Finance « Thurles Information

Climate Change Advisory Council’s Annual Review 2026 – Transport.

Ireland must accelerate investment in reliable public transport and EV infrastructure to reduce emissions and exposure to fossil fuel shocks, says Climate Change Advisory Council.

Transport remains Ireland’s largest source of energy demand, accounting for 42.3% of total final energy demand in 2024 and 21.8% of national emissions.
Transport emissions fell by only 1.3% in 2024, while the sector is estimated to have exceeded its first sectoral emissions ceiling (2021-2025) and is projected to exceed its second sectoral emissions ceiling (2026-2030) if urgent action is not taken.

The Climate Change Advisory Council has warned that Ireland’s dependence on fossil fuels in transport is leaving people, businesses, public services and the wider economy exposed to repeated fuel price shocks, as geopolitical instability continues to disrupt global energy markets.

Launching the Transport chapter of its Annual Review 2026 today, the Council said Ireland must reduce this exposure by accelerating investment in public transport, active travel, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the grid capacity needed to support cleaner transport.

The Council says recent temporary emergency responses to fuel price increases have not been sufficiently targeted. It recommends that Government addresses the regressive components of emergency measures and introduce targeted supports within the transport sector for those most exposed and least able to avoid fuel costs, while maintaining planned carbon tax increases and continuing to ring-fence revenues for climate action and a just transition.

The Council is calling for targeted measures to increase EV uptake among lower-income households, particularly in areas with limited access to public transport and high car dependency. The Government’s recent pilot ICE2EV grant to incentivise the purchase of new electric vehicles by owners of 13 year or older fossil fuel cars is welcome.

In the review, the Council also warns that Ireland needs to accelerate the expansion of EV charging infrastructure, including the real time mapping of EV charging points to give people and businesses confidence in the alternatives to fossil fuel use.

However, continued grid constraints and charging infrastructure gaps are hampering Ireland’s ability to fully embrace electric vehicles. Publicly accessible charging infrastructure remains well below the EU average, while further investment is needed to support the electrification of cars, buses, school transport and commercial fleets.

Public transport passenger journeys increased by 6% in 2025, with TFI Local Link services recording a 19% increase. However, largely unchanged passenger journey data across some bus, rail and Luas services may indicate that parts of the public transport system are operating close to capacity.

The Council is calling for increased funding for public transport and for existing Public Service Obligation services in Budget 2027. Accelerated delivery of priority projects such as DART+ South West, Luas Finglas and the National Transport Authority’s Park and Ride Investment Programme are necessary to increase capacity and to cater for the projected population growth in these areas. Ireland must deliver a modern, reliable and cost effective public transport system to encourage commuters out of their cars and onto lower emission alternatives.

The Council also warns that Ireland’s transport network must be made more resilient to extreme weather. Storm Chandra and prolonged rainfall in early 2026 exposed the vulnerability of road and rail infrastructure, underlining the need for climate risk to be built into transport planning, investment and design standards.

The Council is also calling for the updated National Ports Policy to be finalised and published, for greater investment in climate-resilient regional and local roads, and for vulnerable sections of the rail network to be assessed and climate-proofed.

Mr Alex White, (Chairperson of the Climate Change Advisory Council), said: “Fossil fuel shocks are not one-off events. As long as Ireland remains heavily dependent on petrol and diesel for transport, people, businesses and public services will remain exposed to global price volatility and geopolitical crises.
The way to reduce that exposure is to give people real alternatives. That means sustained investment in public transport, a charging network people can rely on, and the grid capacity needed to support the switch to electric across cars, buses and commercial fleets.
This transition also has to be fair. Supports should be targeted at those most exposed to transport fuel costs, particularly people on lower incomes and those who are car-dependent because they do not have access to practical alternatives.
The Government has set the right ambition to end Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels, the test now is delivery.”

Another Tax Is Not a Housing Policy.

We learn that the Government is preparing to introduce a new Derelict Property Tax across 107 cities and towns, with plans to expand it further to 171 locations.

The stated aim is to bring long-term derelict buildings back into use, restore communities and create more homes. On paper, few people would disagree with that goal. Dereliction is a blight on towns, villages and city streets across Ireland and here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, one only has to look at the Munster Hotel on Cathedral street, to fully understand the negligence in fulfilling same obligation.

**Munster Hotel, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.**

But there is a bigger question here: how much more can people and property owners be taxed before Government admits that taxation has become its default answer to every problem?
We already have property taxes, vacant property measures, levies, charges, stamp duty, planning costs, compliance costs and endless layers of bureaucracy. Now, once again, the solution being offered is yet another tax.

The new Derelict Property Tax will replace the current Derelict Sites Levy, which is charged at 7% of the market value of a property, and the new rate is expected not to be lower. In other words, this is not a light-touch measure. It is another significant financial burden, this time once again to be administered by Revenue.

