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 There may just be good pre-election news for Pensioners and people in receipt of Social Welfare payments, announced today.
Our Tánaiste and current Minister for Social Protection, Ms Joan Burton, has publicly stated that single people will get a Christmas bonus of €115 this year, while couples will get €220. Same constitutes a rise of some 50% on last year’s Christmas bonus payments which had been scrapped during the Ireland’s recent economic downturn.
Ms Burton also confirmed publicly that next month’s budget statement will see increases to investments into health, education and childcare.
If true, in real money terms this announced 50% bonus would mean an extra €115 this December for a person in receipt of an Irish Contributory Pension, and close to some €220 extra for a couple in similar circumstances. This bonus would also mean an extra €102 for a Carer and would be further increased if that carer has children.
However remember this is a pre-election announcement from the Labour Party who may not be in power after October’s promised budget and who in past pre-election assurances have shown their guarantees to be just about as useful as ‘an ashtray on a motorcycle’.
When it comes to Labour Party promises, perhaps it is best wait and save any promised bonus for the January 2016 sales.
 Jobs Minister Mr Richard Bruton (FG) is expected to announce 200 new jobs for Clonmel, Co. Tipperary today. These new employment places are to be created by Eishtec, an outsourced contact centre based in Co Waterford and first established in 2011 to provide tailored solutions to business. This company now intend to establish of a custom built centre in Ard Gaoithe, in Clonmel. Recruitment is understood to begin immediately.
While this announcement is most welcome, earlier similar job pronouncements for Co. Tipperary over the past number of weeks, e.g. 300 new jobs long term at US generic drugs giant Amneal Pharmaceuticals; 152 jobs at ABP Food Group etc, have born little fruit to-date.
While unemployment figures for August 2015, (published by the CSO on September 5th, 2015) appear to show a drop for the first time in persons unemployed in Co. Tipperary, one cannot help wondering how much of this sudden drop is reflected in real job creation within the county.
When unemployment figures are viewed over a period of the past eight months; these same statistics do not make for exhilarating reading.
Unemployment figures for Co. Tipperary over the first 8 months of 2015
North Tipperary and Associated Towns – 2015
—Jan — Feb — Mar —- April — May — June — July —- Aug —–Town/Region
6,312 – 6,237 – 6,139 – 6,030 – 6,199 – 6,462 – 6,601 – 6,475. North Tipperary – [Increase = 163 persons].
2,568 – 2,497 – 2,465 – 2,446 – 2,529 – 2,635 – 2,658 – 2,589. Nenagh – [Increase = 21 persons].
1,166 – 1,168 – 1,138 – 1,119 – 1,164 – 1,187 – 1,246 – 1,213. Roscrea – [Increase = 47 persons].
2,578 – 2,572 – 2,536 – 2,465 – 2,506 – 2,640 – 2,697 – 2,673. Thurles – [Increase = 95 persons].
South Tipperary and Associated Towns – 2015
—Jan — Feb — Mar —- April — May — June — July —- Aug —– Town/Region
7,864 – 7,786 – 7,681 – 7,595 – 7,809 – 7,998 – 8,110 – 7,957. South Tipperary – [Increase = 93 persons].
1,129 – 1,120 – 1,096 – 1,071 – 1,094 – 1,145 – 1,164 – 1,128. Cahir – [Decrease = 1 person].
1,685 – 1,674 – 1,650 – 1,625 – 1,663 – 1,697 – 1,719 – 1,688. Carrick-On-Suir – [Increase = 3 persons].
1,060 – 1,035 – 1,015 – 998 – 1,017 – 1,025 – 1,063 – 1,035. Cashel – [Decrease = 25 persons].
2,480 – 2,489 – 2,464 – 2,470 – 2,562 – 2,611 – 2,616 – 2,586. Clonmel – [Increase = 106 persons].
1,510 – 1,468 – 1,456 – 1,473 – 1,431 – 1,520 – 1,548 – 1,520. Tipperary (Town) – [Increase = 10 persons].
Current reigning Tipperary politicians will shortly be demanding our votes, based of their ‘vast experience’ and ‘proven competence’. The Tipperary electorate and particularly Thurles voters, on the other hand, will be waiting with ‘bated breath’.
