First, there are the problems with Dublin city councillors. It seems that current and former Dublin city councillors, together owe more than €146,000 to Dublin City Council in overpaid travel expenses. Same was discovered in an investigation by the Local Government Auditor, (Nosy interfering Busybodies).
Inner Relief Road, Archaeological Survey, Click HERE
This 2021 audit identified that councillors, for this Dublin local authority, had been overpaid their annual travel rate, by €48.42 every month, but only as far back as January 2018, amounting to €581.10 a year and a total of €2,324.40 for politicians who had served on Dublin City Council since 2018.
Sure, for God’s sake it was only taxpayers money, and sure taxpayers couldn’t give a f..k. I mean if taxpayers had been fooled into voting “them’s individuals” into office in the first place, they must have expected they would be taken advantage of; lest you forget the F.F. brown envelope planning era.
It has been a tough few days for Tipperary Co. Council this week also. On Wednesday last “RTÉ Investigates” journalist Con Corrigan, “deliberately picked on”, our beloved Tipp authority, daring to accuse them of ‘Project Costs Over-runs‘, [ See HERE ].
It appears that a project known as the Suir Blueway, stretching from Clonmel to Carrick On Suir (Not to be confused with the Thurles River Suir Brownway); the former, incorporating a walking and cycling trail along the River Suir in south Tipperary, was initially budgeted for €1.3, then (like the National Children’s Hospital), it became €2m, but ultimately costs eventually closed at €3.7m.
The final costs increased a mere 84% only, on the original budgeted amount; that’s according to documents released to RTÉ Investigates, under freedom of information.
Anyway, the RTÉ Investigates episode didn’t upset Tipperary Co. Council’s Chief Executive Mr Joe MacGrath, who went missing from work on Friday last.
(I should explain that we at Thurles.Info have a habit of sending emails to those we write about – well they might want to accuse us of telling ‘porkies’).
Well Holy God, shock of shocks, the night before last, after 3 years and numerous emails sent, didn’t we actually get a reply, for the very first time, (despite no intervention by the Standards In Public Office Commission), from Mr Joe MacGrath. Well I nearly died.
He stated, quote “Please re-send your email to evelyn.harty@tipperarycoco.ie or contact her at Tel 0818 06 5000. I am away from my office with limited access to emails.”
Then it struck me, this was one of those “Automatic Replies”, latter being doled out normally from every government office in Dublin, but same rarely replied to after that. [Sure you know yourself, in the Public Service half are still working from home and the other half are not working at all, at all].
Anyway, my first thoughts were, why don’t they buy Joe one of those new-fangled Mobile Phone contrivances; called ear phones or eye phones, whatever. My understanding is that they can now be put to vibrate silently in your trousers pocket, and when activated they can read, and let you see your emails off of a screen, on one side of the device.
Well to cut a long story short, on the same Friday, I had to go over to Cashel and Cahir; (NCT Business in Cahir, then off to buy a 3 scone and tea at Mikey Ryans in Cashel). On the way didn’t I get a call from an old school friend of mine, Charley. Hadn’t seen him in years and he was over visiting here, having brought the wife Camilla on a junket.
Listen, anyway as I’m chatting to Charlie, who did I spy out of the corner of my eye, but some one, the spitting image of Joe, edging in to have a selfie taken with Camilla. Still I can’t be totally sure it was him and since he doesn’t answer his emails, its a waste of time trying to find out.
Anyway, what I really want to talk about and show all our readers, is the pdf of the Thurles Inner Relief Road which ended up destroying the only remaining piece of visible great faminr history in Thurles. Same document failed to highlight the Great Famine Double Ditch; Public Right of Way; Mass path and Great Famine connection in its regurgated survey info, undertaken by Mr F. Coyne, BA MIAI, despite having surveyed the sections of land on both sides of this 5ft in width, Great Famine, 176 year old Double Ditch.
So Mr MacGrath, if you are reading this email, the Archaeological Impact Statement for the inner relief can be foundHERE, by you, Mr Ger Fogarty and indeed the rest of the interested world.
