Politics « Thurles Information

Public Consultation On Recommendations Of Firearms Expert Committee Launched.

Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Mr James Browne TD, established the Firearms Expert Committee (FEC) on a non-statutory basis, in June of 2022.

The FEC included representation from stakeholders, the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána. The purpose of the FEC was to serve in an advisory capacity to Minister Browne, providing guidance on a wide range of matters related to firearms licensing within the Irish State.

The FEC held nine in-person Committee meetings over a period of nine months.

The final reports of the FEC were published on the 31st March 2023. The reports, along with the summaries and minutes of the FEC’s meetings are available HERE.

These FEC reports contain recommendations to the Minister on a wide range of firearms matters, in line with its comprehensive terms of reference. Minister Browne has stated throughout the FEC process that no changes to policy or legislation arising from any of the recommendations of the FEC will be implemented without prior consultation with stakeholders.

With this aim, Minister Browne has now launched an online consultation platform. This will allow stakeholders to indicate their level of support for all of the substantive recommendations of the FEC. This consultation platform is available HERE.

In addition to the online consultation platform Minister Browne will invite national representative organisations to make open submissions to him on behalf of their membership.

Minister Browne would encourage as many people and organisations as possible to participate in the online consultation, so that everyone with an interest in these important matters can have their voices heard. The online consultation will close on Friday June 2nd 2023.

Possible Bus Shelter For Thurles

Readers will be aware and will forgive my rhetorical figure of speech when I state that “Checkpoint Charlie”, also known as the entrance to the Slievenamon Road Car Park in Thurles, has been eradicated some weeks ago, with the whole “Lock, stock, and broken barriers” now vanished into history.

Who destroyed the 2 year old badly pointed limestone wall close by, [See top middle of Picture 1 below and also the picture inset], remains yet another mystery.

We had forecast the demise of “Checkpoint Charlie”, (Same an effort to save the wage of one Traffic Warden), if you remember, in early October last 2022, [View HERE].
The overall costings involved in the installation of “Checkpoint Charlie” was initially, we understand €95,000 plus. What it cost to remove less than 6 months after its was put into operation, and its current ‘scrap value’, now remains a closely guarded secret; known only to those we elected.

**Picture No.1. “Checkpoint Charlie”, with demolished wall inset.**
*Pic: George Willoughby*.

However, there may be just one overall small saving grace in all of this waste of taxpayer’s money; which is unlikely to save the blushing faces of local councillors, their officials and Tipperary Co. Council.

See picture No.2. hereunder, note that I am referring to the two, now vacant, Plexiglas Perspex Acrylic coated parking ticket shelters.

**Picture No.2. Shown here, one of two Perspex coated ticket shelters now vacant.**
*Pic: George Willoughby*

Here is a chance to create a ‘TFI Local Link’ bus stop between Thurles Shopping Centre and Lidl Supermarket, latter which is now, thanks to the total incompetence of Tipperary Co. Council officials, the newly created centre of Thurles town.
These two vacant Perspex coated ticket shelters would make for an excellent ready-made bus stop shelter for the loading and offloading of bus passengers, were a bus stop area to be carved into the existing grass coated island, southeast of the town.

Here earthen sods would be easily available to ‘turn’ by either Mr M. Lowry TD or Mr J. Cahill TD, enabling them to officially open the bus shelter on its completion; giving the false impression that either or both were helping to bring prosperity to their native town of Thurles.

Chief Executive Of Tipperary Co. Co. Breaks Silence To Respond To Thurles.Info.

In a reply, received from Mr Joe MacGrath (Chief Executive of Tipperary County Council), through his Secretary Ms Evelyn Harty, Mr MacGrath breaks a 3 year silence to discuss road craters on Thurles Roads.

Mr MacGrath has specifically requested that we publish his reply, now shown hereunder in full.
To refresh the memory of our readers, please read HERE, the blog which we published seven day ago, highlighting the current state of just about every road in Thurles town, and to which Mr MacGrath now replies.

But First It’s Competition Time:

**Guess on what road surface this 15.24 centimeter *(6 inch)* deep crater exists in Thurles. Answers can be posted** **HERE**.
**A prize of a €20 Eason book token awaits the first person to identify the spot.** **Competition** **is open to all** **Tipperary Residents**.

