€600,000 available under the EPA’s National Waste Prevention Programme EPA043339
The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton T.D. today launched a €600,000 funding opportunity for novel approaches to promote the circular economy, maximise resource efficiency and reduce waste.
It will fund innovators to develop and demonstrate business-ready solutions in the circular economy for consumers and for commercial clients. This funding call is a key part of Ireland’s National Waste Prevention Programme, which is led by the EPA.
Minister Mr Richard Bruton said; “Transition to a low carbon circular economy will disrupt traditional business models and create new enterprise opportunities. This fund is an excellent opportunity for early movers to seize these opportunities and lead the way. Ireland uses over 100 million tonnes of materials annually, and too much of the waste from this often ends up in landfill or an incinerator after only a short period of use. This funding initiative provides a bridge to commercial, transferable and scalable solutions that will deliver a circular and low carbon economy in Ireland.”
Applications are invited in areas of national importance such as Food Waste Prevention; Construction & Demolition and Plastics. These are key priorities nationally which require innovative thinking and solutions and are also priorities of the EU’s Circular Economy Package.
Ms Laura Burke, Director General of the EPA said; “The EPA’s National Waste Prevention Programme supports behavioural change and sustainable choices through targeted funding programmes and sharing best practices. Inefficient consumption and missed opportunities for reuse & recycling leads to more waste and higher greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA is pleased to support smart management of materials to keep them in use longer which reduces demand for raw materials and protects the environment. This is the win-win opportunity presented by the circular economy.”
The National Waste Prevention Programme offers opportunities for innovation funding, networking and partnering. The EPA is planning new strategic programmes with high visibility and influence and is keen to work with other organisations, public bodies and networks in the areas of industry & enterprise, product design and research & innovation.
Further information on the National Waste Prevention Programme and the funding call – Green Enterprise – Innovation for a Circular Economy is available on the EPA website.
Business conducted in Liberty Square depends solely on ‘Footfall’ being increased. Increased footfall results in selling that extra bar of chocolate; packet of crisps; pint of beer; that fashionable ladies top; that gentleman’s shirt and that cup of tea or coffee. Most often it is the collection of a number of small attractions that culminates; thus, reaching a climax or point of highest development in desired footfall; yes, and even more importantly, added employment.
On December 7th 2018, at 09:52am I sent an email to the following elected County Councillors:
Just seven (7) minutes later Cllr. Sean Ryan, [seano.ryan@tipperarycoco.ie] Littleton, replied as follows:-
“Will do George and revert to you. Best wishes, Sean.”
I replied at 10:40am on same date:-
“Hi Cllr. Sean, I will be happy to further assist in the back ground, should support be requested. I will also assist in the funding. Regards ….”
Three days later Cllr. Jim Ryan [jim.ryan@tipperarycoco.ie] replied.
“Hi George I think your proposal should be supported. I have no problem in talking to relevant people in council if you want me to do so. I am a firm believer in highlighting and remembering all those people who have contributed to our history. If you want to meet up I would be delighted to do so. Jim Ryan.”
No other Councillors replied, despite the email being refreshed.
But even more surprisingly, not even one solitary Councillor who received my email, has come back to me since December2018 last, to inform me of Tipperary County Council’s final decision.
Your advice please as to which candidate I should give my No.1 Vote in the Local Elections on Friday May 24th 2019.
The Thurles.Info website sits comfortably on Page 1 of all search engines for those worldwide, using the search word ‘thurles‘. It will be read by well over 80,000 people at least, come the morning of Friday May 24th 2019. In the meanwhile, here is the perfect opportunity and an open invitation to all Councillors, and pretenders to the throne, to send us full details of their achievements to date, over the past five years, since being successfully elected. We will then check and confirm your claims and report on your worth accordingly.
So, it’s a certainty; An Post is moving to the shopping centre for definite; that’s despite the intervention from the most powerful in our community; namely the politicians, local councillors, those who would like to be local councillors and politicians and a disorientated, dying, Chamber of Commerce, all intent on riding a dead horse.
