Politics « Thurles Information

Public Efforts To Remove Checkpoint Charlie Are Underway In Thurles.

It was Fianna Fáil Cllr. Mr Seamus Hanafin who first confirmed that “Checkpoint Charlie”, latter, also known by the handle “Slievenamon Road Car Park” has reverted once more to a “pay and display system”.
Not to be out done Fianna Fáil Cllr. Sean Ryan, was quickly out of school again, offering this now historic information, before promising to inform the public on exactly how much of local tax payer funds had been totally and utterly squandered without their permission.

With regards to the matter of wasted tax payer funding, both men have since remained tight lipped, in the knowledge that taxpayers don’t really need to know, and sure same can be recouped by simply raising local property tax by 10%, as was the case some weeks previously.
Currently, the rumour is that the overall installation of “Checkpoint Charlie” was a whopping €95,000 plus. (Add another few thousand Euro for removing it.)

This brings me to another question, which does need answering.
With Tipperary Co. Council having totally succeeded in ensuring that Thurles town centre businesses are for the most part no longer economic, how much profit has car parking charges rendered to the coffers of Thurles Municipal District?
Maybe those intent on running for the 5 year post, as elected representative on Thurles Municipal District council; latter to be set by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in May or June of 2024, might try to find out.

Since “Checkpoint Charlie’s” conception, there have been ongoing issues with this barrier system. Constantly out of order and regularly interfered with by ‘uncouth barbarians’ residing locally, thus greatly angering and frustrating car park users.
Tipp Co. Co., led by Chief Executive Mr Joe MacGrath, have now decided to revert back to the “pay and display” system, which was working perfectly, previously with their Parking App.

The barriers, themselves have now been removed, but meanwhile, the practice of tightening roadways and junctions, by Tipp. Co. Co’s. Traffic Consultants and Road Engineers, has already taken the first steps in its physical removal, with a motorised vehicle of some variety, already used to re construct its physical structure (See image above herewith).

Main Points Of Budget 2023 As Announced This Afternoon.

The Minister for Finance, Mr Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Public Expenditure, Mr Michael McGrath, this afternoon unveiled core budget figures in their biggest giveaway budget ever in Ireland’s history; most of which comes from a huge increased tax-take from corporations, particularly a small number of American tech companies.

**Ministers Paschal Donohoe & Michael McGrath**

Mr Paschal Donohoe announced an income tax package to the value of more than €1.1bn, and without any borrowing to fund given tax cuts.

Announced Cost-of-living measures

Electricity credit of €600 for all households to be paid in three instalments, with first instalment to be paid before Christmas and two at the beginning of 2023.
A Social Welfare double payment to be paid in October, as well as the Christmas bonus which will be paid in early December.
€500 for working family payment, to be paid in November
A double child benefit payment of €140 per child to be made on top of normal monthly payment.
Carers are to receive a once-off €500 carer support grant in November
Persons living alone to receive €200 once-off payment before Christmas
Persons with disabilities to receive €500 once-off payment, to be made in November.
Energy support scheme for businesses, covering 40% of increased cost of electricity bill (up to €10,000 per month), to be calculated by comparing average unit prices from 2021 to 2022.
Mica Redress Scheme will be funded by a 10% levy on concrete products which is expected to raise €80 million annually, taking effect from April 3rd, 2023.
Carbon tax to increase, but will be offset by national oil reserve levy, meaning price at the pump for petrol and diesel will not change.
Excise duty reduction of 21c per litre for diesel, 16c per litre for petrol and 5.4c per litre marked gas/oil, and 9% VAT reduction on energy to be extended until February 28th, 2023.

Taxation

Excise duty on a 20-pack of cigarettes increased by 50c, with pro rata increases for other tobacco products. (Raising the cost of cigarettes to around €15.80 for a premium pack and €13.80 for an average pack.)
Bank levy extended for another year to raise €87 million annually
Income tax package of €1.1 billion will increase lower tax rate band to €40,000
Personal tax credit increase by €75, carer tax increased by €100
Cost of special exemption order to be halved for late-night entertainment venues.
The 9% VAT rate will continue until February 2023.
VAT on newspaper industry to be reduced to zero, with effect from January 1st, 2023.
Zero VAT rate to be applied to hormone and nicotine replacement products and period products.
Ireland to be part of EU Windfall Tax measures for energy companies. (Actual Details not announced).

Housing

Vacant Homes Tax will apply to residential properties, occupied for less than 30 days in 12-month period, with the amount being three times the property’s existing local property tax.
Help to Buy scheme extended, to remain at current rates, until the end of 2024.
Rent tax credit worth €500 per year, can also be claimed for rent paid in 2022.
€6.2 billion to Department of Housing, over half of which (€3.5 billion) will come in the form of capital investment.
€1.7 billion to deliver 9,100 Social Houses.
€215 million for homelessness services.
€87 million for Retrofits in 2023, while a new low-cost loan will also be introduced for those undertaking residential retrofits.