[Mr Ger Fogarty will note that the survey was undertaken in 2013, while Lions Club survey was undertaken in 2018.]
We have already sent this and other documents to “RTÉ Investigates”, then again they might not use the information, but not to worry, we will.
I think the time has come for raised Thurles voices and the digging up of discarded, hidden bodies.
“If the Government is to restore public confidence in its ability to stop abuse or misuse of power, it needs to accelerate efforts to promote transparency and accountability in public office.”
Approximately, half of the Great Famine Double Ditch, the last morsels of Thurles Towns rich history is now gone for ever, courtesy of “cute hoorism” by local councillors and their attempts at self promotion. Picture shows the base for the new inner relief road being installed.You can see from this picture that this new housing, in no way, impeded on this piece of national heritage. Pic. G. Willoughby.
Before I discuss the current situation regarding the loss of the Great Famine Double Ditch now and over the coming days and weeks, I would like to make the following statement known, to a shocked 5 to 8 thousand daily readers of Thurles.Info. I, George Willoughby, as a former proud member of the hugely respected Thurles Lions Club, wholeheartedly continue to support Thurles Lions club and their magnificent organisation in every possible respect, both in their past charitable efforts and in any future ventures. Thurles Lions Club are an organization comprised of members that give selflessly to Thurles town and its environs. They are collectively motivated simply and solely by a desire to do good and to genuinely help others. They are not currently and never have been, motivated by self promotion like our current local councillors, and millionaire chasing local politicians. They never have and never will use and abuse causes which seek only self promotion.
Tar & Cement – Author Verdelle Smith. “Many years later, tired at last I headed for home to look for my past I looked for the meadows, there wasn’t a trace Six lanes of highway had taken their place Where were the lilacs and all that they meant Nothing but acres of tar and cement. Yet I can see it there so clearly now Where has it gone? Yes I can see it there so clearly now Where has it gone?”.
How Councillor Mr Seamus Hanafin [See last paragraph on Mr Hanafin’s Facebook page, dated February 20th 2022], went on to, quote, “acknowledge and thank Thurles Lions Club, who have been to the fore in this project”remains a total mystery to the Lions Club members with whom I spoke.
This evening March 25th, 2022, I wrote/sent the following email to the editor of the Tipperary Star, Mr Noel Dundon.
The text reads as follows:- “To Mr Dundon, It is with regret that I must now insist that no further photographs (being my intellectual property) either taken in the past, or photographs from my current social media pages and websites, are to be used in any of your publications. As you will be aware 99% of pictures taken and published in the Tipp Star in the past 40 years, were given to your publications totally free of charge.
However, recently you promoted Councillor Seamus Hanafin in an article which I find totally untrue. It claimed that Thurles Lions Club was involved in the Thurles River Walk path project, suggesting that the club were involved in the loss of the Great Famine Double Ditch. In publishing this article you used my picture/image of Thurles River Walk, firstly without crediting the author and secondly using details in your text that I regard as untrue.
This picture must now be removed from all on line publications immediately.
From recent talks with Thurles Lions Club members, no funding came from the Lions club organisation, for these projects and as a former Lions Club member and strong supporter of International Lionism, I find that their name is now being used incorrectly in relation to recent lost heritage; lost to the business people of Thurles, its residents and Thurles Tourism.
It is with regret therefore that I can no longer commit to allowing any of my work to be used in your local papers/editorials. Previous permissions granted are now fully rescinded. It is also disappointing to note that at no time over the past 3 years did any of your publications, despite being approached, attempt to support Thurles people in retaining now defunct heritage; instead deciding to churn out the effluvium sent to you by local councillors and politicians. From next week I personally will no longer purchase your weekly publication, in protest.
I remain, Yours Sincerely George Willoughby.
In the next few days Thurles.Info will be discussing my dealings over the past 3 years with our Government Departments; that of Heritage, National Parks & Wildlife Service, latter in their failure in protection, granted by Section 40 of the Wildlife Act, while under the governance of Green Party Minister for State Mr Malcolm Noonan, and finally the National Monument service, and Tipperary Co. Council’s Heritage Office, all of which are no longer fit for purpose in modern Ireland.
