the habits of consumers. The Bill hopefully, which has already been approved by Cabinet, will now make Ireland the first country in the world to eliminate the use of disposable coffee cups.

The Restaurants Association of Ireland has said it has some concerns about the proposal and is anxious to know more.

Continuing on the topic of littering;
Mr Smyth has confirmed that local authorities will soon be empowered to use CCTV footage to bring prosecutions in relation to those persons found fly tipping.
Local authorities have in the past attempted to collect the evidence required to convict people and have found that they run up against current privacy and data protection issues.

Such required regulations are regarded as being long overdue.

Today, March 22nd Is World Water Day.

Here in Thurles Town river walkways are expanded, using tarmac, while the water quality of the River Suir itself remains totally ignored by both Thurles Municipal District and Tipperary Co. Council.

The River Suir here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary like so many waterways, in less than 20 years has gone from being pristine clear water to the imitation of almost an open sewer.

Who is responsible for the management of watercourses?

World Water Day is held on March 22nd every year. It is an annual United Nations Observance, first begun in 1993, and held every year since, which is supposed to celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2 billion people currently living without access to safe, clean water.

**River Suir passing through Thurles** Town.

Not that many people care, but World Water Day is supposed to highlight the importance of fresh water and the sustainable management of this most precious of God given resources.

This years World Water Day event focused on groundwater quality and highlight a reminder urging the public to engage with the draft River Basin Management Plan public consultation, which closes at the end of this month.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), (whose press releases are regularly featured here on Thurles.Info), recent reports have indicated that nitrate concentrations in our groundwater are continuing to increase.

In the words of groundwater expert and 2020 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate, Mr John Cherry, groundwater is “the Earth’s life support system”. It regulates the freshwater cycle, acting as a giant sponge that can absorb surplus water and mitigate shortages, making it of vital importance in terms of adaptation to climate variability.

Of significant concern is the fact that Ireland is now experiencing a sustained decline in water quality. From a total number of 4842 water bodies in Ireland, the status of our water in lakes, rivers and coastal waters as “good status” or better lies at between 50 and 53%.

Overall, water quality is in decline due to a number of pressures including agricultural activity, hydro-morphology and urban waste water.

Key measures required to address the decline in water quality include reducing the loss of soil from farmland into water, reducing the physical impacts on waters caused by drainage measures barriers such as weirs and continued investment in urban and rural water services.

A key tool in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), the next River Basin Management Plan will contain the programme of measures that will help Ireland protect, improve and sustainably manage our water environment to 2027.

Achieving good water quality in our rivers, lakes, estuaries and seas is essential for protecting Ireland’s drinking water sources, environment and people’s quality of life.

As part of the consultation process, over 1000 people have attended 63 regional meetings held by the Local Authority Water Programme (LAWPRO) throughout the country, to receive information on the draft River Basin Management Plan and have their say on measures to improve water quality over the next five years.

A programme of stakeholder engagement has also taken place through meetings with environmental NGOs, agricultural groups, Local Authorities and other water groups.

Members of the public can submit their views on water quality via the public consultation HERE.

Saharan Sand Arrives In Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Many people across Tipperary and indeed Ireland, woke up to dirty looking vehicles, yesterday morning, despite same remaining stationary over last weekend.
All vehicles without a garage or not sheltered, were found covered in a light form of brown dust on the roofs, windows and windscreens of their vehicles.

There is, however, thankfully an explanation for this dust.
Same is being generated by clouds of sand particles coming from the Sahara Desert; same reaching very high altitudes. The particles are being transported worldwide, suspended in the air, covering thousands of miles and causing a decrease in European air quality; sand being visible on our streets and a reddish/orange sky colour in our atmosphere.

A few showers added overnight on Saturday and early on Sunday last and the result was Sahara dust being brought down to ground level, out of our atmosphere, all across Ireland and indeed other European countries including Spain, France and Germany.

Satellite images have shown huge amounts of this dust spreading across Europe, as people share eerie pictures of glowing orange skies.

This phenomenon is not new, often happening several times a year when big dust storms in the Sahara coincide with our southerly wind patterns; latter, this week, bringing our promised increase in temperatures.

The lack of rain over the past few days has meant that we haven’t really seen as much of this Saharan dust being grounded, as we have observed in previous years.

Vernal Equinox Occurs Today, March 20th.

Spring is in the air here in Thurles.

**Exquisite Spring Narcissus ‘Carlton’ *(Large-cupped Daffodils)* displaying the Ukrainian colours today, on view at O’Driscolls Garden Centre here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary**.

The spring equinox or vernal equinox (from the Latin ‘vernalis,’ which is derived from the Latin word for spring, ‘ver.’), this year (2022), occurs on today, March 20th, marking the first day of the ‘astronomical spring‘, technically occurring at 3.33pm (15:33pm).

Our alternative ‘meteorological spring‘ of course fell on March 1st 2022 and will last until May 31st, with summer starting on June 1st, autumn beginning on September 1st and winter following on December 1st.

An equinox is a phenomenon which only happens twice a year; once during the spring, marking the end of winter and the beginning of spring, and once during the Autumn, latter occurring around September 23rd, in the Northern Hemisphere, thus marking the beginning of autumn.

Equinoxes were used by early civilisations to divide up their year. During the equinox, day and night is measured around the same length. The name coming from the Latin word equi (meaning ‘equal’) and nox (meaning ‘night’); marking the two points in the year when the equator is the closest part of Earth to the sun, with both the northern and southern hemispheres sharing sunlight equally.

Today’s ‘astronomical spring‘ will last until the summer solstice, which this year will occur on Tuesday 21st June.

The days, thankfully, will now begin to get longer with the nights shorter as the earth wakes up from its winter hibernation, and Tipperary can usually look forward to the promise of a little more sunshine.