The awaited November 2014 Fennelly Commission’s report has just been published this evening. The Commission was charged with investigating matters of public concern which had been brought to the attention of the current Government.
These matters of public concern included:-
(A) Recording of non-999 telephone calls in certain Garda Stations over a 30 year period.
(B) Recordings to and from Bandon Garda Station which might indicate unlawful or improper conduct by Gardaí in investigations into the death of the dreadful murder of M/s Sophia Toscan Du Plantier in 1996.
(C) Investigate and report on the furnishing to the Minister for Justice of a letter dated March 10th 2013, sent by the then Garda Commissioner Mr Martin Callinan, to the Secretary General of the Dept. of Justice & Equality.
(D) Investigate and report on the sequence of events leading up to the sudden and unexpected retirement of Garda Commissioner Mr Martin Callinan on March 24th 2014.
However it is the investigation and report on the sequence of events which lead up to the sudden and unexpected retirement of Garda Commissioner Mr Martin Callinan on March 24th 2014, which has gained the most attention from our national press.
 From this published report we learn that Garda Commissioner Mr Martin Callinan told the Fennelly Commission that the “direct cause of his decision to retire, was the visit from Mr Purcell, (Latter Secretary General of the Department of Justice and who visited Commissioner’s Home at 11.00pm) and the message conveyed by the Taoiseach during that visit”.
The former commissioner had expressed a wish to retire in three months, however the Taoiseach had then considered the issue overnight and later informed the Garda Commissioner that his retirement would have to take place with “immediate effect”; maintaining it was Garda Commissioner Callinan’s own personal decision.
The Commission has stated in this report “it must add” the decision to retire “cannot be seen in complete isolation from other contemporary events concerning An Garda Siochana and the Commissioner personally”.
However An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny has stated that the then charge made against him; that he sacked former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan, now “doesn’t stand up”. “The report is clear and unambiguous in its findings that not only was there no dismissal or sacking of the Garda Commissioner, it was never even mentioned at the meeting,” Mr Kenny stated.
This newly published report has now concluded that the visit by the then Secretary General, Mr Brian Purcell, to the home of Garda Commissioner Mr Martin Callinan, was the immediate catalyst for his decision to retire.
Readers are invited to read sections 35.17 (Page 220) to 35.22 (Page 221) of this Fennelly Commission Report, which can be viewed in its entirety here at http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/News/Taoiseach’s_Press_Releases/Interim_report_of_the_Fennelly_Commission.pdf.
 Dole Queue As I write today, our local Tipperary politicians, who are paid salaries on average of €90.000 per annum or €43.25 per hour based on a 40 hour week, not to mention their €125,000 in annual expenses, are all on holiday.
Overall here in Co. Tipperary some 11.7 % of commercial properties (7,475 available business sites) remain unoccupied. In the South of Co. Tipperary, in the town of Clonmel, almost 15% of commercial units remain vacant, (the national average being 12.6%).
Last week politicians Mr Enda Kenny; Mr Alan Kelly; Mr Tom Hayes and Mr Richard Bruton boosted their personal travelling expenses, by trotting into the south of our county to the town of Cahir: here to announce 152 jobs and a €50m Investment at ABP Food Group, all designed to boost in particular the Cahir area and Co. Tipperary in general.
However unlike Enda Kenny’s and Richard Bruton’s attendance at the ‘Banking Inquiry’ hours previously; in ABP Cahir no one produced a Holy Bible asking that all Public Elected Representatives solemnly swear, by Almighty God, to “tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth”.
Blatant General Election Spin In Co Tipperary.
Enda Kenny: Officially opening the new ABP facility, Taoiseach Enda Kenny appeared not to be wholly informed when he publicly announced 152 future jobs as part of ABP’s investment in Cahir, quoting; “another sign of the progress, momentum and confidence in the Agri-food industry”.
Richard Bruton: Jobs Minister Richard Bruton’s statement appeared to contradict Enda Kenny’s earlier announcement of a future 152 jobs when he added, “We have put in place our regional jobs plans to accelerate employment growth in every area. Today’s announcement that ABP continues to grow employment in Cahir, with 150 jobs created so far and more expected in the future, is a great boost for Tipperary.”
