Finance « Thurles Information

Major Funding Secured For New 5 km Thurles Loop Walk.

€447,300 awarded to extend walking route via Mill Road, in Thurles.

It is with great pleasure that the community of Thurles welcomes a landmark advancement in local amenities: a generous fund of €447,300 has now been secured by Thurles Lions Club to realise the long-awaited 5 km looped walk extension, starting from the heart of Thurles town-centre before meandering along the N62 national route to the “Lady’s Well” path stile entrance, positioned some 100 metres north of Thurles Golf Club. By following Lady’s Well main path, the rambler will then join the route at Mill Road (formerly Manor Mill Road, latter the ‘rat run’ or current inner relief road, for vehicles avoiding Thurles town) and the road locally known, affectionately, as “Fat Arse Boulevard”.

This funding is part of a number of Tipperary projects that have been allocated more than €900,000 between them to improve outdoor recreation facilities, is a minor part of a national fund of €16.5 million for 63 projects.

**Footpath plans advance for Mill Road in Thurles.**

Following the first publication of the planning application by Tipperary County Council, on 24th July 2024, same seeking the installation of a footpath on the Mill Road corridor, the project has now progressed significantly. Land access has been graciously granted by local residents along Mill Road, with, we understand Tipperary Council bearing the cost of acquisition. This co-operation paves the way for the looped walk to become a safe, well-designed pedestrian route for the community.

When complete, the new path will link the town centre securely with the outskirts of the town, via an attractive, town-to-country route, promoting greater recreational walking, better access for all ages, and contributing to the well-being and amenity of the Thurles area.
Observers have welcomed the scheme as a vital safety upgrade, especially along Mill Road, where pedestrian access had long been compromised by traffic speeds and inadequate parking provision.

When the local TDs catch wind of this scheme, their press releases will no doubt exclaim with great gusto how utterly thrilled they are to have “secured” this funding, for a project they only discovered existed yesterday via their inbox.

This awarding of funding marks a significant milestone, after one year and three months since the application’s initial publication, and confirms a concrete step towards long-envisioned connectivity for the region. Next steps will include detailed design, boundary works, signage, landscaping (including new native hedging) and final construction of the concrete 1.8-metre wide footpath along the route from the existing built-up path towards the bridge at Lady’s Well.

Residents, walkers, cyclists and families in Thurles now have cause to look forward with genuine excitement, the promise of “Fat Arse Boulevard” becoming a cherished walking loop is now indeed on its way to realisation.

Residents can find, view and download the initial plans and reports HERE. (Scroll to the bottom of the link provided).

Write-Off’s On Welfare Payments Total More Than €15 Million Over Two Years.

Irish Taxpayers have carried the cost of more than €15 million in incorrect welfare payments over the past two years.

In the year 2024 alone, the Department of Social Protection (DSP) wrote off €7.97 million, up from €7.64 million in 2023. These write-offs occur when overpayments are deemed irrecoverable; for example, where the recipient has died or the cost of pursuing same outweighs likely recovery.

Approximately 75% of the write-off’s relate to individuals who are deceased; smaller amounts (typically under €100) are also cancelled when recovery is judged uneconomical. The DSP operates a structured debt-management policy, issuing annual statements to claimants and reserving the right to reopen a case, if a recipient’s financial circumstances improve.

Of the 2024 total, nearly €3.1 million was attributed to non-contributory state pensions, while some €1.44 million related to the contributory state pension, and around €841,000 to illness benefits. Other six-figure losses include invalidity pensions, jobseeker’s benefit, widows/widowers’ pensions and one-parent-family payments.

Over the same 2023-24 period, welfare overpayments in total amounted to €273 million, with a marked rise from €115.8 million in 2023 to €157.5 million in 2024. These overpayments stem from instances of false or misleading information by claimants, as well as errors by either applicants or the department itself.

The DSP states that overpayments in any year account for less than 0.5 per cent of total welfare expenditure. In 2023 the department recovered more than €87 million, and in 2024 the figure rose to just over €100 million.

Where overpayments occur, the DSP seeks full recovery, while balancing collection efforts with fair treatment of claimants with limited means. Deductions of up to 15 per cent of ongoing welfare payments may be made. If a debtor is in full-time employment and refuses to repay, an “attachment of earnings” order may be considered. The department emphasises it will strive to avoid causing “undue financial hardship” in any repayment plan.

Thurles Lions Club Leads New Heritage Trail Initiative In Thurles.

Thurles Lions Club has secured €29,600 in grant support under the LEADER Programme toward the development of a new heritage trail in Thurles. The initiative will offer both visitors and local residents a looped walking route through the town centre, complete with interpretive signage and digital access to the town’s rich history and heritage.