Together, however, they did have some success; mainly driving home a wedge; dividing Thurles town into two sections, instead of working to improve Liberty Square and Thurles Town as a single unit.
One wonders if the current 127 workers plus business proprietors / owners in the Thurles Shopping Centre, will now be rushing out to an upcoming local election, to vote for party’s like Fianna Fáil or the ‘Party of Protest’ (The Bully Party) and certain Independent representatives, all who attempted to directly affect very limited, local, yet available employment.
The Dead Horse Theory
The efforts undertaken by the “Save Our Square”[S.O.S.] committee had all the hallmarks of the “Dead Horse Theory”, so often attempted by Government TD’s and Local Councillors. Indeed, the tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, which has been passed down from generation to generation, clearly states, “When you discover that you are riding a dead horse the best strategy is to immediately dismount”.
Ignoring the fact that Tipperary County Council, of which many of the S.O.S. committee are card carriers; same are solely responsible for the decline of Thurles town centre and other towns in Co. Tipperary, through the introduction of Parking Charges. Again, ignoring this logical, simple fact the “Save Our Square” committee choose to attempt a new strategy in their dealings with An Post, the now dead horse:-
(1) They bought a stronger whip. (2) Changed Riders. (3) Threatened the dead horse with termination. (4) Appointed a committee to study the horse. (5) Discussed the feasibility of sending councillors to foreign countries to see how other riders rode their dead horses. (6) Provided further additional funding to improve the dead horse’s performance through the introduction of a dodgy “Dead Horse acquisition and refurbishment fund”.
Now, with election votes dangerously reduced, this dead horse is most likely to be promoted to a supervisory post, enabling it to hire a replacement horse.
The solution to the Thurles town centre decline, which will correct this imbalance, is simple; call a halt to the payment of parking charges, before yet more businesses are forced out of our town centre.
Tipperary Co. Council built six social houses at Cabragh, Thurles, at a cost of some €370 thousand Euro each. We saw recently the Peter McVerry Trust acquiring 25 social houses for €5million through a generous donation made by the Dublin Capuchin Day Centre. Do your arithmetic folks; €5 million divided by 25 = €2 hundred thousand Euro. These units were purchased in Dublin and Kildare (the most expensive accommodation areas in Ireland). It is my opinion that Tipperary Co. Council are simply burning taxpayer’s money and frankly do not need parking charges to fund local government.
“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” – St. Mark Chapter 4. Verse 9.
More advice for ailing Local Councillors and Politicians in our next news bulletin.
This morning, April 18th, 2019, nationwide, some four hundred and twenty-six patients are waiting for beds at hospitals in the Republic of Ireland.
Once again University Hospital Limerick, latter which serves North Tipperary, is the worst affected, with 58 patients on trolleys just starting the day.
Earlier this month, overcrowding in University Hospital Limerick was compared to that of a scene in a hospital, where a major national disaster had occurred, following 81 people found on trolleys on April 3rd last, with patient numbers jumping to above 90 as the day progressed.
A signed five page ‘Open Letter’ to the Mid-West Region, latter which includes North Tipperary.
Today, five Doctors, based at University Hospital Limerick, have written an open five (5) page letter outlining the continued serious challenges faced not just by hospital staff, but also by acutely ill patients unable to secure in-patient beds.
It is with profound regret, the five Doctors most justifiably claim that unacceptable numbers of elderly and frail patients are being left waiting, far too long, in their hospital emergency area, in the hope of a bed being located.
The open letter addressed to “the people of the Mid-West Region from the Clinical Directors of UL Hospitals Group”, can be read by clickingHERE.
The letter states that no matter how excellent an emergency department is “and the new one at UHL is a superb modern facility”, serious problems arise if there are not enough beds and enough access to staff, including doctors, nurses, diagnostics staff and step-down facilities.
Facts, stated in the letter, compare Beaumont Hospital in Dublin with University Hospital Limerick (UHL), thus further highlighting the vast urban / rural divide that exists in the Republic of Ireland.
