Politics « Thurles Information

New Garda Recruitment Campaign.

Significant increase in training allowance.
New trainees to receive €305 per week.
Change to age requirements opens role to 35 to 50 year olds for first time.

The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has welcomed the new recruitment campaign for An Garda Síochána, which opens for applications today and closes on Thursday 8 February.

Noting that recruitment into An Garda Síochána has accelerated following the forced closure of the Garda College to intakes, due to Covid-19, the Minister said: “I am very pleased to see Garda recruits once again regularly entering training at Templemore, and this competition will ensure there is a continuous pipeline of new trainees.
As a government we allocated the highest ever budget of €2.3 billion to An Garda Síochána for 2024. That included funding for between 800 and 1,000 new Gardaí, and I hope, and indeed expect, that there will be a strong response to this campaign.
I encourage anyone who believes they can make a positive contribution as a Garda to consider putting their name forward.
Policing is a career in which no two days will be the same – it can be exciting, rewarding and undoubtedly challenging, but it offers a great opportunity to have a positive impact in the community and to be a part of a modern, inclusive police service that has the respect and trust of the Irish public.”

The last Garda recruitment campaign which closed in April 2023, received approximately 5,000 applications.

Both the Government and Garda Commissioner have said they are committed to reflecting the increasing diversity in Irish Society by ensuring that all communities see themselves reflected in An Garda Síochána. The Garda Commissioner has also put a strong focus on equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from people of all backgrounds to join An Garda Síochána through this campaign.

Noting recent changes made to the eligibility requirements and increased training allowance, Minister McEntee added: “We have significantly increased the training allowance for trainee Gardaí, to €305 per week. Given that, and the decision to increase the maximum age of recruitment from 35 to 50, I believe we are opening up policing as a career option to a new cohort of people who will bring a range of different life and career experiences to the table.
Across 2023 we have seen recruitment into An Garda Síochána gain real momentum. And with unprecedented funding recently allocated for equipment and wellbeing initiatives, and recent increases in frontline supervisors, I believe those who join will be supported as they take on what I know can be a challenging job.
Our Gardaí do vital work every day investigating crime, supporting victims and maintaining the security of the state. Given that my top priority is building stronger, safer communities, I want to express my gratitude to them for their outstanding dedication and commitment and I hope this competition will lead to many more joining their ranks.”

Prospective candidates can visit publicjobs.ie for more information on how to apply.

Closing Date for the competition is Thursday 8th February 2024.

Is Munster Car Park In Thurles Due For Imminent Closure?

**Redesignated parking on Cathedral Street, Thurles.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby*

In the early part of last month (December 2023) an elected Thurles town councillor, namely Mr Jim Ryan, correctly raised the clear possibility that the town could lose a vital car parking area, located on Cathedral Street.

The area sits adjacent to the now derelict, eyesore once known as the Munster Hotel.

Independent Councillor Mr Jim Ryan, who first raised the issue, stated that some existing 100 car parking spaces could be made unavailable, following a failure to agree on future rent sought by the owner of the Munster Hotel, Mr Martin Healy, and his current tenant, Tipperary County Council, with the facility set to be closed to the public on a date, confirmed by Mr Healy, possibly February 2024.

Cllr Ryan has correctly stated, that a lot of schools, shops, businesses and the religious facility nearby (Cathedral of the Assumption), all who benefit from the use of this car park on a daily basis will suffer huge inconvenience, when going about their normal business in Thurles.

Cllr Ryan has called on the relevant bodies (namely the declared owner of the car park and Tipp. Co. Council), to come together to find a compromise, thus ensuring that the car park in question remains open to the public.

In the meanwhile, Mr Healy, the named owner of the car park facility, has publicly stated that his dispute with Tipperary Co. Council is not about money, but instead, what he is looking for is a proper future lease that would involve better maintenance of the car park site; which of course confirms Cllr. Ryan’ statement that any such compromise will involve money.

In the days prior to Christmas week, 2023, Tipperary Co. Council officials appear to have taken the initiative to ensure that school buses will now move from the Munster Hotel car park area, unto Cathedral Street. This appears to be confirmed by the appearance of new road markings on both sides of the streetscape. (See Image shown left above).

If the car park is closed to the public, what will be the future possible consequences?

