Politics - Thurles Information

Tipperary Co. Council Fail To Enact Litter Pollution Laws.

As our readers will be aware; the 2020 Irish General Election took place on Saturday February 8th, same convening to elect members for the 33rd Dáil Éireann, latter the lower house of Ireland’s parliament. Each one of the 160 seats available were contested, with the Ceann Comhairle (Head of Council or Chairperson) being returned automatically.

Photo taken on March 1st. 2020, on the Templetuohy Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

For this election, posters were quickly erected by some candidates under cover of darkness, using plastic cable ties, on every perpendicular standing object throughout Ireland, and to the honest eye, it would appear that the election candidates who had achieved least over the past four years created most of the offensive plastic photo-shopped images.

Rules Governing the Removal of Election Posters

The rules governing the removal of such posters are easy to digest, even for politicians.
Posters must be removed within 7 days of polling day. These requirements for election posters are set out under Section 19 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 and the Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 2009.

There is a requirement for candidates to remove all posters, including any cable ties, within 7 days following a General Election and failure to comply with such conditions constitutes an offence. The responsibility for the enforcement of this litter law lies solely with the local authority, which in this case is Tipperary Co. Council.

Any election posters in place after this stipulated time frame are deemed to be in breach of such legislation and are subject to an on-the-spot litter fine of €150 per poster.

Possibly the main offender of this particular Litter Pollution Act is Professor Dr. Dolores Cahill, a member of the minor right-wing, hard Eurosceptic political party in Ireland, which call themselves ‘The Irish Freedom Party’.

While strongly advocating an exit from the EU, Dr. Cahill’s party claims to be a ‘patriotic party‘, confirming it is ‘pro-natalist and supportive of stable families for procreation’.

The Irish Freedom Party set up 11 candidates to contest the recent 2020 Irish General Election, with none of their candidates being successfully elected. Those candidates fielded achieved a share of first preference votes between 0.19% and 2.06% in their respective constituencies, while their Party Tipperary Chairperson Dr. Dolores Cahill came second-last in the Tipperary constituency, with a mere 521 first preference votes.

This on-the-spot litter fine of €150, would surely assist the Thurles Municipal District’s ongoing weekly cost of filling watery potholes with shovels of dry tarmac.

Lowry Welcomes Funding Of €545,540, Through ORIS

Independent Tipperary TD Mr Michael Lowry welcomes funding of €545,540 to Tipperary, through the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS).

Deputy Michael Lowry is delighted to confirm that two projects in Co. Tippeary will share funding of €545,540 through the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) 2019. The ORIS is funded through the Department of Rural and Community Development and Fáilte Ireland.

The details of the approved projects in Tipperary are:
Under Measure 2: Garrykennedy Amenity will receive funding of €45,540 for the replacement of timber decking and footbridges, with further improvements to benefit wheelchair access.

Under Measure 3: Suir Blueway Tipperary will receive €500,000 for Infrastructure Enhancement works to improve the existing canoe trail which forms part of the River Suir Blueway project including river access works and trail refurbishment works.

Mr Lowry, in concluding this announcement stated, “This funding will make a huge difference to the ongoing maintenance and development of these outdoor recreation facilities in Co. Tipperary.
There is no doubting the huge importance of both these projects to local residents and tourists alike, who use and continue to benefit greatly from these facilities. I am pleased that my support for these projects has played a central role in facilitating this funding announced today”.

Tipperary’s Alan Kelly Expected To Enter Labour Leadership Race

A race to become the next leader of the Labour Party will gets under way later today, with Tipperary’s Labour TD Mr Alan Kelly, expected to enter the contest.

This contest follows the announcement by Mr Brendan Howlin, this week, to stand down as Labour leader.

The executive board of the Labour Party was expected to meet at 11:00am, this morning to set rules for the-is upcoming contest, which will take place in six week’s time, with Louth TD Mr Ged Nash and Dublin Bay North TD Mr Aodhán Ó Ríordáin also expected to throw their hats into the ring.

The winner will be decided by a majority vote of the party membership.

With 5 seats only up for grabs in the recent General Election in Tipperary, Mr Kelly, latter who spends his relaxation time viewing the American Netflik TV political thriller “House of Cards”, was once again lucky to be elected. Mr Kelly took the fourth seat with a mere 13,222 votes; 5,365 of which were second preference, leaving him several hundred votes short of a 13,632 quota.