Education & childcare

A once-off reduction of €1,000 in the student contribution fee to be brought in for the academic year 2022/2023.
Once-off double SUSI payment for students.
Permanent €500 reduction in student contribution fee for households earning between €62,000-€100,000.
SUSI payments to increase by between 10% – 14% from next September
25 per cent reduction in childcare fees.
370 additional teaching posts to be introduced to reduce student-teacher ratios to 23 to 1.
686 additional teachers to support those with special needs and 1,194 additional SNAs.
Funding made available to provide free school books to all primary school children.
Approximately 4,800 extra apprenticeship placements will be funded from next year.

Health

The Department of Health is set to receive €23.4 billion.
Removal of hospital in-patient charges to everyone.
Free GP care for a further 400,000 people.
Funding to be delivered for 650 acute and community beds by end of 2023 and recruitment of 6,000 additional healthcare staff.
Additional €225 million to be provided, thus bringing an overall package of €443 million to tackle medical waiting lists.
Free contraception to be extended to all women aged 16-30.
A further €58 million for mental health services.
The ongoing Covid-19 response will receive €439 million.

Multifarious

Energy: €850 million energy capital grants, €337 million for grants for energy efficiency to fund 37,000 home energy upgrades.
Transport: €2.6 billion for transport to progress major projects, including BusConnects, Metrolink and Dart.
Policing: 1,000 new gardaí to be recruited next year, as well as 430 garda civilian staff. Approximately 200 new recruits will enter Templemore, Co. Tipperary, each quarter for the coming years.
Garda overtime: Budget to increase by €5 million to over €100 million
Defence: Capital allocation for Defence Forces will increase by €5 million, while an extra 400 permanent members will be recruited in 2023
Foreign Aid: Irish Aid funding is to increase by €100 million, while €75 million will be spent on humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

Rural Safety Plan 2022-2024 Launched.

Plan identifies 5 priority areas relating to rural safety and outlines key actions underway to ensure safety in rural Ireland.

At the Ploughing Championships in Co. Laois, on Wednesday morning last, September 21st, 2022, the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Mr James Browne, took the oppertunity to launch the ‘Rural Safety Plan’.

This plan brings together and strengthens all of the various strands of work being carried out in relation to rural safety. In demonstrating and highlighting the collaborative efforts made by An Garda Síochána, other State bodies, the Rural Safety Forum, community groups, and supported by the Government, the plan seeks to enhance security in our rural areas and enforces the importance that is rightfully placed on the welfare of rural Irish communities.

The vision of the Rural Safety Plan is for people and communities in rural Ireland to feel safe and be safe in their homes, their places of work, and their local environments.

This plan identifies 5 main priorities in relation to rural safety, which are: –

Community Safety.
Burglary and Theft.
Roads Policing.
Animal Crime.
Heritage Crime.

The plan outlines the key actions underway in these priority areas in an informative and accessible way and also provides useful contacts for partner organisations, groups committed to supporting victims of crime, and organisations that share the Department of Justice’s aim of advancing the safety of our people.

Speaking at the launch on Wednesday, Minister Browne said:-

“I am delighted to be publishing the Rural Safety Plan today.

People and communities in rural Ireland deserve to feel safe and be safe. I recognise that rural safety isn’t just about the number of Garda but is a total Government responsibility.

That is why the Rural Safety Plan is the result of strong collaboration and brings together all of the excellent work already underway in relation to rural safety.

I want to recognise the wide-ranging and impactful work to further people’s safety and welfare, that is being undertaken in rural communities across the country. Much of this work is undertaken by dedicated volunteers who admirably commit so much of their time to the benefit of our communities and our country.

I wish to thank An Garda Síochána for their input to the Plan, and the National Rural Safety Forum for their support”.

Fine Gael Politician Simon Harris Announces Funding For Tipperary Education & Training Board.

Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science of Ireland (FHERIS) Minister Mr Simon Harris, announced on Friday last that Tipperary Education and Training Board (Tipp ETB), has been included in the first tranche of 13 capital projects, latter to be funded under a new capital programme for Further Education and Training sector.

Tipperary ETB is to be included as one of the projects funded in a first tranche of capital investment, under the Further Education and Training (FET) Strategic Infrastructure Upgrade Fund.

Minister Harris, is expected to visit Tipperary over the coming weeks, when he is expected to announce the full details of the project to be funded, within the county, with Tipperary ETB actively working in partnership with SOLAS nationally, Tipperary County Council and TUS; to develop clear progressive pathways for students.

Another Road Sign Required For Liberty Square, Thurles.

Another of the recently erected directional road signs on Liberty Square, Thurles, has “bitten the dust”, struck by a vehicle attempting to manoeuvre within a now drastically reduced driving space.
Wonder what would have happened if the electrical box, sitting close by, had been struck? Probably would have turned off the lighting currently burning in broad daylight.

So before someone gets killed, where is the Thurles Relief Road which was announced in 2018, as being eligible for funding under the National Development Plan. See HERE.

With two politicians resident in Thurles, both supporting our present coalition government, surely, we must have some clout in Dáil Éireann; but apparently not!