Then came his ‘Location Spin’, “The South East is growing jobs at the fastest rate of any region in the country, and with investments like this we can have confidence that this growth can continue in the coming years.” The East meaning Co. Dublin “Yes Minister,” but surely to add ‘South’ into this equation is somewhat of an exaggeration, especially when talking about a small town in Co. Tipperary.
Alan Kelly: Tipperary’s Minister for the Environment, Community & Local Government, Alan Kelly said the investment demonstrated a strong vote of confidence in both the region and the people of Co. Tipperary. “ABP Food Group has been in Cahir for over 40 years and with over 600 people employed, it has always been a big employer in the area.” he stated.
Tom Hayes: Tipperary’s Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, Tom Hayes TD was under no such job illusions when he stated, “This is a huge investment in local Irish food with a global reach. As Minister of State it is heartening to see how the Department’s Beef and Sheep meat Investment Fund has encouraged companies to undertake a series of investments in the future of their industry. I would also like to congratulate ABP on their investment in people and in skills and their pioneering commitment to Origin Green, which brings so many benefits to rural communities.” Unusually no evidence of the promise of future jobs in your statement then Mr Hayes.
Paul Finnerty: ABP chief executive Paul Finnerty made no such futuristic jobs forecast; other than to state that the economic benefits of ABP’s recent redevelopment, particularly during the construction period, “have been delivered during a difficult period for the local labour market”.
The True Current Unemployment Figures In Co. Tipperary.
During the last two months of May 1st to June 30th of the current year, 2015, Co Tipperary’s unemployment figures, shown under the CSO categories of ‘All Ages’ – ‘Both Sexes’ increased / rose by 835 persons.
In the town of Cahir alone, during the same period (May 1st to June 30th 2015), some 74 persons joined the ranks of the unemployed.
To add fuel to this raging furnace, during this same period (May 1st to June 30th 2015) at least 373 unemployed persons here in Co. Tipperary had already been moved off the Unemployment Register to work on Tús schemes (See Rates) and therefore not correctly categorised as being unemployed persons.
The true figures for increased unemployment in Tipperary during the period (May / June 2015) should therefore truly read approximately 1208. This figure does not take into account those other persons who chose to accept emigration. Neither does it take into account those who could not afford to leave this country and have since become a member of that well known unpaid Internship Club called JobBridge; latter which continues to remain unmonitored, offering poor conditions and little if any insurance cover.
Almost 5 years in office and imagine, not even one job created during that time in Co. Tipperary – what an achievement!
To our Tipperary TD’s; enjoy the holidays boys and girls, and remember we the taxpayers have just employed, solely for your benefit, a new fitness instructor to be installed in the Oireachtas Gym on an annual salary of €56,580.
The reason you ask? So that when you return, this instructor can assist in attempting to remove any recently gained, unrendered lard or other acquired fatty tissue from your lazy, useless, fat rear ends.
Environment Minister Alan Kelly has come under fire from Fine Gael Louth TD Fergus O’Dowd, for allegedly doling out more than €1.5 million in unmarked grants to three towns in his own constituency.
According to Mr. O’Dowd TD, the Co. Tipperary politician was put in charge of allocating funding for a campaign to get commuters walking and cycling instead of driving, while then Transport Minister. However, prior to the local elections in May 2014, Minister Kelly gave some €1.5 million from the Active Travel Town Scheme Fund to the towns of Tipperary, Clonmel and Thurles, instead of other listed areas identified by an independent assessment group and which were deemed to be in greater need.
 €510,000 Active Travel Town Scheme Funding announced for Thurles by Minister Alan Kelly in April 2014 These revelations come about following the release of an independent scoring system made available under the Freedom of Information, which show that an independent assessment group had already pinpointed these funded projects for other areas.
Dozens of applications were received from towns all over the country for a €6.5 million Active Travel Fund. Mr Kelly, who was then Transport Minister at the time, gave most of the funding to the six highest-scoring small and medium-sized towns, in line with the group’s original recommendations. However he departed from the original scoring system to dole out €1.5million for projects in Thurles, Tipperary and Clonmel all in his own newly enlarged constituency.
The independent assessment expert group gave the Thurles project just 56 marks out of 100, saying it had “little in the line of behavioural change” to get people walking and cycling instead of using their motor vehicles.
To date, over one year later, none of the allocated funding of €510,000 for Thurles, which was first announced in April 2014, has been spent.
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