Application Ref: 2660001. Applicant: Helen Maher & Stephen Kelly. Development Address: Cormackstown, Thurles , Co. Tipperary. Development Description: the construction of a single storey/storey and half dwelling house, domestic garage, septic tank and percolation area, access via existing residential entrance with proposed site entrance off the existing avenue and associated site works. Status: Conditional. Application Received: 02/01/2026. Decision Date: 15/06/2026. Further Details:http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2660001/0.
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.”
No. 11 Riverwood, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. (Rear of O’Gorman’s pub). Work Dates: 15/06/2026 – 31/12/2026 (proposed). Development Type: Residential (Dwellings), Other (Non Residential). Development Overview: Construction of block 10, a crèche unit on the ground floor and duplex units on the first floor, with associated external and infrastructure works in Riverwood, Thurles. Links: Live Map | BCMS Listing .
Abbey Road Thurles Co. Tipperary. (Close to and north east of Abbey Road, roundabout). Work Dates: 24/06/2026 – 23/11/2026 (proposed). Development Type: Residential (Dwellings). Development Overview: Construct a domestic shed. Links:Live Map | BCMS Listing.
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.
Munster Hotel, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
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.
Kickham Street Crossing Danger; Residents Say Road Safety Works Must Be Finished Before Someone Is Seriously Injured
Residents of Kickham Street, Thurles, are calling for urgent action from Thurles Municipal District Council over what they believe has become a serious and growing danger to pedestrians, particularly older people, people with disabilities, and those who are visually impaired or blind.
Several tactile slabbed and paved areas were installed on Kickham Street last year, apparently to assist visually impaired and blind pedestrians when crossing the road. However, residents say that these areas, on their own, are not enough. They do little or nothing to slow down traffic, and in the absence of clear road markings, painted lines, or properly designated crossing areas, many drivers appear to be treating the improved street surface as an invitation to increase speed.
Section of Tactile Slabbed Paved Area with Associated Proflo Access Cover.
This is especially noticeable during the late evening and night-time, when traffic speeds are reported to be significantly higher and visibility is reduced. For local residents trying to cross the road, especially elderly people, what should be a simple daily task has become a frightening and dangerous ordeal.
The tactile paving may help identify a crossing point underfoot, but it does not by itself control traffic, slow vehicles, or clearly warn drivers that pedestrians are likely to cross at these points. Without completed road markings and visible crossing designations, pedestrians are left exposed, and motorists are given no clear visual instruction to reduce speed or behave with caution.
Residents are now asking a very simple question: why were these works started but not properly finished? The situation is made even more concerning by the presence of Proflo access covers, measuring approximately 450 × 450 mm, located near the tactile slabbed areas. These covers were presumably installed to provide access to underground utilities while maintaining the continuity and visual safety of the tactile paving. Yet they now appear dormant, adding to residents’ concerns that this scheme has been left incomplete or neglected.
This is not a cosmetic issue. It is a road-safety issue. It is a pedestrian-safety issue. It is a disability-access issue. Most importantly, it is a potential danger-to-life issue.
Residents in the area have therefore come together to sign a petition requesting that Thurles Municipal District Council immediately complete the necessary painting of lines and road markings between the tactile slabbed areas already installed last year. These markings are needed to clearly designate safe crossing areas, alert drivers to pedestrian movement, and help regulate driver behaviour before a serious accident occurs.
Tipperary County Council’s own road-safety approach recognises the need to prevent fatalities and serious injuries, and local authorities have powers to provide traffic-calming measures such as road markings, signs, modified surfaces and other interventions to reduce speed and improve safety.
Kickham Street residents are not asking for anything unreasonable. They are asking for the job to be finished. They are asking for safe, visible, properly marked pedestrian crossing areas. They are asking that elderly residents, visually impaired pedestrians, children, and all local people be able to cross the road without fear.
The longer this issue is left unresolved, the greater the risk. Action is needed now, not after someone is injured.
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