Finance - Thurles Information

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Tipperary Farmers Hit On Double by Shannon To Dublin Water Pipeline.

The proposed Shannon to Dublin water pipeline will result in Tipperary farmers being hit on the double if it proceeds as planned, according to Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara.

The candidate for Ireland South in the European Elections, who has previously been vocal in the Dáil in his opposition to the Water Supply Project, says farm holdings along the proposed route of the pipeline in County Tipperary may be made unviable for the duration of its construction, or even permanently, at a time when the viability of many farmers’ livelihoods is already being jeopardised by changes to Ireland’s nitrates derogation.

Deputy McNamara said, “Ireland has one of the highest leakage rates of drinking water in Europe and the Dublin City Council area has one of the highest leakage rates in Ireland. As a result of that, it is proposed to build a pipeline across Ireland to ship water from Lough Derg and the River Shannon. That, obviously, would cause huge disruption to landowners, a huge cost to the economy and unforeseeable consequences for the environment.“

“Shannon stocks are already plummeting without further reducing the flow of water along the natural course of the Shannon”, he pointed out, adding “there would be a larger draw on this pipeline during summer months when water levels are already very low along the Lower Shannon.”

“Farmers are being largely blamed for the ongoing deterioration in water quality across the country, while there is rarely any mention of the volume of raw sewage discharged daily into Irish waterways”, he explained.

Deputy McNamara continued, “Instead of spending millions on piping water to Dublin, where it will simply leak into the ground, this government should be investing in delivering the necessary wastewater infrastructure to unsewered communities and upgrading the many facilities that are no longer fit-for- purpose. Not only does the construction of the needed new wastewater treatment plants alleviate the pressure on the future development of vitally important infrastructure in local communities, but it also tackles one of the primary causes of declining water quality in Ireland’s waterways”.

“I cannot support any proposal to divert water from the Shannon until local authorities in Dublin and Uisce Éireann / Irish Water get their act together and put their system in order,” he added. “Otherwise, this project will just further punish farmers by making their holdings unviable while they continue to be squarely and unfairly blamed for water quality issues which could be redressed by diverting proposed expenditure on this pipeline into funding infrastructure that will significantly decrease the amount of wastewater entering our waterways.”

Irish Government To Increase Competitiveness By Attracting Skills.

Ireland can now enable spouses and partners of employment permit holders, already in the State, to work to fill vital gaps in the Irish workforce, such as in healthcare and construction.
The Government will begin to roll out a single permit to both work and live in Ireland, creating a smoother, more efficient system for applicants; thereby increasing Ireland’s attractiveness for the skills and talent the economy needs.
Ireland will work towards opting-in to the EU Single Permit Directive as a key part of the EU Skills and Talent Package, working with EU partners.

The Minister for Justice Mrs Helen McEntee TD and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mr Peter Burke TD, yesterday (Wednesday May 15th), announced that they have secured Government agreement for a number of key actions to increase the competitiveness of Ireland in attracting the skills and talent the Irish economy requires.

This will enable all eligible spouses and partners of employment permit holders to work, if they are already in the State and are granted permission to live in Ireland with their family member. Implementing a single permit will eventually allow Ireland to opt into the EU’s Single Permit Directive.

Both of these new measures should significantly enhance Ireland’s ability to compete internationally to attract talent, addressing skills shortages in the Irish economy, thus promoting economic growth.

Presently, applicants must apply to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment for a work permit, before then applying to the Department of Justice to obtain a visa. By introducing one single permission/application, Ireland can reduce the cost and complexity for both the employer and applicant, thus ensuring that Ireland can respond more effectively and quickly to meet the skills needs of the economy.

Skills gaps affect all EU Member States, including Ireland. All EU Member States, except Ireland and Denmark, already operate a single permit for employment and residence. Other key partners, such as the UK and the US, also operate single application procedures and single permits. The currently operated process requiring separate applications, creates greater bureaucracy, risking placing Ireland at a competitive disadvantage in attracting skills and talent to the Irish economy.

By opting in to the Single Permit Directive, the Government will remove barriers in attracting key skills into Ireland, in important sectors such as healthcare and construction and reduce the cost and complexity of the current system.

Many spouses are skilled workers who have left significant jobs and employment oppertunities, in order to join their families within the Irish State, and who wish to continue their careers here in Ireland.