Keep in mind that presently, school buses arrive into Thurles and park between the hours 8:45am until 4:15pm each day, in this now disputed rented car parking area.
From February, the proposed car park closure will see these buses move unto both sides of Cathedral Street, leaving no spaces for would-be consumers, either in the car park itself or on the street outside.
Students of all ages attending secondary schools will now be places in decidedly greater danger, while attempting to board school buses in this area of heavy moving traffic.
This non availability to park vehicles, now presents existing tennants and their landlords; same running foodpremises, bookmaker establishments, hardware, dentistry, clothing, beauty, dry cleaning, charity and hair salon businesses, latter all currently trading in the immediate area; unable to attract and service regular consumers, in turn resulting in the nonpayment of rates, or at best found to be in serious arrears of same, thus leading to closures.

Attendances at the nearby Cathedral of the Assumption will be greatly reduced at daily Mass times, (which normally take place at 11:00am and 7:00pm on week days), with the elderly, in particular, now possibly forced to move to attend religious ceremonies in the nearby Church of St. Joseph and St. Brigid, in Bothar-na-Naomh, Thurles, where adequate free parking is readily available.
Any such closure could cause greatest upset at funeral times, where people travelling great distances, particularly in winter time, will find no place to park in an already delibertly congested town, when wishing to attend such events in the Cathedral of the Assumption building.

Why does The Source Carpark remain closed.
The recent fire in the carpark underneath the existing “The Source” library area has remained closed to the public for some time, even before two arson attacks; same having had its ceiling regularly attacked by “latch street kids” and others with “idle hands”.
Latter travel around in small groups, while waiting for parents to return home from work. It was therefore no surprise that same area was set on fire, when strips of insulation was left unattended, dangling every-where in easy reach, from the ceiling area; within months of the building opening to a non attended political fanfare, back in 2006.

Where indeed will ticket paying consumers now park intent on attending Thurles Theatre and Thurles Library. Once again greed and poor planning; both have clearly “cut of their nose to spite their face”, a phrase which best expresses a needlessly, self-destructive, overreaction to a Thurles problem.

Time now for local councillors and their officials to inform their local electorate what exactly in going on at local government level. It is no longer acceptable for Councillors, TD’s and their officials, to treat their electorate like mushrooms – kept in the dark, and fed bullshit; while planned futures are being totally demolished.

University Hospital Limerick Most overcrowded In Country This Year.

University Hospital Limerick (UHL), serving the medical needs of North Co. Tipperary, has continued to be the most overcrowded hospital in the country, so far this year, in what the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has described as the “worst year on record for hospital overcrowding”.

According to the group’s trolley watch figures, over 121,526 patients nationally have gone without a hospital bed in the year 2023 to date; the highest portion of which, 21,141, were in University Hospital, Limerick.

Across the country some 3,450 children have also been on trolleys so far this year, representing an increase of 24% on the previous year.

This morning, Tuesday December 19th, there were 517 people waiting for beds; again forced to remain on trolleys in hospitals across the country.

The five most overcrowded hospitals in 2023, in Ireland to date were:

University Hospital Limerick with 21,141 patients,
Cork University Hospital with 12,487 patients,
University Hospital Galway with 8,914 patients,
Sligo University Hospital with 8,094 patients,
St. Vincent’s University Hospital with 6,555 patients.

This overcrowding comes at a time when the HSE have decided to implement a staffing recruitment freeze, which will further demoralise an already exhausted workforce.
The HSE themselves have acknowledged that wait times are far too high for those on trolleys in emergency departments.

Compared to the HSE figures which only count patients who are physically in the emergency department, the INMO figures published on their website weekly, from Monday to Friday, give a more accurate depiction of how many people are on trolleys and chairs right throughout our public hospitals.

The highest level of overcrowding recorded by the INMO was 760 patients record on January 6th 2020.

Slievenamon Road Upgrade – Final Nail In Thurles Town Centre’s Coffin.

It has become perfectly obvious that urban city planning ideas are now being mandatory enforced on rural, agricultural towns like Thurles, Co. Tipperary with disastrous consequences, forcing trading retail businesses to either close or fold their tents to move elsewhere.

Anyone who visited Dublin City recently will know that only public transport, cyclists and pedestrians can now get into and around its increasingly menacing streets, with any degree of efficiently.

**The busy prosperous Liberty Square of the 1960’s**.

That is all well and good in Dublin with its network of buses, trams and taxis. Here in rural Thurles such public transport is very limited. There isn’t a Dart tram line to be found running from rural Upperchurch or indeed Two-mile-Borris or Littleton villages every 15 minutes. Indeed there is not one single bus shelter to be found in Thurles, to protect a prospective bus passenger from our inclement weather.

