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Following representations by Tipperary Independent T.D. Mr Michael Lowry with Minister for Rural and Community Development T.D. Mr Michael Ring, Mr Lowry is pleased to confirm that The Millennium Family Resource Centre, Glengoole, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, will now receive funding of €32,875 from the Dormant Accounts Fund.
 In personal correspondence sent to Deputy Lowry and today viewed by Thurles.Info; Minister Ring states:
Greetings Michael,
Further to your representations, I wish to inform you that I will shortly announce the allocation of €2 million in funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund, to 52 social enterprise projects across the country. The allocations are contained in the attached document. I can confirm that “The Millennium Family Resource Centre Company”, at Glengoole, Thurles, Co. Tipperary will receive €32,875, for the purchase of an Opel Astra van, a commercial washing machine and dryer, an air conditioning unit and two hot box containers, latter for the transporting of food.
I also wish to confirm that my Department is at an advanced stage in finalising Ireland’s first National Social Enterprise Policy. I expect to publish a draft of the policy shortly for public consultation, and to publish the final policy early in 2019.
The Social Enterprise Measure of the Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan is overseen by the Department of Rural and Community Development and administered by Pobal.
Kind regards,
[Officially Signed: Michael Ring, (An Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail)]
In a short statement by Deputy Lowry, he confirmed that the main aim of such funding is to increase the impact of social enterprise, by further enhancing the capacity to deliver services and where possible generate trade income, through the provision of small capital grants.
“This allocation, I am happy to state, follows on from numerous representations made by me, since July last.
Social enterprise operates in a similar fashion to businesses, selling goods or services to individuals, private businesses and the public sector. However, social enterprises are set up to also deliver or contribute towards a social, community or environmental goal and any surpluses which emerge from the activities of social enterprise, are reinvested back into its goal”, Deputy Lowry stated.
Plans to redevelop the Stanwix Homes, latter situated at Upper Kickham Street Thurles, have moved a step closer this week, following the granting of conditional planning permission for this worthwhile project, by Tipperary Co. Council. Planning permission, subject to 21 conditions, has now been granted by the Tipperary authority.
Extremely rare in Ireland, this terrace of two-bay single and two-storey former almshouses, were initially built almost 130 years ago, in 1889, at a cost then of around £2,500, and same has provided sheltered accommodation, initially for widowed ladies over 60years old, over that period, to current date.
The Thurles Lions Trust Housing Association, are now planning to broaden the services once provided at this venue, with the grant aiding of €3.15 million, same already approved for this project earlier this year.
The intended development will now consist of 15 housing units and one community facility. A ‘listed’ 19th century building; the Stanwix Homes will be transformed into nine one bedroom units, with nine new single storey extensions to be erected to the rear of each existing unit, while the two storey former directors house will be converted into a community facility.
Five one bedroomed single storey terraced social housing units and a five bedroomed bungalow will also be constructed on the site, together with communal and public access associated landscaping.
For the first time in a decade, a fully restored 100% Christmas Bonus, totalling €264.3 million, should be paid out to 1,213,130 Social Welfare recipients from Monday next.
Thanks to the generosity of the Irish taxpayer; these payments will now benefit all recipients of long-term social welfare, including lone parents; pensioners; carers, and people with disabilities.
Same is timed to offer help / assistance to those persons in receipt of low incomes and who otherwise would experience financial difficulties, associated with the season of Christmas.
The largest number of recipients are those in receipt of a Contributory State Pension, followed by those receiving Disability Allowance. They are then followed by those on a Widows / Widowers Surviving Civil Partners Pensions and those on Jobseeker’s Allowance.
In total, this years the Christmas bonus will be paid across 30 different categories of welfare recipients.
Tipperary Independent TD, Deputy Michael Lowry is pleased to confirm the following allocation of funding for Co. Tipperary under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund.
Following his continued representation on behalf of Tipperary’s ‘Category A Projects’, to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Mr Eoin Murphy; €2.89 million has now been awarded for the development of the Kickham Barrack Sports Hub in Clonmel and a further €1.35 million has been allocated for the Thurles, Liberty Square Regeneration Project.
This funding is allocated through Project Ireland 2040.
As readers will be aware, earlier this year ‘Project Ireland 2040’ established four new funds, all with a combined allocation of €4 billion, up to 2027.
The Urban Regeneration and Development fund (URDF) has an overall allocation of €2 billion up to 2027, with the Department of Housing, Planning & Local Government having the responsibility for the implementation of this same URDF funding.
This fund is the largest urban regeneration initiative taken in Ireland for decades and was established to support more compact and sustainable development, through the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s cities and large towns, in line with the objectives of Project Ireland 2040.
This will enable a greater proportion of residential and mixed-use development to be delivered within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and towns and it will ensure that more parts of our urban areas can once again become attractive and vibrant places in which people can choose to live and work, as well as to invest.
There are two categories of submission, Category A – for projects that are ready to go and Category B to support the initial development of projects (Master-planning / Feasibility) to ensure a pipeline of possible projects into the future.
 The drug ‘Respreeza’ used to treat Alpha 1 antitripsan deficiency; in those who have developed emphysema; according to the HSE and CSL Behring, is to be made available once again and will be guaranteed indefinitely to the 19 Irish people, latter currently battling with this rare disorder.
For almost three years patients have had to live with uncertainty with regard to the supply of Respreeza, latter which had given them a much improved quality of life for the previous 11 years.
Alas, the reintroduction of this drug by the HSE comes to late for Nenagh, Co Tipperary native Marion Kelly, one of two people who passed away on December 1st last year; shortly after the trial of this potentially life-saving medication was withdrawn.
Marion, aged just 53 year, a mother and grandmother, was one of 21 patients countrywide who had taken part in the Respreeza trial for this rare lung and liver disorder.
The death of Marion, came just a fortnight after she had made a desperate plea for help on social media, telling of her fears for her future existence after the government and the HSE had decided to remove the Respreeza drug from dependant patients.
There still remains a massive question mark over why six months free supply of the drug was kept in storage in Dublin, with the HSE refusing to administer it at a cost of €6,000.
The drug is understood to have been withdrawn by the HSE, following advice from the National Centre of Pharmacoeconomics, latter who decided it did not “represent value for money”, thus refusing to reimburse the drug company’s annual €80,000 invoice.
To put this drug withdrawal exercise into full context; the Government spent over €505,911 travelling to the recent Offaly Ploughing Championships; transporting nine ministers, 50 agencies, one Taoiseach and some 370 civil servants, over a four day period; each to pay token homage to a forgotten rural Ireland.
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