Law « Thurles Information

Plastic Bags.

Plastic Bag Levy regulations in Ireland came into operation on July 1st 2007. Today, if a customer requests a plastic bag, the retailer must, generally, since that date, charge €0.22 per plastic bag supplied. Of course there are exceptions; these are for bags of certain sizes, and for bags which contain fresh fruit, unpackaged vegetables, meats and certain other products.

Hereunder, Leitrim native Seamus O’Rourke, writer, director, actor, poet and independent producer extoles the unvirtuous over use of such outer packaging, as only Seamus can.

The plastic bag levy’s primary purpose was to reduce the consumption of disposable plastic bags by influencing consumer behaviour.

Moneys gathered by this levy is, we understand, remitted into the ‘Circular Economy Fund’, which is supposedly used to support initiatives in reducing waste and to promote the reuse and recycling of goods.
On a positive side, it has had a major effect on consumer behaviour since its introduction.
Annual sales of lightweight plastic bags have dropped from a high of more than 130 million to just 8.3 million at the end of 2022, with all the associated benefits for Ireland’s environment.

Alternatives to disposable plastic shopping bags, such as reusable bags are now available in shops around the country, and the consumer has changed to using these alternatives. In the grocery sector, disposable plastic bags have largely been replaced by reusable shopping bags.

Plastic shopping bags designed for re-use are exempt from this levy provided the retailer charges at least 70 cent for each bag.

HSE Alert Public To Excessive Nicotine In Vape Products.

Yesterday the Health Service Executive’s National Environmental Health Service alerted the public to excessive nicotine concentrations found in 4 products, for which European product safety (RAPEX) alerts have been issued.

The products involved are:

Savage Vape. Sub-brands (flavours): Kiwi Passion Fruit Guava 5% Nicotine.
The Crystal PRO MAX 4000+ puff. Sub-brands (flavours): Watermelon Ice Batch No. MAX20230407.
ADADA A8 1200 puff. Sub-brands (flavours): Vanilla Coke.
McKesse MK Bar 7000 12ml. Sub-brand (flavour): Lime Mojito 12ml. Batch Number: Exp: 31/12/2023.

Test results for the four products show that the legal nicotine concentration was exceeded, with sample results ranging between 26.9mg/ml and 30 mg/ml.
The legal nicotine concentration for electronic cigarettes is 20mg/ml.

As a precautionary measure, the HSE are advising consumers to check the electronic cigarettes they may hold, against the products involved in these alerts. If they have any of these products, they should stop using them and return them to the shop where they were purchased. If they have used these products and experienced any ill effects, they should contact their General Practitioner for advice and notify the HSE at info.tpd@hse.ie.

In response, the HSE has contacted distributors and importers of e-cigarettes and refill containers known to them and to make them aware of this issue and will be following up as required.

The message to retailers is:
If you have any of the products as set out above, you must remove them from sale and contactthe HSE at info.tpd@hse.ie providing product and full traceability details.
If you have sold or distributed any of the products above, a recall notice must be displayed in a prominent position in your retail premises and on your website and social media.

Retailers, with any queries in relation to this matter, may contact the HSE at info.tpd@hse.ie.

2025 Garda Recruitment Campaign Announced.

The 2025 Garda recruitment campaign will open for applications on February 6th, 2025, for a 3 week period.
New trainees eligible for increased training allowance of €354.00 per week.

The provision of more than €2.48 billion in Budget 2025, will support the recruitment of new Garda members, Garda staff and Garda Reserves. The Programme for Government also commits to providing funding to recruit at least 5,000 new Gardaí over the next five years.

Recruitment into An Garda Síochána has accelerated following the forced closure of the Templemore, Co. Tipperary, Garda College during the pandemic. The 2024 Garda recruitment campaign received a strong response, with almost 6,400 applications, one third of which were from the 35-49 age group. That was the first time that those aged over 35 could apply.

The new Programme for Government outlines a number of measures intended to strengthen An Garda Síochána; expand the organisation’s resources and modernise support to tackle crime.
These include:

A reform of the Garda recruitment and training processes to increase capacity.
Examining the introduction of an accelerated graduate entry programme to An Garda Síochána.
Implementation of a new Garda Capital Plan to deliver modern, well-equipped Garda stations across the country.

Prospective candidates can visit publicjobs.ie in the coming days, hopefully, for more information on how to apply.

Drugs With A Street Value Of €200,000 Seized In Cashel, Co. Tipperary.

One man has been arrested after the seizure of approximately 10kg of herbal cannabis, with an estimated street value of some €200,000, in the town of Cashel, South Co. Tipperary.

This seizure was conducted following a joint operation undertaken by Revenue’s Customs Service, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and the Tipperary Divisional Drugs Unit.

Following an intelligence-led operation Gardaí arrested a man, understood to be aged in his 30s, in connection with this incident.

He currently remains detained at a Garda Station in Co Tipperary, held under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996.

Garda investigations are continuing.
This seizure is part of ongoing joint investigations involving organised crime groups and the importation, sale and supply of illegal drugs.

Independence Day.

The Independence Day song tells the sad story of a mother and daughter living with an abusive husband, told through the eyes of a young girl.
On July 4th, [Independence Day (United States)] the child walks down to the fairgrounds and while she is out, her mother burns down their house, with herself and her husband inside, thus achieving her own “Independence Day.”

Lyrics: Retired American singer and songwriter Gretchen Peters.
Vocals: Powerful voice of American country/pop singer and songwriter Martina Mariea McBride.

Independence Day.

Well, she seemed all right by dawn’s early light,
Though she looked a little worried and weak.
She tried to pretend he wasn’t drinkin’ again,
But daddy left the proof on her cheek,
I was only eight years old that summer,
And I always seemed to be in the way,
So I took myself down to the fair in town,
On Independence Day.

Well, word gets around in a small, small town,
They said he was a dangerous man,
But mama was proud and she stood her ground,
She knew she was on the losin’ end.
Some folks whispered, some folks talked,
But everybody looked the other way,
And when time ran out there was no one about,
On Independence Day.

Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing,
Let the whole world know that today,
Is a day of reckoning.
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong,
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay,
It’s Independence Day.

Well, she lit up the sky that fourth of July,
By the time that the firemen come.
They just put out the flames,
And took down some names,
And send me to the county home.
Now I ain’t sayin’ it’s right or it’s wrong,
But maybe it’s the only way.
Talk about your revolution,
It’s Independence Day.

Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing,
Let the whole world know that today,
Day of reckoning.
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong,
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay,
It’s Independence Day.
Roll the stone away,
It’s Independence Day.

END.