The reply sent by Mr MacGrath via his secretary Ms Evelyn Harty was composed on Tuesday April 18th at 10:02am, but did not arrive in my mailbox until yesterday morning April 19th.

Note: A copy of my initial email correspondence to Mr MacGrath HERE was carbon copied to Mr Eamon Lonergan, Ms Sharon Scully (Thurles M.D) and engineer Mr Thomas Duffy, by Mr MacGrath or an instructed staff member.

In accordance with Mr MacGrath’s wishes, please find his reply printed in full hereunder:

“Dear Mr. Willoughby,
Thanks for your email in relation to damage to roads at various locations in Thurles.
I have arranged to have these locations examined and can advise that:
The first photo is an Uisce Eireann excavation which is not the responsibility of Tipperary County Council.
The second photo is on the N75 bridge crossing in Thurles. TII has programmed works for this section of road which we expect will be undertaken by the end of May.
The third photo is Clongour which is on the 2023 works programme to get a full road reinstatement within the next month.

I note that you have published this matter on social media in advance of giving the Council an opportunity to respond, which is disappointing.
Please confirm that you will publish the full text of this response on the same social media outlets to ensure that a full, fair and balanced picture is conveyed to readers.

Best regards,

Joe.

In a reply sent today, we seek to thank Mr MacGrath for his reply and indeed we express our surprise at receiving such, since over the past 3 years; and despite forwarding a complaint to the Standards In Public Office Commission (SIPO), Mr MacGrath had failed to reply to information requests sent directly to him.
Complaints were also sent to SIPO regarding elected local councillors and their officials, but to no avail. Please see full details in relation to SIPO published on September 8th 2020, HERE and HERE.

Instructions sent by Corporate Services, at Tipperary Co. Council, in September 2020, regarding the then Code of Conduct by local Municipal District Councillors, their local officials, you Mr MacGrath and Mr Marcos O’Connor, in relation to the destruction of Thurles Heritage, namely “Great Famine Double Ditch”, were totally ignored; hence the need to publish “this matter on social media in advance of giving the Council an opportunity to respond” and which you describe as “disappointing”.

Your intending ‘chastising statement’, quote “I note that you have published this matter on social media in advance of giving the Council an opportunity to respond, which is disappointing”, is viewed by me personally as being gravely duplicitous, since you and your officials have refused to respond to any previous queries sent by me in the past.

In relation to all pictures in our report; Thurles.Info identified where the craters were to be found, in order to allow your engineers to quickly grab a shovel.
I should confirm that Picture No. I was not caused by operations undertaken by Irish Water, and was repaired on same day as was reported by us, (on April 13th, I am reliably informed on Facebook).
Irish Water or not; please look at the picture again while noting that Tipperary Council retains responsibility for Irish Water and queries continue to be accepted by the Water Services Section of the Council.
This initial pothole repair was undertaken by ‘Highway Maintenance’, before it ravelled yet again and was left for some 5 weeks, before local residents got fed-up driving around it.

The crater on Photo No. 2, at the Barry’s Bridge crossing, latter the main escape route out of Thurles when seeking employment, and which you expect to be fixed by the end of May next, was fixed two days ago, having existed since before Xmas.

The crater on Photo No. 3; one of a multitude of such on Clongour Road, caused by machinery which operated on the now sinking, newly built, Slievenamon Road area, (between Thurles Shopping Centre and Lidl); local residents are happy to note that same “will get a full road reinstatement within the next month”. However, based on my experience, we warn residents of that area about holding their breath.

We now invite Mr Joe MacGrath, when driving next to Nenagh District Office, “To Halt Awhile” here in Thurles and view the state of our current road structure.
We haven’t identified the area of the crater posed in the Competition Picture shown above, other than to state that same is on a roadway in Thurles. By failing to identify the positioning of same, it is hoped that those responsible for road maintenance in Thurles, may be stirred into action, thus winning our Eason book token.

Competition Clue: The crater in the picture above has existed since at least November of last Year (2022).
Same further confirms that Thurles residents get nothing in return for paying vehicle road tax and nothing for paying local property Tax (LPT), as successive governments continue to permit the ‘skinning’ of motorists through the purchasing of diesel, petrol, electricity and parking charges.

Heavy Goods Delivery Brings Traffic In Thurles Town Centre To A Standstill.

Twice in the past 4 days we watched as large trucks attempted to offload heavy goods to shopkeepers trading on Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

The image shown hereunder, indicates the problems being experienced by lorry drivers going about their daily work.

