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 Thurles Town Centre Free Christmas Parking Thurles:
Free parking has been granted by Tipperary County Council to consumers in Thurles, in all public car parks, on the following dates only:- Saturday December 8th; Saturday December 15th and Saturday December 22nd, 2018.
Roscrea & Templemore:
The situation is similar for the Tipperary town of Roscrea, while Templemore consumers can park anywhere throughout the town on the same above stated dates.
Tipperary Town:
Tipperary Town on the other hand will have free parking outright, from Saturday December 1st, until close of business on December 31st, (New Years’ Eve, close of business). Same special concession must have been influenced by two protests better known as #MARCH4TIPP. The MARCH4TIPP Campaign picketed the Tipperary Town’s local authority offices yesterday, with protesters demanding that Councillors scrap pay parking charges in the town.
Cashel:
Free parking arrangements in Cashel is again confined to public car parks only; but here on Saturday 1st December; Saturday 8th December; Saturday 15th December; Saturday 22nd December and Saturday 29th December 2018
Nenagh:
Free parking arrangements in the Town of Nenagh over the Christmas period are also confined to public car-parks, but from Saturday December 15th to Wednesday December 26th 2018; with normal pay parking, being applied on streets from 10.00am to 18.30pm, while shops are open, between the latter stated dates.
This Tipperary Co. Council so called “free parking initiative”, is supposedly designed to promote local trade and to encourage support for resident Town Traders, during the Christmas season. But of course, one of the reasons that consumers no longer enter the centre of our main towns; in any great numbers at least, is due solely to these same ‘pay-parking’ initiatives, introduced by Tipperary Co. Council; which have succeeded in driving consumers to seek the free parking sites provided by the large Supermarkets and Multiples, e.g. Lidl, Aldi and Dunnes Stores.
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 Templemore – Thurles Municipal District is one of five regions within the county of Tipperary, all governed by Tipperary Co. Council, with the other 4 being; Clonmel Borough District, Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District, Cashel-Tipperary Municipal District and Nenagh Municipal District.
The Templemore – Thurles Municipal District representatives are made up of 9 councillors, with Thurles District represented by Mr David Doran [Mobile:086 8901599], Mr Seamus Hanafin [Mobile: 087-2614000], Mr John Hogan [Mobile: 086-2314067], Mr Micheál Lowry [Mobile: 087-2897585], Mr Jim Ryan [Mobile: 086-2397376] and Mr Sean Ryan [Mobile: 087-4581455].
Templemore area is represented by Mr Joe Bourke [Mobile: 086-8386376], Mr Eddie Moran [Mobile:086 2484363], and Mr Michael Smith [Mobile: 086-8525634]. (Note all mobile phone numbers are available in the public domain.)
Tipperary County Council Mission Statement:
Tipperary County Council and all the elected public representatives, within this Templemore – Thurles Municipal District, claim to hold fast to certain key words which they claim underpins their values; namely:- ‘Responsiveness’, ‘Fairness, ‘Co-Operation’, ‘Quality’, ‘Accountability’, ‘Leadership’, ‘Competency’, ‘Efficiency’, ‘Communication’, ‘Teamwork’, ‘Partnership’ and finally ‘Collaboration’.
However; since May last of this current year, (2018) one other word must surely be added to their Mission Statement – the noun, ‘Dictatorship’.
 Going – Going – Gone — The Unwarranted Removal of a Communities Right-of-Way. Tipperary County Council under the leadership of Mr Joe MacGrath (Chief Executive), through its Community and Economic Development Section, maintain they continually strive to “provide a place where its people can enjoy a great quality of life”.
The promises of a ‘Quality of life for people’, ‘Fairness’, ‘Co-Operation’, ‘Communication’, ‘Teamwork’, ‘Partnership’ and ‘Collaboration’, simply vanished out the window at 7.30am this morning (Saturday 17th. 2018), for the residents of the Moyne Road/Bellevue housing estates, when a team of builders moved in to hurriedly ‘slap up’ a thick cement block wall, thus removing a right of way, used by residents and others living in the area, who had enjoyed easy access for over the past 40 years.
The local residents had earlier sought funding to improve steps leading up into the estate from this ‘right of way’, but District Director Mr Matt Shortt [Telephone (Work): +353 (0)761 06 5000], (Director of Services, Director of Roads, Transportation and Health and Safety, for Templemore / Thurles Municipal Council.) had other ideas and made a decision to block all future access via this right of way, proving, not for the first time, that our 9 local elected Councillors remain powerless in any decision making process, within this said / same Municipal District.
The justification for this decision by Mr Shortt remains presently clouded. However, we understand that same decision may have something to do with health and safety. Certainly, the line of sight for pedestrians crossing this roadway should have been improved years ago, however a barrier had been installed forcing those on foot to ensure they were given a clear vision of oncoming traffic from the Moyne direction. Indeed, this barrier could have been even further extended and a pedestrian crossing introduced, to solve this issue; thus forcing motorists to be more cautious.
