|
|
 Michael Finneran Mr. Michael Finneran, T.D., Minister for Housing, Urban Renewal and Developing Areas, has announced a capital provision of €100 million for grants to improve or extend the private homes of older people and people with a disability in 2010.
This allocation does not include expenditure by local authorities on improving and extending their own social housing stock.
The allocation represents a 31% increase on the initial allocations to local authorities over the previous year, 2009.
In relation to Tipperary, the initial allocation provides a figure of €1,651,250 for North Tipperary and €3,126,666 for South Tipperary County Councils.
These grants will be administered by the named local authorities in accordance with a framework laid down in statutory regulations, which, as far as is practicable, is designed to give an appropriate degree of flexibility to local authorities in addressing the housing needs of older people and people with a disability in their jurisdiction.
The Department provides recoupments to the relevant authorities as follows:
66% of costs in respect of claims received on foot of Disabled Persons & Essential Repairs Grant Schemes.
80% of costs in respect of claims received under the new Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability.
The news will be much welcomed by older residents and those people with a disability in the county.
The Gleeson Group , Borrisoleigh, Co.Tipperary, has agreed a €26m refinancing deal with its banks with a view to spending up to €25m on new acquisitions which may come about because of the economic downturn.
 Tipperary Spring Water Owned by the Cooney family since the 1970s, the Gleeson Group was initially a Guinness bottler but now distributes everything from soft drinks to beers and ciders.
Gleeson Group is Ireland’s leading supplier and distributor of beverage products in Ireland.
With 11 fully owned distribution hubs, the company have full national coverage and can deliver to every shop, restaurant, catering company, distributor, supermarket, public house, forecourt and hotel in Ireland, both North and South.
Established by the Gleeson family in the late 1960’s in Borrisoleigh, County Tipperary, Gleeson was a manufacturer of soft drinks and a bottler of the Guinness stout brand.
The soft drinks giant, best known, nation-wide, for its product ‘Tipperary Water’ operates a drinks and distribution business and currently enjoys a turnover of almost €250m.
In February M & J Gleeson (Investments) secured a new €26m facility from AIB, Barclays and Bank of Scotland (Ireland), which included the refinancing of a €12m loan originally taken out in 2007.
The Company has already bought out an Offaly distributor in recent weeks and seems confident that there will be further opportunities over the coming year.
Public demand soared for its Tipperary Water product, amid shortages of tap water brought about by recent flooding and frozen arctic conditions.
The Company currently employs a team of approximately 686 employees and despite some trading difficulties due to the economic downturn, declared no redundancies in 2009. This was partly due to good forward planning and timely action on product cost, which included a pay freeze accepted right across the total workforce.
Former chief executive of CRH (International Building Materials Group) Tipperary born Mr Liam O’Mahony has been appointed as the new Chairman of IDA Ireland. Mr O’Mahony takes over the position of chairman from Mr John Dunne.
Born in 1946, the 63 year old Mr O’Mahony (BE, BL, MBA, FIEI) was born in Tipperary and educated at De La Salle College in Waterford, University College Cork, Trinity College D ublin and the Kings Inns, joining CRH in 1971. He has held various senior management positions including Managing Director, Republic of Ireland and UK Group companies and Chief Executive of American operations.
He joined the CRH Board in 1992 and became Group Chief Executive in January 2000, a position he held until the end of 2008.
In 2004, he was Ireland’s best paid chief executive, earning a €3.5m package, made up of basic remuneration €2m with a once off bonus of €1.5 related to the company’s performance over the past five years.
Liam O’Mahony was recognised for excellence when he was awarded the Business and Finance Business Person of the year in 2005.
He is Chairman of Smurfit Kappa Group plc, a director of Project Management Limited and a member of The Irish Management Institute Council.
Established in its current form in 1994, IDA Ireland is the government agency responsible for the establishment and development in the State of industrial undertakings from outside the State. IDA works in partnerships with other organisations to enhance the best of Irish capabilities and talents and match them to the best of global investment.