Currently, the ability to work without a permit was only provided to spouses and partners of Critical Skills Employment Permit holders. This has now been extended to include General Employment Permit holders and Intra-Corporate Transferee Permit holders who are already in the State and who have been granted permission to live in Ireland with their family member.
Current and future permit holders, whose spouses or partners are not in the State, will still need to apply for family reunification after 12 months

This change will, it is hoped, have an immediate positive impact for the economy and for spouses and partners who wish to work in Ireland, assisting them to contribute to the economy through taxation, to further integrate and to provide for their families.

Thurles Town Signposts Adjusted By Vehicles Yet Again.

Yet another seriously injured Thurles town signpost, possibly same damaged by a runaway high sided motor vehicle.

**Pedestrians Beware – Dangerous Adjusted** **Motorway Sign**.

This collision is almost a repeat of what had occurred at this very same spot on March 20th last, [see that of which I speak, HERE], which resulted in the total removal of that signage and its information, which as of yet has never been replaced.

This second collision is further proof, (as if proof was in ever in doubt), of the continued ongoing waste of funding by Tipperary engineers and other officials.

Did we really need to have a large motorway sign jutting out across a footpath, informing drivers of a now deserted/destroyed town centre; when the Thurles town centre, has moved to Thurles Shopping centre, across from the sign; thus rendering same totally obsolete.

Meanwhile, on June 7th 2024, you will be asked to vote once again for those who destroyed this once thriving business centre known as Liberty Square.

This damaged sign now needs to be made safe, as soon as possible, as the remaining clips holding the bent “Durlas Town Centre”, section is liable to fall on some unsuspecting pedestrian.

No directional sign for Dublin **current**ly **available**, **in Liberty Square** **having also been damaged/struck by a high sided vehicle**.

Talking of ‘bent directional signs’ – ‘high sided motor vehicles’ – and the deliberate ‘wasting of taxpayers money’, by Tipperary engineers and other council officials; what has happened to the sign for Dublin, latter also recently removed by the council and not replaced?

New Scheme Needed To Attract Families Back Into Tipperary Town Centres.

Hundreds of town centre buildings across Tipperary could, and should, be brought back into residential use through the introduction of an EU-backed funding scheme, according to one Independent candidate for Ireland South in the upcoming European Elections.

Independent TD Mr Michael McNamara is advocating for greater funding as part of the European Green Deal to increase Ireland’s housing stock, through the conversion and renovation of upper floors, over commercial business units.

He said that many Tipperary business premises, which once had families living over them, now lie empty over ground level for a variety of reasons, including particularly building regulations and insurance costs.

“Market towns like Thurles, Nenagh, Tipperary, Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel, Clonmel and Cahir have streets full of fine old buildings where there is a retail unit at ground level and in many but not all cases, they are vacant over ground level. Decades ago, there were families living in them,” explained McNamara.

He continued, “I don’t underestimate the difficulty of converting those back into residential use. There are regulations and issues around financing, but it would offer many benefits not just in housing, but also benefits for the environment and for society.
Bringing vacant buildings back into use, whether for business or residential purposes, injects life into our towns and villages and delivers homes,” said Mr McNamara.
“Everybody agrees that vacant units and dereliction is a problem and that we need to bring these properties back into use, but nobody seems to be doing anything about it in the midst of a housing crisis and unprecedented demand for residential property in towns and villages across the whole country.”

Mr McNamara, who is currently an Independent TD for Clare, cited how a team of Irish architects who attended the 2018 Venice Biennale, (Latter a International Cultural Exhibition hosted annually in Italy), had highlighted how market towns could be reinvigorated.

He stated, “I have seen European cities and towns, such as Porto, transform their town centres by getting people back living in them. There appears to be little if any movement in this regard in Ireland which is a massive, wasted opportunity when we look at how our town centres are becoming dead zones after business hours due to there being few people living there. While the Government’s Croí Cónaithe Scheme was a step in the right direction, I have been contacted by many who found it overly bureaucratic. It is clear from canvassing across the constituency that, despite good intentions, it has not worked.
I recently raised the issue in the Dáil with the former Taoiseach Mr Leo Varadkar who said there was merit to my proposal to introduce a pilot project to bring properties in market towns back into residential use,” added Deputy McNamara.

“As always, financing appears to be a stumbling block. Fire regulations are another. While it is essential that all dwellings must be safe, if medieval buildings across European cities can be safely inhabited, it must be possible to look at this anew and introduce to ensure that these buildings can again host families on the main streets of our towns and cities. If I am elected as MEP for Ireland South, I will advocate for funding as part of the European Green Deal to be diverted to convert vacant above shop units“, Deputy McNamara concluded.