**Liberty Square, April 13th 2023.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby.*

For a full 13 minutes, traffic travelling westward through Liberty Square in the town, were forced to queue in a line, same running back to the Willowmere Drive area, east of the town.

The driver operating without a helper, in order to deliver the heavy duty goods was left with no alternative.

Let us examine his predicament. He was driving from west to east. Traffic was busy and already tailed back. The small loading bays were full as were the now few remaining car parking spaces; same spaces reduced by partial upgrade of the Liberty Square area. Despite a traffic warden being on duty somewhere or other, same was not on hand to assist. The driver had no option but to pull away to his right to deliver his burden of goods, and with rear doors open, thus he blocked the only remaining traffic lane, westward on Liberty Square.

If this situation is Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s (TII) vision to lead us in the delivery and operation of sustainable transport, quote, “enabling public transport networks to drive inclusive growth; create job opportunities; thus enhancing the well-being of all persons, including vulnerable groups, while strengthening resilience to address climate change, maintaining the TII’s commitment to the environment and prioritise safety”, then God save us.

Over the past year, motorists and heavy goods vehicles have learned to avoid Thurles town centre, choosing instead to use the Mill Road to travel westward, and here also the narrow roadway has begun to subside. Motorists realising they are going to be late for appointments are now seriously breaking the speed limit on this narrow thoroughfare, happily aware of the absence of the local Garda Traffic Corps.

Aldi; Thurles Shopping Centre and Lidl all positioned, offering free parking, on the outskirts of Thurles must surely be grateful for the gift handed to them at the expense of local established businesses; latter left abandoned by those elected locally and nationally who had been entrusted with the protection our town centre. Local business owners must now, like every other Thurles employee, leave the Thurles area in search of other opportunities elsewhere.

Meanwhile, in accordance with Part 8 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended,
Tipperary County Council have been made available, for public inspection, the plans and particulars of the
proposed development on Slievenamon Road (N62) due to begin – God knows when.
Plans and particulars for this proposed development are available for inspection or can be purchase at
the following locations;
Tipperary County Council, Civic Offices, Castle Avenue, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Tipperary County Council, Civic Offices, Limerick Road, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary.
Tipperary County Council, Civic Offices, Emmet Street, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.

Again, same development makes for disastrous reading and will lead further, sadly, to the downward demise of Liberty Square, Thurles, unless the town rises up and declare a “motion of no confidence“ in members of our current administration.

In Ireland We Drive On Left – In Thurles, Co. Tipperary We Drive On What’s Left.

Road conditions here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary are possibly the worst ever experienced by motorists, since the first car, a Benz Velo, was imported into Ireland in 1898.
Since early February last, giant craters have been ignored and are been allowed to developed on just about every street surface, within the Thurles Municipal District.

**Stradavoher, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.**

The time has now come to ask questions.
Why are motorists being asked to pay road tax when our roads are being permitted to deteriorate to the level of gravel patches?

Why are householders continuing to pay Local Property Tax, (LPT) when we are being asked to tolerate such current neglect; while receiving nothing in return?

**Barry’s Bridge, with water now permitted to seep through into the main arch structure.**

Surely, our two local TD’s, namely Mr Michael Lowry and Mr Jackie Cahill; latter who currently spend their time travelling around the area to have their picture taken with successful people for social media purposes, must have noticed the road conditions within their own town?

**One of the many craters on Clongour Road, showing road markings being laid down over the existing craters.**

Why, after less than 2 years, has a new roadway structure opposite Lidl, Thurles, [on Slievenamon Road (N62)] completely collapsed?
What role are our highly paid municipal district officials and councillors all playing in this shameful failure to fulfil basic obligations?

**The busiest road in Thurles, namely** Kickham Street, now a gravel patch with stones and rain water being catapulted by the wheels of trucks & motor vehicles; striking the legs of pedestrians, latter walking the pavement and destroying the facades of buildings and walls facing the street.

Why are the people of Thurles remaining silent when their once prosperous town is being currently decimated through wanton neglect?

Images taken this morning here in Thurles and shown above, are accurate and a mere tiny sample of what is being currently experienced by Thurles drivers.

Note: A copy of this blog has been sent to Mr Joe MacGrath, Chief Executive at Tipperary Co. Council, asking for him to comment on the above dismal situation.