**Members of Thurles Lions Club at the Official signing of the Thurles Heritage Trail were:**
**Back Row:** *Chris Delahunt, Pat Donnelly, Gary Roche, Una Crowley, Eamon Medley, John McCormack, Anne O Dwyer, Anne Bolton, William McDonagh, Tom O Toole, and Paddy Hickey.*
**Front Row:** *Jane Ryan (Thurles Tourism), Margaret McCormack, Pat Shanahan, Mary Slattery and Louis Curley.*

The project will be delivered in two phases:
Phase One involves the identification of the route, the design of the signage, translation of the sign content, consultation with the public and the development of the online component. The total cost of Phase One is €39,600, of which the Thurles Lions Club will provide €10,000 in matching funding to be achieved through public fundraising.

Phase Two will proceed with the manufacture and installation of the physical signage at strategic locations around the town core, and this element will be funded by the Tipperary County Council via the Thurles Municipal District.

**Photographed at the Official signing of the Thurles Heritage Trial**.
**Photo L to R**: William McDonagh *(Thurles Lions Club)*, Patrick Killeen *(North Tipperary Development Company)*, Pat Shanahan and John McCormack *(Thurles Lions Club)*.
*Pic: Louis Curley*

Each sign will incorporate a dedicated QR code, enabling users to explore detailed online content about the town’s heritage and history as they walk the trail.

“The trail will not only enhance Thurles’s visitor offering, but it will also give local people an attractive recreational amenity that connects them with the heritage of their town,” said a spokesperson for Thurles Lions Club.

The project builds on the club’s commitment to supporting community infrastructure and promoting sustainable tourism in Thurles. Once fully implemented, the heritage trail will provide a memorable, interactive experience that combines physical way-marking with digital storytelling.

Uisce Éireann Begins €1m Upgrade Of Templetuohy Water Supply.

Uisce Éireann has begun a €1 million upgrade of the Templetuohy, Co. Tipperary, Public Water Supply, in a project aimed at ensuring a safe, secure, and reliable drinking water supply for more than 800 customers in the area.

The works, which are now underway, will deliver significant improvements to the local water treatment plant, strengthening the system and ensuring ongoing compliance with national drinking water standards.

The Templetuohy supply is currently listed on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Remedial Action List (RAL), which identifies public water supplies requiring improvements. Uisce Éireann said the upgrade will address these issues through a more robust and advanced treatment process.

Key elements of the project include the installation of a modernised disinfection system and an enhanced monitoring process to ensure greater efficiency and reliability.

Ward and Burke Construction is carrying out the works on behalf of Uisce Éireann, with the upgrade expected to be completed by early 2026.

Mid-West Oireachtas Members Back Three-Tier Hospital Expansion Plan.

Oireachtas members from Clare and Limerick have given their backing to a three-tier plan to expand hospital capacity in the Mid-West, following publication of HIQA’s review of urgent and emergency care services in the region.

At a meeting in Limerick today, eight members of the Oireachtas agreed that all three options proposed by HIQA should be advanced in parallel, in order to relieve ongoing pressure at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

**Oireachtas members from Clare and Limerick listen to a presentation by Dr Terry Hennessy, at a meeting held at the Great National South Court Hotel today.**

Under the preferred approach, immediate investment would focus on expanding bed capacity on the existing UHL site at Dooradoyle. Medium-term development would see the establishment of a second UHL campus nearby comprising of out-patients department, diagnostics and adult mental health, with a longer-term goal of moving the maternity hospital and other acute services including a new Emergenct Department (ED) to the nearby site under shared governance. This would provide a high quality multi-generational and emergency care service for the Mid-West Region.

It was agreed that Option A combined with Option B will ultimately deliver Option C.

The meeting, held at the Great National South Court Hotel and convened by Clare TD Joe Cooney (Fine Gael), was attended by Minister Patrick O’Donovan (Fine Gael), Minister of State Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fáil), TDs Cathal Crowe and Willie O’Dea (Fianna Fáil), Senators Maria Byrne, Martin Conway and Dee Ryan, and Clare County Council Cathaoirleach Paul Murphy.

Dr Terry Hennessy, the HSE’s Regional Clinical Lead for Strategy and Development, briefed members on the significant constraints to expansion of the UHL site at Dooradoyle, the lack of capacity for that site on its own to deliver for the long-term future needs of the area, along with the HSE Mid-West short, medium and long-term plans for implementing the HIQA recommendations.

Following a positive and very constructive meeting, members agreed to support the HSE Mid-West’s commitment to pursuing all three strands and to engage with the Department of Health to secure full Government backing.
A follow-up meeting is planned for early November 2025 in Leinster House, with Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and senior department officials to be invited.