For those who wish to view what exactly will be forced on the residents and businesses of this once prosperous midland town, take a look here: N62-Slievenamon-Road-Phase-2.pdf

NOTE Page 6 of the above pdf: “Some of the key interventions that this strategy will deliver include significant investment in the provision of safe, segregated infrastructure to protect those walking and cycling on our roads, and initiatives to promote modal shift from motor vehicle travel to support environmental, safety and health objectives.”

The picturesque Liberty Square, midday in 2023, asks a Question: Where are the town centre consumers; where are the cyclists; the walker, and the vehicle parking spaces.
Answer: Driven out with the businesses. Gone to support German international discount retailers on the outskirts of Thurles, who offer very little local employment, while selling a considerable amount of German processed produce.

See also what is planned in the Draft Discussion maps for Slievenamon Road, shown here: N62-Slievenamon-Road-Map.pdf.

Question: Where are the Cycle Paths either on a half upgraded Liberty Square, town centre or on this newly designed, still to be revamped, Slievenamon Road plan?
Answer: Non existent.

This October 2022 plan will most certainly drive home that final nail in our town centre’s coffin. However, the local electorate, (now remaining surprisingly silent), can express their anger, during local elections, expected to be held possible next March.

Deputy M. McNamara Challenges Tipperary Senator G. Ahearn Over Dáil Vote Comments.

Clare Independent TD, Mr Michael McNamara, has described Senator Garret Ahearn’s criticism of Independent TDs, who on Tuesday last, (December 5th, 2023) voted ‘No Confidence’ in Justice Minister, Mrs Helen McEntee as “facetious”* and “surprising”. [*Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humour”].

Deputy McNamara has responded by suggesting that the Tipperary-based Senator is “opting to ignore the depletion in numbers of Gardaí in Tipperary merely for advancement within his own party.”

“The Garda numbers in the Clare/Tipperary Division have fallen considerably during Mrs Helen McEntee’s term of office and I am surprised that Senator Ahearn has no issue with the resultant increase in antisocial behaviour in towns like Clonmel and Ennis,” added Deputy McNamara.

Figures released by the Department of Justice in response to a Parliamentary Question by Deputy McNamara reveal that the number of serving Gardaí in the Clare and Tipperary Garda Division dropped from 727 in November 2020 to 674 in November 2023, while numbers nationally decreased by almost 4,000 to 13,940 in the three years to November 2023.

“Senator Ahearn’s comments are facetious and bely the situation faced by communities across rural Ireland that have witnessed the closure of Garda stations and an overall decrease in the number of serving Gardaí,” explained Deputy McNamara. “It comes as a great surprise to me that any politician, aspiring to represent Tipperary, would be happy with the depleted numbers of Gardaí serving in the Clare and Tipperary Garda Division.”

Speaking during yesterday’s ‘Motion of No Confidence’ in Mrs Helen McEntee, Deputy McNamara said, “There is much about personalities and criticism of people’s personalities on both sides of this House. For me, this is not about personalities at all, for what it is worth. The Minister is a fine person and a relatively competent politician. There must, though, be political accountability in this House, in this democracy. This must be the case for health services and security services. Unfortunately, there are fewer Gardaí in the State now. The total is a little under 14,000 now, while there was a little under 18,000 at the start of this Dáil term.”

“Of those gardaí, they are spending more time behind computers. That is annoying them, and they are losing confidence in their Garda management,” he continued. “We might ask what that has to do with the Minister. It is the role of the Government to put management in place in the health service or An Garda Síochána that is able and resourced to do the job. It is very clear from the views, responses and votes of rank and file Gardaí, with regard to the GRA, that they do not have confidence. The problem is resources or Garda management. Either way, that becomes the Minister’s problem because she is the one who is accountable to the House for that.”

Deputy McNamara added, “I regret not being able to express confidence in the Minister. I hope she will recruit a lot more gardaí and develop systems whereby they have more time on the beat and are not tied up as much behind their desks. All I can go on is what I am seeing and hearing in my constituency. The lack of Gardaí on the beat is resulting in increasing antisocial behaviour not just on the streets of Dublin, but on the streets of Ennis. That is a problem because people now expect Gardaí to be transferred from rural towns to Dublin. There is not the capacity for that.”

“There is a real problem with policing in this State and there has to be political accountability. It is not that I take any pleasure in not voting confidence in the Minister, but there has to be political accountability and on that basis I regret that I cannot express confidence in the Government on this issue,” concluded Deputy McNamara.