It is expected that Mr O’Mahony experience and knowledge will contribute greatly to the further development and enhancement of foreign direct investment in Ireland.
 Tipperary For Sale Per figures recently published by the National Institute of Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) based in NUI Maynooth since 2001, there are now no less than 33 “Ghost Housing Estates” vacant in Co.Tipperary. (17 in South Tipp – 16 in North Tipp)
During the period 2006-09, it appears that we have, as a nation, only now woken up to the fact that housing stock became completely devoid from any kind of realistic sensible projected planning and demand. This apparent oversight has now been further aggravated by a diminished market and an ever changing human population profile.
There were 217,101 housing units built in Ireland between April 2006 – Dec 2009. Based on 1996-2006 population growth there was a need for only about 85,446 units countrywide and we now have a potential oversupply of 131,665 units for which the lower paid working members of our Green Island are being asked indirectly to subsidise without ever getting our names on a Title Deed.
So How Did This Housing Surplus Happen?
A census here in Ireland takes place, usually, in every year that ends in a 1 or a 6 except when some national crisis rears its ugly head e.g. Famine, War or Foot and Mouth disease. ‘Census 2006’ took place on the night of Sunday, April 23, 2006. The preliminary results of the 2006 Census were published on 19 July 2006, that is three months following the actual Census Day.
The publication schedule for the Census 2006 reports can be downloaded here.
From these figures the Irish Government knew the population growth and household size for the period 1996-2006 from this 2006 Census and so they knew the number of household units that would have been required for the period 2006-09, if population growth followed this 06-09 trend.
Given this present government knew the number of house units built between April 2006 (date of the census) and 2009, for each county, they could therefore have calculated accurately the projected oversupply of units per county, based on these projected household growth and population figures.
If this data had been examined the following information would surely have been gleaned regarding Co.Tipperary.
Household growth 1996-2006 –5640.
Houses required 2006-2009 based on 1996-2006 growth figures – 2256.
Because of this apparent failure to examine this known collected data, by developers, bankers etc, we now find ourselves in the following position as we go forward.
Houses built in Tipperary County 2006- 2009 – 7211.
Over supply of Building Units –4955.
This situation now leaves Co.Tipperary with a percentage of housing over supplied, amounting to 439.6% and a problem which will haunt us for the next 10 years at least.
This is what happens when no one is ‘minding the shop’ and when greed and looting within our society is routine and allowed to go unrestrained by those we elect, entrust and enhance with large salaries and bonuses, to manage our affairs.
Have you been refused finance by your bank?
 John Gormley TD and leader of The Green Party John Gormley showed signs of real leadership today by announcing limits on spending by local councillors.
Under the new regime city and county councillors will be limited to €4,700 per year; borough councillors €3,000; councillors from larger towns €2,000; and councillors from smaller towns to €1,000.
The new limits will not apply to councils which spent less than these amounts last year. In those cases the actual amount spent in 2009 will apply as the limit.
The limits are aimed at achieving better value for money and tackling spending in excess of €13,000 per councillor per year in some cases. They follow on a 25% cut in travel and subsistence allowances applied to councillors earlier this year.
Some councillors were guilty of widespread abuse of the expenses system by signing into conferences and then quickly departing the event in pursuit of personal business.
Announcing the measure Mr. Gormley said the new limits were not spending targets for councillors. He stressed that most councillors behaved responsibly when spending taxpayers’ money but there were concerns about a minority.
“I expect all councillors to uphold the highest standards of behaviour when it comes to paying taxpayers’ money.”
The new limits will be made by ministerial regulation and follow consultation with councillors’ representatives. Mr Gormley met local representatives last September and received a written submission in November.
Good one John, we now wait with bated breath to see if you have the necessary leadership qualities to implement this necessary change.
|
Support Us Help keep Thurles.info online by donating below. Thank you.
Total Donated 2026: €300.00
Thank You!
Daily Thurles Mass Livestream
|
Recent Comments