This new Labour party leader when chosen will be expected to boost a political grouping which ended up returning with only six seats to the 33rd Dáil, one fewer than in the previous General Election.

Outgoing leader Mr Brendan Howlin said he would not be backing any future candidate and that a decision on any new leader would be a matter for their now diminishing party membership.

Rural Alliance Meet To Discuss Programme For Government

A group of rural TD’s, two from Co. Tipperary, are meeting in Dublin today as they compete to become the largest influential block in any prospective upcoming coalition.

This group currently consists of Mr Michael Lowry, Co. Tipperary; Mr Michael and Mr Danny Healy-Rae, Co. Kerry; Michael Collins, Co. Cork; Noel Grealish, Co. Galway, and Mr Mattie McGrath, Co. Tipperary.

This alliance of six TD’s from the previous 32nd Dáil are expected today to discuss their programme for government demands, as well as looking to attract new members to add to their current grouping.

This group will have the potential to grow considerably, given the views currently being shared by a large number of Independent TD’s, each committed to delivering a strong future programme for government and for rural communities within Ireland.

Sinn Féin Already In Trouble Just 24 Hours After Successful Election

Meanwhile, Senior Sinn Féin TD Mr David Cullinane has wisely been excluded from his parties main negotiating team; latter drawn up to form a possible government.

Same decision comes following Mr Cullinane’s “Up the Ra” offensive remark, at a late-night celebration on last Sunday.

“Up the Ra”– Meaning “Up the Provisional Irish Republican Army”, latter which emerged in December 1969. The Provisional IRA presided over the death of 1,700 people, 680 of whom were innocent civilians.
To fund its campaign, the IRA became involved in regular criminal activities e.g. robberies; counterfeiting; protection rackets; kidnapping for ransom, and later fuel laundering, drugs and cigarette smuggling.
The IRA also raised funds through donations abroad and by running legitimate businesses such as taxi firms stealing VAT in the Republic; social clubs; pubs and restaurants. It is estimated that by the early 1990’s, the IRA needed over 12 million Euro per year simply to operate
It is estimated that currently the IRA own at least €550 million in global assets, and remains classified as an illegal organisation in the Republic of Ireland.].

Mr Cullinane later confirmed that he never distanced himself from the IRA or the hunger strikers, since entering politics.

While Mr Cullinane had been involved in the St. Andrew’s Agreement talks in the 2000’s and had visited No.10 Downing Street on a number of occasions to meet with British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair; it was felt best by his SF colleagues that he not be included in any main current negotiating team; latter unveiled by finance spokesman Mr Pearse Doherty outside party HQ in Dublin last night.

Confirmed – “NO Sub-Post Office For Friar Street, Thurles”

It has been confirmed to Thurles. Info that there will be no question of a Sub-Post Office being located in SuperValu, situated at Friar Street, or indeed any other location here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Mr Angus Laverty, Public Affairs Manager with An Post has stated that the company is more than happy with its move to Thurles Shopping centre.

The question of a Sub-Post Office on Friar Street had first been raised by business owners on Friar Street, several months ago. SuperValu had been targeted as having an adequate free parking area to the rear of its sole business premises, thus identifying that parking charges in Liberty Square, was the reason for An Post’s move in the first place.

In more recent days outgoing Fianna Fáil Tipperary TD Mr Jackie Cahill had stated, “I have had a number of meetings with the owner of Supervalu Friar Street, Mr Tom Barry, with a view to having a Sub Post Office located at his store.

Because of the closure of the Post Office Branches in the villages around Thurles, and the relocation of the Thurles Branch to the Shopping Centre, I believe we need a sub post office to cater for the needs of older people particularly.

The Supervalu on Friar Street has ample parking to cater for people who do not want to make the trip to the Shopping Centre, and many SuperValu’s right around the Country have Sub-Post Offices, therefore Thurles must be treated equally.

I have made initial contacts with Senior Management in An Post to begin the process”.

Meanwhile, questions are now being asked why an initial petition which local residents were encouraged to sign, regarding the halting of An Post’s decision to move to Thurles Shopping Centre, on Saturday 24th September 2019, was indeed ever presented to An Post.
Thurles.Info has been unable to confirm if this signed petition was actually ever delivered.

Today, customers of An Post welcome the warmth and shelter afforded by the Thurles Shopping Centre’s long corridors and they claim that this protection from a freezing, wind and rain swept, Liberty Square, Thurles has come 20 years too late.