Beaumont Hospital Dublin compared with University Hospital Limerick
[A] Beaumont Hospital Dublin has a whole-time staff of 3,728. University Hospital Limerick has 2,851 equivalent personnel. [UHL short 877 personnel]
[B] Beaumont Hospital Dublin serves a catchment area of 290,000 people. University Hospital Limerick, serving the Mid West catchment area, serves 385,000 people. [A difference of 95,000 people]
[C] Beaumont Hospital Dublin has 630 in-patient beds, while University Hospital Limerick has 454. [UHL short 176 beds].
[D] Beaumont Hospital Dublin had 52,856 new emergency department (ED) presentations last year. University Hospital Limerick had 63,850 new ED presentations last year, or 21% difference. [UHL admitted 10,994 more emergency patients].
Sorry “Mary for Tipperary” and “Garret for South Tipperary”, I suspect their remains no place for Fine Gael representing Tipperary dwellers in the next elections. This is despite your brochures showing that both of you were photographed beside An Taoiseach, Mr Leo Eric Varadkar and despite your weekly regular ramblings, broadcast to the Tipperary public on Radio TippFM. Perhaps you should set up offices in an area served by Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, if you wish to be in with a chance at that €94,535 basic TD salary, plus expenses.
The silence may remain deafening presently in Thurles and Tipperary in general, but the Ballot Box, no doubt, will confirm my suspicions.
Pollution: Noun – from Latin ‘pollutio’ – the introduction of a contaminant or contaminants into the natural environment, thus causing unwanted and adverse change.
Protect the River Suir you love.
The continued pollution of the river Suir, here in the centre of Thurles, goes on unabated. The limestone banks constructed some 20 years ago, by environmentalist; the now deceased Wilbert Huben and his then Tidy Towns Team, were then strongly resisted by North Tipperary County Councillors, some of whom used every possible means to halt this development, including seeking help from the Irish Fisheries Board, who in turn issued threats of court action.
Today, the careless dumping of contaminants e.g. plastic items, beer cans, a series of unidentified chemical spillages (see video clip above), the uncontrolled growth of weeds and willow tree saplings etc., now trap these pollutants, resulting in the choking to death of this rich, living water resource.
We learn that Local councillors, [members of the Templemore / Thurles Municipal District] at this month’s meeting of Tipperary County Council are ‘calling’ again; this time seeking fishing facilities to be installed in Thurles on the river Suir. They would like to see board-walks and other facilities put in place, to assist those already fishing, and to attract more people into the area. Director of Services with the local authority, Mr Pat Slattery put a stop to these ‘callings’ by stating, “We’re looking at tying in this idea with another project“. Once again enigmatic Tipperary County Council officials are saving up a big surprise for both elected councillors and urban dwellers.
For those who wish to refute this stated assessment, please view the signs posted at the “Swinging Gates” opposite Thurles Leisure Centre and at Lady’s Well, latter further down on the river bank.
This is, after all, ‘Local Election Year’ for new potential local councillors and for those elected councillors, who, over the last five years have accomplished absolutely nothing. District residents are now expected to rush out to polling booths; to vote on May 24th next, granting substantial extra income to double jobbing individuals, many of whom will quickly vanish silently back into the woodwork, to remain ‘Dumb and Dumber’, until a couple of weeks before the next local election, due in 2024.
It is now quite obvious that these elected councillors are spending too much of their time on Facebook in their efforts in ‘pre-election vote gathering’. We now invite them to take a breather and walk just 20 metres (a mere 65ft) along the water front area, between the Thurles Leisure Centre and the River Suir.
Warning: Watch you don’t slip.
No, I am not referring to the surrounding crude graffiti currently on show: instead keep your eyes strictly focused on the water’s edge. Now, ask yourself why here in the heart of our rural town, you have, on your watch, allowed a rich living water resource to be turned into an almost lifeless smelly cesspool?
Through your lack of proper governance, no self-respecting fish will ever be caught in this area and indeed if an angler were lucky enough to catch some misguided, disorientated, gill-bearing aquatic animal here; sad to say, it beggar’s belief that he / she would ever eat it.
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