Chairperson of the award winning Moyne Road/Bellevue housing estate now affected, Mr Thomas (Tommy) Barrett and his Estate Committee are extremely annoyed at the Co. Council and Mr Shortt’s decision and the dictatorial manner with which this matter was concluded. Moyne Road/Bellevue housing estate believe that, with further debate, this issue could have been solved /resolved, retaining the right of way for all of its residents. No accidents had happened previously in this area over the past 40 years and while young people from this area, will continue to climb over Mr Shortt’s newest obstruction; elderly estate dwellers must now walk a considerably longer route to get to their once nearby local shops.
A winner of the Thurles Credit Union 2011 ‘Person of the Year Award’ and a Youth Garda Recognition Award for his services to his community in 2016; Mr Barrett and his committee are now seeking legal advice, in an effort to retain this right of way for their residents.
Local Elections:
Meanwhile, Local Elections are being held in May 2019 and the deadline for voter registration is November 25th, 2018. In order to be eligible to vote, your name needs to be added to the Electoral Register, but do remember despite what elected representatives tell you, they themselves have currently no decisive power whatsoever, which begs two questions, “Why should we bother to vote at all?” and “Are Councillors, with no real power to make local decisions, really a waste of money in today’s local communities?” To quote acting Councillor Mr Jim Ryan on Mr Barrett’s facebook page; “Tommy it’s a disgrace. Despite huge objections to this the Council wouldn’t listen. I will continue working with you Tommy and the residents of Moyne Road in trying to get this overturned. There are plenty of other more important things in Thurles the Council should be concerned with, rather than an opening that has never caused any trouble in the past”. [Indeed, the potholes on Slievenamon Road, Thurles, daily dodged by motorists for the past 12 months, certainly bear testament to Mr Ryan’s final remark and Tipperary Co. Council and District Director Mr Shortt’s neglect of our town.]
On the positive side, this new wall will no doubt in the near future, should it remain, become the latest canvas for our local budding untalented graffiti artists.
Perhaps those affected could now make telephone contact with all the above-named local Councillors, in an effort to get this matter sorted, outside of court action, latter most certainly coming down the line.
Perhaps the time has come for a #march4Thurles, before we are further left behind. Remember the launch, the free dinners, and “Tipperary – The Place – The Time”, – God Help Us.
 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.
“We have turned the tide of public opinion; it was once a glory for men to boast of what they drank; we have turned that false glory into shame”.
Quote by Fr. Theobald Mathew (Apostle of Temperance 1790-1856) and Minority Fine Gael Government (2018)
 Dáil Éireann Bar During Normal Office Hours The two Bars in Dáil Éireann (one ‘Member’s Bar’ and one Visitors Bar’ and as Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘The Ballad of East and West’, suggests “never the twain shall meet”), are now expected to close following the new sections of the Public Health Alcohol Bill, which will come into operation next Monday.
Same Bill bans Alcohol advertising near schools or play areas, together with new separation rules for the hiding of alcohol products behind delivery pallets, out of the public view, while stocked in Irish retail outlets.
This Public Health Alcohol Bill recently passed through the Dáil, and represents 1,000 days of “Sweat of the brow” effort, hard work and uncivilised debate, undertaken by our glorious elected public representatives.
In mixed retail units, this public health legislation described as “ground-breaking measures” will now force same retail units selling alcohol, to erect barriers hiding their total lawfully held retail products.
The new measures now coming into law will include the prohibition of:-
- Alcohol advertising in public service vehicles, at public transport stops or stations and within 200 metres of a school, crèche, or local authority playgrounds.
- Alcohol advertising in cinemas except around films with an 18 classification or in a licensed premise in a cinema.
- Alcohol advertising in sports areas during events aimed at children.
- Children’s clothing which promotes alcohol.
Store owners who fail to comply with these new advertising regulations could face fines of up to €2,000.
Health Minister Simon Harris is in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary today to avail of a photo opportunity promoting Fine Gael, while officially opening the UL Hospitals Cataract Centre, situated at Nenagh Hospital. Mr Harris claims that this crackdown on advertising and display areas in shops, will ultimately help protect people’s health, and Mummy and Daddy will, in future, no longer return home on Friday nights ‘piss arsed’, to be observed close-up and personal by their adoring teenage children.
Items such as Whiskey Cake; Butter Scotch Ice Cream; Irish Coffee and Guinness Stew will, no doubt, be removed from restaurant menus, and ingredients detailed in such recipes, will be erased from the Internet.
We learn that separate new minimum unit pricing rules for alcohol together with other regulations to allow for cancer warnings on alcohol products, are expected to be brought before government in the coming months.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Mr Leo Varadkar is asking politicians who have not settled their tab at the Dáil bar, that they should do so immediately or else have it deducted from their salary or pension. Some bar bills, know to equal at least €765.23, are outstanding since the year 2000.
Fine Gael Closing Two Dáil Bars
To Health Minister Mr Simon Harris and his Fine Gael Cabinet – Sirs, please keep in mind the words of the American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “If you would lift me up you must be on higher ground.”
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