Of course, owners who deliberately allow buildings to rot, while communities suffer should be held accountable. No one wants to see usable homes and buildings left idle during a housing crisis.
But the Government must also recognise that not every derelict property is being held by a wealthy investor or speculator. Some are tied up in probate, in legal disputes, planning delays, lack of services, structural costs, family circumstances or impossible refurbishment expenses.

Punishing everyone with another tax risks missing the real issue. Ireland does not need a Government that simply keeps finding new things to tax. It needs a Government that removes barriers, speeds up planning, supports realistic refurbishment, cuts red tape and makes it financially possible to bring properties back into use.
Success should not be measured by how much money Revenue collects. It should be measured by how many buildings are restored, how many homes are created and how many communities are revived.

If this tax becomes just another revenue stream, then it will be another example of a Government that taxes first and solves later.

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.”

Rotunda Row – Private Maternity Care – Public Contracts – Question of Refunds.

The recent dispute involving the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin has raised important questions about public healthcare, private maternity care and the obligations of consultants working under public-only contracts.

At the centre of the controversy is the Public-Only Consultant Contract. This contract was introduced as part of efforts to reduce private care within Irish public hospitals and strengthen the public health system. Consultants who sign it receive public salaries on the understanding that they will not carry out private practice in public hospital settings, except where specific rules allow it.

The issue arose because some consultants at Dublin’s Rotunda hospital, who were on public-only contracts, were still treating private maternity patients on the hospital campus. This led to a clash between the hospital, the HSE and the Minister for Health, Ms Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.

The Rotunda initially defended its position, saying it believed women should have choice in maternity care and continuity with a consultant during pregnancy and birth. However, the HSE and the Minister said the arrangement was not in line with the terms of the public-only contract or the hospital’s agreement with the State.
The pressure on the hospital increased when the HSE warned that continued non-compliance could lead to consequences under its service arrangement, including the possible withholding of funding. The Rotunda has now agreed that consultants on public-only contracts will no longer treat private patients in the hospital.

A further question now concerns women who paid for private or semi-private care from consultants who were, at the same time, employed under public-only contracts. The Minister suggested that women who paid for such care in 2026 may be entitled to refunds. The Rotunda, however, has said that whether refunds are owed is an issue between the consultant and the private patient.

That distinction matters. The hospital appears to be saying that the private fee arrangement was not necessarily with the hospital itself, but with individual consultants. However, the wider public concern remains; if a consultant was being paid by the State to provide public-only care, should patients also have been charged privately for treatment in the same public hospital setting?
This row is not just about one hospital. It goes to the heart of a wider debate in Irish healthcare; how to balance patient choice, continuity of care, consultant contracts and equality of access. Many women value private maternity care because it can offer reassurance and continuity. But public hospitals are heavily funded by taxpayers, and the State’s policy is to ensure that public resources are not used in ways that give paying patients unfair priority.

The Rotunda is one of Ireland’s busiest and best-known maternity hospitals. The dispute has therefore become a test case for how strictly the public-only consultant contract will be enforced across the health service.

For affected patients, the immediate concern is clarity; who was paid, what service was promised, and whether any refund is due.

For the public, the bigger issue is whether Ireland is serious about separating public and private care in public hospitals, or whether exceptions will continue to blur the line.

Liberty Music Festival Confirms Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Weekend Will Go Ahead.

Organisers of the 2026 Thurles Liberty Music Festival have moved to reassure ticket holders, music fans, local businesses and the wider Thurles community that this year’s festival will go ahead as planned on Saturday, July 4th and Sunday, July 5th, 2026.

**Three festival-goers smile for the camera at Thurles Liberty Music Festival 2022, capturing the friendly, colourful atmosphere of this annual event.**
**The festival is held in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, and is known as an outdoor tribute-band festival with a lively mix of music, crowds, and summer energy.**

*Picture: G. Willoughby*.

The clarification follows understandable concern after the news that Tickets.ie, the ticketing platform previously linked with the event, has ceased trading and is now entering liquidation.

Organiser of the Liberty Music Festival, Cllr. Mr Jim Ryan said that the festival “will definitely go ahead” as alternative and as yet undisclosed funding methods are being put in place.
Cllr. Ryan said that because this festival is still a few weeks away, he has had the opportunity to make alternative funding arrangements “to get it over the line”.

Above video courtesy G. Willoughby.

All key commitments remain in place, including the venue, artists, production, operations and event arrangements. The festival team has also confirmed that customers will receive updated communication by email, with new tickets to be issued through the festival’s new ticketing partner, Gr8 Events.

This means ticket holders should watch their inboxes carefully over the coming days and follow official festival updates only. Anyone who purchased tickets should wait for the updated email and new ticket details rather than relying on old ticket links or third-party information.

The message from organisers is clear: despite the difficulties caused by the collapse of Tickets.ie, the Thurles festival weekend remains on course.

Liberty Music Festival is set to bring a major weekend of live music, entertainment and visitors to Thurles, and organisers say they are looking forward to welcoming everyone on July 4th and 5th.