The next local elections in the Irish Republic will not take place possibly before May or June 2024, so current Thurles Municipal District Councillors are not expected to come out of hibernation until then, except for photographs in relation to donations, collected by others within our generous community, to aid war displaced Ukrainian refugees.
Kickham Street, Thurles, at low tide today.
Certainly, no local double jobbing Councillors were photographed today on Kickham Street or on Slievenamon Road in the town.
15 Year old neglected footpath, flooding issue, available for viewing on Slievenamon Road, Thurles.
Thurles Councillors, all currently enjoying the fruits of their elected office have also failed to inform Ms Sharon Scully (Thurles Administrator) and Mr Thomas Duffy (Executive District Engineer) of the problems pictured above.
Looks like we may have to contact Thurles Lions Club, to locate the necessary funding for “Off Road Walking”.
Ministers Naomi Long MLA and Helen McEntee TD have marked International Women’s Day by emphasising the importance of working together to challenge and change public attitudes on consent and rape myths.
Minister NaomiLong said, “Whilst sexual crime can affect anyone, we recognise that women and girls are disproportionally affected. We want to use the platform of International Women’s Day to highlight these issues, but also to encourage people across our society to have the conversations that could contribute to increasing understanding and knowledge of sexual consent and to tackle the rape myths that exist in society.
I am committed to continuing to work collaboratively to share learning and research, and to ensure we do everything that we can to raise awareness of these issues. But society also has a huge role to play.
Starting to educate our children and young people at an early age about healthy relationships, boundaries and appropriate behaviour is also key to changing cultural and societal attitudes to both women and sexual violence.”
Minister Helen McEntee said, “Minister Long and I share a deep commitment to ensuring that people, particularly women and vulnerable people, feel safe and are safe in every community across the island of Ireland. As part of our work to deliver this we are committed to ensuring there is zero tolerance for violence and abuse against women.
I was pleased to update Minister Long on the development of the third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence which will be built on four pillars – Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Policy Co-Ordination. A public consultation on the draft Strategy is currently open, following which I will bring it to Government.
An important focus of the prevention pillar of this new strategy will be looking at how we continue to work across Government and across society to change attitudes so that unacceptable behaviours are rejected in all settings and a positive shared understanding of the meaning and importance of consent is promoted. I look forward to continuing working closely with our colleagues in Northern Ireland to advance this shared aim.”
Ministers Long and McEntee meet regularly to discuss cross border co-operation on criminal justice matters. Work ongoing to tackle these issues includes the implementation of recommendations arising out of the review of Sir John Gillen and Supporting a Victim’s Journey.
The findings of a recent survey on rape myths carried out by the Northern Ireland Department of Justice received 2,400 responses. Over 87% of respondents said that rape myths were either very or somewhat prevalent in Northern Ireland. The results of the survey will inform work to raise awareness in this area, as recommended in the Gillen Review.
Last month, the Irish government announced a range of measures to help with the rising cost of living. One of these measures agreed was a once-off payment of €100, later doubled to €200; same to be deducted from all electricity bills, over the next billing period.
Around 2.25 million account holders will now benefit from this scheme, the decision having been officially signed into legislation by Irish President Mr Michael D Higgins.
Following this, a once-off payment of €200, now due, will be automatically deducted from all electricity bills, including Pay-As-You-Go customers, within the Irish Republic.
Households do not need to apply for the payment and account holders will see the money automatically taken off their bill. From next month consumers will see €200, (exclusive of VAT €176.22), as a credit line item on their twice monthly bill charges.
With regards to Pay-As-You-Go customers, this €200 electricity credit will be applied over the course of three separate top-ups, in the form of €90, €90 and €20; since meters have a €300 credit limit. Customers will be advised only to pay €10 on each occasion to receive their credit, and to allow one day between each payment.
Anyone with multiple electricity accounts will get the payment for each house.
You can view your supplier’s website to obtain further information if required.
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